CARLOALBERTO Molina (Carlo) is proud of his Italian heritage. And rightly so. Born and raised in the mountainous village of Viggiù, which borders Switzerland in the northwest of Italy, he’s been lucky enough to grow up in area of outstanding natural beauty, where good food made with the finest ingredients is part and parcel of daily life, and passion for cooking, practically instilled at birth.

WHILE many Italian restaurants in Pattaya tempt passersby with the promise of offering the authentic taste of Italy, only a handful actually deliver on this pledge. One of the finest: Luca Marchetti’s Toscana on Beach Road.

Passionate about ingredients, this affable chef and restaurateur imports only the finest Italian fare. His local produce is top notch, too: just outside of Pattaya he operates his own organic farm where he rears chickens, lambs, quails, and cows, and even grows his own veggies. 

ITALIAN wine bars in Bangkok don’t get much more authentic than diVino on Soi Thonglor. Split between three small rooms in the corner of Penny’s Balcony community mall, this cozy venue pleases foodies and oenophiles alike with a wide selection of culinary and liquid comforts from that much-loved boot-shaped land.

INSPIRED by laid-back eateries typical to Bologna, the largest city of the Emilia-Romagna Region in northern Italy, Il Bolognese embodies its moniker by serving up the kind of simple, rustic dishes for which the city is famed. Think pizza, pasta, salad, and generous servings of meat and seafood – all made using top quality ingredients, most of which are imported from Italy.

THIN crust pizzas, innovative cocktails, and two very different atmospheres await at Holiday Inn Pattaya’s Havana Bar & Terrazzo Restaurant.

Located beachside at the front of the hotel, Terrazzo Restaurant lives up to its name by offering an alfresco poolside terrace where diners can enjoy all kinds of Italian treats plus more than 20 piping-hot pizzas fresh from a pizza oven. 

DINERS looking for the authentic taste of Italy certainly aren’t spoilt for choice in Bangkok. Close your eyes and stab your finger at a map of the city and chances are you’ll point near an Italian restaurant; there’s literally hundreds of them. Problem is, the majority all ply the same selection of pastas, pizzas, and risottos ‒ tasty, yes, but hardly exciting.

AS one of London’s most popular Italian restaurants, Signor Sassi has the fine-dining formula down to a tee. Food made with only the best imported ingredients? Check. Signature dishes you won’t find elsewhere? Check. Sumptuous surroundings and celebrity clients? Check and check.
   
The good news is that you don’t have to fork out for a flight to the UK to enjoy all this because, since opening in September 2012, the Bangkok branch of Signor Sassi has been painstakingly developed to provide everything that makes the London flagship so popular, right here in the City of Angels.

FOR some, it’s a legendary nightclub, while others think of Spasso as an elegant restaurant with an exciting ambience and a passionate chef who knows all there is to know about Italian cuisine. Yet another group combines all these elements into a truly exceptional venue in the heart of Bangkok.
   
And in a city where restaurants come and go with sometimes alarming speed, Spasso has certainly stood the test of time, recently celebrating its 21st anniversary. It’s a pretty rare achievement which speaks volumes of the restaurant’s quality, style and enduring appeal.