Life in Bangkok is serene. If ever a life could be called “living the dream,” it’s life in Bangkok. Or greater Thailand in general, I suppose. It’s warm year-round. The cost of living—at least for the next few months—is low. The place is lousy with tan, skinny girls with long dark hair. There’s pristine beaches nearby. And the food—oh Lord, the food. It’s amazing. And yet, one can only eat so much kow man gai before a sample from home—or any Western country really—sounds delightful. Thankfully, Bangkok is also home to some of the best farang food in the world. This post focuses on where to go when you wake up with a craving for Italian fare in BKK. Or more specifically, my neighborhood.
When I first posted this, it was during the first big Covid lockdown in Bangkok. For one week, restaurants were allowed to reopen with strict social distancing and no alcohol sales (because Thais for some reason think the root of all evil is booze, and somehow booze made Covid easier to catch. Their retarded thinking is adorable). Back then, I included Ciao Pizza on Silom Soi 3, a place I’m sad to say didn’t survive the scamdemic. But new restaurants have sprung up in the aftermath, so there’s no shortage of ristorante Italiano to include here. I did weed out a few at the get-go. I crossed off the hoity-toity, high-so, high-end ones in fancy hotels like La Scala, and places that charge 500b a tiny bite of food on a plate because it’s supposedly that good. Instead, I chose places that serve a proper meal. Let’s dig in…
Soho Pizza, at The Commons Saladaeng, serves up terrific New York-style pizza by the slice as well as whole pies on demand. And they're available on Foodpanda, which is happy, happy news. I recommend the garlic-mushroom, the Lebanese lamb, and GOAT (greatest of all time).
From Sorrento on Soi 10, the angel hair pasta with rock lobster, and the ossobuco with cheesy risotto. I could see making this joint a weekly habit. It’s elegant without being exorbitant. The pasta was lovingly-prepared—as simple as it was flavorful. The ossobuco was deep, decadent, and visceral. As if the very carnal nature of man were infused into a plate of food.
At Il Bolognese, the portobello mushroom appetizer was simply amazing. Rich, flavorful, perfectly cooked and presented, it was pure pleasure from start to finish. I wish I could've paired it with a Chardonnay, but there wasn't one on the menu. The pinot bianco was OK, though. Everything about this dish was spot-on, from the mixture of mushroom, stuffing, cheese, and tomato to the cream sauce that was drizzled over the plate. I might go back again and again, and just order this appetizer. It was that good.
Above is the pork dish I ordered, which was good but not nearly as magical as the mushroom starter, and a photo of their pizza oven. The atmosphere of Il Bolognese is as appetizing as the food. It was a comforting, welcoming place with a vibe not unlike home. On my next visit, I’ll definitely try the pizza.
Speaking of, pizza was on my mind on the next two visits, which were to Marco Polo and Bistro Di Farina, both on Soi Convent. Marco Polo is conveniently located across from Indigo. It’s a cozy place—unpretentious but clearly focused on making good food. I ordered a calamari starter and their capricciosa pizza (pictured at the top of this post). The calamari (190b) was lovely, lightly-breaded and marvelous. It probably would’ve paired perfectly with a sauvignon blanc but I’d already estimated around 1k baht’s worth already at that point so I skipped it. Then came the pizza, along with a glass of primitivo (Italian zinfandel, 250b) that was near perfection. The pizza (410b) was clearly hand-made from start to finish with tender loving care. White mushrooms, chunks of artichoke, and fat discs of salami—only 5 of them, though. Would’ve liked to’ve had more. The crust, in a word, was ‘rustic.’ All in all, a very nice meal. With the ++ added to the bill, it came to over 1k—not a price I can pay once a day, or even once a week. But I’ll probably be back.
Bistro Di Farina showed up on Google maps in the spot where Bistro Convent (a Spanish-Italian joint) used to be. I scampered over there to find that yes, Di Farina is in the old Bistro Convent location, but so is Bistro Convent. They appear to be sharing the same location like the leader of the mutants in the original “Total Recall.” When you sit down, they hand you both menus. When I went to Bistro Convent, it was to try their Spanish fare, so I’ll save that for another post. This most recent visit, I had their prosciutto porcini pizza—a steep investment at 580b—and a glass of the house red, which I didn’t find out till later was a Chilean merlot for 180b. The pizza was heavenly, and bursting with flavor. Topped with big, chunky mushrooms and prosciutto that melted in my mouth. These days every BKK pizza joint has a wood-burning oven, and man does it ever make a difference in the taste. The crust was like a campfire-roasted treat. ‘Twas easily better than the Marco Polo pie, but I don’t know if it’s 170-baht better. The wine at MP was definitely better and the 70b extra was well worth it. So there are pros and cons to both places. Di Farina has a 380b 3-course set lunch for 380b. I’ll definitely be back to try that out.
Anyway, there are around 1,000 more Italian restaurants to try in Bangkok. I can’t possibly cover them all. But these are the ones within walking/biking distance from Patpong that are worth trying. I hope you’ll pop into one or three for a bite. You can tell them Seven sent you, which will earn you nothing, because they have no idea who I am.
If racy, redlight content is more your thing, you can check out bangkokseven.com or semi-raunchy stuff at https://creatorlinks.com/bangkokgogodancers for $5 a month.
Excellent dining options, however I must note that since I live in Thong Lo you are compelling me to make a lot of trips to Sathorn/Bang Rak! I like your comments and down-to-earth perspective. In short, bravo !