Great Restaurant Experience - Cafe Des Amis

[craigt3365]

A friend took us here last night. It's kinda hidden down some smaller sois off Thappraya, near Mike's mexican restaurant. It's a bit more expensive than places I normally frequent, but I'm a bit of a cheap charlie anyway! Or as Hawaii Bob says, frugal freddy.

We had smoked salmon, scallops and seared tuna for appetizers. Then beef stroganoff, lamb, salmon and pasta for entrees. Everything was absolutely fantastic. Wine was reasonably priced...unfortunately...as we had way too many bottles. Service was excellent.

Has anybody else eaten here? Curious as to your experiences also. If you want a nice place to eat in a really nice setting, this is a great choice. And no...I have NO connection with this place at all. Just wanted to share a great place with others.

http://cafedesamispattaya.com/home.html

P.S. Best to make reservations....

[PattayaParent]

^food always tastes better when someone else is paying for it

[craigt3365]

^food always tastes better when someone else is paying for it

Always! But we split the bill this time. I had to knock off the spider webs from my wallet when I opened it, but I paid my fair share.

[FarangBuddha]

Due to forum rules, one often cannot speak one's mind, so I will just say "I dissent" from the opinions of the op re this restaurant.

[craigt3365]

Due to forum rules, one often cannot speak one's mind, so I will just say "I dissent" from the opinions of the op re this restaurant.

That's not true. Look at the comments in these Pattaya forum threads:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/209616-best-pizza-in-pattaya/

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/535906-pao-remarkable-new-chinese-specialty-restaurant-on-pattaya-klang/

If you don't like the place, you're free to say so! We just have to be careful with libel and defamation laws here. They are VERY strict and hard to deal with.

I just saw this place is listed as #6 for restaurants here in Pattaya on Tripadvisor.com.

[topt]

Due to forum rules, one often cannot speak one's mind, so I will just say "I dissent" from the opinions of the op re this restaurant.

Don't be coy

I was considering going there so would be interested in your view - was it the food quality, service, value/price, ambience, cleanliness......

A mod has given you the nod.....

[craigt3365]

Due to forum rules, one often cannot speak one's mind, so I will just say "I dissent" from the opinions of the op re this restaurant.

Don't be coy

I was considering going there so would be interested in your view - was it the food quality, service, value/price, ambience, cleanliness......

A mod has given you the nod.....

I'd like to know also!

[xminator]

Discovered this place this winter. Its a great place. Expensive, but great. Food is good, service is good, the ambience is good. Or maybe I should say "great" instead of "good". Its not a place where you go to save money, its a place where you got to have a good dining experience. I would guess the cost is about 1000-2000 baht pr person depending on how many courses you order and if you drink alcohol or not. Everything is in the menu, so there should be no surprises.

Personally I would rate it about the same as mata hari, a bit behind manhatten (better bread and just slightly more professional staff), but way ahead of Brunos (the table layout there is terrible now, spent an evening feelin claustophobic with the chair 5 cm from a stair and my shoulder pressed up against a pillar)

One side note, I would wish that some people showed a bit more empathy when at restaurants. I'm sure your loud stories is great for you and your friends, but think about the 10 other tables trying to have their own conversations and enjoy food. Its a bit like talking in a phone at the cinema.

[DMC1]

Discovered this place this winter. Its a great place. Expensive, but great. Food is good, service is good, the ambience is good. Or maybe I should say "great" instead of "good". Its not a place where you go to save money, its a place where you got to have a good dining experience. I would guess the cost is about 1000-2000 baht pr person depending on how many courses you order and if you drink alcohol or not. Everything is in the menu, so there should be no surprises.

Personally I would rate it about the same as mata hari, a bit behind manhatten (better bread and just slightly more professional staff), but way ahead of Brunos (the table layout there is terrible now, spent an evening feelin claustophobic with the chair 5 cm from a stair and my shoulder pressed up against a pillar)

One side note, I would wish that some people showed a bit more empathy when at restaurants. I'm sure your loud stories is great for you and your friends, but think about the 10 other tables trying to have their own conversations and enjoy food. Its a bit like talking in a phone at the cinema.

I've tried Mata Hari and thought it was very good. Is this place in the same price range?

[craigt3365]

Discovered this place this winter. Its a great place. Expensive, but great. Food is good, service is good, the ambience is good. Or maybe I should say "great" instead of "good". Its not a place where you go to save money, its a place where you got to have a good dining experience. I would guess the cost is about 1000-2000 baht pr person depending on how many courses you order and if you drink alcohol or not. Everything is in the menu, so there should be no surprises.

Personally I would rate it about the same as mata hari, a bit behind manhatten (better bread and just slightly more professional staff), but way ahead of Brunos (the table layout there is terrible now, spent an evening feelin claustophobic with the chair 5 cm from a stair and my shoulder pressed up against a pillar)

One side note, I would wish that some people showed a bit more empathy when at restaurants. I'm sure your loud stories is great for you and your friends, but think about the 10 other tables trying to have their own conversations and enjoy food. Its a bit like talking in a phone at the cinema.

I've tried Mata Hari and thought it was very good. Is this place in the same price range?

I think this place is a bit less. They do have some prices listed on their webpage.

[RabC]

Discovered this place this winter. Its a great place. Expensive, but great. Food is good, service is good, the ambience is good. Or maybe I should say "great" instead of "good". Its not a place where you go to save money, its a place where you got to have a good dining experience. I would guess the cost is about 1000-2000 baht pr person depending on how many courses you order and if you drink alcohol or not. Everything is in the menu, so there should be no surprises.

Personally I would rate it about the same as mata hari, a bit behind manhatten (better bread and just slightly more professional staff), but way ahead of Brunos (the table layout there is terrible now, spent an evening feelin claustophobic with the chair 5 cm from a stair and my shoulder pressed up against a pillar)

One side note, I would wish that some people showed a bit more empathy when at restaurants. I'm sure your loud stories is great for you and your friends, but think about the 10 other tables trying to have their own conversations and enjoy food. Its a bit like talking in a phone at the cinema.

I've tried Mata Hari and thought it was very good. Is this place in the same price range?

Slightly cheaper and no in your face fawning host.

[avidflyer]

It is my favorite Pattaya area restaurant, although they can become a bit stretched when there is a large crowd

[jombom]

^food always tastes better when someone else is paying for it

Always! But we split the bill this time. I had to knock off the spider webs from my wallet when I opened it, but I paid my fair share.

If you paid your fair share, you must know the price per head. You can tell us --- you know we will be diplomatic.

[xminator]

Dined there two times in march, first time was 2200 baht (200 baht for taxi included) for two, second time 3000 baht fow two. No alcohol. Second time I ate starter soup, 5-hour-lamb and some dessert, cant remember what wife ate, but it was starter, main course and dessert too.

This is about the same as we paid on Mata Hari, Manhatten and Brunos. Food budget will be significantly higher next vacation...

[craigt3365]

^food always tastes better when someone else is paying for it

Always! But we split the bill this time. I had to knock off the spider webs from my wallet when I opened it, but I paid my fair share.

If you paid your fair share, you must know the price per head. You can tell us --- you know we will be diplomatic.

I was hesitant to post as 1/2 our bill was booze! A bit less than 2k PP. As I said, we had a full course meal. A bit expensive for this frugal freddy, but it was a treat for sure. And worth every Baht IMHO. Though yesterday was a bit of a daze....

[media]

Cafe des Amis is up in the top 10 high class restaurants in the City, I know the owner, understand that they are trying to achieve something high class and special so they need proper chefs and classy english speaking staff, not your average walking street man power offerings, or the wife and sister from Bury Ram come down to cook the food.. They may have 10-14 staff members all on fair salaries including the head chefs earning 20 - 30,000 baht per month each, The decor, the kitchen, the crockery, furniture in these type of restaurants are expensive all of the meats & menu ingredients are Imported so its basic logic that its not "CHEAP" or comparable prices as say a restaurant/bar in soi boakaow, We go there often and recommend it to anyone wanting a candle lit dinner, birthday meal or just an imported steak.

[hotandhumid]

Discovered this place this winter. Its a great place. Expensive, but great. Food is good, service is good, the ambience is good. Or maybe I should say "great" instead of "good". Its not a place where you go to save money, its a place where you got to have a good dining experience. I would guess the cost is about 1000-2000 baht pr person depending on how many courses you order and if you drink alcohol or not. Everything is in the menu, so there should be no surprises.

Personally I would rate it about the same as mata hari, a bit behind manhatten (better bread and just slightly more professional staff), but way ahead of Brunos (the table layout there is terrible now, spent an evening feelin claustophobic with the chair 5 cm from a stair and my shoulder pressed up against a pillar)

One side note, I would wish that some people showed a bit more empathy when at restaurants. I'm sure your loud stories is great for you and your friends, but think about the 10 other tables trying to have their own conversations and enjoy food. Its a bit like talking in a phone at the cinema.

Winter? I must have missed that.

[lemel]

I Try to visit every month, alternating between Mata Hari and other places. Great food, staff, restaurant and nice owner and wife. Can not fault it, its not cheap and for what you get I dont expect it to be, its quality, so you pay for it. I like to eat in places like this every week with my family and this one is up there. Give it a try and if you have had a bad experience in the past try it one more time, I doubt you will be disapointed.

[daboss]

I have seen the sign for Cafe des Amis for several years and I have heard many good reviews. I guess I started eating there a few months ago and I have to tell you that i really enjoy the staff, the ambiance and coziness of the restaurant and especially the great food. Sure I have seen a couple of reviews that say they think it is too expensive but to have a great classy meal starter, meal, desert and regular drink (soft) for about 1,200 baht on linen cloth and classy eatery is expensive? Well it is no McDonald's or KFC. If you can only afford 300 baht for a set menu, then it is expensive but for someone who is looking for a very nice meal and evening I certainly do not think that $40 US is over the top! So yes, Frugal Freddies and Cheap Charlie's would find many things to disappoint them but I along with many others think it is very reasonable.

[hotandhumid]

It's always about the money on this forum isn't it.

I would imagine what it would cost for a meal in this place is the equivalent of a months food budget for many on here. They would have a stroke if they paid 2- 3k for a meal.

[toenail]

Yes, a great restaurant with (shock, shock, shock) great waiters and waitresses. A special place for ones birthday or anniversary.

[PattayaParent]

As this thread got revived I'll put in my $2 worth.

Since Craig3365 recommended the place I went there with my wife and daughter for our wedding anniversary.

On a Saturday night at 7pm. we were the only people in the place. They sat us down in some comfy couches and we ordered drinks which I thought was a nice touch. After about 5 minutes and nothing happening I asked for a menu so we could order and they could well, cook while we were drinking? That seemed to surprise them and the hurriedly produced a menu which we ordered from.

As were were relaxingy they asked that my daughter not lounge on the couch (she didn't have shoes on so no issues with that).

So they finally tell us "your table is ready" well of course it was as we were the only customers in there for 20 minutes, they didn't have to ready any table!! So they gave us a complimentary snack (I'd say oeure d'ourve but I don't know how to spell it) and then we waited for another 20 minutes before the main course was delivered.

Can't remember what the missus ordered but she wasn't impressed, I ordered the lamb and it was too salty.

Some time later met up with a mate and mentioned CDA and his first reaction was, "never been there I've read on t'internet they're not kid friendly."

Plus side was that it was a very nice ambience and decor but with sloooow service even if you're the only customers there!

Edit: P.S. Craig, you owe me a nice anniversary dinner seeing as this was a fail

Edited July 15, 2012 by PattayaParent

[Jimmyd]

...They may have 10-14 staff members all on fair salaries including the head chefs earning 20 - 30,000 baht per month each, ...

So the head chef(s) can't afford to eat at their own restaurants. Life is strange.

[br12stol]

Tried it once with Friends, as another poster said found food to salty and way overpriced, nice setting and ambiance. I eat similar food at Le stroganoff on Pratamak at a much more appetizing 330 baht for 4 course set meal

[JusticeFT96]

As this thread got revived I'll put in my $2 worth.

Since Craig3365 recommended the place I went there with my wife and daughter for our wedding anniversary.

On a Saturday night at 7pm. we were the only people in the place. They sat us down in some comfy couches and we ordered drinks which I thought was a nice touch. After about 5 minutes and nothing happening I asked for a menu so we could order and they could well, cook while we were drinking? That seemed to surprise them and the hurriedly produced a menu which we ordered from.

As were were relaxingy they asked that my daughter not lounge on the couch (she didn't have shoes on so no issues with that).

So they finally tell us "your table is ready" well of course it was as we were the only customers in there for 20 minutes, they didn't have to ready any table!! So they gave us a complimentary snack (I'd say oeure d'ourve but I don't know how to spell it) and then we waited for another 20 minutes before the main course was delivered.

Can't remember what the missus ordered but she wasn't impressed, I ordered the lamb and it was too salty.

Some time later met up with a mate and mentioned CDA and his first reaction was, "never been there I've read on t'internet they're not kid friendly."

Plus side was that it was a very nice ambience and decor but with sloooow service even if you're the only customers there!

Edit: P.S. Craig, you owe me a nice anniversary dinner seeing as this was a fail

I am very glad they told your kid to remove her feet from the couches, something you should have done yourself. You know your in a fine dining establishment so why on earth would you let your kid put her feet on the couches? Its not McDonalds!

[JusticeFT96]

Tried it once with Friends, as another poster said found food to salty and way overpriced, nice setting and ambiance. I eat similar food at Le stroganoff on Pratamak at a much more appetizing 330 baht for 4 course set meal

I am sorry but 330 baht for 4 course set meal is not similar food at all. The US Scallops alone cost nearly the same price as that. Would love to see the quality in ingredients compared!

[doggie888888]

If you guys are into French food, there is a new kid on the block. La Ferme, next to the very successful La Baguette and part of the Woodlands Resort on Naklua Rd.

I have not been there but have gone past it and looked in. The ambience and decor is lovely. Will definitely try once they are past their "debugging" opening phase.

[craigt3365]

Sorry you didn't like it PP! I have to agree, it is a fine dining place. Bare feet on a couch is a no no. Sorry.

I rely a bit on Tripadvisor.com. CDA is ranked in the top 10 restaurants in Pattaya. We had dinner at another one which gets recommended here in this thread. All 8 of us were disappointed with the food. Especially given the price. I guess it's hit and miss, eh?

I'd go back to CDA for sure. Even though it's a bit out of my normal budget. A splurge for sure, but IMHO, worth doing so every once in a while!!

But, to help make up for this, I'd for sure be willing to buy you a beer next time you're in town? Or next time I'm down in your area.

[br12stol]

Tried it once with Friends, as another poster said found food to salty and way overpriced, nice setting and ambiance. I eat similar food at Le stroganoff on Pratamak at a much more appetizing 330 baht for 4 course set meal

I am sorry but 330 baht for 4 course set meal is not similar food at all. The US Scallops alone cost nearly the same price as that. Would love to see the quality in ingredients compared!

Cheaper ingredients cooked well Versus expensive ruined by way too much salt. not such a wide gap imho, see so many Expensive restaurants in UK serving belly of pork , Ox tail. etc at inflated prices. Very cheap cuts

[PattayaParent]

Sorry you didn't like it PP! I have to agree, it is a fine dining place. Bare feet on a couch is a no no. Sorry.

I rely a bit on Tripadvisor.com. CDA is ranked in the top 10 restaurants in Pattaya. We had dinner at another one which gets recommended here in this thread. All 8 of us were disappointed with the food. Especially given the price. I guess it's hit and miss, eh?

I'd go back to CDA for sure. Even though it's a bit out of my normal budget. A splurge for sure, but IMHO, worth doing so every once in a while!!

But, to help make up for this, I'd for sure be willing to buy you a beer next time you're in town? Or next time I'm down in your area.

You're on!