The buzz: Thonglor has a new gold standard for good pizzas, and it isn’t even on Thonglor. Massilia “mark 2” takes over where Smith left off at the top of Soi 49 with its Italy-meets-France approach to pizzas, along with a side order of Provencal small plates.
The decor: Let there be light! Smith’s dungeon of corrugated iron and butcher’s equipment is gone—along with the road-facing wall, where windows now look in on a pizza oven resplendent in gold mosaic tiles. Raw wooden boards, an exposed ceiling and screens of foliage give the bright blue interior tropical-warehouse edge over Ruamrudee’s classical stylings, while the fairy light-strewn garden seating is just what the neighborhood ordered.
The food: New venue; new chef. Luca Appino (of La Bottega de Luca) still oversees things, but Italian chef Michele Fernando also hops onboard, bringing with him a crispier style of dough made with imported organic flour from producer Mulino Marino. As with before, the simple margherita (from B290) is essential eating, but Massilia can knock up some fancy specials, too, whether it’s with lean slices of fassone beef carpaccio (B590) or a mouth-watering calzone with mozzarella, smoked scamorza, egg yolk and French truffle (B990). Then there’s the Provencal side to the menu, which now offers a lip-smackingly thick baby squid bouillabaisse (B350) along with the old dessert classic of citron givre, a lemon sorbet served in candied lemon peel (B290). The wood oven-baked Australian wagyu ribeye sets you back B1,790.
The drink: Pizza calls for Peroni beer, which Massilia serves on tap at B180/33cl. You’re also safe with the house red wine, a Sicilian nero d'avola from the well-established Regaleali vineyard—B200/glass. Our cocktail pick: the Beefeater, Ricard and rosemary “Bizu Bizu” (B220). Wine starts from B190 by the glass.
Why we’d come back: The old war of Peppina or Massilia will wage on forever (or at least another year or so). Right now, we find ourselves leaning more and more to Camp Massilia’s lighter, less-billowy pies. Can we tell they’ve changed the flour? Not really—it still tastes exceptional. Oliver Irvine
