A Pattaya restaurant that everyone seems to love but you don't think is actually very good?

[sakik2024]

Following as I don't know the current crop. Cheers. 

[Lemondropkid]

Can't help at all as not been in Pattaya for well over a year.

Prior to that I'd find the question tricky to answer. Can't recall too many bad meals if any, maybe I'm not that fussy?

Would be very interested in positive recommendations as might do a trip in a couple of months time.

[Derek Dangleberries]

In my opinion Ali Baba is a complete shithole in the afternoon serving crusty lunchtime leftovers warmed up in a microwave with background music from a bad 80s Rave .. served by a grumpy 20 year old on her period..

Note to Ali Baba .. Stop advertising 11 am to Midnight if you don't have daytime chefs and serving staff . Simples!

Note to Mods: Are we at risk of defamation if we say an establishment is bad? Delete post if you think so please ..

 

Edited June 24, 2024 by Derek Dangleberries

[Derek Dangleberries]

10 minutes ago, Lemondropkid said:

Would be very interested in positive recommendations

Prior to Covid lockdown I always recommended The Devonshire as a place to go at any time of day, my favourite time was mid morning watching the girls leave Opey de Place. I've seen quite a few cashiers leave there too looking a bit guilty  .......

But they just didn't kick on after Covid and it remained quiet until I moved back to Isaan .. Perhaps you could try it for me for my next trip to Pattaya in the New Year with my family from UK ...

[Yesitisdakid]

There are no experts and of course we all have our own opinions. I'm spoiled because when I was in the states I was in the wholesale meat business. I ate at many many five star restaurants and Michelin star restaurants in my time in the business as they were my customers. The restaurants here in Pattaya while being good for Pattaya would be average at best in the states again my opinion. The one that gets rave reviews here is peaky blinders and I don't rate them they're okay but they're not as great as many put them on to be. In the Mexican Department taco taco gets good reviews again I just wouldn't rate them I think while the food is okay it's nothing special.

[Stillearly]

Kiss .... it's always busy , so many people like it , but I've never had a good meal there 

[Derek Dangleberries]

51 minutes ago, Stillearly said:

Kiss .... it's always busy , so many people like it , but I've never had a good meal there 

I've had some great food in there at 3am when so drunk that they could serve me a boiled dog turd on rice (perhaps they have!) and I'd think it was great ... But otherwise totally agree mate..

[Derek Dangleberries]

1 hour ago, Yesitisdakid said:

The restaurants here in Pattaya while being good for Pattaya would be average at best in the states again my opinion.

Perfectly written response ...

[Phantom51red]

56 minutes ago, Stillearly said:

Kiss .... it's always busy , so many people like it , but I've never had a good meal there 

Yes agree,ate twice in all my time spent in pattaya,probably cos it was raining or something,and thought crap food,crap service,also the one in jomtien was pretty average at best.

[rhodie]

Hunger Pangs. Seem to get great ratings, but I have found the burgers very average at best. Yet, I think Kungs is great.

[Glasseye]

7 hours ago, Derek Dangleberries said:

In my opinion Ali Baba is a complete shithole in the afternoon serving crusty lunchtime leftovers warmed up in a microwave with background music from a bad 80s Rave .. served by a grumpy 20 year old on her period..

Note to Ali Baba .. Stop advertising 11 am to Midnight if you don't have daytime chefs and serving staff . Simples!

Note to Mods: Are we at risk of defamation if we say an establishment is bad? Delete post if you think so please ..

 

Yes. I agree with you regarding A.B.   I checked them out a few years back. I often go to dinner early to avoid the crowds, there were only a few tables seated. 

As I was just about to have my order served a worker was walking around the dinning room with a can of roach spray. He was spraying under all the tables. Never again.

 

On a good note. I have never had a bad meal in Robin Hood or Dicey Rielly's. In fact all meals have been very good.

 

I have noticed on my last visit to Patts that food prices have sky rocketed. Very noticable.

[Nickrock]

7 hours ago, Derek Dangleberries said:

Prior to Covid lockdown I always recommended The Devonshire as a place to go at any time of day, my favourite time was mid morning watching the girls leave Opey de Place. I've seen quite a few cashiers leave there too looking a bit guilty  .......

But they just didn't kick on after Covid and it remained quiet until I moved back to Isaan .. Perhaps you could try it for me for my next trip to Pattaya in the New Year with my family from UK ...

I stayed at opey again this trip Devonshire was pretty average in meal quality 

[Derek Dangleberries]

15 minutes ago, Nickrock said:

I stayed at opey again this trip Devonshire was pretty average in meal quality 

I was walking down pothole over a year ago and the chef from Devonshire ran up to me for a hug...She had moved to a place that has since closed down so f**k knows where she is working now !!

[mrcharliemofo]

Well this might upset a few people on here and I have sung their praises in the past but for me it's Nicky's. 

I used to quite like the breakfast in there but the last 2-3 times I've been in there the food has been terrible. I've given up on the place and if I want the big breakfast now then it's Irish Rovers.

Maybe when they move I'll look for some glowing reports and try it again but maybe not.

[Nightcrawler]

I find that over time restaurants can change,often depending on their Chef. It doesn't surprise me. There are no shortages of restaurants in Pattaya, ranging from budget meals to high end. 

Also our views are often subjective according to our tastes and budgets.

On my recent trip, I dined in a number of places. I found one common thing about breakfasts was that the bacon was like leather in many restaurants and its down to the quality of the ingredients that they source. 

The one restaurant that I used still.remains consistently good and that is Cafe Pitini on Buakhao. I dodnt have a bad meal there throughout my trip and the service is excellent and professional.  So I tended to head out for evening meals in particular to Pitini and tried a number of different dishes. 

I don't think I finished any of them as the portions were big. I don't know what beans they used, but the quality of their coffee is the best that I have tasted in Pattaya and I am a coffee freak. 

I find it strange when folk hunt for cheap meals to save a few baht then go and blow money in a bar afterwords. 

Like others,I used to rate Nicky's but the one meal I at there was not impressive. It was not awful but not to the same standard as it once was. No idea why and that's not a slur on them, because I have eaten in a lot worse. 

I am one of those repeat custom types, whereas if I get good service, then I go back. As soon as that service declines then I try somewhere else. 

It depends also on whether I want to eat Thai food or Western food. Ideally I would prefer a restaurant that serves both with matching quality 

 

[Lirchenfeld]

Was about to mention Kiss, but others have already mentioned that place.

Kung's in Lengkee. Apparently a favourite breakfast spot for many, but not for me. Dry compacted sausages.

 

2 hours ago, Nickrock said:

I stayed at opey again this trip Devonshire was pretty average in meal quality 

Was in there once in February. Place was relatively empty, but I had some nice pussy at my table....

[Nightcrawler]

A sausage is a sausage and a frankfurter is a frankfurter. What annoys me most is when restaurants describe their breakfasts inaccurately and serve a frankfurter as a sausage  

Those who do so should face public execution in my opinion

[Yesitisdakid]

7 hours ago, Stillearly said:

Kiss .... it's always busy , so many people like it , but I've never had a good meal there 

I agree I've never had a great meal there but I've had food that was okay nothing to write home about but not bad either

[ChiFlyer]

12 hours ago, Yesitisdakid said:

There are no experts and of course we all have our own opinions. I'm spoiled because when I was in the states I was in the wholesale meat business. I ate at many many five star restaurants and Michelin star restaurants in my time in the business as they were my customers. The restaurants here in Pattaya while being good for Pattaya would be average at best in the states again my opinion. The one that gets rave reviews here is peaky blinders and I don't rate them they're okay but they're not as great as many put them on to be. In the Mexican Department taco taco gets good reviews again I just wouldn't rate them I think while the food is okay it's nothing special.

Peaky Blinders IMO has great hamburgers, sweet potato fries, and not much else of merit.

I was a fan of Taco Taco when we used to live in Jomtien. There have been a few posts on our sister board saying that it has been sold and gone downhill. I agree that it never was great Mexican, but it was the only decent choice for those of us who do not care for carb and fat heavy Tex-Mex food. Taco Taco was more Baja Mex at the time.

[ChiFlyer]

12 hours ago, Stillearly said:

Kiss .... it's always busy , so many people like it , but I've never had a good meal there 

Maybe we could get @Evil Penevil to comment on his opinion of Kiss. 🙂 I agree with the last I heard from him and you on this topic.

Edited June 24, 2024 by ChiFlyer

[maipenrai]

12 hours ago, rhodie said:

Hunger Pangs. Seem to get great ratings, but I have found the burgers very average at best. Yet, I think Kungs is great.

I ate in Kung's once and enjoyed the food but found the venue itself to be too cramped for me - too many tables stuffed into too small a space, made me claustrophobic - then again, I eat in pubs more often than restaurants. 

[Glasseye]

 

Ref. Kiss.... I have had two or three meals there over the years. Never was bad, but certainly not worth writing home about. It's the flies and the Ruskies shovelling away with their mouths wide open talking loud that really put me off.

[Stillearly]

Not a specific restaurant, but Seafood in Thailand .... I don't find it as flavoursome as back home ... Lobsters , Crabs etc have a much stronger flavour,  than the stuff served in restaurants here .... maybe why they like it with strong spices ... 

so although I do eat it , I don't think it's that great 

 

[Derek Dangleberries]

54 minutes ago, Stillearly said:

Not a specific restaurant, but Seafood in Thailand .... I don't find it as flavoursome as back home ... Lobsters , Crabs etc have a much stronger flavour,  than the stuff served in restaurants here .... maybe why they like it with strong spices ... 

so although I do eat it , I don't think it's that great 

 

Thanks for posting that mate...

It has certainly become bland over the years that's for sure .. but I think anything BBQed here has somehow lost the depth of taste it used to have. All I can put it down to is the "charcoal" they use nowadays. It just doesn't seem to smell as nice when cooking ..

[Glasseye]

On 6/24/2024 at 12:25 PM, rhodie said:

Hunger Pangs. Seem to get great ratings, but I have found the burgers very average at best. Yet, I think Kungs is great.

 

If you want a good burger in the Central area try Dicey Reilly's on 2nd road near Avanti. A little pricey, but I always shoot for 50% off on Eatigo.