This week the Dining Out team went to Pattayaland (Soi 13/3 to be exact) and visited one of the landmarks in the soi – Lewiinski’s Hotel, Bar and Restaurant. The building is almost the last in the soi and 50 meters to Beach Road. You won’t get much closer.
I remember Lewiinski’s Hotel being commissioned many years ago, and was told that the misspelling of Monica’s name was a deliberate ploy to avoid litigation. How true that is (was) I do not know, and anyway is almost three presidents ago!
Lewiinski’s made its name as a golfing bar and that has stood the test of time with a very healthy association between the bar and the golfers in Pattaya Sports Club (whose members enjoy a 10 percent discount on food and drink).
However, there is much more to Lewiinski’s Hotel, Bar and Restaurant as the name would suggest.
Noi Earp is the general manager and she has been in charge for the past three months, meeting us at the door and guiding us to the elevated seating area. The restaurant is obviously used to large groups (golfers?) with some dedicated tables for eight, as well as others for six and four. There is also seating outside for al fresco dining while watching the world go past.
Along the other wall is a long bar with draft beer as well as bottles. A pint of draft Heineken is B. 120, while bottles of locally brewed ales are B. 75-85. Spirits are generally between B. 124-150 and wine by the glass is B. 120.
The menu is multilingual (Thai, English, Russian and Chinese) and is mainly photographic. Waiting in the kitchen for your order are some of the five cooks who split their duties in two shifts.
Starting with Breakfasts, there are several pages of “English style” items with B. 230 tops, going down to tea or coffee with toast and juice at B. 75.
Soups are up next B. 120-140 with two Thai ones first, then the western style. Salads are generally around B. 130 with a choice of dressings.
Burgers must be a staple for golfers, with the top of the line being a beef-burger with egg and ham and cheese and French fries at B. 180. The pizzas range from B. 230 to B. 280.
The Pastas include Vongole and Arabiata and are all in the B. 230-250 range.
Next up are several pages of meat dishes with American styled Baby Back Ribs at B. 340 and Lamb shank in a balsamic herb gravy only B. 400 and Zurich style sliced pork for B. 280.
General meat dishes are followed by steaks (B. 390-699) with a normal premium on imported steaks.
The 100 item menu continues with Fish with a pepper-crusted salmon B. 300, for example. Specials include fish and chips with peas. Enough to carry any golfer though to the back nine. Pages of Thai food items are next with most B. 165. Rice and noodles are next, generally B. 170 and then desserts.
Madame (who was Thai) selected the yellow curry prawn and enjoyed it (I stole a couple of the juicy prawns), while I then felt hungry and chose one of the pizzas. With Donald Trump about to become POTUS and proclaiming he would make America ‘great’ again prompted me to select the ‘Great America’ pizza which came with a thin and crispy crust and very well filled with cheese, peperoni, capsicum, mushrooms and meatballs. Having eyes bigger than my belly I ended up taking half home to be reheated for lunch the next day!
I did take a look at one of the rooms in the hotel, and for B. 600, air-conditioned and 50 meters from beach and a very small step to Walking Street, makes Lewiinski’s the ideal place for the international golfer on holiday. Food was good, comfortable clean accommodation and not overpriced. For Pattaya residents, it is worth dropping in for a good meal too.
Lewiinski’s Hotel and restaurant, Beach Road Soi 13/3 (also known as Soi Pattayaland 1), open seven days, 8 a.m. until midnight, telephone 038 429 444, www.lewiinskis.com, email [email protected] , parking on street or behind the building (B. 50 and mention Lewiinski’s).
