BANGKOK RESTAURANT

Pizzazo

2
Average: 2 (1 vote)

The buzz: Revitalizing a scant (though long-standing) dining scene on Sukhumvit Soi 16, Pizzazo takes what we love best (pastas and pizzas) and puts it in a casual, house-and-garden atmosphere, along with a few more interesting dishes for those who need more bells and whistles.

The decor: Before you enter, you’ll have to walk through their large courtyard with big white parasols and chic white lawn furniture made of metal and wood. Inside, off to the side, you’ll see the chefs working their magic in a pristine open kitchen. The dining room atmosphere is quite romantic, with dim lighting and dark, textured tables with a single white daisy on each.

The food: These guys have a pizza delivery service on the side, so their emphasis here is on the wood-fired thin and crusty pizzas (the margarita is B210, the quattro fromaggi B350) as well as a few calzones (like the Toscano, with artichokes, salami and brie, B390). The non-pizza dishes are do offer some exciting options. They do standards like beef carpaccio (B420) and fried calamari (B170), but we’re intrigued by their forays into unusual dishes like the squid ink risotto with a lemon froth (B460) and more rustic fare like the deep-fried risotto balls (B160) and grilled seabass with polenta (B420).

The drinks: They have a small but broad and affordable wine list, covering both New and Old world stuff. Prices range from B860-2,500 per bottle, and they do four wines by the glass (B190-280) as well as classic Italian digestifs like Averna Limon di Sicilia (B160) and Nonino Grappa Friulano (B160).

The crowd: Hi-so dinner dates, and some Asoke-area corporate-types. Clae Sea

There’s a lot to like about Pizzazo, a cute neighborhood Italian restaurant and pizzeria. For starters, it’s a rare house and garden formula that doesn’t make us roll our eyes. Here it’s done very well: uncluttered, cozy and avoiding the retro trend. There’s even an impressive pizza-making station on your way in, where you can see a team of robust guys at work. They have a small but broad and affordable wine list, covering both New and Old World stuff. Prices range from B860-2,500 per bottle, and they do four wines by the glass (B190-280) as well as classic Italian digestifs like Averna Limon di Sicilia (B160) and Nonino Grappa Friulano (B160). Finally, we genuinely admire Pizzazo for not serving any Thai-inspired dishes. The menu here is resolutely Italian (with an occasional touch of French), with lots of favorites and a few unusual items like the crunchy risotto balls (B160). In a nutshell, the ingredients are fresh and probably worth the slightly above average prices, but the execution occasionally undermines all the goodness. The fresh goat cheese pistou with grilled eggplants and tomato confit (B270) is delightful: a generous puck of fresh, pesto-flavored goat cheese and tart tomatoes. But the accompanying toast can be dry and overall the dish is a few degrees too cold. The rocket salad with red onion, Parmesan, cherry tomatoes and garlic chips (B260) is packed with deliciously fresh rocket leaves and cherry tomatoes that pop in your mouth, which is worth the money alone. Yet it’s ever so slightly overdressed and the garlic chips are under seasoned. Unfortunately it’s not always just the little things. The wonderful spicy salami, mushrooms and gorgonzola in the barese calzone come wrapped in a soggy and enormous crust. The same goes for the grouper with dill, black olives and grilled onions (B490): a beautiful piece of fish cooked just right and then set atop a too-soft, under-seasoned bed of broad beans. Still, despite these missteps there’s plenty to love and we would come back. It’s a solid little neighborhood restaurant, once you’ve learned what to avoid.

Venue Details
Address: Pizzazo, 188 Sukhumvit Soi 16, Bangkok, Thailand
Phone: 02-663-8500, 081-699-7700
Area: Nana Asoke
Cuisine: Italian
Price Range: BBB
Opening hours: Tue-Fri 10:30am-9pm; Sat-Sun 10am-9pm
Reservation recommended
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