This restaurant is now Ristorante Il Bolognese.
For the most part, Italian restaurants in Bangkok fall into one of two camps: cheap and cheerful establishments offering a Thai twist to Italian dishes, or expensive eateries where the décor is as heavy and depressing as the traditional dishes and the final bill. Fortunately, Sambuca manages to avoid the pitfalls of both. The white house, whose green and cream walls create a relaxed and contemporary mood, is flanked by a bright and airy glass-covered verandah. Indeed our only gripes would be the large flat screen TV, showing Mr Bean last time, and the rather dour expression of the owner. Still, his team of friendly and knowledgeable servers make up for that with their attentive but never overbearing presence. The food leans towards traditional but, for once, that doesn’t mean stodgy. For starters, the mixed platter featuring ham, salami and grilled vegetables could be a little bigger but gets top marks for its quality meats and flavorsome peppers. This place also scores highly for pizzas. The wood-fire oven and homemade dough makes them suitably crisp; there are also plenty of pasta dishes, like the carbonara. The mains display an equally light touch. The grilled sausage comes with a delightful sweet sauce that balances the slightly peppery sausage, and the seabass in lemon is citrusy without ever overpowering the flavor of the fish. The Australian tenderloin with rocket salad and cherry tomatoes is so tender and moist (the chef can actually cook medium-rare), you don’t even need the accompanying gravy. Desserts continue the kitchen’s impressive performance: the tiramisu is rich and creamy, the pannacotta wonderfully thick. As a perfect end to a very good meal, the coffee is served bang on time, just as you finish licking your dessert bowl clean. We figure there’s a lot about Sambuca that should have you (and, who knows, maybe even the owner) smiling. Corkage B360.
