Crystal Café is the typical kind of eatery you find in community malls all over Bangkok: the menu covers international and Thai favorites while the décor goes for faux-European class. The chic, dark-hued façade with its classic French window frames and black sign above the entrance beckons you inside, where a slightly more rustic vibe awaits thanks to brick walls and paintings of the European countryside.

The menu seems to cover every cuisine in vogue right now, from Italian to Mexican, plus plenty of Thai dishes. The Mexican staple of chicken nachos (B195) combines nicely seasoned chicken, a sweet nacho sauce and lots of cheese. The BBQ baby pork ribs (B560), too, come with tender meat and a rather satisfying, sticky sauce, but there’s not too much to get excited about. It’s the same with the pizza (B350-449). You can expect a pretty nice crispy base, but the toppings are a bit dull, as in the salami pizza, which lacks bite.

As for Thai fusion dishes, the salmon in spicy wasabi salad (B379) is doused in a pungent dressing but isn’t quite as tangy as you might expect. Another recommended dish, the crispy noodle topped with pad kraprao moo (stir-fried basil with pork, B175) is rather too sugary.

But the wine list is above average for a community mall, with bottles from France, South America and Australia, while draft beer includes Hoegaarden and Stella Artois (B190-B275). Crystal Café serves up few surprises, but does rack up a pretty hefty price tag. Visit for a solid if unspectacular meal, just don’t expect a memorable experience.