Umberto's Cuisine — Restaurant in Krabi Province

Finding a restaurant in Thailand that serves legitimate Italian food isn’t easy. Finding one that serves proper Neapolitan pizza is almost impossible. There are plenty that say they do but rarely have I found one. Umberto’s, however, is different. The pizza dough is made with the perfect consistency. It is cooked so as to slightly char the bubbled yet fluffy crust. In the tradition of Neapolitan pizza, the toppings are minimal but the quality and freshness ensure that each one sits harmoniously with the other, elevating this pizza’s flavour to the next level. There’s an extra bottle of oil (chilli or extra virgin) at the table which allows you to add to the pizza to your liking.

The calamari fritti (fried squid) is deliciously simple - a super thin coating of flour, fried quickly in oil and served with salt, pepper, lemon and a side of arrabbiata sauce, although we prefer the chilli oil with this one.

The spaghetti was al dente. Unlike other places where it’s either terribly undercooked or overcooked to the point that it’s mush. I had the carbonara. Again, the flavour comes from just letting the simplicity of the ingredients shine, as is the case with all the best Italian dishes. Here, the carbonara is made eggs, Parmesan & Pecorino cheese (no cream, thank god!) and instead of bacon uses the traditional guanciale (made from pork cheek) which gives it the classic, salty flavour it deserves.

While I didn’t get a chance to try the tagliatelle, gnocchi, ravioli or risotto, I saw various dishes delivered to a few tables around me and they all smelled delicious and looked the part. There is no doubt in my mind that these are also cooked to perfection. Side note: given this place is based in Krabi and not Bangkok, I was pleasantly surprised to see truffle options available on the menu. After weeks in a country where they serve some of the best fish sauce based dishes, truffle is a welcome flavour change.

The wine options were straightforward but, in a country where wine is hard to come by (and way more expensive than other alcohol), it’s a luxury I don’t expect in Thailand. Having said that, I had a great glass of white with my meal. Unfortunately, I just asked the (Italian) waiter to select a varietal that suited my meal and I didn’t pay attention to what he brought. Needless to say, it was much better than a lot of other wines I’ve had in the south of Thailand. On that point, the service here is great too - non-intrusive yet attentive with a smile and a wink.

Although I am only in Krabi for a week, I will try to return for one of their meat dishes, a risotto and maybe even a dessert (I’ve heard their Tiramisu is very similar to my Nonna’s recipe). This restaurant is a surprising find and one that bucks the trend of poorly made Italian dishes. I highly recommend Umberto’s. It’s classic Italian made with a real...

Response to the absolutely rude owner/writer!

WE HAD A RESERVATION! I was there days before with my best friend and made a reservation, AND I had also reserved by email and received a confirmation email. So much for your lie that we didn't have a reservation. What does that say about you and your management?

In addition, it is absolutely unprofessional to approach your guests so personally. What do you think of my girlfriend being poor because she's dating me? That shows an awful character. Am I supposed to feel sorry for your wife/husband too, that she has to live with a person like you? Instead of taking responsibility, you only make things worse.

It goes without saying that we weren't happy about the bad service and we weren't offered anything, but when we had already paid for it and left, the waitress ran after us with the digestive. And why should I look happy, because the evening was a disaster because of what happened before.

Really unbelievable how thin-skinned and rude some people are when they are rightly criticized.

Maybe you should talk to someone to get your anger problem under control! Wanted to have a nice Valentine's Day meal with my girlfriend. Unfortunately Umbertos didn't manage to deliver. High prices, but fail to do justice to them and bring the food, among other things, to both at the same time. The side dish for the steak was missing. At some point I had to get up and ask where my food and side dishes were. When my food finally came, the steak was of course already cold. A "sorry" we have a lot to do, came then, but honestly. As a guest, that doesn't interest me at all and the restaurant hasn't just been around since yesterday. With the prices that are called up, I also expect the corresponding service! They wanted to reheat the steak or remake it, but then my food would have gone cold again. They wanted to redo both, but by then we had lost interest in having to wait that long again. Before that we had also ordered another side dish, which came when the steak was finished and the steak was only lukewarm when it was brought back to the table. The side dish, a "salad" consisted of just a few simple lettuce leaves. No corn, beans, or anything like that. Really loveless and outrageous for 150 baht.

When it came time to pay, we politely expressed our dissatisfaction and only a "sorry" came back. That's it. If I were the manager of the place, I would have taken responsibility for the food and asked the guests to come back soon and then make it right.

That's how they saw us the first...

Warm and tasteful setting. The infinite possibility of choices in the menu and in the wine and spirits list is incredible. From pasta, to pizzas, to meat and desserts, there is everything and more. I love pizza and the one they make here is just superb. Even better than many I've eaten in Italy. In short, everything perfect. But the extra star, the one that gives excellence to this restaurant, is for the staff. Noy and Chiap were very attentive to our every sign, with their eyes always turned to grasp our every need or interest. I must underline that detesting the fake courtesy and sympathy of many (too many) Thai towards foreigners like me, I found in Noy and Chiap two real, genuine, spontaneous and sincere people, in short, they were simply adorable. I was honestly very impressed not only by their very high professionalism (very rare at this level in Thailand), and in this you can see all the style of a high-level Italian management, but also by their sensitivity and human warmth. I am just saying that I am a very very old man who struggles with a cane and I am embarrassed by these refined, trendy and fashionable places because people often look at me badly when I go in. Not here. When they realized we had problems they came running ( !!! ) to the car and patiently accompanied me to the table and did the same later with my even older Thai wife. Moreover, she is also very fat, but Noy and Chiap managed to accompany her to the table. It was not easy (she is about 100 Kgs) and I was near to cry for the emotion. In a world that does not care for the old, despite the fact that we are two very old people and also a little stuttering and boring, not only they did not joke us as often happens, but they took care of us with patience, kindness and with a thousand loving smiles. Thanks Noy and Chiap for your patience and kindness, we spent a wonderful evening...