Eating Italian

in the City of Angels

Bangkok is jammed with Italian restaurants and they come in all sizes and shapes. Many - perhaps most of them - are located in hotels and have Italian chefs in charge of the kitchen. These restaurants have a tendency to be fairly formal and serve elegant, refined food with elaborate sauces and regal presentations.

Then there are a growing number of independent Italian restaurants. These restaurants are often owned and operated by Italians who have decided to settle down in Thailand. These independent restaurants run the gamut from elegant and formal to informal neighbourhood spots specializing in pizza and spaghetti with meatballs.

Italian Restaurants in Hotels
Don Giovani +66(0)2 541 1234 at the Sofitel Central Plaza isn’t as well-known as some of the other Italian restaurants in Bangkok’s hotels, but this isn’t a reflection of quality. This refined and elegant dining spot possesses a lot of Italian power in the kitchen. Executive Chef Vittorio Bertini and Italian Chef Alberto Bruni are both Italians and both stalk the kitchen and dining room, talking with customers and ensuring everything is as it should be. There is an extensive wine list with selections in all price categories. Open for lunch on Monday through Friday and for dinner on Monday through Saturday, this is an outstanding restaurant in every sense of the word.

Angelini +66(0)2 236 7777 in the Shangri-la Hotel is a restaurant that is both architecturally striking and renowned for its good food. The award winning three story designs has massive windows that provide views of the hotel’s gardens and the Chao Phraya River. Its Italian Chef hovers in the open kitchen insuring that everything meets his exacting standards. This restaurant has a parade of promotions and events to entice and allure. Phoning ahead to find out what is being offered is always a good idea and reservations are important. Angelini has earned its popularity. Visit it once and you will discover why.

When it comes to Italian restaurants in hotels, da Vinci +66(0)2 261 7100 at the Rembrandt Hotel is the new kid on the block. Recently opened, it is a significant addition to the stable of outstanding specialty restaurants at the hotel. Chef Battista Rossi hails from northern Italy and the cuisine of the restaurant reflects this fact. He says the restaurant’s menu “tends toward traditional Italian cooking, very much the style you would find in a homely restaurant in a Tuscan village.” Located so that it overlooks the pool on the 4th floor of the hotel, the setting in da Vinci is relaxing and not overly formal.

The Siam Square Novotel is always bubbling with activity and fun. Its Italian restaurant, Foccazzia +66(0)2 255 6888 is in keeping with this tradition. Presided over by an Italian chef, everything is excellent, but the Foccazzia Sandwiches and Tiramisu always seem to leave people murmuring about how good they are. The restaurant’s soups, salads, pastas and pizzas also cause quite a commotion. It is worth noting that pizzas, pastas and salads are available for take-away, every night from 18:00 until 01:45, making Foccazzia an ideal spot for those who like a late night pizza.

Popular both as an entertainment centre and an Italian restaurant, Spasso +66(0)2 254 1234 in the lower lobby of the Grand Hyatt Erawan dishes up sophisticated and authentic Italian food in a buffet at lunch and a traditional a la carte dinner. Pizzas from the wood fired clay oven are popular, but so is just about everything else at this swinging spot. Later in the evening, Spasso’s transforms itself into one of Bangkok’s most popular live music venues. Many customers come to dine and then stay for the music and fun that comes afterward.

Fun, casual, contemporary and presided over by an Italian chef, Biscotti +66(0)2 251 6127 at The Regent Bangkok features an open kitchen and outstanding food. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, a meal here is always an experience. At lunch the antipasti buffet has become a Bangkok favourite; visit the buffet, order a main course, and then visit the dessert bar. This is the way to live.

Rossini’s +66(0)2 6530333 at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit specializes in fresh seafood and some of the city’s best pastas, risottos and raviolis. Open for lunch and dinner, its Italian chef works hard to maintain authenticity and quality. An excellent choice for those in the Sukhumvit Road area.

Independent Restaurants
Papa Alfredo’s +66(0)2 632 4043 is a welcome addition to the Italian restaurant scene in Bangkok. Based on the concept of a family style Italian restaurant from the 1950’s and 60’s in New York’s “Little Italy,” it features large - perhaps mammoth is a better word - portions that are designed to be shared “family style.” The style of cooking reflects Italian food as it would be served in a home rather than the “haute cuisine” found in most Italian restaurants. The restaurant is located in surroundings that are modern and trendy, but with overtones that evoke a feeling of Little Italy in New York. Papa Alfredo’s can be found on the first floor of the U Chu Liang Building on Rama IV Road. This is a great stop for a group of friends bent upon having a good time.

No. 43 Italian Bistro +66(0)2 658 7444 on restaurant rich Soi Langsuan is popular for both lunch and dinner. The furniture is modern and trendy, the floor made of highly polished wood, but the restaurant still has a blackboard announcing daily specials. Prepared under the direction of an Italian chef, the food is known throughout the city for its high quality. The restaurant is popular at lunch with both the office crowd and hungry shoppers. To entice them there is an inexpensive buffet that features a few Thai dishes as well as Italian items. The a la carte menu is extensive and is available at both lunch and dinner and reflects the chef’s talents and interests.

Hardcore Italian food lovers swear by Zanotti +66(0)2 636 0002 on Soi Saladaeng. Owner-chef Gianmaria Zanotti’s classy spot features an orange wood charcoal grill that turns out fantastic seafood, lamb and beef. Dishes from Tuscany and Piedmont dominate as Gianmaria is from Torino. There is an enormous selection of Italian wines on offer. This is one of the city’s most popular restaurants so reservations are a must.

Matteo +66(0)2 656 0112, located in Le Meridien President Tower Arcade, is an ideal spot for shoppers and business people. Great for an afternoon snack, elegant business lunch, or dinner with the family. The restaurant prides itself in using only the freshest of ingredients and making every effort possible to serve the finest in Italian food.

La Gritta +66(0)2 255 7350 on Sukhumvit Soi 19 is an elegant restaurant with a dynamic chef who constantly strives to make the menu exciting. There are frequent promotions and special items designed to whet the taste buds of Italian food lovers. The old time favourites, however, aren’t forgotten and menu items that are particularly popular are often retained. Open for Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Zanzibar +66(0)2 651 2900 is housed in a restored three-story villa that was built in 1920. The chef has had more than 16 years experience working in Italian restaurants. He is especially proud of his Ink Pasta with spicy seafood sauce. The restaurant opens at 11:00 and stays open until late, making it a good stop for a mid-afternoon snack.

This ends our review of “Eating Italian in Bangkok.” The city abounds with Italian restaurants and the quality is remarkably high. If you want to “eat Italian” while in Bangkok, there are numerous restaurants available and they all serve food of signal quality.

 Benjarong Magazine - July 2003, Volume 6 Issue 7