Italian cooking has always travelled well, but in Southeast Asia it has found something more interesting than imitation. The region’s best Italian restaurants pair precise technique with local produce, serious wine lists and settings that feel entirely of their place. Here are four tables that show how elegantly it can be done.
Buona Terra, Singapore
Set in a restored colonial house on Scotts Road, Buona Terra holds one Michelin star in the 2026 Michelin Guide Singapore. Chef Denis Lucchi, originally from Brescia, leads the kitchen, which serves contemporary Italian set menus. The house-made tagliatelle with white truffle is a signature, and the wine list leans towards Italian and natural labels.
Cannubi by Umberto Bombana, Bangkok
Created by Umberto Bombana and led in the kitchen by executive Italian chef Andrea Susto, Cannubi was awarded one Michelin star in the Michelin Guide Thailand 2026, making it the first Italian restaurant in Thailand to earn one. It occupies two levels at Dusit Thani Bangkok, overlooking the hotel’s waterfall, with golden teakwood panels restored from the original hotel’s Benjarong restaurant. Menus range from à la carte to tasting and a white truffle menu, backed by more than 350 wine labels.
Mauri, Seminyak, Bali
Chef Maurizio Bombini, from Puglia, opened Mauri in 2018 after leading kitchens at luxury resorts in Bali. The restaurant is listed with three forks in Gambero Rosso’s Top Italian Restaurants guide for 2026. Expect contemporary cooking rooted in Apulia, with fresh pasta and Balinese produce, served from an open kitchen with limited seating and a serious wine cellar.
Lusso, Manila
Lusso is associated with the late chef Margarita Forés, one of the Philippines’ most celebrated culinary figures, and is listed in Tatler’s Best 2026. Its menu blends Italian and French influences with Filipino ingredients, in glamorous interiors designed for celebratory dining.
The Common Thread
What unites these restaurants is conviction. Each cooks Italian food with a clear point of view, and each lets its location shape the experience rather than hiding it. Awards and listings change from year to year, so confirm opening details and book ahead directly with each restaurant.
Related reading: Azure at InterContinental Hua Hin Gives Italian Dining a Sicilian Accent and The Best Dining Spots in Athens, Greece.
