Villa Frantzén is a part of the Frantzén Group, a modern, casual Nordic restaurant & bar with Asian influences located in central Bangkok.
We want to see you again and again.
This is how we craft your experiences at the restaurant and the cocktail bar. With our special multiple selection 6-course tasting, each time you come back you can have a different experience and enjoy a different menu in a different part of our Villa.
It is the most Nordic restaurant in the entire Frantzén Group.
Björn Frantzén
INTERIOR & DESIGN
Villa Frantzén is designed by Joyn Studio in collaboration with Frantzén Group. Joyn Studio is a small interior architectural studio located in Stockholm, run by three Swedish women: Helena Eliason, Lisa Grape and Ida Wanler.
FRANTZÉN PROJECTS & SWEDISH CRAFT
Inside, you may find many items from Swedish craftsmen and Frantzén Group Projects.
From Gense cutlery, Calle Forsberg handmade ceramics, woodworks from Erik Mossnelid at Renskalla, to knives from Morakniv handpainted by Pernilla Nordman, hand wash and lotion from a Frantzén Group and Björk & Berries collab, or Reijmyre glassware designed by Björn Frantzén and Stefan Gissberg.
ILLUMINATION
At dawn, the outdoor and indoor spaces become a show of lights from the renowned light-architect Matteo Messervy.
MEET THE TEAM
BJÖRN FRANTZÉN, CHEF PATRON | FRANTZÉN GROUP
From steak to stars
Both the innovator and the critic, Björn constantly questions himself in pursuit of perfection. Born in 1977, he represents the young generation of successful chefs dedicated to their calling. At the age of 12 once he was served the perfect steak, with french fries and béarnaise sauce – this very first strong culinary memory inspired his career. His journey towards stardom started with interning at Edsbacka Krog to later work at restaurants such as Chez Nico’s, Dining Lettonie and L’Arpege.
He opened his own restaurant – Frantzén in 2008. In 2013, Frantzén was appointed “The chef of all chefs”, by Sweden’s top gastronomic critics.
NILAS CORNELIUSSEN, EXECUTIVE HEAD CHEF | VILLA FRANTZÉN
Thai boxer turns chef
A Swedish Dane, geeky about Thai cooking and fluent in Thai, Nilas Corneliussen seamlessly bridges Frantzén Nordics & Asian influences. But Nilas never imagined a career in cooking. The tangled path that landed him the Executive Head Chef role in Bangkok started with Thai boxing in high school and training camps in Thailand. After a bad injury, he gave up the sport, and a day after graduation he was on a one-way ticket to study economics in Thailand.
Halfway into his master, he found his calling in the kitchen. He then returned to Europe and worked his way up from Stockholm’s trattoria to Michelin-starred Esperanto, Noma, amidst winning silver on the Swedish team in the Bocuse d’Or finals. Before Villa Frantzén, Nilas headed Stockholm Surfers–an authentic, somewhat nerdy Szechuan restaurant.
VANESSA MAPP, GENERAL MANAGER | VILLA FRANTZÉN
Nurture & Wanderlust
Vanessa’s hospitality journey began in childhood, exploring the hotel her parents worked at in Canada. Although discouraged from a hospitality career by her parents, she briefly pursued nursing before returning to her passion. Enrolling in hotel school, she became the first service team student sent to intern at France’s 3-Michelin-starred Le Relais Bernard Loiseu, where she transitioned to an employee and met her partner. In 2018, they embarked on an adventurous journey, primarily on foot from Strasbourg to Vietnam, embracing diverse cultures.
An accident in Laos led them to Bangkok, where Vanessa secured a manager position at Lebua’s 2-Michelin-starred Mezzaluna before becoming Villa Frantzén’s new General Manager. Beyond hospitality, she enjoys horseback riding, speed driving, and collecting watches.
GABRIEL VALDÉS, BAR MANAGER | VILLA FRANTZÉN COCKTAIL BAR
Scandinavian landscape in a glass
The humor of Gabriel Valdés ups the casual evening vibe at the bar. Before joining the team in Bangkok, Gabriel has been interpreting a 16th-century pharmacy at Pharmarium in Stockholm.
He loves to cook and travel. This translates into his vast awareness of ingredients, preservation techniques and the use of uncommon, savory ingredients in cocktails, like fermented blueberries, beetroot, cream cheese, or whey. His signature mixtures reflect the Nordic landscape in bold, sharp flavors, textures, or sterile purity. Working alongside Chacha, with her input, he introduces pan-Asian influences to the menu.
