WHERE IS IT?

Brightly lit and spotlessly clean

At the junction of Thaweewongse Rd. (Beach Rd.) and at the western end of Soi Bangla; and you can’t get more centrally located than that. For those ending a day on the beach or for visitors looking to have a pleasant meal before checking out Patong’s raucous nightlife it’s undeniably one of the more practical choices.
View La Casa location map.

DÉCOR

La Casa has a traditional green-and-white colour leitmotif – the menus, table covers and napkins all seem to be either or both colours. The large inside air-conditioned dining room is perhaps too starkly lit for out-and-out romantic dining but it is ideal for small groups and families. As pizzerias go, this is a fairly typical one, with walls sporting open-brick arrangements and wine racks. The “outside” dining space is a perfect people-watching location but is also excessively noisy due to the rumble and honk from Thaweewongse Road’s busy one-way traffic.

ATMOSPHERE

Brightly lit and spotlessly clean

It’s extremely difficult to create an intimate feeling in a hectic international seaside restaurant so please don’t expect the impossible from La Casa. The restaurant’s positive points are a dependable service, good live background music from an Italian keyboard player/singer, a non-smoking air-conditioned dining room, reasonably priced wine, and a central location. The outside dining space (smoking allowed) is a little more boisterous but not much care has been taken about the recorded background music which consists of ersatz James Taylor, Dan Fogelberg, CCR, bubble gum pop and some dreadful cover versions of equally dreadful songs.

WINE

La Casa’s competent and reasonably priced 40-label list includes Italian, French, Australian, Chilean, South African, Argentine and Thai wines, so there’s something for most people on it. The house reds include an Australian Chalk Hill Blue going for 1,100 baht and a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, also at 1,100 baht. La Casa also serves Matti Bianco and Rossi for 190 baht per glass. You won’t get bigger servings in Patong – the glasses are extremely generous in proportion.

FOOD

Brightly lit and spotlessly clean

There are lots of dishes to choose from and the restaurant features an admirable antipasti list. A fresh buffalo mozzarella comes with large chunks of tomato and extra virgin olive oil. Again, there’s a whole raft of salads to go for, including the intriguing-sounding insalata di pollo con rossi e noci (chicken salad with red apple). Things definitely look up with, according to the menu, the “combination of three pastas in a single serving” – and they’re all done perfectly al dente with delicious sauces. The mushroom tortellini is as good as the delicious homemade fettuccine in light cream which in turn effortlessly complements the gnocchi al pesto. Pizzas cost 350 + baht while prawn-based main courses cost up to 700 baht with lamb chops clocking in at 600 baht. A petto di pollo con melanzare e mozzarella (pan-fried chicken breast in tomato sauce with mozzarella cheese, vinegar and potato) is certainly a gastronomic challenge because of its size alone. To sum up: La Casa may not be that cheap or indeed that classy but it does serve impressively large portions.

SERVICE

La Casa is busy every day of the week during high season and the staff is admirable in what some might term its crowd management skills. Still, if you’re after a highly personal touch you may have to bear with the bustle, despite the presence of an affable, capable and friendly manager.

La Casa Pizzeria e Ristorante in Patong Bay Garden Resort. 32/1 Thaweewongse Rd. Patong. Tel: 076-340297-8 www.phuketlacasa.com