Salvatore's Restaurant - Phuket

Where Is It?

On Rasada Road, downtown Phuket, in between Yaowarat and Phuket roads, near the traffic circle with a fountain in the middle.

A one-way road, Rasada also has strange parking rules in that it is allowed to park on only one side of the road on alternating days so please read the signs to know if you are legally parked or not.

Décor

With Doric columns, arches and stucco walls, along with exposed brick sections and lots of plates from various restaurants around Italy, Salvatore's appears the typical Italian trattoria but it has a twist; there are also Thai artefacts and wall textile arrangements.

In the middle of the restaurant is an archway leading to next door – a 42-seater pizzeria.

At 53 covers, Salvatore's is neither cramped nor spacious and the central bar provides a good visual counterpoint to the uniformity of the tables. 

Atmosphere

International, laid back, tasteful and never harried. This trattoria has captured the art of relaxed dining. Salvatore's is also a wonderful place to meet people as many people invite other diners to join them at their table.

Even though this restaurant (and the next-door pizzeria) is a converted Chinese shop-house you'd never guess it as the atmosphere is decidedly Mediterranean, with Salvatore himself lending a special welcoming touch.

Wine

The wine list consists entirely of Italian wines with some 26 reds and 14 whites. Prices range from 1,400 baht up and each region is represented by one or two labels.

We sampled a four-year-old Aglianico red from the southern Beneventano region and it was superb, with supple tannins and a great after taste.

Choosing a label at Salvatore's is not hard as he is there to assist you with his wide knowledge of wine and cuisine. 

Food

For classic Italian trattoria fare look no further. The first adjective that springs to mind when describing the cuisine at Salvatore's is 'genuine'.

Although professionally done, one catches a distinct taste of genuine Italian 'cucina' in the dishes here and this is what the so-called 'secret ingredient' is in Salvatore's cooking.

He is a stickler for freshness and this stands out in dishes such as our mixed antipasto, consisting of rocket salad, artichokes, mozzarella, Parma ham, honey melon and cherry tomatoes in a light olive oil sauce. 

One of the best barometers in any food review is the house bread and Salvatore's passes with flying colours with crispy baguette slices to complement the antipasto. For main course we tuck into a poached sea bass in 'aqua pazza' (crazy water) sauce with gratin d'epinard.

Also on the table is an Australian beef filet steak in orange sauce. These are wholesome and surprisingly filling dishes and we choose to simply round the evening off with a glass of grappa rather than launching into the extensive dessert menu.

Service

With several long-time waitresses tending table, service at Salvatore's gets better each year and the level of anticipation and execution is admirable.

This is light years away from the hesitant and inexperienced typical Patong service where wait staff come and go with the seasons. Commendable.