Clara Restaurant

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Dialogue, Not a Fusion

Clara is built on a clear idea: Italian cuisine as foundation, Japan as influence. "Not fusion. A dialogue." That phrase, from Chef Christian Martena and his team, cuts to the heart of what makes this quiet Yen Akat address one of Bangkok's most considered dining destinations. The restaurant holds a listing in the Michelin Guide Thailand, has been awarded the Tre Forchette by Gambero Rosso, and ranked among the top Italian restaurants in the world by 50 Top Italy — recognition that reflects a kitchen working with genuine conviction rather than novelty.

Chef Christian Martena and the Kitchen's Philosophy

At the open kitchen counter, Chef Christian Martena and his team cook through regions, seasons, and instincts — drawing on Italian roots while applying a Japanese sense of restraint and balance. Ingredients are sourced from carefully selected producers, combining the best of local Thai markets with exceptional products from Japan and Europe. The result is food that feels, in the restaurant's own words, "both refined and deeply familiar."

The current Spring Edition tasting menu illustrates this well. White Asparagus arrives with Bottarga and Koji Butter — a classically Italian vegetable treated with fermented Japanese seasoning. Spaghettoni Vongole is deepened with Clam Miso. Gindara Black Cod comes with Fennel and Black Garlic. Japanese A5 Wagyu Beef is finished with Morel and Marsala. Each dish speaks Italian but listens to Japan. The six-course menu runs at THB 3,880, the eight-course at THB 4,880, with wine pairing available for both.

The Space

Clara is also a physical place that has been thought through with the same care as the plates. The entrance, a garden alley lit at night, creates what the team calls "a mesmerizing sense of arrival." Inside, leather chairs at the chef's counter — designed by P. Tendercool and hand-tattooed by artist Tantai — sit alongside candlelit dining room tables with garden views. A wine cellar leads upstairs to a semi-private mezzanine. The outdoor lounge, also designed by P. Tendercool, opens into the garden for drinks after dinner.

Local artists and designers are woven throughout: artworks rotate on the walls every few months, and Clara maintains ongoing relationships with sculptors, furniture makers, and tattoo artists who have shaped the restaurant's visual identity. Dining here is, as the team puts it, "a full artistic experience."

What to Expect

The à la carte menu offers its own pleasures — Stracciatella with Sea Urchin and Citrus, Pici with Lobster and Smoked Butter, Risotto with Pigeon and Black Tea, Wild Sea Bass with Razor Clam and Saffron. The kitchen's Italian fine dining vocabulary is consistent and precise throughout.

Clara also hosts collaboration dinners — including a recent evening with Chef Andrea Accordi of Four Seasons Bangkok's Riva del Fiume, built around a single ingredient: the tomato. These events reflect a restaurant that is genuinely engaged with its broader culinary community, not simply executing a fixed concept.

"What matters to us is not just what is on the plate, but how you feel while you are here." That warmth — unhurried, honest, and quietly confident — is what Clara is about.