Good Italian food thatâ€™s not expensive

September 29, 2011

Italian cuisine is not only extremely popular here in Fun Town, but virtually all over the world; even in Italy, I suppose. Pattaya has scores of Italian restaurants ranging from inexpensive bistros to fancy, gourmet affairs. The range of quality is as wide as the number of offerings and price doesn’t always guarantee the most delicious or authentic fare.

One example of an inexpensive Italian café, offering what many consider Pattaya’s best Italian food is Buondi Danoong Ristoran Tino; located on the corner of Thappraya Road and Soi Jomtien Nivate, in south Pattaya. If you can say its complete name, you’ve already had a mouth full. (Some readers may recall when this place advertised 80 and, later, 90 baht spaghetti; those days are gone.) The dining room is not fancy. It is open air and fan cooled with metal chairs and plastic table cloths; but it features an extensive menu with many tantalizing choices. You can start with an antipasti or salad, generally, for less than 100 baht. The salad with tuna and seafood salad are recommended. For a main course, I had the sogliola sole for 100 baht. The fish was tasty and quite enjoyable. On other occasions, I’ve had the pasta bolognaise, which I found quite satisfying.

About a dozen specials are displayed on the wall. The vitello tonnato features a sauce with tuna, anchovies and capers and is very good. This is one of a few establishments that serve genuine veal. Most mains and pasta dishes are under 150 baht. Buondi Danoong Ristoran Tino is open daily until 11 pm for lunch and dinner.

A while back I included Volterra, on Soi Yensabai Mansion, off Soi VC, in a compilation of my favorite pizza establishments. They also serve delicious Italian dishes in an air-conditioned dining room. Owner and Chef, Michele Magni, personally prepares all of the dishes. Many of the ingredients are imported from Italy. There’s an ala carte menu offering a large variety of meat, fish, pasta dishes and pizzas. Several set menus are offered, as well. I opted for the salad, wine and pasta dinner, which comes with a choice of ten sauces. I selected Spaghetti Bolognaise and was very pleased. Prepared in the authentic Italian way, the sauce was mostly ground beef with a hint of tomato and various spices and seasonings. My friend had a set dinner including garlicky bruchetta (sublime), lasagna and ice cream. The lasagna was tender and tasty. All of our dinners were in the neighborhood of 200 baht. For a great Italian meal that won’t bust the budget, be sure to try Volterra Italian Restaurant. 504/17 Soi VC (17), South Pattaya

These were just two examples of the wonderful variety of inexpensive Italian restaurants that can be found in Pattaya.