Cherry Tree is a long-running Italian restaurant in Naklua, run by an Italian-Thai family with a deep commitment to traditional Italian cooking. The pasta is hand-rolled daily, the wood-fired oven turns out Neapolitan pizza, the wine list focuses tightly on Italian regions, and the service has the warm-but-professional rhythm of a family-run trattoria. Less famous than Gian's or Marco's but considered by many regulars to serve the most authentic Italian food in Pattaya.
Our take
Cherry Tree is what happens when an Italian moves to Thailand, marries a Thai woman, and instead of opening a generic 'Italian-Thai fusion' place, opens a restaurant aggressively committed to doing Italian food the way nonna did it. Located on a quiet Naklua side street, the restaurant has built its reputation slowly and through word of mouth - it's not on the typical tourist circuit, doesn't market aggressively on Instagram, and is mostly populated by Italian and German expats and a small but loyal Thai clientele. The pasta is the star. Hand-rolled and hand-cut daily, you get fettuccine that has actual texture, tagliolini fine enough that the al dente window is real, ravioli with proper-thickness wrappers and seasonal fillings (porcini, ricotta-spinach, butternut squash), gnocchi made from boiled potatoes the same morning. The pasta cookery is the kind that takes Italian food seriously - sauces are not over-cheesed, butter is unsalted, olive oil is good, salt is restrained. Wood-fired pizzas come out leoparded and chewy with simple, restrained toppings - margherita, marinara, prosciutto e funghi, quattro formaggi - none of the Hawaiian-pineapple-tropical-fruit nonsense common at lesser Pattaya Italians. Mains lean toward classical secondi: osso buco that falls off the bone, saltimbocca alla romana with proper prosciutto and sage, branzino baked in salt for two, lamb chops with rosemary. Desserts are tiramisu (the kind with proper mascarpone), panna cotta, and a rotating selection of housemade gelatos. The wine list runs to 150-plus Italian labels organized by region - Tuscany deep, Piedmont solid, Veneto for whites and prosecco, Sicily for value. The owner-sommelier knows every bottle and will steer you correctly. Prices are mid-tier - mains 600-1200 THB, pizzas 350-550, full meal with wine in the 1500-2500 THB per person range. The dining room is warm but unfussy: tile floors, white walls, framed Italian photos, a wood-fired oven visible behind the bar. Service is attentive without theatrics. Cherry Tree is the kind of place you tell friends about quietly.
The atmosphere
Refined fine-dining atmosphere with attention to lighting, table spacing, and service rhythm. Long-established restaurant with a settled, regular-clientele feel.
What to expect
Arrival: greeted by host, escorted to your table. Service is paced - expect 2-2.5 hours for a full meal. Reservations are typically required. Bills paid at the table.
Menu highlights
Is it worth the price?
Upper-mid tier. Pricing reflects ingredient quality and service standards. Per-person estimate: 1200-2500 THB.
Insider tips
- Ask the owner-sommelier for wine pairing - he knows the cellar by heart and steers correctly.
- The truffle pasta is only on the menu when fresh truffles are in season (October-March mostly) - confirm before booking specifically for it.
- Branzino al sale takes 45 minutes and serves two - order at the start of the meal.
- Hand-rolled pasta varieties change daily - ask what's freshest.
- Closed Mondays - many tourists turn up to a closed gate.
- Outdoor patio is the seat in cooler months (November-February).
- Bring cash for a small discount on bills over 5000 THB.
The story
Cherry Tree opened in 2007, founded by an Italian chef from Lucca who relocated to Thailand in the early 2000s and married into a Pattaya Thai family. The kitchen has remained under his direction throughout, and his Thai family handles front-of-house. The restaurant has grown its reputation slowly and steadily - largely through Italian expat word of mouth and consistent food quality.
Getting there
Naklua, on Soi 16. About 10 minutes by taxi from central Pattaya. Songthaew baht bus stops on Naklua Road - walk 200m down Soi 16.