La Ferme French restaurant attached to the Woodlands
Resort.
I sat at the computer and dialed up the Dining Out
columns for 2012, all 52 of them, looking for stand-outs. And there were
some excellent ones. I had intended disqualifying restaurants in hotels, but
finally decided that was being unfair. However, one of the reasons that had
prompted the team into thinking that way is the fact that hotel restaurants
will change their promotions or directions at the advice of the F&B
managers, so to recommend a Sunday Brunch, for example, runs the risk of
them no longer having that promotion.
Let’s deal with the top end hotels first. Stand-outs here include the Royal
Cliff with their deVine Wine dinners and their Maharani restaurant; the
Sheraton with their wine dinners; the Hilton with their upmarket Flare
restaurant; and the Amari’s Mantra with their special events. A perennial
favorite is the Montien and we enjoyed several themed buffets there. Make no
mistake, these are world class restaurants capable of hosting world class
events.
Flambé at Casa Pascal on
Second Road is always first class.
We dined at a few “ethnic” restaurants during the year
and the ones that impressed were Don Joe (Italian in Walking Street),
Maharani (Indian in the Royal Cliff), La Ferme (French attached to the
Woodlands Resort), Café des Amis (European) and Pasta Pasta (Italian in the
Ambassador City).
We ate in a few pub-restaurants during the year, and these can provide
excellent meals and at very inexpensive prices. Stand-outs here were
Jameson’s Irish Pub with Kim Fletcher’s weekly specials almost unbeatable,
but the revised and revamped Dicey Reilly’s (Second Road attached to the
Marriott Resort) has certainly vaulted up the ladder! Another pub-style
eatery is The Tavern by the Sea (Beach Road, Amari) which has theme nights
and the Churrasco is highly recommended.
Sheraton’s wine dessert is
delicious.
In the value for money stakes, it is difficult to go past
the buffets on offer at the Thai Garden Resort. How Rene Pisters does it at
those prices I do not know. Go with a group of 10 and you’ll still have
change in your wallet! Another venue that will not rip a hole in the family
budget is the Captain’s Corner, these days an icon.
So to stand-alone top end restaurants. Two venues that will always be at the
top of the heap are Mata Hari (Thappraya Road - Louis Noll) and Casa Pascal
(Second Road - Pascal Schnyder). Always first class. However, now right up
there with them is Gian’s Italian restaurant where Guido Vietri has really
produced a very fine venue, and next door to him is Bruno’s, which has
always been in the list of fine dining in Pattaya.
If your favorite restaurant has not been mentioned, it is probably because
we did not go there in the past 12 months. At one venue a week we cannot
cover every restaurant in Pattaya!
A few details:
Royal Cliff Beach Resort, telephone 038 250 421.
Sheraton Pattaya Resort, telephone 038 259 888.
Hilton Pattaya, telephone 038 253 000.
Mantra Restaurant and Bar, telephone 038 429 591.
Montien Hotel, telephone 038 428 155.
Don Joe, telephone 038 710 733.
La Ferme, telephone 038 421 707.
Café des Amis, telephone 038 364 327.
Pasta-Pasta, Ambassador City, telephone 038 255 501.
Jameson’s Irish Pub, telephone 038 381 873.
Dicey Reilly’s, telephone 038 411 771.
Tavern by the Sea, Amari Orchid, telephone 038 418 419.
The Thai Garden Resort, telephone 038 370 614.
The Captain’s Corner, telephone 038 364 318.
Mata Hari Restaurant and Wine Bar, telephone 038 259 799.
Casa Pascal, telephone 038 723 660.
Gian’s Italian restaurant, telephone 038 364 934.
Bruno’s Restaurant and Wine Bar, telephone 038 364 600-1.
