Old school British glamour and polished (secret) service come to Chiang Mai

Pssssssst The Secret Service want you to visit The Service 1921 Restaurant and Bar. Chiang Mai’s James Bond spy-themed restaurant has launched a new Michelin Guide menu just in time for the festive season.

Located in the 100-year-old colonial British consulate on the grounds of Anantara Chiang Mai the restaurant in a mixture of plush lounges, alfresco seating, an elegant bar, a whiskey room and a hidden dining room through a secret bookshelf. A cracking excuse to slip out of the door and discover Thailand.

Designed for a tropical climate, Anantara Chiang Mai Resort’s colonial house was built in 1915 and opened in 1921 as the British Consulate.  The house was the former home of the consul’s family and housed a courtroom, offices, servants’ quarters and stables for elephants.

Welcoming a constant stream of visitors, British citizens in Chiang Mai came to pay their respects, register their presence, or seek help and advice. Drinks and meals were served in the consulate’s dining room, many a game of croquet was played on the lawn, and parties for the British King or Queen’s birthdays were social highlights of the year.

The Service 1921 reimagines this heritage with a fictitious illusion of the British government’s secret intelligence service.

Social and private spaces range from communal dining salons, an elegant bar with a plush lounge and alfresco seating on the wrap-around lower and upper verandas, to a wine cellar for connoisseur journeys, an exclusive whisky room and a private dining room accessed through a secret bookshelf door in the library wall.

A full menu of popular Northern Thai favourites such as Khao Soi, Chiang Mai Sausage, Tom Yam Kob and Laab Pla is prepared by a team of expert chefs with fresh locally sourced produce including royal project organic fare.

The latest Michelin Guide menu also offers contemporary Chinese Szechuan cuisine, known for its bold flavours and spiciness resulting from garlic, chilli peppers and the unique flavour of Sichuan pepper.

It’s time to visit Chiang Mai and be recruited into The Service. For a night of unique culinary journeys filled with mystery and intrigue reservations can be made by Tel: +66 53 253 333 / email chiangmai@anantara.com.