Bar Italia

6/F, Beacon Zone, CentralWorld, Ratchadamri Rd., 02-613-1527/-8

While Bar Italia serves honest Italian food, its setting is disastrous—particularly its aural landscape. Shabushi’s queuing system rattles off numbers (three times for each one) with a female robotic voice while a playlist ranging from Akon to Abba blasts out over CentralWorld’s PA system. If you’re out of luck, you might also suffer an additional assault on your ears from a loud fair in the neighboring atrium. This is the kind of stuff that makes us keep our mall dining to a minimum, but Bar Italia is otherwise a pretty decent eatery. If you block out the “exterior,” the decor is actually rather sophisticated with designer chairs and lamps, a cozy lounge corner and trattoria-style mosaic. Service is five-star: they smile, they know the food, they keep an eye on you and they’re fast. As for the food, it’s neither inventive nor sophisticated—apart from classic appetizers and a few grilled meats, you’re expected to order a pizza or pasta dish—but it is authentic. (Gianni Favro, of Gianni Ristorante, one of Bangkok’s top three Italian restaurants, is behind both branches. The other branch in Gaysorn offers a more peaceful environment.) The selection of good breads served with warm mushroom sauce is a nice touch to bridge the short wait before dishes arrive. Kick things off with the carpaccio—thinly sliced beef bursting with full melt-in-your-mouth meaty flavor, great olive oil, and sharp parmesan. Pizzas come with a thin crust and a nice crispy edge. From the intimidating Nero Seafood (with black ink sauce), to the four cheese, we’ve always been satisfied with the freshness and quality of the toppings. If pasta is your preferred choice of carb, you may want to try cannelloni for a change. Made with Italian sausage and mushroom, they’re bursting with of flavors—if a bit dry. Bar Italia is great value for an indulgent lunch or early dinner—before 6pm, B360 gets you a very hearty three-course meal. (Skip the low-fat cakes and stick to the wonderfully creamy tiramisu or pannacotta) Just come equipped with a group of loud friends or ear plugs, the noise level is anything but romantic. Corkage B300.