Pattaya restaurants and food
Pattaya restaurants are only upstaged by its bars
Life often revolves solely around food in Thailand, with work and duty merely filling the time in between. Thai cuisine has a worldwide fashion-food appeal these days, and in Pattaya there are a huge selection of vendors and restaurants which allow you to try everything the country's street stalls and kitchens have to offer. Pattaya's international popularity is reflected in its vast selection of international restaurants, serving food from all around the globe at prices to suit all palates.
See list of recommended Pattaya restaurants
In Pattaya, restaurants and food vendors are everywhere. Local cuisine is catered for at a range of budgets and restaurants serving French, Japanese, Italian, German, Scandinavian, and Korean food are commonplace. There are also a large amount of hamburger joints, steakhouses, and curry parlours, while in the centre of town there is a whole street serving Arabic cuisine. Visitors from the UK won’t be disappointed as there are also a few 'chippies' serving a host of deep-fried delights.
There are also a number of delis and coffee shops serving food in Pattaya, while most guesthouses will have their own restaurant, as do hotels. What all this amounts to is something of a dining extravaganza, which is one of the main attractions of visiting Pattaya.
Tom Yum Goong seems to win the tussle with Somtam (green papaya spicy salad) to be the Thai signature dish. This delicious hot and sour soup is a fragrant blend of spices, herbs, mushrooms, lemongrass, lime leaves and galangal (a sweet-sour, salty and bitter blended soup curry), usually served with prawn (goong) but also available with your choice of meat, or cooked vegetarian. A good phrase to learn for willing foreigners not too keen on spicy food is mai pet which means not spicy. Most Thai people deem Westerners somewhat allergic to chillies anyhow, but if you feel daring, reverse the phrase and just say pet. There is an enormous variety of Thai dishes and ingredients and we have dedicated a whole section to this... complete guide to Thai food.
Spicy somtam - a Thai favourite, but not for everyone
Street vendors in Thailand operate under cramped, but pretty hygienic, conditions and this is where you'll find the cheapest food. Grilled and fried chicken, corn-on-the-cob, and kebabs are among the favourites.
It would be almost impossible to list all the restaurants in Pattaya for there are so many, but below, you'll find a selection of recommendations.
Recommended Restaurants in Pattaya
Queen Victoria Inn: Authentic traditional English pub, with excellent international menu and a good selection of imported beers on tap. Live music and carvery on Sundays. Open 08:00 to midnight (daily); Soi 6, Central Pattaya, tel: (038) 425 418, 362 523, mobile: 086 060 6210, Fax: 038 424 941, email: mail@queenvicpattaya.com. $$
Sugar Hut Restaurant: Attached to the upmarket hotel of the same name and set in topical gardens, this place is expensive but worth the money. Open: 07:00 to midnight; 391/18 Moo 10, Thappraya Road, tel: (038) 364 186, 251 686, Fax: 038 251 689, email: sugarhut@sugar-hut.com. $$$
Bruno's: Renowned restaurant serving classy, reasonably-expensive, French cuisine with over 150 wines available. Open: 12:00-14:00 and 18:00 to late; 306/63 Chateau Dale Plaza, Thappraya Road, Pattaya, tel: (038) 364 600-1, Mobile: (08)1 861 5612, Fax: 038 364 602, email: brunos@loxinfo.co.th. $$$
Lobster Pot: Huge seafood restaurant, with signature specialities including lobster and tiger prawns. Open daily: 12:00-01:00; 228 Walking Street (opposite Pattaya Soi 14), South Pattaya, tel: (038) 426 083, email: lobsterpot_restaurant@hotmail.com. $$
La Villa Bali: Great Indonesian dishes such as Nasi Goreng Special, Chicken Kare and sate skewers are served here by the expert chef and friendly staff. 106/16 Moo 12 Soi 8 Thepprasit Road. Thepprasit Villa, Pattaya, Tel: (08)70199 935, (08)5 3703 840. $$
Rice Mill: Popular Cantonese restaurant, offering an all-you-can-eat buffet on weekends for 490 baht. Open: 10:00 to 23:00, 2nd floor, Royal Garden Plaza, Beach Road, Tel: (038) 412 120-7. $$
Pook Swan Restaurant and Bar: With seats for 50 guests, a section of top quality beers and live sports on the TV, this is the perfect Pattaya restaurant to sit down with some new friends and enjoy home-cooked Thai and international dishes. 210/31-32, Soi Buakhaw, Nongprue, Pattaya, Tel: +66 (0)38 720 858. $$
Royal Cliff Beach Hotel: Huge complex containing 10 restaurants, including the often raved about Maharani Indian restaurant. 353 Pratamnak Road, tel: (038) 250 421, Fax: 038 250 511, 250 513, email: info@royalcliff.com. $$$
Vientiane Restaurant: Laotian influenced cuisine serving Southeast Asian food from Indonesia and Thailand. Open: 12:00-24:00; South Pattaya Road, tel: (038) 411 298, Fax: 038 373 374.$$
Budget rating
$ dishes 50 - 100 baht; quart of beer 80 baht; whisky shot 100 baht; cocktails 120 baht
$$ dishes 100 - 200 baht; quart of beer 100 baht; whisky shot 120 baht; cocktails 140 baht
$$$ dishes 200 - 500 baht; quart of beer 120 baht; whisky shot 140 baht; cocktails 160 baht
Shenanigans: Big bar and restaurant serving traditional pub-style fare and appropriate drinks. Open: 08:30-02:00; The Avenue Pattaya, Unit D201, 399/9 Moo10, Pattaya Second Road, tel: (038) 723 939-40, Fax: 038 723 941, email: tony@shenanigansthailand.com. $$$
Tips Restaurant: Over 12 set breakfasts served in this popular, inexpensive restaurant. Opening: 07:00 to midnight; 22 Pattaya Beach Road (not far from the entrance to Walking Street), South Pattaya, tel: (038) 423 418. $
Pig and Whistle: British pub grub served in ample portions by well-trained staff. Open: 08:30 to midnight; Soi 7, Central Pattaya, tel: (038) 361 315, Fax: 038 361 272, email: info@pigandwhistlepattaya.com. $$
Ali Baba: Good quality Indian restaurant with a fine selection of authentic dishes. Open: 11:00 to midnight; 1/13-14, Pattaya Central Road, tel: (038) 429 262, email: alibaba@gmail.com. $$
Alt Heidelberg: Variety of German sausages and imported sauerkraut dominate the menu. Has a good location. Open 09:00-23:00. 273 Moo 10, Pattaya Beach Road, South Pattaya, tel: (038) 421 258. $$
PIC Kitchen: Classy Thai food in a traditional atmosphere with floor seating and subtle decoration. Soi 5, Pattaya 2nd Road, Pattaya , tel: (038) 428 374, 428 387, Fax: 038 422 773, email: picpih@loxinfo.co.th, picpih@pih-inter.com. $$
Pectopah: One of several Russian restaurants in Pattaya, with good soups and pies. Open: 14:00 to midnight; Pattaya 2nd Road, South Pattaya, tel: (038) 429 662. $$
Updated and correct: January 2012
Traveller tale: Pattaya culinary guide
Each visitor to Pattaya will find a restaurant serving his or her favourite cuisine...more
