Locanda Italian Doi Saket

[mallmagician]

Hi,

I thought the wife and I would try locanda at doi saket last night. Drove the 15 kms at 6pm to find it closed.

A forum search shows that this is common with this place. What a shame, as the big sign outside the place says open daily 11am to 10pm. I even checked their website which says they are closed over songkran.

Doubt I will make the 30 k round trip again on the off chance, unless someone can let me know if their open hours have changed and are not simply erratic.

Heard good things about the place, its just a shame it seems to be another business with unreliable opening times, that are losing all but passing trade.

[OriginalPoster]

When I'm passing though Doi Saket and Locanda happens to be open I usually stop there. But while I like the place, I don't think that I'd make a special trip from Chaing Mai for itt, as within Chaing Mai city there are several Italian restaurants of high quality. Locanda is quite a bit cheaper than places like Giogios and Arcoboleno's and many things on their menu are just as enjoyable, but by the time you factor in the cost of gasoline to get to Doi Saket it's not likely to be cheaper.

[mallmagician]

I'm in san sai, so its close enough for me, but not close enough for a wasted trip.

Tried arcobaleno last night for the second time. They can't make bruschetta, and the cannelonni diplomat was vile. It's meant to have ham and tomato in it according to their menu, but they failed to include those ingredients. Will not go back, as its the second visit, and the food is rubbish. It may be a nice place, great service, but if they can't even make basic Italian food, then its a fail in my eyes.

So, where is the best Italian in cm?

[mallmagician]

Correction, i ordered the fiorentina cannelonni. Not the diplomat.

[BarnicaleBob]

Locanda used to be closed on Tuesdays, that might still be the case.

[Joop50]

In the moat, La Fontana is the best restaurant I had diner. It fits the most to my taste of Italian food.

[OriginalPoster]

I'm in san sai, so its close enough for me, but not close enough for a wasted trip.

Tried arcobaleno last night for the second time. They can't make bruschetta, and the cannelonni diplomat was vile. It's meant to have ham and tomato in it according to their menu, but they failed to include those ingredients. Will not go back, as its the second visit, and the food is rubbish. It may be a nice place, great service, but if they can't even make basic Italian food, then its a fail in my eyes.

So, where is the best Italian in cm?

So you don't like Arcobaleno. Different stroke for different folks. There are some places that are popular with most people that I don't like too.

[OriginalPoster]

In the moat, La Fontana is the best restaurant I had diner. It fits the most to my taste of Italian food.

I like that place too. We are regulars there.

Edited July 6, 2011 by OriginalPoster

[mallmagician]

I'll give la fontana a crack.

I'm perhaps over critical of arcobaleno.

My yard stick for Italians is the bruschetta done right. Or at least a resemblance.

Tomato puree on garlic bread is not bruschetta in my eyes. Although I'm no expert.

I do like arco's service, surroundings, staff though.

Thanks for the input and suggestions.

As the doi saket place is still running, I'll give it one more crack but not on a Tuesday.

Cheers

[OriginalPoster]

I'll give la fontana a crack.

I'm perhaps over critical of arcobaleno.

My yard stick for Italians is the bruschetta done right. Or at least a resemblance.

Tomato puree on garlic bread is not bruschetta in my eyes. Although I'm no expert.

I do like arco's service, surroundings, staff though.

Thanks for the input and suggestions.

As the doi saket place is still running, I'll give it one more crack but not on a Tuesday.

Cheers

I gather that you must be a born & bred Italian from Italy that knows his food and won't accept any compromises. I won't argue with someone with that type of background, i just know what I like.

Edited July 6, 2011 by OriginalPoster

[ARISTIDE]

I'm a long time customer to both Babylon and arcobaleno and I know they can't make bruschetta but have you tried gnocchi or calzone? Those are the best and if you think those are rubbish then it's not their fault.

The owner was an Italian guy who know his food and he love Thailand. He was a well respect person to both Thai customers and farang. He opened the first real Italian restaurant in Chiang Mai almost 40 years ago. They used to serve the royal family too.

I'm a serous cook and I've tasted good food in both Europe and US and this restaurant make good food. You can call their food rubbish but I think you are being pretty unfair.

I'm in san sai, so its close enough for me, but not close enough for a wasted trip.

Tried arcobaleno last night for the second time. They can't make bruschetta, and the cannelonni diplomat was vile. It's meant to have ham and tomato in it according to their menu, but they failed to include those ingredients. Will not go back, as its the second visit, and the food is rubbish. It may be a nice place, great service, but if they can't even make basic Italian food, then its a fail in my eyes.

So, where is the best Italian in cm?

[mallmagician]

Yes I was being harsh. It's not rubbish. Gnocchi was good there yes. Not tried the calzone.

I'm no expert, and no Italian in me. Guess I've just been spoilt by some great Italian meals in the past.

I'm not that fussy, but I know what I like.

I'll admit I was harsh. It's a nice place, but just not right for me the 2 times I went.

[OriginalPoster]

Yes I was being harsh. It's not rubbish. Gnocchi was good there yes. Not tried the calzone.

I'm no expert, and no Italian in me. Guess I've just been spoilt by some great Italian meals in the past.

I'm not that fussy, but I know what I like.

I'll admit I was harsh. It's a nice place, but just not right for me the 2 times I went.

Our tastes might not be old-world italian either. At Arcobeleno's, I find that most all of their pasta dishes are just about right for me; the wife loves the fish there. We get set in our ways though, we go to about a half dozen Italian restaurants regularly but we and we tend to order similar dishes at each one (not the same dishes at each one, but the particular ones that we discovered that we like at that place). From my informal survey, for Lasagna Giorgio's get's my vote, for pasta dishes it's Arcobolenos, for mussels it's La Fontana, for Risotto it's Loconda (but I'm not sure if it's a regular menu items or just something that Roberto cooks for himself), for the fish dishes I have to take my wife's word on it (apparently it's Giorgio's & Duke's for salmon, La Fontana for seafood salad,, Achoboleno's for snapper & trout), for pizza we havent' found anything distinguished but several that are perfectly agreeable if consumed with a sufficient amount of beer.

[Ulysses G.]

for Lasagna Giorgio's get's my vote

I can never remember the name, but the Italian place near Thapae gate on Sunday Walking Street (something like Lanterna Geneve?) has recently improved their lasagna and made it better. It is one of the best in town IMHO, but Pratties was the all time winner before they sold the place.

Edited July 8, 2011 by Ulysses G.

[OriginalPoster]

for Lasagna Giorgio's get's my vote

I can never remember the name, but the Italian place near Thapae gate on Sunday Walking Street (something like Lanterna Geneve?) has recently improved their lasagna and made it better. It is one of the best in town IMHO, but Pratties was the all time winner before they sold the place.

I know the place that you mean. It's called La Lanterna Di Genova. Went there once and tried something other than lasagna. I'll give it another whirl sometime.

Edited July 8, 2011 by OriginalPoster

[ARISTIDE]

I've never thought about Lasagne at Georgeo's next time I'll try this.

Yes I was being harsh. It's not rubbish. Gnocchi was good there yes. Not tried the calzone.

I'm no expert, and no Italian in me. Guess I've just been spoilt by some great Italian meals in the past.

I'm not that fussy, but I know what I like.

I'll admit I was harsh. It's a nice place, but just not right for me the 2 times I went.

Our tastes might not be old-world italian either. At Arcobeleno's, I find that most all of their pasta dishes are just about right for me; the wife loves the fish there. We get set in our ways though, we go to about a half dozen Italian restaurants regularly but we and we tend to order similar dishes at each one (not the same dishes at each one, but the particular ones that we discovered that we like at that place). From my informal survey, for Lasagna Giorgio's get's my vote, for pasta dishes it's Arcobolenos, for mussels it's La Fontana, for Risotto it's Loconda (but I'm not sure if it's a regular menu items or just something that Roberto cooks for himself), for the fish dishes I have to take my wife's word on it (apparently it's Giorgio's & Duke's for salmon, La Fontana for seafood salad,, Achoboleno's for snapper & trout), for pizza we havent' found anything distinguished but several that are perfectly agreeable if consumed with a sufficient amount of beer.

[OriginalPoster]

for Lasagna Giorgio's get's my vote

I can never remember the name, but the Italian place near Thapae gate on Sunday Walking Street (something like Lanterna Geneve?) has recently improved their lasagna and made it better. It is one of the best in town IMHO, but Pratties was the all time winner before they sold the place.

Finally got around to trying the lasagna at La Lanterna Di Genova. I don't know, maybe that's the way lasagna is supposed to be but it wasn't what I was expecting. I ordered lasagna bolgnese, which in my experience is usually red in color and consists of layers of pasta with cheese and meet between each of the layers. But at this restaurant they brought out a dish of something white colored, which basically turned out to be a bowl of cheese with a little bit of ground beef mixed in. At first I thought that they had brought be the wrong dish, that the staff might not have understood that it was the lasagne that I was trying to order. So I ate it, and it wasn't good, wasn't bad, but it was a disappointment considering that you're not the first person who has recommended that place to me. Wasn't cheap either. I can understand that they are right in the heart of the tourist district and probably enjoy better than average pricing power on account of that, but the place is just a little hole-in-the wall and yet their prices are not a lot different than those at Archebeleno's and Giorgio's.

[PFV]

for Lasagna Giorgio's get's my vote

I can never remember the name, but the Italian place near Thapae gate on Sunday Walking Street (something like Lanterna Geneve?) has recently improved their lasagna and made it better. It is one of the best in town IMHO, but Pratties was the all time winner before they sold the place.

It's the La Lanterna di Genova. They serve some of the best Italian pizzas outside of Italy and some of the other things on their menu are quite good too.

[OriginalPoster]

for Lasagna Giorgio's get's my vote

I can never remember the name, but the Italian place near Thapae gate on Sunday Walking Street (something like Lanterna Geneve?) has recently improved their lasagna and made it better. It is one of the best in town IMHO, but Pratties was the all time winner before they sold the place.

It's the La Lanterna di Genova. They serve some of the best Italian pizzas outside of Italy and some of the other things on their menu are quite good too.

Aside from the pizza, what do you find that you like there?

I may eventually go there again and try the pizza. Trying to keep an open mind about the place (mostly because someone else in this thread dislikes Arecbelono’s, which is one of our favorite places), but I’ve been to La Lanterna di Genova twice now and I’m starting to suspect that the place’s style of food is just incompatible with my tastes. Don’t feel comfortable there either, sort of a cramped place with zero atmosphere. If it wasn’t for the fact that several expats have recommended the place to me, I would have assumed that the reason that they survive is that they pull enough tourists in off the street that they don’t need repeat customers.

[Ulysses G.]

I like the tuna pasta and IMHO the minestrone soup is decent too.

[elektrified]

for Lasagna Giorgio's get's my vote

I can never remember the name, but the Italian place near Thapae gate on Sunday Walking Street (something like Lanterna Geneve?) has recently improved their lasagna and made it better. It is one of the best in town IMHO, but Pratties was the all time winner before they sold the place.

It's the La Lanterna di Genova. They serve some of the best Italian pizzas outside of Italy and some of the other things on their menu are quite good too.

Aside from the pizza, what do you find that you like there?

I may eventually go there again and try the pizza. Trying to keep an open mind about the place (mostly because someone else in this thread dislikes Arecbelono’s, which is one of our favorite places), but I’ve been to La Lanterna di Genova twice now and I’m starting to suspect that the place’s style of food is just incompatible with my tastes. Don’t feel comfortable there either, sort of a cramped place with zero atmosphere. If it wasn’t for the fact that several expats have recommended the place to me, I would have assumed that the reason that they survive is that they pull enough tourists in off the street that they don’t need repeat customers.

I don't like that place at all but just down the road a little ways on the same side of the street is a really great place called Girasole. Highly recommended. Pizzas are just O.K. but then I've not found a great pizza anywhere in C.M.

[Ulysses G.]

Girasole is good too - especially for pizza and vegetarian dishes. It is owned by Stephano of Da Stephano's.

[elektrified]

Girasole is good too - especially for pizza and vegetarian dishes. It is owned by Stephano of Da Stephano's.

I think that's the place next-door to your store? That would explain why those two Italian restaurants are my favorites and the only two I will go to now, having tried a few of the others and being disappointed with all of them.

Edited July 23, 2011 by elektrified

[Joop50]

We have had lunch and diner at Girasole several times. Mostly I liked the food and serving, but lunch time just after 12 is not a good idea, They just open and are very busy around the tables inside. Our last lunch over there, the pizza and salad were not the quality we were used to get. I noticed there was an other person preparing the pizza's. I have never seen this Stefano but perhaps he is in the inside kitchen. It will not mean we don't go there anymore, it might be an incident. The problem of many restaurants is to keep to their quality level. We like the location and there is a big parking place.

Edited July 23, 2011 by Joop50

[Asmerom]

Girasole is good too - especially for pizza and vegetarian dishes. It is owned by Stephano of Da Stephano's.

I think that's the place next-door to your store? That would explain why those two Italian restaurants are my favorites and the only two I will go to now, having tried a few of the others and being disappointed with all of them.

So many favouites and still no mention of Pizza E Vino, Sergio's Thapae Gate location; certainly a lot less grand than the old Buonissimo but far more convenient. I should have thought he might have a larger following than it appears.

[OriginalPoster]

It's the La Lanterna di Genova. They serve some of the best Italian pizzas outside of Italy and some of the other things on their menu are quite good too.

Aside from the pizza, what do you find that you like there?

I may eventually go there again and try the pizza. Trying to keep an open mind about the place (mostly because someone else in this thread dislikes Arecbelono's, which is one of our favorite places), but I've been to La Lanterna di Genova twice now and I'm starting to suspect that the place's style of food is just incompatible with my tastes. Don't feel comfortable there either, sort of a cramped place with zero atmosphere. If it wasn't for the fact that several expats have recommended the place to me, I would have assumed that the reason that they survive is that they pull enough tourists in off the street that they don't need repeat customers.

I don't like that place at all but just down the road a little ways on the same side of the street is a really great place called Girasole. Highly recommended. Pizzas are just O.K. but then I've not found a great pizza anywhere in C.M.

That's the one behind the Wawee Coffee shop, right? Been there once but the meal was spoiled because the wife decided that she was on a diet and wouldn't eat that day, So I wound up eating something or other and downing a couple of bottles of Chianti. Probably it was good, but can't honestly say that I remember..

[Ulysses G.]

I am usually a big fan of Sergio's restaurants and Pizza E Vino is very close to where I live, but there are no potatoes on the menu (at least the last time that I went there) and they will not deviate from the menu at all.

There is meat dish that I like with pasta and I asked a number of times to buy a side order of plain pasta to go with it and no matter who I asked, they always said that plain pasta was not on the menu (Sergio was never around, but the manager also said no).

After a couple of this type of disappointments, I just gave up on the place and stopped going there.

I do like "Why Not" - which he also owns - a lot and plain pasta and potatoes are readily available there, but it is not very convenient for me to get to.

.

[elektrified]

It's the La Lanterna di Genova. They serve some of the best Italian pizzas outside of Italy and some of the other things on their menu are quite good too.

Aside from the pizza, what do you find that you like there?

I may eventually go there again and try the pizza. Trying to keep an open mind about the place (mostly because someone else in this thread dislikes Arecbelono's, which is one of our favorite places), but I've been to La Lanterna di Genova twice now and I'm starting to suspect that the place's style of food is just incompatible with my tastes. Don't feel comfortable there either, sort of a cramped place with zero atmosphere. If it wasn't for the fact that several expats have recommended the place to me, I would have assumed that the reason that they survive is that they pull enough tourists in off the street that they don't need repeat customers.

I don't like that place at all but just down the road a little ways on the same side of the street is a really great place called Girasole. Highly recommended. Pizzas are just O.K. but then I've not found a great pizza anywhere in C.M.

That's the one behind the Wawee Coffee shop, right? Been there once but the meal was spoiled because the wife decided that she was on a diet and wouldn't eat that day, So I wound up eating something or other and downing a couple of bottles of Chianti. Probably it was good, but can't honestly say that I remember..

Yes I think so. There is a coffee shop there. It may be Wawee. There is also a Thai restaurant for tourists in front and a few other shops/restaurants in the courtyard.

[Rasseru]

. . . So, where is the best Italian in cm?

Of the places I know, I like Casa Antonio best.

To help you judge my recommendation, though, I like Arcobaleno quite well too, particularly their pasta dishes. I've never tried their bruschetta.

[lannarebirth]

for Lasagna Giorgio's get's my vote

I can never remember the name, but the Italian place near Thapae gate on Sunday Walking Street (something like Lanterna Geneve?) has recently improved their lasagna and made it better. It is one of the best in town IMHO, but Pratties was the all time winner before they sold the place.

Finally got around to trying the lasagna at La Lanterna Di Genova. I don't know, maybe that's the way lasagna is supposed to be but it wasn't what I was expecting. I ordered lasagna bolgnese, which in my experience is usually red in color and consists of layers of pasta with cheese and meet between each of the layers. But at this restaurant they brought out a dish of something white colored, which basically turned out to be a bowl of cheese with a little bit of ground beef mixed in. At first I thought that they had brought be the wrong dish, that the staff might not have understood that it was the lasagne that I was trying to order. So I ate it, and it wasn't good, wasn't bad, but it was a disappointment considering that you're not the first person who has recommended that place to me. Wasn't cheap either. I can understand that they are right in the heart of the tourist district and probably enjoy better than average pricing power on account of that, but the place is just a little hole-in-the wall and yet their prices are not a lot different than those at Archebeleno's and Giorgio's.

You can't make lasagna without ricotta cheese. It;s really hard to find here and many place either leave it out or substitute something else. It would be a lot better for all concerned if they just left items requiring ricotta off the menu.