Places to eat in Pattaya

Food is big in Pattaya. Whether you are after street food cheapies or longing for a fine wining and dining experience, look no further: you have everything in Pattaya! And at a reasonable price, too.

Markets and street food

Markets dot the city and you are never too far from street food in Pattaya. From Friday to Sunday, there is a very popular Thepprasit night market at the intersection of Thepprasit Road and Sukhumvit, right next to The Outlet Village. Prices tend to be a bit higher there, but there are a couple of stalls selling mouth-watering curries (from THB40), and grilled fish (pla phao) goes for around THB200 and is delicious. Try pork ribs in honey (THB30-40 per 100g) or opt for crispy dim sums, local style, filled with taro, sweet hot chicken or – our favourite – pineapple (THB3 per piece).

Another great daily night market is dubbed Champs Isan for its prevailing cuisine. It is located in Third Road, at the junction with Soi Kophai 10. Find here all the delicacies from the northeastern part of the country, including kao lao vegetable and meet soup, spicy lap salad with pork, chicken or beef, the best som tam, green papaya salad, in the city and much more. Prices start at THB30 and everything you try is most likely to be simply delicious.

For great and cheap noodles look around for makeshift stalls with yellow and read or white and red signs. A bowl of kuay tiao goes for THB30-THB50 there. Most serve noodles with chicken but we prefer those that have beef on offer.

Thai food

If you need to give a try to local cuisine without spending too much, head to Surf Kitchen Restaurant between soi 5 and 6 Jomtien Beach Road. It is a perennial favourite with foreign visitors and is always busy. It serves a wide range of ‘slightly adjusted’ Thai dishes but nevertheless remains a great choice for getting initiated. Curries like tom kha kai (chicken coconut curry) or kaeng khiao wan (sweet green curry) cost from THB100 plus there is a decent array of international dishes, too. The setting is in the open terrace and feels very ‘seaside-like’.

For more authentic Thai and seafood dishes head to Na Jomtien seaside area which is full of seafood restaurants. A dish of spicy cockles and the like will cost you THB120, and large bowls of tom yam and similar soups to share are about THB240. Beer is THB100. One of our favourites there is Poo Pen Restaurant which has been there for years. Order crab curry to get an idea why the venue is so popular.

Western and International food

Italian, French, Hungarian, Russian, Mexican – you name it – whatever cuisine you are looking for, you will undoubtedly find it in Pattaya.

As everywhere, Italian pizza and pasta rule the ball and our highest recommendation here goes for Hopf in the Beach Road off soi Post Office. They brew their own beer and serve very thin pizza but the main draw there is the owner, Maestro Enzi, who sings almost every night around 11pm. An experience not to miss!

Another place we like is Domicil Austrian restaurant next to Central Festival in Pattaya Second Road. They have hearty German and Austrian sausages, potatoes, pickles and the like plus delicious Sunday roast.

For Indian specialties, Ali Baba Tandoori and Curry Restaurant has been the prime choice for quite a while (Central Road), but if you need a more exquisite setting (and hire prices) Indian by Nature in Thappraya Road is the place to head to.

There is a good share of Chinese restaurants in the city, from quite a budget Leng Kee Restaurant in Central Road (from THB60) to a pricy Marco Polo in Montien Hotel Pattaya (from THB240).

Rooftops

Even if not on the cheap side, there are a couple of rooftops in Pattaya which are highly recommended to check, especially at sunset. The view of the bay in spectacular, so do invest THB300 in a cocktail – you won’t regret it! The two top choices are Horizon at Hilton Pattaya and D.I.B. rooftop bar at D Varee hotel in Jomtien soi 13-14. The latter is not so chic and busy as Hilton but the view is probably even better.

The Roof Sky Bar at Siam Siam in Second Road is the bar of choice for Thai visitors with more affordable prices and dining options, too.

Cafes and Coffee Houses

There is a surprisingly good choice of coffee shops in Pattaya some serving a really good local coffee.

For large mugs of latte and absolutely wonderful fresh fruit smoothies go to Sketch Book Cafe in Thappraya Road opposite Thepprasit junction. You’ll love the place, 100%! Set in a rambling garden, you’ll find secret corners, shabby looking wooden benches, and an air-con room filled with drawings and paintings. It is not on the cheap side (coffee from THB100) but the place is very relaxing and atmospheric. They have main courses, too.

Another coffee haunt in Pattaya is La Baguette Bakery. There are two branches of the venue in the city: the older one is next to Dusit Thani Hotel in the north and the newer one is opposite Pratamnak Hill traffic lights in Thappraya Road. Both serve tasty cakes (from THB80), freshly brewed coffee (from THB100) and Paris-like ambience.

Finally, a small and very modest place not to be missed is a Coffee Break cafe in Pratamnak Viewpoint Hill. Their coffee is just mediocre, their tea is served Thai style (from THB30), but the view which goes with it is spectacular! It is probably the best – and the cheapest! – venue with a view in the city and couples perfectly with visiting the viewpoint.