Just when you thought all the Italian dining angles had been amply covered in Bangkok, along comes Gigi Dining Hall & Bar.
There’s a different feel to the modular spaces and menus reflecting the kind of Italian the mainly French partners came of age grooving on.
They’re the same crew behind nearby Sing Sing Theater nightspot and Ashley Sutton-designed Iron Balls Thai Gin Parlour.
Seems the French love Italian food almost as much as their own. Same goes for Brits, notably head chef Chris Beverley, former co-conspirator of Italian culinary luminary Theo Randall of River Café fame.
Hence Gigi’s brasserie meets trattoria community vibe. Tucked inside Soi 45 Sukhumvit neighbouring Rain Hill, Gigi’s large portico features a crimson Fiat sprouting plants from bonnet and boot and a quirky monochrome photo blow-up. Beyond the unifying glass front wall is the “dining hall”, its high ceiling exposing matt black ductwork, its black tables set with retro Belle Époque-upholstered wicker-back chairs. While place mats are handy paper menus napkins are smartly striped soft cotton. A few high tables spread from the stools at the classic bar, behind which is a pinewood-fired pie oven and another generous space that can serve for semi-private parties. Beyond is a glass room and pagoda-shaded terrace, both well-appointed.
The kitchen busts out high quality comfort cuisine that Chris summarises as “true to the spirit and principles of Italian food”.
Among the antipasti, La Burrata (370) pits creamy cow milk cheese made by a locally-based native of burrata capital Puglia, with vinaigrette-marinated tomatoes, crisp sourdough, soft herbs, pickled shallot and olive oil.
Cauliflower Power (190) adapts a classic Sicilian dish. Wood-roasting the cauliflower accentuates its pleasing flavour, here playfully juxtaposed with sweet and sour raisins, pine nuts, spicy pangrattato bread crumbs, dill and saffron emulsion.
The Colosseum (260) is a strong-tasting salad featuring the bitterness of endive and saltiness of anchovy-blitzed dressing blended with radicchio, capers, and egg.
Agnolotti del Pin (B240) sees robust house-made pasta pockets packed with minced pork loin blended with prosciutto and mortadella served in fresh sage butter sauce. “Straight out of Emilia-Romagna,” says Chris.
Tartufo Nero Pizzette (B240) is the preferred pizza style; neither mini nor maxi, perfect for one. The 48-hour fermented crust rises crunchily at the edges while the middle is thickly spread with mushroom, mascarpone, and smoked scamorza cheese, with truffle cream overlaying earthy notes.
A must-try mains is Pollo Milanese, crispy-fried breaded flattened chicken breast with deep-fried capers, citrus-dressed ricotta and walnut salad, and lemon.
With savouries as delish as this, desserts such as Gianduja Budino (180) demand attention. Gianduja is a chocolate and hazelnut spread and budino means pudding. It’s a lush Piemonte-style chocolate ganache with hazelnut cream, hazelnut croccante, chocolate crumbs and tuile. Divine and not too sweet either.
Wash down with signature cocktails such as Bitch Spritz (B260) and Gigi Bellini (B295) with mango or a virgin Ginger Pomp with home-made ginger beer and grapefruit juice.
The name Gigi references the Colette coming-of-age novella about a free-spirited girl living in Paris at the turn of the 20th century, made into a record nine Oscar-winning musical (1958) that included the immortal lyric “Thank heaven for little girls, without them what would little boys do?” crooned by the legendary Maurice Chevalier.
“It's not a quiet place,” concedes amicable restaurant manager Inès Labourdette but nor does the eclectic music drown conversation. At least not before “the second wave”.
Food service stretches to 11.45pm. Bar closes 1am Mon-Thur, 2am Fri-Sat, and midnight Sun. A Sunday Brunch Paradiso menu is served 11.30-5.00 pm.
- Tel. 02 662 4478
- www.fb.com/gigibangkok
- www.gigi-bangkok.com
