Talking Dreams, Sustainability, And Life Lessons With Chef Mauro Colagreco

"Opened in 2020 during the pandemic, this one-MICHELIN-starred dining room along the Chao Phraya River was built by an on-site team led by 32-year-old Italian chef Davide Garavaglia while Mauro Colagreco guided from afar; now face to face, he tells me, “I want Côte to be the best western restaurant in Thailand.” The project favors gradual, real-world evolution—moving toward plastic-free operations, visiting local producers (like a coconut plantation), and incorporating Thai seasons and ingredients without changing its style. Even under travel restrictions, Davide developed the restaurant into one of the best along the river, and a pigeon dish tasted exactly like the version “three thousand kilometres away,” a level that earned Côte a MICHELIN Star and, according to Colagreco, is “just the beginning.” He plans to return three to five times a year to deepen local sourcing, especially vegetables, while staying open to high-quality fish whether local or imported." - Pruepat 'Maprang' Songtieng