La Fontana — Restaurant in Chiang Mai Province

Enter some restaurants and one immediately senses mild chaos. Enter the green, garden-style courtyard of La Fontana and one immediately feels comfortable and welcome. It is all the difference between ambitious amateurism and the confident professionalism of a well run eating place. For owner-manager Sebastiano, Italian food should be ‘classic’, based on tradition, much of it stemming from the family.

Even so, this friendly and spacious venue offers quite an ambitious and large menu. It would be impossible for anyone not to find something to please them, with dishes ranging from simple pasta, through vegetarian options through to fish and meat options. The menu is well laid out and divided into categories such as antipasti, soups and salads. There are no less than two pages of pizzas, from the basic Marinara to the fancy Norway, which includes salmon as part of the topping.

You will find almost every variation of pasta dish, with five styles of the actual pasta – some home made- from about 100 baht up. Plus that prince of dishes the risotto, including one with Italian cheeses. Move on through the met and fish selections and one heads into the puddings, a wide range of coffees and into a mammoth choice of drinks, including cocktails, spirits, beers and soft options.

There are plenty of tables, well spaced out through the leafy setting, with a bar flanking one side, the kitchen area to the rear and a narrow lane to the left. La Fontana faces on to Ratchamankha Road, which heads (one way only) towards the moat, with Thapae Gate only 300 metres to the left. For an eatery that is so central it is surprisingly tranquil. Something enhanced by the pleasant Italian music in the background and the calm professional service.

On a recent visit, I decided to sample an absolutely classic ‘Italian’ three course meal (not the set menu which changes each day and is exceptional value), beginning with a salad. This turned out to the highlight of the dinner: very fresh leaves as the base to a gorgonzola and walnut salad, with plump grapes and cherry tomatoes. The dressing featured balsamic vinegar and along with the crusty bread there was extra vinegar and olive oil.

Partly as an aperitif and to go with the starter I tried the house white, a Chardonnay and fruity and full bodied it proved. I had ordered a pizza to follow and chose the fairly simple tuna with rocket. The dough was light and the edging fluffy, with plenty of filling. I could not manage the whole six ‘wedges’ and this was quickly packed up for me to take away.

Ice cream seemed the most sensible dessert and I went for the pistachio among a wide selection. With the main course I had chosen a glass of the house red, which was also good. If I had not been eating alone I would have been seriously tempted by the wine ‘promotion’, which featured a Gavi DOC at a reasonable 790 baht, for what is an exceptional wine. The coffees start with a espresso at 40 baht and range up to 120 for the ‘Irish’ version.

As mentioned the setting is relaxed and the service professional. But the most important aspect of the restaurant, alongside the quality of the ingredients, is the range of the menu. As in most Italian eateries it would be possible to spend quite lavishly. Choose a bottle of wine and work your way into the more expensive fish and meat dishes, plus other temptations and it could prove expensive. The trout in sage butter is 280 baht, for example. The most expensive soup is the hearty sea food at 180 (though this is almost a meal in itself) and so on.

On the other hand one could happily share the excellent eggplant parmigianna (160) or the delicious and filling potato and cheese croquettes (a particular favourite of mine), followed by a pasta dish, with a Singha beer (60 baht) and one would be eating on a ‘budget’ – and very happily too. If you want to escape the hurly burly of ‘walking street’ on a Sunday, this restaurant is just five minutes walk away.

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Well, having eaten here once and had the worst salad ever I vowed not to go back, but finding myself in Chiang Mai for a longer spell and running out of restaurants I decided to give it another go. It does in any case have a pleasant atmosphere. Sadly, it was a mixed affair though disappointment, and some irritation, was the end result. On the first night we had the Panzerotti and Pollo Al Marsala con funghi, the former being quite tasty and the latter was reasonably good also but I questioned the Marsala content. The plate was taken away and brought back saying more had been added. I still couldn't taste any. When paying I checked with the Thai owner and she showed me the bottle. It was not the normal Marsala with its distinctive smokey, nutty taste used in cooking for a thick, sweet sauce but the thin drinking type. The owner was apologetic about her ignorance of it and about not being able to source the real stuff. Still, with an Italian chef/owner this should not happen. The glass of quite insipid house white cost a whopping 160 baht, much more than most other establishments. There was no bread accompaniment, unthinkable in Italy. We tried again, this time a spaghetti carbonara which was well cooked and very, perhaps too creamy, but lacking in those extra flavours that come with garlic, onion and herbs and some speck or bacon. There seemed to be no egg involved. But it was the Involtini di pollo which broke the camel's back. Stuffed with spinach and cheese the wrapping of chicken appeared to be as old as when chicken had teeth and still flew, probably frozen for weeks, months, and reheated in a microwave, tapping it with my knife was like tapping on wood and cutting was hard-going. I scraped out the filling and tried my best to scrape off any softer inside parts of the chicken wrap but with little success. What I did eat tasted much like cardboard without the glue and with much the same texture as well. I left it on the plate and complained to the (very friendly and attentive Thai waitress) who said she would inform the cook. On paying there was no response from her so I asked. She said he had noted my comment. So much for that then. To add insult to injury the soda water came in a glass with ice probably amounting to half a small bottle and was a mighty 60 baht. The white wine was still insipid. And still no bread. Given that other reviews have panned the pizza mercilessly (and I'm certainly not going to try confirming that opinion) it is hard to see any good reason to eat here, apart from the friendly Thai service and the atmosphere, the menu consisting mainly of a pig-in-a-poke and the prices above the median (all our one-course meals well over the 600 baht mark). And especially since not too far away there are 2 of the best restaurants, one French one Spanish, you will find anywhere in the world, and at less cost than La Fontana. And they both have great bread. Eat here at...

The prices here are quite reasonable compared to other Italian restaurants, especially for dishes that include cheese, which I found to be quite good value. I ordered the Greek salad, and the generous amount of feta cheese made it really satisfying. This restaurant is a good option for those looking to enjoy Italian food at a reasonable price in the Old Town area, where many tourists pass through. I had the bruschetta, Greek salad, beef steak, and vongole pasta. While the vongole pasta was average in taste, I found the beef steak a bit disappointing as one piece came out rare, even though I ordered it medium. However, the salad was fresh and filled with plenty of ingredients, which I appreciated. Overall, while the food may not be exceptional, this place offers affordable Italian cuisine, making it a good stop for budget-conscious travelers. The pizzas baking in the wood-fired oven looked really good, so I’m definitely coming back to try the pizza next time. The staff, who all seemed to be Thai, were very welcoming and made the dining...