Signs of gentrification are slowly hitting Sathorn Soi 1’s run-down streets. La Casa Nostra follows on Il Fumo’s heels as an upscale Italian restaurant taking over one of the old residential homes.    T

The renovated house on Soi Goethe sits peacefully in grounds that include a cozy outdoor terrace where you can dine outdoors, lounge on a sofa or play a game of petanque. Upfront is a standalone wine room which will serve as the flagship store for boutique wine importer Global Vineyards, who co-own the project. Indoors sticks to a mold that's tried and tested for these charming older houses: plenty of exposed wood, a glasshouse extension, and divisions between spaces that retain a welcomingly residential feel.   

One of the owners, Alessandro Frau, is head chef at Acqua in Phuket, a glitzily modern, black and white affair overlooking the Andaman. Here though you won’t see artily dotted sauces, bubbles and foams on plates, just well-polished yet slightly rustic dishes and quality produce: Joselito Iberico ham (B550/50g), Italian sausage (served grilled with burrata and wild rocket, B650) and Spanish anchovies (served with grilled bread and tomato relish, B290). The chef here, Nino Scognamillo, wants to take La Casa Nostra in a comforting direction with creations like grilled Sardinian pecorino cheese with eucalyptus honey and fresh figs (B180), paprika-spiced roasted octopus on potato veloute (B490), and plenty of pasta dishes. Don’t miss the fresh ricotta and spinach gnocchi, either, which comes in flavorful tomato sauce (B580) inspired by the chef’s grandma’s cooking.   

Owing to the partnership with Global Vineyards, their wine menu is almost as thick as a notebook. Prices, though, they reckon are the cheapest in Bangkok (and they won’t do corkage on your own bottle). Our favorite red was the 2011 Chateau Gigault Cuvee Viva from France (B175/75ml, B280/125ml, B1,400/bottle)—smooth, easy to drink, and well-suited to wine newbs. For something more complex, try the 2012 Agricola Punica Barrua Isola dei Nuraghi from Italy (B210/75ml, B330/125ml, B1,740/bottle). Thanks to a tool that lets them serve wines without popping the cork to preserve quality, you can try a wide variety of upscale wines by the glass. All wine comes in Zalto wine glasses, considered some of the best stem-ware in the world.    

La Casa Nostra makes a complete package. You get the same, polished yet welcoming residential vibe (complete with cool-season terrace) as Il Fumo, but here you have prices that just about qualify it as a low-key neighborhood spot

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Getting There:

Restaurant located opposit to Goethe Institute in Sathorn 1 Alley so you can go there with MRT metro until Lumpini Station then 5 min walk until the place

Address: La Casa Nostra, 22 Sathorn Soi 1 Yaek 2 (Goethe), Bangkok, Thailand

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Website: www.facebook.com/lacasanostrabkk
Email: lacasanostrabkk@gmail.com