DINING OUT - ENTERTAINMENT

The Art Cafe – a cultural and culinary oasis

There are still those who say that Pattaya has no artistic soul. This is not correct, and the Art Cafe, which has now been going for just over 12 months, has become an integral part of the ‘art’ scene in Pattaya, with exhibitions and art classes. However, the Art Cafe has also been getting itself a good name as a place to dine, and so the Dining Out team decided to revisit, it being almost 12 months since our last official review.

The venue is definitely ‘romantic’ with the gardens now trimmed, the spotlights on the trees and the well lit colonial style house with the open verandahs. Every available area is taken up by paintings of all descriptions and all styles. Canvases wrapped in bubble-wrap are waiting for shipment, and you have the feeling of being in a huge gallery. The yellow ochre stippled walls inside and the cream with green accents outside on the verandah all help to produce a warm and inviting ambience. The service personnel are also smartly turned out in black with long yellow aprons and are smiling. The warm welcome is infectious!

The tropical atmosphere is heightened by the cane chairs and brightened by the ‘Modigliani’ style place mats. Nothing somber about this place. Being a balmy evening, we chose to dine out on the balcony.

The cuisine is predominantly Mediterranean/European, but in the menu there is a page of Thai favourites, with most Thai dishes around B. 150. The menu, which is in French, English and German, commences with soups, French Onion and lobster bisque (B. 120 and 160) and then entrees (B. 180-380) including a Greek salad, frog legs and snails. Over the page we found more entrees, with the majority around B. 150, including Lebanese Tabouli (cous-cous), Coquilles St. Jacques and even an Antipasti plate.

Pastas are generally under B. 200, but the spaghetti with squid’s ink and smoked salmon is B. 230. Fish dishes (B. 220-350) include Pastis flamed tiger prawns with steamed potatoes and daily vegetables.

Meat dishes which include chicken, duck, pork, lamb, rabbit are in the B. 180-420 range, while the following page of steaks are B. 720-890, reflecting the high cost of the imported US meats.

There is also a blackboard menu with more different items such as goose, turkey, lobster, barracuda and ostrich.

Our hot French bread was brought to the table, and the crusty tasty loaf had us looking forward to our meals. We began with a mussels in a paprika herb sauce for Madame and the Coquille St. Jacques for me. The mussels were plump and not overdone and the sauce with them very pleasant. My scallops came in an orange sauce, complete with a slice of orange. Different, but very tasty and a great entr้e to sparkle up the palate.

Our mains arrived, the roast beef in a red wine sauce for Madame and the pork fillet medallions in a whole-grain mustard sauce for me. This came with a small tower of potato with baked garlic, and was worth it, just for the potatoes alone. Excellent. The pork was also tender and the sauce was special. Madame’s beef came in much thicker slices than we have seen recently and was too much for her to finish!

We ended with the apple tart. Superb!

The Art Cafe has matured in the 13 months since its opening. This can be seen in the fact that it has garnered a ‘homely’ touch to the ambience and it is now much more than a gallery you can eat in. It is, for Pattaya, a cultural and culinary oasis, and the Art Cafe is to be congratulated in its persevering with the concept, and making it work. The fact that it is now an accredited venue for art exhibitions and for young artists to show their work, is testament to this. It also serves good Mediterranean, European and Thai style food. Definitely worth a romantic evening out. Highly recommended.

The Art Cafe, 285/3 Moo 5, Soi 16 Pattaya Naklua Road (after the over-bridge coming from Pattaya to Naklua), telephone 038 367 652, fax 038 367 653, www.artcafe-thailand.com, email [email protected].