Review

When it comes to elevated Italian cuisine La Bottega meets expectations. The restaurant has been a stalwart of the Bangkok food scene for over fifteen years and remains a firm favourite. Decorated in a warm and contemporary style with exposed brick walls and wooden tables, resembling dining in a chic ‘ristorante’ in the Italian countryside. Under chef Marco Avesani menus are prepared using fresh seasonal ingredients producing bold flavours in generous portions. To augment the extensive a la carte choices there are monthly specials ensuring diners return to sample new creations. Amongst those, veal liver alla Veneziana, pan-fried with lots of butter and caramelised onion, delicately pink and richly flavoursome. For fresh seafood, to whet the appetite, juicy squid accompanied by a combo of crispy guanciale, cannellini beans, and classic Piedmontese Bagna cauda sauce adding a burst of umami from anchovies and garlic. Pasta dishes include linguine with anchovies, butter, citrus zest, piquant garlic breadcrumbs and Sicilian oregano jam-packed with complex flavours. For dessert, choose from several homemade gelati, including rainbow mango, white peach sorbet, or pistachio. Tiramisu is assembled with panache, layers of espresso-soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone cream and cocoa powder. The result is ethereally light and creamy, with a perfect balance of textures and flavours. The restaurant’s wide selection of predominantly Italian wines includes several available by glass.