Thaita Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Surat Thani Province

I work in food service and have worked in food service for 8 years, I would not normally leave a review like this but I still am thinking about how poorly we were treated at this establishment. We were really excited to dine at Thaita. It came highly recommended from friends who have traveled to Koh Tao in the past so we had a feeling we would be in for a good time. When we arrived at the restaurant we waited to be greeted for a few minutes. A man who we assume is the manager/owner showed us to a table. We sat down and he quickly came over to see if we were ready to order. We hadn't had a chance to decide on drinks yet as we were trying to make our way through the menu (which is mainly written in Italian). He proceeded to quickly go through the menu and translate every item not really offering much guidance or reccomendations. Feeling a bit overwhelmed we decided to order a beer to buy us some time before making decisions on food. We ordered the gnocci gorgonzola and the veal milenese, without an appetizer (which the manager felt inclined to point out to us). At the half hour mark of waiting, Everyone around us was eating, including the tables who walked in to the restaurant later than us. Not once did the manager come to our table to notify us about what was going on, he simply sent an employee over with two plates of baguette with sliced tomatoes. I won't call it bruschetta because that is not what it was. Hardly any olive oil or basil or salt for that matter. Another half hour passed, we were not asked if we wanted more drinks or told how long the food would take, our plates from the "free" app were not even cleared. Everyone around us continued to eat and be served. We finally received our food and it was honestly very mediocre. The gnocci is small and not very refined, the sauce has a very slight hint of gorgonzola but nothing outstanding. The veal dish is VERY small for the price (340 Bhat), you receive four little pieces of breaded meat on a dish with paper towel under it to soak up the grease. The side of potatoes that comes with it is greasy and poorly seasoned. We were not offered parmesan or pepper, unlike the other tables around us. Finally, we were feeling so unwelcomed (maybe due to our age or because we were not spending as much money as other patrons?) That we just wanted to pay and leave. The manager was once again nowhere to be found, it seemed as though he was almost avoiding us. We paid and left. No apology, not even an offer of a desert or coffee on the house to make up for it. All in all, I would not reccomend this place. We are a young couple who wanted to enjoy a romantic dinner and spend a nice night away from the touristy places in the main strip. Instead we ended up spending a lot of money on a meal that was mediocre at best and an experience that...

"A gem is still a gem. Please consider a non-smoking policy."

Compared to the experience I had in 2016, I am happy to say that the food is still just as delicious, just as refined, just as aromatically satisfying like last time. Dare I say that this is THE BEST Italian restaurant in Thailand!

FOOD 🍝. Tuna steak is crispy on the outside, and rare and richly flavored on the inside. The “dumpling spaghetti” (gnocchetti) is creamy and aromatically rich with cheese and bacon. Ceviche comes in a creative fusion with wasabi sauces. Pasta tastes just right and not too overwhelmingly oily.

DESSERTS 🍮. Tiramisu here is one of the most creamiest and softest I have ever tasted. Unfortunately they come in such a small portion! Thaita, the signature dessert taking the same name as the restaurant’s, combines the Thai and Italian ingredients together in form of a “tower” of gelato with foundation of caramelized Thai fruits underneath. The result is a combination of sweetness that suits best for closing a perfect meal.

DECOR 🏚. Very romantically decorated here. I appreciate that the owner takes care to surreptitiously wipes his finger on flat surfaces around the restaurant to make sure that there is no dust. Very thoughtful there!

SMOKING 🚬 / NON-SMOKING 🚭 POLICY. I really hope that Thaita adapts a non-smoking policy. Thaita is a FINE DINING experience and smoking is just not fitting to be allowed here because it ruins the customer experience! Statistically, less than 1 out of 5 people are smokers, and yet the majority of us (the rest 80%) have to bear the cost of these dangerous, cancer-inducing chemicals from second-handed smoking.

Sure, you could say “It’s an open-air environment. You can restrict people from smoking,” but I respectfully disagree. Many other nearby and similar attractions have successfully implemented a non-smoking policy with allocated smoking zones: Koh Nang Yuan 🚭, Breeze Restaurant on Koh Tao 🚭, and Samui Airport 🚭. I strongly believe that it will be good for Thaita in the long run because EVERY customer can then have an amazing experience at Thaita.

Please implement this non-smoking policy by at least allocating smoke-free zone inside the restaurant. We the 80% will thank you for it.

RESERVATION ℹ️. As usual, you should make a reservation at least a day in advance. This restaurant...

Where do I begin. From the moment you are greeted by the lovely woman who runs the restaurant you are treated like one of her own family members. She is such a sweet and warm soul and reminds me of my own grandmother. She seats you and walks you through the menu, detail by detail. Her passion for her craft and menu shows through in her explanation, keeping her Itialian heritage present throughout. The house wine is tasty and not over priced. Other drink items are served elegantly and priced well. We had the Bruschetta and the Caprese Salad to start, which were both delicious and authentic as if you were in the heart of Rome. Our mains were the ravioli and spaghetti with meat sauce. She is very proud of her ravioli and it's easy to tell it's all made from scratch. Beautifully thin hand made pasta stuffed full of spinach. Spaghetti was rich, creamy and cooked to perfection, topped off with parmesan. I have no doubt the rest of the menu items are all equally as authentic and well prepared. Restaurant ambiance is lovely for a romantic night for 2 or a low key evening for a group. You are never rushed and always encouraged to stay and sit for as long as you like. What really makes this place is the owner, she is just the friendliest woman and will have you feeling like one of her own before your meals are finished. If you want to have REAL Italian food that isn't a thin boring pizza and feel like family, you absolutely MUST eat here. The restaurant doggo is also very friendly and may even politely keep you company if he's not out front greeting guests at...