Favourite Restaurants

[hhfarang]

We discovered a very good restaurant in Cha-Am last Friday evening. It's on Soi Long Beach near the hotel end and it's called Aree. They have a large variety of food but seem to specialize in Indian and Thai. There is also Italian food and many other western items on their menu. We went (from Hua Hin) because it was recommended by a friend for the Indian food and I have to say they serve the best of that I've had in this area and was well worth the drive. There were nine of us and we had a mix of many Indian and Thai dishes as well as a variety of fruit drinks, a glass of wine, and at least six large Heineken beers at a total of three thousand baht (or just over 300 baht apiece including alcohol).

Both the food and service were excellent and I highly recommend this place.

[hhfarang]

Tried a new restaurant (to me) a couple of nights ago and was really impressed with the food, ambiance, and value. It is the restaurant located within the Smor Resort and Spa in Takiab.

The restaurant is open air, directly adjacent to the beach with the romantic setting of much more expensive places and within close sight of Takiab mountain and the golden standing Buddha.

As a disclaimer, I'll admit that I don't know Indian food well but I tried a couple of the Indian dishes and they seemed excellent to me as well as the nan bread (I've been to S&S and I think this is better). The price for most Indian dishes was around 150 baht and they also have a separate Thai menu. The friend who took me there says he takes his Thai wife there and she says the Thai dishes are excellent as well (priced between 80 and 120 baht).

It is only open for dinner from 6 p.m. onwards and the Indian food is not available on Sundays (Indian cooks day off) but the Thai food is available seven days a week and the last page of the Thai menu has some western food like salads, sandwiches, and pasta.

I was very impressed at the overall value for the price of this place and recommend you give it a try. Drive into downtown headed south and look for the "Smor" sign on the left on a surfboard planted in the ground. Turn into the driveway after the sign and follow it to the resort where you will make a left and park on the edge of their gravel road. You will see a walkway opening in the wall going directly into the open air restaurant by the sea.

An update on this review and I applaud Smor management for taking a suggestion from a customer and acting upon it:

We went there last week and the TV was on showing some silly movie and was turned up pretty loud which detracted from our dining experience. I looked up the resort on the internet and sent a note suggesting that because of the TV it was not our usual good experience. The following are excerpts from the email I sent and the answer which I consider a very positive response from a business in Thailand.

"I am offering a suggestion. We live in Hua Hin and love your restaurant. Both the Thai and Indian food as well as the service and romantic beachfront setting are wonderful.

I would like to suggest that you play soft music at dinner time instead of a movie (very loudly) on the TV set over the bar. The TV being on detracts from the ambiance as well as the social atmosphere as people are drawn to watching instead of interacting with each other. It's ok at lunch or if someone requests viewing of a specific program or event but otherwise, nice music would make the dining experience better for all."

Their timely and excellent response was:

"Thank you very much for your patronage and we look forward to seeing you again.

Love that you like our food and ambience at Smor Spa.

Your point about the TV is excellent and you are absolutely right about putting it on only when there is a specific sport event that clients would like to see. Rest of the time it should be shut off and allow clients to enjoy soft music and the beautiful views.

Will implement this immediately.

Thank you for your suggestion and we look forward to seeing you at our restaurant."

After living in Thailand for nine years I appreciate any business that listens to customers and actually responds to constructive comments on how they can do better. Give this place a try as it has very good food both Indian and Thai at very reasonable prices compared to other beachfront restaurants and the service is excellent.

Edited September 25, 2012 by hhfarang

[YorkshireTyke]

HHF : Been meaning to visit Smor since your first report and finally went earlier this week. we were the only 2 customers there. Like you I am no expert on Indian food and I had an Indian curry with garlic nan and my wife a Thai seafood noodle dish and we both enjoyed it and will go back. There is also veg curry and other dishes for vegeterians. I thought the beer a tad expensive at 80/120 for Singha but my wife pointed out it is a resort with resort drink prices. Anyway I had a Tiger beer for 60 baht.

The TV is probably the widest I have ever seen and it was on standby when we went in and the staff turned it to a music channel or played a music DVD which was at a pleasant volume so they have carried out their promise.

Keep up the good work HHF.

[thaicbr]

HHF : Been meaning to visit Smor since your first report and finally went earlier this week. we were the only 2 customers there. Like you I am no expert on Indian food and I had an Indian curry with garlic nan and my wife a Thai seafood noodle dish and we both enjoyed it and will go back. There is also veg curry and other dishes for vegeterians. I thought the beer a tad expensive at 80/120 for Singha but my wife pointed out it is a resort with resort drink prices. Anyway I had a Tiger beer for 60 baht.

The TV is probably the widest I have ever seen and it was on standby when we went in and the staff turned it to a music channel or played a music DVD which was at a pleasant volume so they have carried out their promise.

Keep up the good work HHF.

Just come back from stuffing my face at Smor. Lovely ambience, listening to the waves. Great food both the Thai and Indian. Decent prices (agree beer is a tad high priced. I'm sure it was 140 for a large singha)

I would go again. For sure

sent from my ..................#

[hhfarang]

Another one for you folks who live in the south end of town. Pen Din Tong which has been a Thai restaurant with a few western dishes was one of the first restaurants we went to years ago and it has always been good. It was sold about a month ago and now the sign outside just says "New" in English and has the name in Thai (though the front page of the menu still says Pen Din Tong).

Anyway, I went there yesterday for lunch and under the new ownership the menu is much expanded and we had some good food, especially for the price. In addition to what was served on the old menu they now offer a full range of Mexican dishes as well as a much larger range of European food including several Italian dishes. The Thai and most of the European food is very well priced with the Mexican a little bit higher. My friend and I had two nice meals there and my bill came to 310 baht which included a Mexican dish and two large Chang beers at only 65 baht each. My friend had a European dish with three large Tiger beers (70 baht each) and his bill was only 360 baht.

We both concluded that the food was very good at this price and we'll be back. Service was excellent as well. It's typical open air construction and located directly on Phetkasem road just north of Soi 106 very close to but just before the flyover so coming from town you need to make the U Turn underneath the flyover and then as you come off the flyover be in the left lane and look for the Thai sign the says "New" in English. Unfortunately parking is on the street and is limited so you may have to walk a block or two if you come in a car/truck. I didn't see the hours but we were there for lunch and they have a breakfast page on the menu so I assume they are open early till late.

Edited October 7, 2012 by hhfarang

[thaicbr]

Another one for you folks who live in the south end of town. Pen Din Tong which has been a Thai restaurant with a few western dishes was one of the first restaurants we went to years ago and it has always been good. It was sold about a month ago and now the sign outside just says "New" in English and has the name in Thai (though the front page of the menu still says Pen Din Tong).

Anyway, I went there yesterday for lunch and under the new ownership the menu is much expanded and we had some good food, especially for the price. In addition to what was served on the old menu they now offer a full range of Mexican dishes as well as a much larger range of European food including several Italian dishes. The Thai and most of the European food is very well priced with the Mexican a little bit higher. My friend and I had two nice meals there and my bill came to 310 baht which included a Mexican dish and two large Chang beers at only 65 baht each. My friend had a European dish with three large Tiger beers (70 baht each) and his bill was only 360 baht.

We both concluded that the food was very good at this price and we'll be back. Service was excellent as well. It's typical open air construction and located directly on Phetkasem road just north of Soi 106 very close to but just before the flyover so coming from town you need to make the U Turn underneath the flyover and then as you come off the flyover be in the left lane and look for the Thai sign the says "New" in English. Unfortunately parking is on the street and is limited so you may have to walk a block or two if you come in a car/truck. I didn't see the hours but we were there for lunch and they have a breakfast page on the menu so I assume they are open early till late.

Hh. Just finished lunch here .. another good one. Thanks for your report. Yum yum

sent from my ..................#

Edited October 7, 2012 by thaicbr

[YorkshireTyke]

Quote by HHF on the Dutchman Restaurant - 'If they leave the prices alone and keep up this quality of food and service it will be one of my regular places '

HHF - The daily specials have increased in price by 25%. I don't know about the rest of the menu.

[nickmanchester2]

Quote by HHF on the Dutchman Restaurant - 'If they leave the prices alone and keep up this quality of food and service it will be one of my regular places '

HHF - The daily specials have increased in price by 25%. I don't know about the rest of the menu.

yeah, its a shame they have gone up 25% - I dont think I will be going now as 25% is too big an increase - the whole menu is up by 25% they told me - so I left without eating and found a really nice german restaurant round the back of soi 80 instead - 99b for a very nice massive bowl of pea and ham soup and 2 slices of toast - along with a can of coke, it was about the same price as the old price of a special at The Dutchman.

[hhfarang]

So the regular prices are 175 to 185 baht (up from 140 to 150) and the specials are 150 now (up from 120)? That's a shame for it to rise so sharply, but I thought it was too good to be true. I feel that, especially if you get the daily special, it's still a good meal for the price although it used to be a really great value.

Thanks for the info. I didn't know as there are so many new places to try I have not been there in a couple of weeks.

[YorkshireTyke]

HHF - Don't know about the regular dishes but advertised in AWOL and on their website all daily specials are 150 Baht.

[hhfarang]

As I said, that's a shame for prices to rise so sharply, but I have to admit that I said many times that I didn't know how they could do such good meals at that price... I guess they couldn't. I still think the food and service is good even at the higher pricing and will probably still go there but maybe less often as there are so many choices in Hua Hin.

[UKJASE]

Me and the wife would like to recommend Zab-e-lee..... there are 3 of them we have seen..... one on the road from hua hin to cha am, about 1/3rd of the way on the left side....... one on the return from Cha am to hua hin, about 2 or 3 kms after the cha am traffic lights, again on the left as you are driving, and one after cha am direction bangkok, about 5 km or so after the Amused Shopping experience place

we have eaten at the first two and they are great..... the lemongrass and prawn salad is massive and so delicious and maybe even healthy and 80b..... alloy!

and the bbq chicken is great.... and the dam thai......

they are issan restaurants and are always packed and always quick service and always great value...... i think a bottle of Blend 285 is 220b, which is cheaper than 7/11 !!

the signs are only in thai tho, so takes a bit of hunting down, but worth it for sure

[ItDontMeanAThing]

Another one for you folks who live in the south end of town. Pen Din Tong.

...

It's typical open air construction and located directly on Phetkasem road just north of Soi 106 very close to but just before the flyover so coming from town you need to make the U Turn underneath the flyover and then as you come off the flyover be in the left lane and look for the Thai sign the says "New" in English.

Thanks for the report, it's as good as you said.

Hard sign to see even when creeping along on a motorbike. Restaurant is North of Soy 106, about 100 feet before Soi 104/2.

[hhfarang]

Another one for you folks who live in the south end of town. Pen Din Tong.

...

It's typical open air construction and located directly on Phetkasem road just north of Soi 106 very close to but just before the flyover so coming from town you need to make the U Turn underneath the flyover and then as you come off the flyover be in the left lane and look for the Thai sign the says "New" in English.

Thanks for the report, it's as good as you said.

Hard sign to see even when creeping along on a motorbike. Restaurant is North of Soy 106, about 100 feet before Soi 104/2.

I've already been there three times with friends and family and it is fast becoming one of my favorite places. I've sampled three of the Mexican dishes now and I must say that they are not bad. I particularly liked the chicken enchiladas and the chicken Burrito. As stated before, the Mexican food is a bit on the pricy side, but the dishes are large so if you're hungry they're worth it . I've also sampled three of the much cheaper Thai dishes and the well priced Cordon Bleu and they have all been delicious.

As for directions, coming off the flyover (or from under it) back towards town it is immediately past and directly beside the little wicker shop that sells baskets, small furniture and other woven goods that directly fronts the sidewalk. Since this shop is right on the sidewalk and the restaurant is set back a bit with a small garden, you don't see it until you are directly in front of it.

[hhfarang]

One more post about Pandintong (their spelling):

I was there again last night and had another great meal and service. I've tried three Mexican dishes now and two European ones. I can definitely recommend the chicken enchiladas, chicken burrito, cordon bleu and the weinerschnitzel. All of these dishes are large servings, so bring your appetite.

The reason for this additional post is that I was speaking to one of the new owners (since August) last night and it is a family run and staffed operation, hence the friendly and efficient service, and I noticed a delivery option on the menu so I asked about it. She said that yes, they deliver from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. free to anywhere nearby. I live between Sois 114 and 116 and they said no problem with delivery there. How far they deliver is dependent on how much you order. She said if the order was big (1k baht) they would even deliver as far as Kao Tao. They just have to have enough of an order to cover their gasoline cost.

They have most of their menu posted on Facebook here:

http://www.facebook.com/PandintongRestaurant/photos_stream

[hhfarang]

Bad news (for me at least). A friend called me from Pandintong last night where he was having dinner and told me that the owner of the land wants to build something else there so last night was the last meal for Pandintong. I guess they were on a month by month lease and apparently after three months they are being evicted. The chef told my friend that they would be moving and re-opening and were looking at a spot in the little alleyway off Phetkasem road where the Tanawit Hotel and the Room by Room office is.

I had already eaten there about 10 times in the last couple of months and really loved the food and the convenience of it (5 minutes from my house) so this news made me very sad. I asked my friend to get the chef's personal mobile number so we can keep in touch and I will report here if/when/where they reopen.

[thaicbr]

Bad news (for me at least). A friend called me from Pandintong last night where he was having dinner and told me that the owner of the land wants to build something else there so last night was the last meal for Pandintong. I guess they were on a month by month lease and apparently after three months they are being evicted. The chef told my friend that they would be moving and re-opening and were looking at a spot in the little alleyway off Phetkasem road where the Tanawit Hotel and the Room by Room office is.

I had already eaten there about 10 times in the last couple of months and really loved the food and the convenience of it (5 minutes from my house) so this news made me very sad. I asked my friend to get the chef's personal mobile number so we can keep in touch and I will report here if/when/where they reopen.

I dont live in Hua hin but have eaten there twice since your 1st report.. Please keep us informed where they go..Thanks

[nickmanchester2]

'Im Aroi'

Another nice one I have started going to - its close to 'Nop Seafood Nice' on the road going up to the Elephant Village - a little hard to find but worth it. If you are coming from from the main road in Hua Hin, take soi 58 and go over the train tracks and then straight over at the traffic lights. You will start to go up a hill and Im Aroi is on the left - has a Chang sign outside hanging on the wall.

Only been open a week or so, but I am starting to see many farang going there now so maybe best to order on the phone now for me as I only live a few minutes away - was busy last night.

I was charged 60b last night for chicken and cashew nuts, rice and a water!

Great thai food, 40b up and price of a small beer same same.

Edited December 13, 2012 by nickmanchester2

[hhfarang]

I'm very sad to report that Natta's on Soi 88, IMO one of the top ten all around restaurants in Hua Hin (for quality and value) in both the Thai and Western foods category has closed. We spoke with the owner and it seems it is (yet again) a case of a greedy landlord and they are looking for a new location.

Good luck to them and hopefully they will find a place to continue the great food and service they have been providing over past years. My wife will keep in touch with him and I will post here if/when they reopen.

[hhfarang]

For Natta's fans never fear. The same food and service quality is still available at their other (primary) location. A little more investigation revealed that Natta's was a satellite operation with the main restaurant downtown directly across from the Hilton Brewery.

It's called All Seasons Restaurant and it is owned by the same person and as far as I could tell tonight has exactly the same menu as the Soi 88 branch did. Even the staff we were familiar with at Natta's now work in this one which is much bigger than the Soi 88 branch. The only downside is that because of the downtown location the prices are around 5 to 10% more (depending on the dish), but the quality and service is the same as the Soi 88 location was..

[Mantana]

Full English Breakfast. Buffalo Bills (260B) Tavern v Oasis (199B). Both venues provide a full English Breakfast. Whilst Buffalo Bills near the waterfront and pier is a more pleasant location, Oasis near Khao Takiab offers a fantastic Big Breakfast which beats BB's hands down. At BB's I was bizarrely served mushroom stalks rather than mushrooms. One skinny sausage and a thin piece of bacon was served along with 2 eggs, grilled tomato, black pudding, baked beans and 2 rounds of toast. BBs breakfast also included fried potatoes whereas at Oasis you chose from fried potatoes or black pudding. The black pudding at BBs tasted oddly of cinnamon but at Oasis it was delicious, with no white pieces of fat evident. Oasis is at the roadside and we had no problem parking a few metres from the entrance. There is no scenic view at Oasis. Oasis big breakfast came with 2 very tasty sausages and 2 pieces of thick cut bacon. Much better than Buffalo Bills. Both venues had HP sauce and tomato ketchup available. Oasis breakfast came with a pot of tea, whilst BB's was a mug of hot water with the tea bag floating in it. Both had a small jug of milk to accompany the tea. Both venues are smoker friendly, so my 2 little girls and my wife sat inside at Oasis and had to close the window to stop wafts of smoke from outside spoiling our eating. Buffalo Bills was a bit more family friendly in that the kids could potter around whilst we waited for our food. I liked the provision of newspapers at BB's. Service at BBs was with a scowl whereas Oasis was friendly. Oasis is a bit shabby and basic and would benefit from a refit to spruce it up. The place mats at BB's had seen better days and were falling apart. So far as food quality and quantity goes Oasis is the clear Big Breakfast winner.

[Mantana]

I had read good reports about the restaurant at S'mors Spa Village being good for an Indian. My family and I visited recently and we were not disappointed. There was a good choice of Indian, European and Thai dishes. I had a fish masala Indian curry which was good value at 150B. It was not as rich as you would get in an Indian curry house in the UK, but quite satisfactory. A variety of roti and naan breads were available starting at 20B. My wife chose a Thai dish and was impressed with the size and quantity of the shrimps. The location is fantastic but parking space was limited. My 2 daughters loved playing on the beach whilst we awaited our food. We could keep an eye on the kids from our table which looked directly onto the beach and had superb views of Khao Takiab. Very family friendly. The al fresco dining experience was enhanced by the lovely lanterns hanging from the trees. We were lucky to have a full moon in view. The restaurant was not busy despite it being high season. Prices were reasonable. My large Leo was 120B, which I was glad to pay for the superb location. The large TV noted in other posts was turned off, which I was glad about.

[Mantana]

Following some good comments on this forum, my family and I tried the Dutchman on our recent visit to Hua Hin. It was great. The candles on the table were a nice touch.Its location near the train station made it easy to find. I was impressed with the complimentary slice of toasted French bread topped with mushrooms in a delicious sauce.This must be a new thing as no one else has commented about it. A comment was made about whether a restaurant should have a pool table. It was a welcome distraction for my 2 kids to watch mum and dad hit a few balls around the table. The service was decent and the food was fantastic. I had the 150B Friday special which was tenderloin with pepper sauce. The beef was cooked to perfection and they didn't skimp on the portion. The speciality mashed potato with shredded cabbage was a tasty variant on regular mash. Next time I'll order an extra scoop! I am looking forward to my next visit to Hua Hin to try out more of the forum's recommendations.

[hhfarang]

Another excellent new restaurant called Baan Steak is located in the row of shop houses on Soi 102. Just drive across the railroad tracks and its the third or forth shop house on the right just two or three businesses past the pharmacy. It is a Thai fusion sort of restaurant owned and operated by a very nice Thai couple. The man is the chef and I say chef instead of cook because he is a professional chef with 32 years experience in 5 star hotels around Thailand resort communities, most recently the Dusit here in Hua Hin.

I wish I had taken photos of the meals he served as they were works of art in themselves. The name is deceiving as they do have steak, but they also offer a variety of seafood options as well as chicken, pork and others. The food is excellent and well priced and service, quality, and cleanliness are well above the usual for a small shop house restaurant like this. The only negative of the whole experience is that if you sit outside, especially at the outermost tables you may get some noise and odors coming from the motorcycle repair shop next door as they seem to work until 8 or 9 p.m.

We had New Zealand Mussels baked with garlic and cheese, fillet steak with pepper sauce served with some vegetables and french fries, the best (pork) cordon bleu I've seen here also with veggies and fries and 5 beers for 925 baht. Large portions and excellent food for that price including the beers (which were approximately a third of the bill).

Open evenings for dinner only.

Edited January 26, 2013 by hhfarang

[YorkshireTyke]

HHF - we went a couple of nights ago and exactly as you described except he never worked in HH, he worked for the Dusit in Phuket I think.

And here's the pork chop my wife had and they must be the biggest plates I have ever eaten off which shows the size of the chop!

[hhfarang]

HHF - we went a couple of nights ago and exactly as you described except he never worked in HH, he worked for the Dusit in Phuket I think.

And here's the pork chop my wife had and they must be the biggest plates I have ever eaten off which shows the size of the chop!

Yes, when he said Dusit, I may have assumed Hua Hin...

Two more suggestions, one new and one old but that I had forgotten about:

First on what foreigners call the Soi 88 extension is a new German (and Thai food) restaurant called Saiboo (saiboo-thailand.com) run by a young German guy from Hamburg, but who has had restaurants in other parts of Thailand for some years. It is a relatively small menu, which he said he may expand later but he wanted to start here slowly, that contains a dozen or so German and about the same number of Thai dishes. My dining companion and I both had the schnitzel, him pork and me chicken breast. Both were excellent and large servings, his with french fries and mine with fried potatoes and Brussels sprouts. I would go again just for the Brussels sprouts as they are the best I've ever eaten. Even if you think you don't like them you may very well like these. I also ordered three Thai dishes (one seafood, one chicken, and one vegetable) for take-away for my wife and Mother-in-law at home. So, two very large plates of German food (average 160 baht each) and eight (small) Thai beers (50 baht each) and three take-away Thai dishes came to about 1000 baht total. It was more than enough food for four people.

Saiboo is open daily (except closed Saturdays) from noon until 8 p.m. or as long as there are customers. It is located on the part of soi 88 that goes straight after the railroad tracks and then makes a left turn to connect to soi 94. It's on the east side in the portion of the soi that runs to soi 94 so if coming from the south, take 94 to the first end before the offset and turn right. The restaurant is about 300 meters on the right. If coming from the north take soi 88 across the railroad tracks and go straight (not right) after the tracks. After about a kilometer the soi turns left and Saiboo is on the left just past the small "G" supermarket on other side.

Now for the old one... When we first moved here nearly nine years ago we used to go to the Sailom Hotel restaurant, especially for seafood and I had forgotten how good it is. My Mother-in-law is from Issan and she loves seafood so today before she goes back home next week, we remembered how good Sailom used to be and decided to go there. It is on Phetkasem Road just south of the Intercontinental Hotel. The restaurant is on the beach with covered seating for daytime meals set back a bit and beach front uncovered seating for dinner or sun worshipers. The seafood (180 baht per dish) was even better than we remembered and it turned out to be one of the best Thai meals we've had in the four months my Mother-in-law has been staying with us. We had steamed crab legs (very fresh, opened with the meat sticking out the end ready to eat), spicy salmon (spelled "simon" on the menu, LOL) which was a dish of sliced salmon combined with mint leaves, chili, those small red onions, and thinly sliced lemon grass (absolutely delicious), the best scallops in garlic sauce I've ever had, and laab gai (chicken, 150 baht) which I remembered as being particularly good there (and it still is).

Four dishes, including three usually expensive seafood dishes (crab, salmon, and scallops), rice for three, a large glass of orange juice, a bottle of water, and a large Thai beer came to just over 1100 baht. There was an included 10% gratuity and 7% vat (after all it is a resort hotel) which I normally don't like, but the food, beach front setting, and service was so good that I really didn't mind this time. In the time my Mother-in-law has been visiting, we've taken her to many seafood places up and down the beach from Cha-Am all the way to Pranburi and this was her favorite.

[hhfarang]

Another strong recommendation from me and my family is Zab Wer (or Zeb Wer) located on Soi 112 about 3 kilometers from Phetkasem road on the left side (if you come to the first floating market you've gone too far). It is a large open air Thai style restaurant with ample parking and additional sala seating outside the main dining room.

The Thai part of the menu is extensive with lots of Issan (and even Lao) style food and there is enough western food, including breakfasts, burgers, salads, ribs, and fish 'n chips to keep anyone who doesn't want Thai food happy.

My wife is from Issan and this may become her favorite Issan food outlet in town as the food was delicious and the prices very reasonable. We had five Thai meals, (three there, two take-away) one western meal, two orders of rice, water and a large Thai beer all for under 900 baht.... it was enough food for six people or to feed the three of us both lunch today and dinner tonight. Average price for a Thai meal was around 80-90 baht, western meals from 120 to about 190 baht.

Good service in a big, clean open air place and highly recommended from what we tasted today. The only downside was the loud dirt trucks passing about every 4 or 5 minutes hauling loads for the road work going on out there. Not really a big problem but you do have to stop your conversation when one goes by as they seem to have no mufflers at all. They open mid morning (around nine I think) for breakfast and then serve both lunch and dinner (not sure how late though) as well.

[dominique355]

I may have missed it but I could not find any reference to my favorite restaurant in Hua Hin (and I may add that my two sons agree with me). It's "La Grappa" . It's on Poolsuk Road, just around the corner of Soi Bintabat (where the bars and girls are).

As the name suggests, it's Italian and real Italian, not compromised to Thai taste. The owner and chef Andrea (yes, he is Italian and he is a guy) is not only a great chef but also a nice person, a devoted family man and his staff (the same for many years, which is always a good sign) is attentive and efficient.

But if you ask me, DON'T go there, so I always have a table for me (and my family). The boys like the pizza (obviously), but I like the specials. Last time I had a beef cheek slow cooked in red wine (brasato style), it melted in my mouth.

It's not for the cheap charlies, but if you like a top end dinner once in a while, do go there.

[hhfarang]

We live south of town so most of my reviews are for places south of the main traffic light, but today we had to make a trip to Makro so we had lunch at a restaurant that was recommended by expat friends of mine some time ago.

It's called "Boat", and it's located on Soi 56 in Borfai. It opens mid morning and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and has an extensive Thai menu and western breakfasts (served all day) and another page of western main dishes.

In the "value for money" category it ranks in the top few around the city from our experience today. We had three main dishes (two Thai and one western) plus non-alcoholic drinks for 280 baht. Both the food and service were excellent and I highly recommend this place for people wanting to have a good meal at a very reasonable price.

It's located on Soi 56 west of the canal road about 100 meters on the right, just before the "dinosaur" market. Enjoy!

[nutthasetth samerwong]

may I recommend very nice seafood restaurant near by Khao Takieb the name of the restaurant is PA SAO seafood this is famous in this area and they have 2 restaurant bussiness first restaurant is on the way to Khao Takieb and second restaurant is near by but in front of wat khao Luntom(temple) both have fresh seafood that u can choose and some is still alive everything is fresh if u go there just ask for Pa sao or Mr. Nut and tell them that u know them from this website u will get discount on the food or u can call them at 0882300198 for direction or they can arrange the tranport to pick u up from the place u stay.I hope u enjoy and happy with fresh seafood there.