10 top-notch Italian restaurants in Bangkok to hit up now that things are opening up
Long rivalling Japanese as Bangkok’s favourite foreign cuisine, here are some suggestions to scratch that Italian itch
One of Bangkok’s most well-known fine-dining establishments tucked inside Anantara Siam Bangkok, Biscotti’s standards still remain high, and the service—the jewel in Biscotti’s crown—is still deft and charming after all these years. The menu here leans heavily in the pizza, pasta and seafood direction, all made by groups of busy chefs buzzing away in the open kitchen—adding a nice ambiance to the room’s elegant and cavernous setting.
1/F, Anantara Siam, 155 Ratchadamri Rd., 02-126-8866. Open daily 11am-2:30pm, 5-8pm.
This Sathorn trattoria lives up to its reputation: upper crust pies and connoisseur cuisine, in a setting too beautiful to be believed. Waiters in white sleeves and waistcoats make it look like a movie scene. The pizza pours out of a wood-fired red brick oven, set right up front. The crusts are perfect; just the right splashes of baked brown and black char. There are draft Peronis and good red wines. You just can't go wrong.
139/3 Sathorn Soi 7, 02-286-8805. Open Mon-Sun 11:30-2:30pm, 5-11pm
Another icon of Bangkok’s Italian fine-dining scene and a regular name in BK’s Top Tables Awards, Le Bottega recently launched an omakase-style offering in its private room (7 courses/B3,900), which has been a rising trend in non-Japanese restaurants for a while. If that’s not your thing, the succinct a la carte menu should do you justice with the likes of angel hair carbonara with black truffles and Tagliata-style wagyu flank steaks.
2/F, Terrace 49, Sukhumvit Soi 49, 02-204-1731. Tue-Sun 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30-11:30pm
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With dough that has been stretched over a period of up to 48 hours, Ciao Pizza cooks its pizzas in a hybrid wood-fired oven right by the front window. not-to-be-missed is the focaccia stuffed with truffle paste and cheese, while the menu also spans burrata with cold cuts, strozzapreti pasta with pesto and truffle ravioli.
Silom Soi 3, 094-754-7777. Open Mon-Sat 10:30am-1pm, 4:30-9pm
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Bangkok's uncompromising pasta house expanded to Silom last year in addition to its Thonglor location. That means more people than ever can enjoy oodles of fresh-made pasta and all manner of Italian classics—prosciutto and melon is a severely underrated combo that you should try. La Dotta shines in nearly every way a pasta restaurant could.
161/6 Thonglor Soi 9, 02-392-8688. Open daily 11am-2:30pm, 5:30-11pm. There is another branch on Convent Rd., Silom
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Italian fine dining in Bangkok would not be where it is today without Gianni Favro. The longtime chef has delighted local rainmakers and power movers for the past 20-plus years with Mediterranean-inflected dishes, educating diners on the nuances of Dover sole, burrata and handmade pasta along the way. The refined setting echoes the restaurant’s reputation.
Athenee Tower, 63 Wireless Rd., 02-252-1619, 02-652-2922. Open daily 11:30am-2pm, 6-10pm.
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This Southern Italian specialist puts an extremely careful eye into sourcing some of the finest Mediterranean ingredients, like Mazara del Vallo red prawns, wild octopus, swordfish, clams, mussels and lots more. Sicilian-style dishes, like pasta alle sarde, with sardines, saffron and pinenuts, and tons of Mediterranean classics set the tone for its far-reaching and diverse menu. This is heartfelt cooking at its best.
14 Sukhumvit Soi 23, 02-115-7776. Open daily 11am-2:30pm, 5-10pm. (last order at 8:30pm due to curfew)
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If you have ever crossed the Asoke BTS station, you’ve seen Pizza Pala Romana, the neighbourhoods grab-and-go pizza institution. The venue focuses on Roman-style pizza (thicker, crunchier and square), which come at very reasonable by-the-slice prices. The pastas, too, hit the mark both in terms of flavour and price—some of the better value for money in the pasta market, if you ask us. You can also order imported Italian meats and cheeses, deli-style, to take home.
Room #1, MRT Sukhumvit Station, Asoke, 02-259-1228-9. Open Mon-Sat 9am-10pm; Sun 10am-10pm
The Sukhothai’s longstanding Italian flagship just welcomed a new head chef, Eugenio Cannoni—a northern Italy native with a cooking lineage that dates back through his grandmother and time spent at Alma di Gualtiero Marchesi, one of Italy’s best cooking schools. At La Scala, he puts that regional knowledge to good use through dishes like Piccione (BBQ pigeon, foie gras, cauliflower, and colatura di alici).
The Sukhothai Bangkok, 13/3 South Sathorn Rd., 02-344-8888. Open daily noon-3pm, 6-11:30pm
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Dark wood and starched tablecloths project an upscale Italian moodiness, but the tone is lightened by the charismatic chef Francesco Lenzi, who works the room offering recommendations and doling out the occasional sample. Cured meats and cheeses from Lenzi's own family farm in Tuscany star alongside creative pasta dishes and wood-fired meats.
Ruamrudee Soi 2, Wireless Rd., 02-001-0116. Open daily 11:45am-2pm, 6-10:45pm
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