Bon Gusto defies expectations. It’s location a long way down a fairly desolate soi doesn’t exactly help. It’s vivid, orange exterior and neon lighting are certainly eye-catching, but also set off alarm bells—though not as much as the giant sign seeking a new chef hung outside on our last visit. Inside, the orange theme is continued but, despite this, it all feels a little utilitarian, with its polished floors, formal seating and reproduction paintings on the walls. More hotel dining than stand-alone trattoria. The good news is you shouldn’t judge this book by its cover. A clue to their serious approach to food comes from the authentic wood fired pizza oven tucked away at one end of the room. Bon Gusto serves up some very decent pizza, and, even though prices are reasonable, they clearly care about using high-quality ingredients. Take their insalata caprese (B200) for example, it might not be the very best in town, but with lovely, moist slices of mozzarella and thick cuts of meaty buffalo tomato, it’s certainly fresh and tasty. The same can be said for their bruschetta al pomodoro (B120), the bread is perfectly toasted and the diced tomatoes and basil are ripe and full of flavor. Even the simple garlic pizza bread (B120) is a delight. It’s huge and the crisp, airy dough, with its slightly smoky taste, complements the copious fresh garlic. They also don’t skimp on more expensive offerings, like the recommended Parma ham and four cheeses pizza (B390). Covered with strips of Parma ham, and with that same wonderful base, it’s given real complexity by the strong kick of the gorgonzola and the fruity tang of the taleggio cheese. To be honest, we wonder why you’d order anything but pizza, but the pasta dishes we’ve tried also hold up well. The only real disappointments come with desserts, like the pannacotta, which is a little insipid and watery. With good service and some half-decent wines available (carafe of house red, B490), Bon Gusto is a bit of a dark horse; if food means more to you than ambience, then it’s worth the trek for a surprisingly good dining experience.