Review

In simplicity lies excellence. Alto Italian restaurant and cocktail bar at The Pavilions, Phuket, focuses on contemporary Italian cuisine, enhancing traditional recipes. Begin with classic vitello tonnato with slivers of tasty Dutch veal tenderloin in rich and piquant tuna and caper sauce or crunchy fritto misto, showcasing the best of the Andaman Sea. Follow with house-made tortelli stuffed with pumpkin and bathed in deliciously creamy Blu del moncenisio, salty and fudgy blue cheese sauce, dotted with walnut. Pasta options include classic carbonara and cacio e pepe, the former elevated with 36-month Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano, the latter with seasonal black truffle. Linguine, featuring local Phuket lobster in a creamy and flavour-packed bisque or risotto alla Milanese with luscious beef bone marrow and prized Italian saffron are favourites. Also recommended is Vietnamese black pork belly with smoked leeks in a Chiang Mai wild honey sauce, with earthy mushrooms and creamy mashed potato. Australian black Angus tomahawk is drizzled with beef jus and served with sides of garden vegetables, and a piquant Béarnaise sauce. A pleasantly wobbly coconut panna cotta accompanied by dark chocolate from Chumphon and red berry coulis, or a unique interpretation of affogato al caffè, provide innovative finishes. A well-rounded wine list, featuring classic Italian and international wines, is complemented by a selection of cocktails and mocktails.