Brio Italian Restaurant, Marriott Riverside Resort – Bangkok

Marriot Riverside Resort
257 Charnoennakorn Rd.
Tel. 024760022 ext. 1416
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Expensive

I spent the night in the Marriott Riverside Resort and it was very well managed and the service in all outlets was first rate.

Interestingly, the menu at the Italian Restaurant Brio is presented on a gimmicky, pizza paddle shaped object, which however unwieldy, and heavier than necessary it may be, still accomplishes the basic task of listing the dishes on offer. It occupies a space on the ground floor of this vast resort on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. The establishment is highly visible to passing foot traffic on the resort’s main thoroughfare, a great deal of whom are Starbucks coffee toting types—who, to put it politely, are very casually clothed. There is ample clearance between tables and high ceilings that rise upwards at some points to over two floors. The place lives up to its name “brio” (it means warm and cosy), due to the warming effect given by the deft interior design, in spite of the large space with sparce table placement.

The chef, Antonio Facchinetti successfully delivers a casual Italian-style concept into a large hotel space, and most of his dishes are successfully implemented. The preparation of the Tuscan salad panzanella did not really appeal to me; especially since memories of other versions, previously tasted over the years, came to mind. However, the dish is an interpretation of the chef, and as such, it is arguably a matter of personal preference.
Brio is certainly the clear winner in a frail lineup of American restaurants within the resort’s compound. I only wish that Trader Vic’s would stick to the original recipes as laid down by Vic Bergeron and followed in various outlets all over the world. They cannot even build a proper drink in this Traders; almost impossible to imagine, as Trader Vic’s sells a line of bottled drink mixes that could be used as bases, with only the various rums and other alcohol to be added.

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