Finest Restaurants In Pattaya And Jomtien

[thaimat]

I am a bit surprised that this list isn't here already, (though maybe it is, and I haven't found it). The criteria are:

1. highest quality foods using fresh ingredients, and rare, interesting or unusual recipes

2. top quality service

3. ambience

For me, in Pattaya none can compare with Cuccina Toscana. Their fresh fowl, chicken, duck, goose, partridge, quail, pheasant, guinea fowl, pidgeon, and rabbit all that they grow here themselves organically, is beyond compare. For anyone that have never tried these foods prepared by a Master Italian chef, do your palate a favor, and be ready for a truly excuisite meal. Their homemade pastas and dried meats, wood fired pizzas, massive and comprehensive Italian and Sicilian wine list (is from the best Italian Wine cellear in Thailand, to my knowledge), are all the finest I've had in all of Asia. A big, beautiful place as well, right on beach road, with parking, this place gets a 10 out of 10 in my book. I've eaten at Cuccina Toscana more than any other restaurant here, I enjoy it so much, and I'll keep going back, because I haven't found any other Italian restaurant that comes close.

For me, in Jomtien, Indian By Nature is a cut above the rest. An intimate yet luxurious dining room, foods prepared fresh daily by proportionally large kitchen staff (larger staff needed when foods prepared fresh daily), spotless kitchen ( a real plus with Indian food), quiet but extremely efficient service, and the food, oh man the food is incredible. We had a Tandoori cooked fresh 1 kg fish last week that had two grown men moaning in pure delight, and that was just our appetizer. I know little of the details Indian cooking, but I know the taste of fine fresh food, and Indian By Nature is a joy to dine at.

So, let's hear it, what are your favorites and why. As that old kitchen queen used to say, Bon Apetit'

[yoslim]

I like the food cart market on 3rd road near soi 17, lots of fine dining for the right price

[thaimat]

I like the food cart market on 3rd road near soi 17, lots of fine dining for the right price

Yeah, right, a chuckwagon alonside a busy, soot filled soi is fine dining.

[bobobo]

Friday or Saturday evening I go to the market in Jomtien and eat fish usually "pakapung"?. Delicious..!!160 baht a bargain..

[Rimmer]

I don't think these are the sort of restaurants the OP had in mind.

[seasia]

Thanks for that.

Have you tried any of Casa Nostra, soi 7 Pattaya, La Grotta, soi 33 naklua or Valentinos soi4 pattaya klang for Italian food ?

if so, how did Trattoria Toscana compare?

[Swiss1960]

I have been in Toscana many times, as it is the favorite place of one of my friends... but honestly, I am not always happy with them... specially if the Italian Chef does not control what his Thai helpers do and I get the spaghetti well overdone by at least 5 minutes...

Never been disappointed in both Bruno's and Gian's (just opposite)... and BOTH have at least the same wonderful wine cellar that Toscana has... and you don't get the red-wine at 10 degrees from the fridge, but at the right 16-18 degrees from the wine cellar!

So Toscana 6, Gian 8, Bruno 10 from me

[toenail]

Mantra, north Beach Road has a great menu and a different chefs.

[MrZM]

Hilton, Ruen Thai, Royal Cliff, Zen, MK etc

[Jayman]

Hilton, Ruen Thai, Royal Cliff, Zen, MK etc

MK? lol... seems a bit out of place with the rest you listed. That said, the wife and I used to love MK but have found that the newer all you can eat soup places like shabu sushi (sp?) are much better. Central festival has a few of them.

Cuccina Toscana is very good indeed. Of course we are talking fine dining so can expect to pay more for it. I haven't been to Bruno's for a few years now. I used to frequent Indian by Nature and thing there food is very tasty but unless things have drastically changed "clean" is not a word I would use to describe it. I have seen rodents running around the dining area. Even though the kitchen is somewhat view-able from the dining area I never much checked it out. The dining room does have nice ambiance (other than the rodents) I can get better Indian food for much cheaper and for me, the nice ambiance is not a big selling point to justify the higher price. There is a nice spot in Festival that is all you can eat for like 400thb or so a head and the wife and I love it. You can either go with the open fire at the table to cook or the hot pot. The meats are all of great quality. Come to think of it, maybe that is Zen? I wanna think it's on the 5th floor just outside the Central Department store.

[Jingthing]

Ruen Thai?

Are you having a laugh?

Toned down Thai food for tourist tastes. I can't imagine they have many regulars who are expats.

[manarak]

Funny how TASTE is missing from OP's list of criteria.

I have heard about a number of overpriced upmarket places, like the restaurants at Royal Cliff, Dusit, Rimpa Lapin, Bruno's, Mata Hari, Indian by Nature, Alois', Cherry's, Mantra, Nathan, Cafe des Amis, Manhattan, Casa Pascal, etc.

Personally, I visit them only very rarely, because the food I can get for cheap is absolutely delicious.

I will make some rare exceptions for refined Italian, French and Indian food though, and I'm also willing to pay more for a good steak from time to time.

Edited September 5, 2012 by manarak

[toenail]

For a salad bar, Sizzlers still ranks as tops (if there is a better one in town let me know). There is a variety of salads (need to change them once in a while) plus the variety of vegetable to make ones own toss salad, along with an assortment of fruit. True, the ambience is basic, the food items (chicken taste like synthetic cardboard, grilled fish-ok) on the menu are nothing to rave about gastronomically, but the service is good also. I am only talking about the best salad bar in town, not their cooked food.

[chiangmaikelly]

For a salad bar, Sizzlers still ranks as tops (if there is a better one in town let me know). There is a variety of salads (need to change them once in a while) plus the variety of vegetable to make ones own toss salad, along with an assortment of fruit. True, the ambience is basic, the food items (chicken taste like synthetic cardboard, grilled fish-ok) on the menu are nothing to rave about gastronomically, but the service is good also. I am only talking about the best salad bar in town, not their cooked food.

Either the Hilton noon buffet or Cherry's but you have to check the days. Cherry's I eat enough smoked salmon to pay for two dinners.

[thaimat]

Ok, the criteria is:

1. highest quality foods using fresh ingredients, and rare, interesting or unusual recipes

2. top quality service

3. ambience

We don't need to see McDonalds, chuckwagons, 7-11's, chain restaurants, or the neighborhood soup spot, because they clearly do Not fit the criteria, and only cheap charlies, people with no real haute cuisine experience, or idiots, considers them fine dining. This is also not the place to bad mouth a business, which is also highly illegal in Thailand, and posting a bad review here is a cheap shot to people's livelihood. Show a bit of class! Here's a thought - if you have nothing positive to say, try saying nothing! As to the cleanliness of places, if you haven't walked into the kitchens, which I always do, you have no right to comment on that.

I, too like Gian's and Brunos very much, but have never felt they were in the same class as Cuccina Toscana, because of all the homemade/homegrown items on Cuccina's menu, such as a very large list of fresh home grown fowl and rabbit, as well as home made pastas and dried meats. Being a cigar smoker, I also enjoy Cuccina's outside garden seating for dining, which also affords a nice view of lovely Thai ladies walking by. Cuccina Toscana also has an almost 10,000 bottle wine cellar of Italian wines, (Italian and Sicilian), and according to two professional wine sources, has, by far, the biggest cellar of Italian wines in Thailand. I'd be happy to hear actual numbers to prove that isn't true, as I love Italian wines (and food), and want to eat and drink at the place with the largest selection of fresh Italian foods and wines.

As to Indian By Nature, they do indeed have all new staff and a top professional Swiss manager now. I was shown the kitchen, without forewarning them, and it was as clean a kitchen as I have seen my whole life, including those of ex-gf's who were obsessive/compulsive about cleanliness.

If you don't care about one of the three criteria listed above, then you should not be posting your favorites here, my use of the term criteria was not a typo. If you do care about the three criteria, tell us why a place is your favorite, don't just shotgun us with a list of restaurant names.

Remember, to say something positive about a place does not require your negative thoughts of another place.

[Mobi]

]....only cheap charlies, people with no real haute cuisine experience, or idiots, considers them fine dining...Show a bit of class!.... you have no right to comment on that.....[/b]

Do I detect more than a little touch of hubris from the OP?

A little humility and and a greater tolerance of other residents in 'Sin City' who may have different eating priorities may not go amiss, and would make the thread this much more enjoyable and interesting.

Arrogance only diminishes wisdom...

[londoedan]

]....only cheap charlies, people with no real haute cuisine experience, or idiots, considers them fine dining...Show a bit of class!.... you have no right to comment on that.....[/b]

Do I detect more than a little touch of hubris from the OP?

A little humility and and a greater tolerance of other residents in 'Sin City' who may have different eating priorities may not go amiss, and would make the thread this much more enjoyable and interesting.

Arrogance only diminishes wisdom...

He he he - he smokes cigar's you know !

[Upnotover]

]....only cheap charlies, people with no real haute cuisine experience, or idiots, considers them fine dining...Show a bit of class!.... you have no right to comment on that.....[/b]

Do I detect more than a little touch of hubris from the OP?

A little humility and and a greater tolerance of other residents in 'Sin City' who may have different eating priorities may not go amiss, and would make the thread this much more enjoyable and interesting.

Arrogance only diminishes wisdom...

He he he - he smokes cigar's you know !

555, whilst gawping at the "lovely Thai ladies". Have to agree about the food there though.

[DMC1]

I enjoy Mata Hari for a treat. Hilton Buffet is top value.

I want to plug Valentinos again - seriously nobody out there tried this place?? Near Foodland. He's been there years and it's pretty good IMO.

[gamini]

Ok, the criteria is:

1. highest quality foods using fresh ingredients, and rare, interesting or unusual recipes

2. top quality service

3. ambience

We don't need to see McDonalds, chuckwagons, 7-11's, chain restaurants, or the neighborhood soup spot, because they clearly do Not fit the criteria, and only cheap charlies, people with no real haute cuisine experience, or idiots, considers them fine dining. This is also not the place to bad mouth a business, which is also highly illegal in Thailand, and posting a bad review here is a cheap shot to people's livelihood. Show a bit of class! Here's a thought - if you have nothing positive to say, try saying nothing! As to the cleanliness of places, if you haven't walked into the kitchens, which I always do, you have no right to comment on that.

I, too like Gian's and Brunos very much, but have never felt they were in the same class as Cuccina Toscana, because of all the homemade/homegrown items on Cuccina's menu, such as a very large list of fresh home grown fowl and rabbit, as well as home made pastas and dried meats. Being a cigar smoker, I also enjoy Cuccina's outside garden seating for dining, which also affords a nice view of lovely Thai ladies walking by. Cuccina Toscana also has an almost 10,000 bottle wine cellar of Italian wines, (Italian and Sicilian), and according to two professional wine sources, has, by far, the biggest cellar of Italian wines in Thailand. I'd be happy to hear actual numbers to prove that isn't true, as I love Italian wines (and food), and want to eat and drink at the place with the largest selection of fresh Italian foods and wines.

As to Indian By Nature, they do indeed have all new staff and a top professional Swiss manager now. I was shown the kitchen, without forewarning them, and it was as clean a kitchen as I have seen my whole life, including those of ex-gf's who were obsessive/compulsive about cleanliness.

If you don't care about one of the three criteria listed above, then you should not be posting your favorites here, my use of the term criteria was not a typo. If you do care about the three criteria, tell us why a place is your favorite, don't just shotgun us with a list of restaurant names.

Remember, to say something positive about a place does not require your negative thoughts of another place.

Thanks for a really useful piece of information (unlike a lot of stupid posts on this subject) I'm going to Pattaya next week for a short break and I shall definitely try Cuccinas but where exactly is it on Beach Road?

[Upnotover]

Ok, the criteria is:

1. highest quality foods using fresh ingredients, and rare, interesting or unusual recipes

2. top quality service

3. ambience

We don't need to see McDonalds, chuckwagons, 7-11's, chain restaurants, or the neighborhood soup spot, because they clearly do Not fit the criteria, and only cheap charlies, people with no real haute cuisine experience, or idiots, considers them fine dining. This is also not the place to bad mouth a business, which is also highly illegal in Thailand, and posting a bad review here is a cheap shot to people's livelihood. Show a bit of class! Here's a thought - if you have nothing positive to say, try saying nothing! As to the cleanliness of places, if you haven't walked into the kitchens, which I always do, you have no right to comment on that.

I, too like Gian's and Brunos very much, but have never felt they were in the same class as Cuccina Toscana, because of all the homemade/homegrown items on Cuccina's menu, such as a very large list of fresh home grown fowl and rabbit, as well as home made pastas and dried meats. Being a cigar smoker, I also enjoy Cuccina's outside garden seating for dining, which also affords a nice view of lovely Thai ladies walking by. Cuccina Toscana also has an almost 10,000 bottle wine cellar of Italian wines, (Italian and Sicilian), and according to two professional wine sources, has, by far, the biggest cellar of Italian wines in Thailand. I'd be happy to hear actual numbers to prove that isn't true, as I love Italian wines (and food), and want to eat and drink at the place with the largest selection of fresh Italian foods and wines.

As to Indian By Nature, they do indeed have all new staff and a top professional Swiss manager now. I was shown the kitchen, without forewarning them, and it was as clean a kitchen as I have seen my whole life, including those of ex-gf's who were obsessive/compulsive about cleanliness.

If you don't care about one of the three criteria listed above, then you should not be posting your favorites here, my use of the term criteria was not a typo. If you do care about the three criteria, tell us why a place is your favorite, don't just shotgun us with a list of restaurant names.

Remember, to say something positive about a place does not require your negative thoughts of another place.

Thanks for a really useful piece of information (unlike a lot of stupid posts on this subject) I'm going to Pattaya next week for a short break and I shall definitely try Cuccinas but where exactly is it on Beach Road?

50m south of Soi 6/1

[Swiss1960]

]....only cheap charlies, people with no real haute cuisine experience, or idiots, considers them fine dining...Show a bit of class!.... you have no right to comment on that.....[/b]

Do I detect more than a little touch of hubris from the OP?

A little humility and and a greater tolerance of other residents in 'Sin City' who may have different eating priorities may not go amiss, and would make the thread this much more enjoyable and interesting.

Arrogance only diminishes wisdom...

He he he - he smokes cigar's you know !

555, whilst gawping at the "lovely Thai ladies". Have to agree about the food there though.

Maybe he is a fan of Wild-Bill Billy Clinton...

[ThaiBob]

Au Bon Coin on Pratumnak, One of my favorites.

http://www.auboncoinpattaya.com/

[JaiLai]

Mantra, north Beach Road has a great menu and a different chefs.

Best place for food / decor / service in Pattaya by far IMO.

[JusticeFT96]

Anyone when going out for a nice meal and asks to see the kitchen to inspect how clean it is needs a big thumb in their eye.

And are we talking about Trattoria pizzeria here?

If so yes very nice food however sometimes a bit hit and miss. Some great staff there but 1 or 2 of them let the place down.

If I lived closer I would go more often.

Also regarding negative feedback, its a customers right to give good or bad feedback, if your the owner and you get negative feedback either do something about it to change it, invite the customer back to change their mind or do nothing about it and continue to get negative feedback.

Thats the wonderful thing about feedback you can avoid a bad place without wasting your money there first.

Indian by nature, amazing tandori starter, wasnt amazed by the curry, a bit bland but I enjoyed my meal and would go back if the wife liked indian a bit more.

[juliusk]

Been to Cuccina Toscana last week for the 1st time, loved the fact that they have farang ''waiters'', was sth what i didnt experience earlier in Patts.

Also on number 1 is Mantra from Amari hotel, bit expensive tho, last time i ve been inthere i had a bill of 5k so not a place to go fine dining on a daily basis

Love the fact that there is enough parking space for the car in above places and have a ok view, how is that with Bruno's and Gians?

Anyone visited the new Hilton restaurant already, is that topnotch as well and whats the dresscode inthere?

[thaimat]

]....only cheap charlies, people with no real haute cuisine experience, or idiots, considers them fine dining...Show a bit of class!.... you have no right to comment on that.....[/b]

Do I detect more than a little touch of hubris from the OP?

A little humility and and a greater tolerance of other residents in 'Sin City' who may have different eating priorities may not go amiss, and would make the thread this much more enjoyable and interesting.

Arrogance only diminishes wisdom...

So it's arrogant hubris when I start a thread on FINE DINING, and get posts about street food, Sizzler, and places that wouldn't, couldn't even get mentioned by Michelin? Where someone eats is not my concern, nor did I make any disparaging remarks about such, but really, street food as fine dining? Get real.

[thaimat]

Au Bon Coin on Pratumnak, One of my favorites.

http://www.auboncoinpattaya.com/

I agree, a very good restaurant. Why not share with people why you like it?

[Mobi]

If posting comments such as:

...only cheap charlies, people with no real haute cuisine experience, or idiots, considers them fine dining...Show a bit of class!.... you have no right to comment on that.....

isn't making arrogant, disparaging remarks, then I'd like to know what is.

You started a thread and everyone is entitled to have their own interpretation of what constitutes 'fine dining' without being arrogantly dismissed as a 'cheap charlie' or an 'idiot' by the likes of you.

To some, eating a freshly cooked bowl of noodles from a unique recipe, prepared in a spotlessly clean noodle urn, sitting in the open air and enjoying the ambience of the nightly Pattaya scene, may be their idea of 'fine dining'.

Who are you, pray, to say otherwise, and whatever happened to the principal of free speech and the rule on making infamatory remarks.

[luckyluke]

"Fine Dining" according to Wikipedia :

Fine dining

The Ivy, a fine dining restaurant in London's West End

Fine dining restaurants are full service restaurants with specific dedicated meal courses. Décor of such restaurants feature higher-quality materials, with an eye towards the "atmosphere" desired by the restauranteur, than restaurants featuring lower-quality materials. The wait staff is usually highly trained and often wears more formal attire. Fine-dining restaurants are almost always small businesses and are generally either single-location operations or have just a few locations. Food portions are visually appealing. Fine dining restaurants have certain rules of dining which visitors are generally expected to follow often including a dress code.