Leonardo Da Vinci is alive and well in Kata!

When you make it to the front of the huge scrum of selfie-stick waving tourists in the Paris Louvre and finally set eyes of Lenoardo Da Vinci’s wonderful painting of the Mona Lisa, you will be impressed by how subtly self confident is her quiet smile and her poised demeanor.

Undoubtedly, she is gorgeous and mysterious and immediately captivates your imagination.

I was reminded of her when we had the enormous pleasure of dining at Leonardo Da Vinci Italian Restaurant on the road that runs between Kata and Kata Noi Beaches.

Like the subtlety of the Mona Lisa, this marvelous restaurant is as yet a subdued and hidden gem, which most certainly deserves the attention of every food-loving resident and visitor to Phuket.

Once you walk up the steps into the restaurant’s beguiling interior, hidden from the quiet road outside, you are greeted by the most gorgeous dining environment with vertical panels of falling water, an abundance of greenery and the most enticing oval-shaped bar that beckons you into its friendly embrace. There are both outdoor and indoor air-conditioned options for your dining pleasure and the staff as welcoming as the environment is attractive.

The cuisine is classical Italian faire and Chef Vincenzo (Enzo) Sorrentino, who hails from Cervia near Rimini in north-east Italy, is there to greet you and explain the extensive menu.

Enzo grew up in a culinary family and the region of his birth is famous for gifting the world the considerable pleasures of home-made pastas such as tagliatelle. He arrived in Phuket just a few months ago and joined Leonardo Da Vinci when it opened in April 2015, and has already built a considerable reputation among those lucky enough to have discovered his cuisine.

The restaurant offers a range of set menus at very reasonable prices ranging from two to four courses and weekly specials featuring what is fresh and in season at both the local and international markets from which they import their produce such as Italian truffles, fresh cold cuts, cheeses and Mediterranean fish and seafood.

We were lucky enough to enjoy a sensational degustation selection that Enzo prepared for us and from the seafood soup to the tuna tartar with mango salad; from the perfectly al dente spaghetti alla vongole, to the home-made lasagna, to the Australian tenderloin with truffle sauce, through to the fagottino – warm apple cake served with vanilla ice-cream….all was culinary perfection!

With a fine selection of Classical and New World wines with an Italian focus and with a good selection by-the-glass and an attractive Buy One Get One Free promotion during Happy Hour, there’s no wonder that you leave Leonardo Da Vinci with a subtle smile playing about your lips….just like the Mona Lisa!