This old embassy transformed into a restaurant, wine bar and bakery shop is far from palatial. Offering friendly and attentive service (well there really is no margin for error here since there were only three tables), and some good dishes, it’s a shame the “palace” is more like a ghost town during its dinner hours. If you want company, try daytime, when Palazzo’s lunch buffet draws in Japanese housewives (you are in Thonglor). For an amount, you get unlimited visits to the buffet spread, which includes cold cuts, salads and pasta. Or you’ll get to choose one main and one dessert to go with the buffet. For a la carte dining, you’d better have good decision-making skills. The menu is huge, offering over 120 items. The recommended appetizer, pan-fried goose liver in port wine sauce doesn’t disappoint in presentation or flavor. The balanced sweetness of the port perfectly cuts through the fattiness of the foie gras. The only thing we could do without is the sliced apple underneath the liver, great for texture but too overpowering. Another great primo piatto is their simple and fresh beef carpaccio with rocket and parmesan, a well-executed classic. The kitchen is inconsistent with the pizzas, which is embarrassing for an Italian restaurant. On a recent visit, our Schiacciatina Palazzo, with toppings of Parma ham, rocket, garlic, tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella, arrived lukewarm and tasting bland except for pockets of saltiness and vague garlic scents. Palazzo does an admirable job with the pastas, though. The popular pappardelle with truffle sauce lives up to expectations as the homemade pasta is cooked to al dente perfection, a perfect match for the thick creamy sauce. The powerful essence of truffles comes through, but don’t expect actual shavings. For dessert, the panna cotta is soft and unctuous, despite a less than thrilling strawberry and blueberry sauce. Across town, standards for Italian restaurants have risen well beyond Palazzo’s, but solid service and satisfying food ensue the “palace” is a notch above average. Corkage B350.
