DINING OUT - ENTERTAINMENT
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Valentine’s Guest House

Valentine’s Guest House

Good food, clean, and very inexpensive

The Dining Out Team was given a good report on a small guest house/restaurant on Soi Lenky. Up till recently, this was a small cut-through between Pattaya Third Road and the Soi Buakow-Soi Diana intersection. With all the development going on in Pattaya, that cut-through is now a well developed wide road lined with restaurants, guesthouses and small hotels.

Valentines Guest House is well signed, so you won’t miss it and its blue and white striped awning. It is open on two side, so nice and airy, with overhead fans to keep the breeze moving. Across the back there is a sit-up bar, and there is also a pool table for the Alex Higgins’ of this world.

There are nine tables covered with blue and white check tablecloths with clean contrasting raffia place mats, with comfortable cane chairs (with arms). The tables have a cane basket with condiments, including vinegar, HP sauce and tomato ketchup.

The floor is light coloured tiles and the remaining sidewall is mirror, giving the impression that it is much larger than it really is. The overall feeling is one of cleanliness, which is also carried through to the toilets and hand washing facilities.

The menu is simple and straightforward. It begins with All Day Breakfasts, with the Full English at the top of the bill - 2 sausages, 2 bacon, egg on toast, fried potatoes, tomato or beans, tea or coffee. All this for 85 baht. This is followed by 14 other variations of breakfasts, ranging between B.30-70, and all of the British genre with eggs, sausages, bacon and beans on offer.

The second page has the soup of the day at B. 50 with bread and butter or a beef burger at the same price. Pies and Pasties are all B. 120 with the favourites, chicken and mushroom and steak and kidney both there. These are all served with mashed or fried potatoes and the veg of the day.

Six Main Meals are on the next page, with most around B. 120-130, including a large gammon steak, chips and egg or a homemade beef stew, with sirloin steak, chips, peas and fried egg top of the bill at B. 150. Three salads are next (B. 100) served with French fries, and then there is an 18 item Thai menu with nothing over B. 65. Finally there is the bar menu, with local beers B. 55-65, spirits around B. 70 and softs around B. 25.

It was lunchtime, but I decided to order the all-day Full English breakfast. A very large mug of coffee appeared very promptly, with a small jug of milk, as well as the usual plastic tube of dairy creamer. Top marks immediately.

Not long afterwards a large pottery plate arrived with the Full English on board. The first thing I noted was that the plate was warm. Totally unexpected, but so pleasant to find. The next pleasant surprise was the fact that the chips and fried bread had been cooked in fresh oil - and were consequently very good. At the price of B. 85 I expected to see a couple of slivers of streaky bacon, but again was pleasantly surprised by two pieces of back bacon.

Taste-wise, my Full English also passed the test. It was not swimming in grease, overdone or cold, the condition that sometimes prevails in budget places. It was certainly no English transport cafe, but was well cooked pub food, and very enjoyable. Though I did not try the Thai food, my friend said it was equally impressive. And equally as good value.

There was no disputing the value being offered by Valentine’s Guest House. In fact, I was surprised by just how good it really was. Back bacon and warmed plates are not what you expect at ‘lower end’ eateries. Nor are clean tablecloths, clean toilet and hand-washing facilities the norm at the budget places. The food was good and correctly cooked - and at the price, a real bargain! We will certainly be back. Definitely worth a try.

Valentine’s Guest House, 312/44-45 Soi Lenky, Central Pattaya, parking on street, telephone 038 720 583, email [email protected]