Le V Restaurant

Le V sits on the hillside above Patong on Phrabaramee Road, looking down over the town to Patong Bay. It has been running for more than 12 years, first under the name Le Versace, and has an open-air rooftop terrace as well as an air-conditioned, soundproofed dining room behind glass. The kitchen is led by Alain Carré, a chef from Tours in the Loire Valley who has cooked in Paris, Switzerland and Thailand.

The menu is classic French with a weight of imported produce. The house signature is lobster ravioli topped with Canadian lobster claw and tail, and recent diners mention scallop carpaccio with caviar and sea bass fillet with ratatouille. Australian beef steaks, tartares and French oysters fill out the carte, and a seasonal five-course chef's menu is served every evening. The wine list leans on France and Switzerland.

It suits a sunset dinner or a special occasion away from the noise of Bangla Road below. Book by phone or WhatsApp and ask for a terrace table for the view. It is closed on Wednesdays and opens only in the evening on Sundays. Expect prices at the top end for Patong; menu prices are not published online.