Sole Mio – Excellent Italian Fare & Service in Bangkok!

I am fan of Italian cuisine. There is nothing finer or more comforting in this world than homemade pasta or a thin crust pizza with a nice sauce and quality toppings. I learned about Sole Mio (official website) through the Bangkok Foodies Official social media group. It was suggested as a foodie gem offering excellent food, service, and value in the Bangkok food scene.

After taking a look at their menu, and reading some overwhelmingly positive reviews, I decided to take my visiting friends there for dinner (they’d returned from nearly 2 weeks in Koh Chang and were looking forward to anything that wasn’t Thai food). All of my hopeful expectations for Sole Mio were far exceeded during our visit that evening. It was truly a wonderful experience and a great launching point for some rooftop bars afterwards.

Oh what a night!

The food was excellent and well portioned.  We ordered a mix of pastas and pizzas. The “coolest” dish was the Ponte Vecchio (450 baht), a pizza made with a bridge constructed from breadsticks and parma ham with a “river” of fresh creamy ricotta cheese and rocket leaves running beneath it. My gal fell in love with their homemade spinach and ricotta cheese stuffed Ravioli Butter & Sage (300 baht) dish.

The ambience made us feel right at home. We were especially impressed with the service from  the very friendly and attentive staff. After receiving the bill for 4 persons who weren’t shy about eating and drinking I was thrilled with the value of our evening. I honestly expected it to be A LOT more for all that we ate, drank, and the level of service we received. But the final straw that put me over the edge was finding single serving packets of mouth wash in the bathroom. I know that sounds silly. But it demonstrated to me that THIS is a place that takes the extra step to pamper their customers.

I decided it was also a place that needed to be further explored, written about, and shared. So I coordinated with them for a return visit where I could focus more on their food (instead of focusing on my friends and the many, many drinks we had) as well as learn a little more about their story. After reading this article I think you’ll get a sense for just how wonderful this place is, and why it truly is a gem in the Bangkok food scene!

Let’s begin with the food…

Fresh pasta!

As I said, nothing is finer or more comforting than fresh homemade pasta. At Sole Mio they make their own fettuccine, lasagna, and ravioli pasta (gnocchi as well!). For their traditional pasta dishes you pick the type of noodles you want and then the sauce you want with it. They also have some specialty noodles which is what I selected from. I chose to get the fancier Fettuccine Black Truffle (360 baht) pasta dish. I am worth it.

This dish comes with a generous portion of homemade fettuccine egg noodles cooked al dente, with an imported Italian black truffle cream sauce, topped with fresh parmesan and almond slivers. It’s creamy, addictive, and perfectly seasoned with the truffles (not overpowered by them). I highly recommend this dish if you are a fan of truffles!

Sole Mio makes some great pizzas!

First off, I am not trying to start a pizza war here. That being said, Sole Mio makes some excellent pizzas–in fact they have a full menu that is just for pizzas. You will feel hard pressed to just pick one pizza which is why I really found it to be wonderful that for their traditional pizzas you can actually order a half/half pizza. This is one of the few places in Bangkok that I’m aware of that lets you do this. You basically pay the price for the more expensive pizza style. So if you want to try a couple of different pizzas and they’re close in price, this is the smart option (unless you really want to order two pizzas). I won’t judge you, they’re tasty!

I ordered a pizza that was half Seafood (320 baht) and half Capricciosa (290 baht), thus the pizza was (320 baht–the more expensive half, see?). The seafood side was covered in fresh seafood (mind the tails on the shrimp, perfectly cooked calamari, and mussels), and mozzarella cheese. The Capricciosa side was made with ham, artichoke hearts, shitake mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, and an egg. They are both fantastic pizzas–and it was great to try them both on one pizza.

This is definitely the way to do it!

A simple salad… simply HUGE.

I underestimated the size of this salad. Simply put Sole Mio salads are meant to be shared. This Mix Salad (190 baht) is not a side salad. It’s a course. It’s a nice salad, however my recommendation would be to order it if you are dining with a couple of other folks. Unless of course you just want a salad for your meal!

A chat with the owner…

I was fortunate to have an opportunity to chat with Domenico, the owner and operator of Sole Mio. Domenico is originally from Turin, Italy. He arrived in Bangkok in 2001 and after working here for a few years decided it was time to retire.

But he didn’t want to fully retire so he decided to pursue his dream–owning his own Italian restaurant. Domenico comes from a family that has been involved in the restaurant business for generations, so he’s no stranger to the workings of the food industry. Many of the recipes at Sole Mio are family recipes.

Sole Mio began its brand of restaurant located at Thonglor Soi 21. It operated there for 6 years and built quite a fan base of regulars. But when the building was sold, Domenico had to find a new home for Sole Mio. The new location he found was on a side street of Thonglor Soi 13. It used to be a home which was transformed into a dentist office with many little rooms. Domenico bought the place and tore down the walls to transform it into a restaurant that feels like home. Sole Mio has been operating from its current location for 2 years.

Domenico runs the restuarant with the help of Henry (pictured in the middle) and Jane (not pictured). Henry has a culinary background, and is an accomplished photographer as well. He manages the kitchen staff and operations. Jane is very personable and handles the public relations and marketing strategy for Sole Mio. Together along with the myriad of cooks and serving staff they comprise the Sole Mio family.

A place for families!

Domenico is a family man. He wants Sole Mio to be a place where families will feel welcome to bring their children. There are private areas inside for family style dining, as well as a kid’s menu where children can enjoy smaller portioned Italian fare at very reduced prices ranging from 90-180 baht. In the near future, Sundays will be a special time for families to visit as there will be a dough making corner for kids to get some hands on learning experience making dough!

Sole Mio – Where Italian culture and cuisine connect!

Sole Mio works closely with the Società Dante Aleghieri – Bangkok to provide a venue for Italian culture and language events. In April they intend to put on a production of the play Pinocchio. Sole Mio also hosts many cultural entertainment events of their own (open mic nights, talent shows, and special talent stars making guest appearances).

Sole Mio has also been recognized by the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce for their Italian cuisine and cultural efforts by awarding them with the Ospitalita’ Italiana Quality Award. This prestigious award is based on Sole Mio following strict requisites for the quality of the ingredients they use, the genuine Italian recipes and wines they offer, the fact that they have chefs with direct experience in Italy, and that they consistently demonstrate a strong commitment to spread and enhance the Italian culture overseas. If you dine at Sole Mio you’ll instantly realize the award is well deserved.

It’s best to follow Sole Mio’s Facebook page if you want to keep abreast of their cultural events and menu specials!

I’m hungry. Where is it?

Sole Mio is an excellent place to dine solo, as a couple, or with small or large groups. You’ll find plenty of romantically lit tables for two. On the other side of the spectrum there are private dining areas that are perfect for family dining or business dining. There’s also ample seating inside and covered seating with fans outside.

Sole Mio also has a small parking area inside their compound and if that is full there is parking available at the Civic Park which is 15 meters from the Sole Mio restaurant.

If you enjoy Italian cuisine and amazing service without it breaking the bank I highly recommend you check out Sole Mio!