Review: Limoncello in Bangkok, Thailand - Authentic Italian Pizza in a Rustic Atmosphere

When I want a good pizza and don't want to mess with the tasteless Thai pizzas, I always head off on the sky train to Limoncello in downtown Bangkok. Known by some as "La Pizzeria Limoncello", the restaurant has a large menu of Italian dishes but their incredible pizzas is what they're famous for.

Location of Limoncello - Owned by the same people who own Zanotti, another excellent Italian restaurant in Bangkok, you'll find Limoncello at 17 Sukhumvit, Soi 11. They're open every day from noon until around 2:30pm, then close until they re-open for dinner at 6pm. A little odd, as most restaurants in Bangkok open early and close late -- Limoncello obviously works on the Italian-style siesta schedule.

Atmosphere at Limoncello - La Pizzeria Limoncello is known as a 'family dining' establishment, so it's much more rustic than more upscale Italian restaurants in Bangkok, with its red-checked tablecloths and open-to-the-restaurant wood-fired pizza oven. An atmosphere though that I absolutely love. It also means they concentrate on making the food incredible, with the decorations, although fun and cozy, still secondary to the amazing food. A far cry from some other Italian restaurants in Bangkok, which look lovely but their food is average. You'll never have that problem at Limoncello.

Don't let the family atmosphere lull you into thinking Limoncello is only for the average Thai or foreign tourist however. Many of Bangkok's high-society types frequent Limoncello often, and members of the Thai royal family have also been known to eat here, so you know the food must be superb.

Food at Limoncello - While their entire menu is wonderful, and they do serve a selection of decent pastas, most people eat at Limoncello for the pizza. When you've had one of Thailand's mediocre pizzas elsewhere, run don't walk to La Pizzeria Limoncello, to taste the best Bangkok has to offer.

The pizza menu is large with, at last count, more than 40 types of pizza and calzone. They specialize in thin-crust pizzas too, and I've never eaten a better one anywhere in Bangkok.

One of my favorites is the Montagna, with its bacon, mozzarella cheese and garlic. Or try the Zanotti, with its several kinds of cheese and world-famous parma ham. The Popeye too is, while unexpected in flavor, quite wonderful, loaded as it is with ricotta cheese and spinach.

Don't miss adding one of Limoncello's tasty salads too. They go down a treat with some crusty Italian bread, a good pizza, and a soft drink or two.

Prices - While not the cheapest pizza in town, for the size and the quality, the prices at Limoncello are fair. You can order a large pizza, a salad and a couple of non-alcoholic drinks, and leave having only spent 800 baht ($26). At $13 per person, for a filling and supremely delicious meal, it isn't a bad deal at all.

The only thing I would warn against is ordering wine at Limoncello. The couple of times we've done so, the bottle has been mediocre at best but the prices were high.

More Information:

Pizzeria Limoncello
No. 17 Sukhumvit Soi 11
Bangkok, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 651 0707