Bangkok is known for its bustling street food scene, and sometimes you just want to sit down and enjoy a delicious meal that is rich in flavors, fresh ingredients, and unique cooking techniques. And when it comes to dining out with our furry friends, we often face the challenge to find a place that is both pet-friendly and serves authentic Neapolitan food. But what if we told you that there’s a restaurant right here in the heart of Bangkok that does exactly that?

We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Peppina, Nikki Barltrop at Peppina, the Sukhumvit 33 branch to learn more about Peppina, their pet-friendly protocols, and the delicious menus they cater to everybody! Including pet parents who are looking for the taste of Italy, to those that are more health conscious! So if you’re a pet owner or a foodie looking for a unique dining experience, join us as we delve into the world of Peppina. You’re in for a treat!

We’re here at Peppina with Nikki! Please tell us more about this restaurant

Hi, I’m Nikki and now we’re at Peppina, the flagship restaurant on Sukhumvit 31. 

What is the concept of Peppina Bangkok?

So Peppina is a Neapolitan restaurant, so we specialize in pizzas and foods from Naples, sort of the Campania region. So it might be either a pizza, or we use all imported Italian ingredients. It could be a nice vegetarian dish like gnocchi alla Sorrentina, which is a sort of potato and pasta dumpling, that’s cooked in the oven and roasted tomato sauce with smoked cheese. We also have lots of seafood and grilled meats as well. 

What are the signature or recommended dishes?

So obviously you can’t come to Peppina and not try the pizza. I would recommend either trying something classic, like the classic Margherita, or you could even try our Peppina, which is a twist on that. We use tomatoes, piennolo tomatoes that are grown in the volcanic soils of Mount Vesuvius, as well as buffalo mozzarella, a little bit of oregano, and that one has really exceptional flavors, and it really transports you back to Italy. 

Otherwise, if you want to try something a little bit different, we have a Sai Oua Pizza, so the Chiang Mai pizza, which is with roasted eggplants and really good Sai Oua sausage from the north of Thailand. The spices work really really nicely on the pizza as well. 

What are some of the qualities you think restaurants should have here in Bangkok to succeed? 

I think Bangkok, it’s a very sophisticated dining crowd. You have a lot of Thai people who are used to eating out every night of the week, very well-traveled, and they really know what they want. So you have to really be performing to a high standard, and a consistent standard. I think consistency is the most important thing in our industry. To make sure that every time you come back, you’re going to have the same experience or even a better experience. That comes down to the consistency of our food and our service, and of course, having a friendly welcome and being looked after by the team.

We have heard that Peppina just opened a new branch in Chiangmai! What is the inspiration behind it? Why Chiangmai? What makes it unique from other branches?

So yeah we’ve just opened in Chiang Mai and it’s Peppina Verde or Peppina Green. And we are housed in The Food Trust building, which is on Ratchawong Road, just near Warorot Market. So inside The Food Trust, we have ourselves, you have Err, which is a Thai restaurant from chefs Bo and Dylan from Bo.lan and also a grocery and cafe. Our concept there is very much using all the local ingredients, organic ingredients, and ingredients that come from local hill tribes and local organic farmers. Which has been really interesting, whereas Peppina here is very much using Italian ingredients, in Chiang Mai we’ve had to spin it. So instead of using spicy Italian salami, we might use Sai Oua or even Yunnan sausage. Again, lots of local vegetables and even the mozzarella is made in Thailand. So it’s really exciting to see the quality of the produce change over the years, and I think being in Chiang Mai where really, getting some of the best quality ingredients you possibly can, it’s really great to be serving those at The Food Trust. 

Are all Peppina restaurants pet-friendly? Can dogs and cats visit here off leashes? Any rules to follow?

So we are pet-friendly here at Peppina Sukhumvit 31, and The Food Trust is also pet-friendly. We have lots of dogs and cats that visit us here, and as well in Chiang Mai. So we always have, in Bangkok, we have outside seats available. You can always reserve those in advance if you say that you’re coming with your pet, and again, if it’s a smaller pet like a cat or a dog in a carrier, you’d be welcome to sit inside with them as well. But we would need to know in advance, just to make sure you’re sat in an appropriate area. Again, we don’t want your pet to get overstimulated if they’re somewhere that’s too crowded. We do ask that the dogs and the cats especially stay on their leash. Because it is a restaurant, and we are walking around with hot food and we would hate for anyone to fall over and injure themselves or injure your pet as well. But we have a lot of pets, especially here, we’re just across from 24-hour Vets and Petshop, so that’s one of our favorite things, seeing all the pets on the street, and getting to meet lots of furry friends every day. 

Anything you would like to say to the audience?

Please, come along! Check out Peppina on Sukhumvit 31, and if you are in Chiang Mai, we always love seeing your furry friends up there as well. Do book in and just let us know you’re coming in with your pet so we can look after every one to the best of our abilities. Thank you!

Peppina Sukhumvit 33

• Facebook: Peppina
• Instagram: PeppinaPizza
• Opening times: 11:30 AM to 11:00 PM