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Published on November 4, 2007

If you haven't dropped by l'Opera recently, you're in for a surprise. The owners who took over about two years ago recently decided to introduce new aspects to the venerable - and popular - Italian restaurant, and although l'Opera continues as a "work in progress", it does offer diners a number of unique, pleasant and tasty dining experiences.

The entire compound is divided into roughly three areas - the restaurant, the wine-bar, and in between the two, pizzerias. One is called the "PVP", a private pizzeria that, seating around 25 can serve as a wine bar or the venue of private parties. Another is called the "PVO", the Private Opera, which can seat about 14.

Behind the wine bar are also two meeting rooms. One is exceptionally private, with its own private entrance and bathroom. Private, after all, means private.

Owner Harald "Harry" Kuhnke, with Chef Marco Ravasio and Manager Paolo Carra, have installed nearly 250 labels in the Wine Bar's wine cellar. The l'Opera restaurant itself offers only Italian wines, but the wine cellar, Kuhnke assures, is "international", with a "huge selection" of German rieslings and even some Mexican wines too.

Each area has its own menu. The wine bar seats around 40, and as it is completely separate from the restaurant, smoking is allowed. It offers a wide range of tapas (Bt400/one person; Bt760/two people; Bt1,200/four people), or you can order a variety of imported Italian cheeses, along with biscuits and grapes.

Or just go for the large (very large) platter of antipasto italiano (Bt900), full of imported meats and cheeses. Starters of traditional Mediterranean dishes can be ordered as appetisers or as accompaniments to drinks.

You can also order a variety of pasta dishes and pizza, as well as main dishes, such as the oven-baked lemon sole (Bt360) on a baby spinach salad topped with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and marinated shitake mushrooms with mustard mayonnaise sauce.

Chef Marco Ravasio really goes all out with the salads, and he shows an experienced wrist with main dishes too.

The l'Opera restaurant is a bit more fine-dining in style now, but still has a relaxed atmosphere. The boys have concocted all sorts of menu variations so that you can enjoy as many dishes as you wish.

The Gourmet Menu, for instance, consists of seven different dishes: three appetisers, two pasta dishes, a main course, dessert and coffee (minimum of two people, Bt1,280 each). Or you can order from a rather extensive a la carte menu. The fresh seafood platter (Bt400) is already very popular.

Depending on what's available, you can enjoy carpaccio of swordfish, shrimp wrapped in Italian bacon, sea crab salad, seafood rolls of prawns and salmon or even fresh razor clams.

 At lunchtime, l'Opera offers a Quick Set Menu (Bt300) - a soup or your chance to enjoy the offerings of the salad buffet, and then a second course with a choice of 12 dishes. If you're a bit hungrier, the Business Set Menu (Bt390) offers three courses, all with lots of choices.

 For sure, at l'Opera, you're not going to go hungry.

Laurie Rosenthal

The Nation