Pier 59 restaurant at Banyan Tree Bangkok features a sleek, modern and minimalist dining atmosphere, affording excellent views high above the capital. The cuisine offered includes a variety of European seafood and seasonal dishes, all using the freshest of ingredients, many of which are flown-in on a twice-weekly basis.

With attentive, congenial, well-mannered and knowledgeable service provided by restaurant manager Sebastian Mueller and staff, Pier 59 proves to be an excellent all-around option for those looking to impress clients, or a date, who are out to enjoy European fare in Bangkok.

Sleek atmospheres
Arriving at sunset (about 6 pm), guests can enjoy the show of orange and pink hues, as Bangkok, and Pier 59, morph into evening mode.

As the sun sets over the nearby Chao Phraya River, the restaurant dims while its neon blue lighting, set within glass tubes and filled with bubbling water, begin to glow amongst smooth acid jazz background music.

Pier 59 seats up to 90 diners in spacious surroundings, and features three private dining rooms; two of them can seat up to 14 guests, and the other, where the restaurant's extensive wine cellar is also located, can accommodate eight guests.

All three private rooms feature an all-glass wall affording excellent views of the city plus a long table with centerpiece champagne chiller.

If you enjoy a good cigar during or after your meal, unfortunately Thai law now prohibits smoking indoors; still, Pier 59 offers a gourmet cigar list, along with a smoking area just outside the restaurant.

Seafood dishes with your health in mind
The restaurant's menu features a variety of European and specialty Mediterranean seafood dishes - not just the regular pastas found at most places around town - which complement the restaurant's unique atmosphere.

Prices at Pier 59 range from 330-900 baht (US$9.60-26.30) for appetizers, while main dishes run from 800-2,500 baht (the Maine Lobster with Black Truffle being the priciest).

Chef Degan, who specializes in European fare, changes the restaurant menu every six months, while each month the restaurant features seasonal European dishes.

My meal began with a fresh oyster on the half shell (750 baht for six). The sauce, featuring fresh coriander and sun-dried red onions, proved to be a mouth-watering combination.

I then enjoyed the Lobster with Vegetable Confit, served in a pine nut basil dressing and with Shimeji mushroom (900 baht). The lobster was tender and delicate, with the light, tangy sauce a good combination. Its portion size was just the right amount so my stomach didn't become too full before the rest of the meal.