Hotspot: Siam Yacht Club adds splash of delight on Bangkok’s riverside

"We’ve all been hiding at home for far too long. We want to be among friends. I’m seeing a very strong recovery in the restaurant market," said Michael Schlueter, general manager of Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel and Towers.

Siam Yacht Club is located outside the hotel – along the Chao Phraya River – where it is quickly establishing its own brand identity.

That’s the point, says Schlueter. He does not want it to be called "the Sheraton restaurant".

"People should say they are going to Siam Yacht Club, not Royal Orchid Sheraton. It is not a club you have to be a member of. It should imply a sense where you feel at ease… somewhere you can expect a great experience,” he explains.

The food and beverage industry, particularly restaurants, was the hardest hit by the pandemic. The restaurant industry lost between 55 billion and 70 billion baht in revenue in 2021 alone, according to an estimate by Kasikorn Research.

However, the industry is bouncing back.

Some say it is bouncing back stronger than ever. Schlueter is among them.

He’s been tinkering with the concept since before the pandemic, and used his free time during the pandemic to develop it.

He wanted to create a restaurant that could make a splash, even in Bangkok.

First he considered opening a rooftop restaurant, but changed his mind after considering the location the Siam Yacht Club now occupies, explaining: "The spot had great potential … Its atmosphere transports you back in time to when merchants came by sea and traded for spices."

The location also fit his aesthetic. "We wanted a sophisticated but relaxed environment. A space where people can mingle and have different types of experiences," he explains.

The Siam Yacht Club is three clubs in one: an air-conditioned dining room where guests can watch chefs at work in the open kitchen, a riverside terrace so close to the Chao Phraya River you may feel you can stretch out your legs and dip your toes into it, and a bar where trend-setting mixologists create signature-plus cocktails.

Besides its location, the restaurant’s menu is its main selling point.

Schlueter proudly says its dishes can’t be found elsewhere. They are also difficult to sum up or define. They're all about taste.

Schlueter tries to explain­­ ­­– "It’s a flavorful Asian blended spice with different types of food that can fit all Asian and Western cuisine … I don't think we're Italian. We are not Japanese” – before all but giving up.

After a slight hesitation, he smiles and says: "We are Siam Yacht Club."

Feedback from customers has been more than positive since the soft opening last December. The menu, cocktails, décor, and music have been fine-tuned repeatedly over the past four months.

Schlueter now has a winning formula.

"I thinks it is now very inspirational place. It’s a sexy place to hang out," he says.

Siam Yacht Club is open daily from 5pm to 1am.