Restaurants and Bars - Without the Bar Fine Scene
Every couple of weeks somebody asks us the same thing. Their wife is flying in, or the girlfriend wants a night out, or the sister and her kids are over from the States, and they want to know where they can get a cold beer without spending the evening pretending not to notice what's going on at the next table.
Fair question. This town has a reputation and it earned it.
These are restaurants, pubs, beach clubs, cafes and rooftops where the staff bring your food and leave you alone, which is exactly what you want when the family is in town. Nobody is going to perch on the stool next to your mother in law and ask where she's from.
We’ve grouped them by area, because nobody wants to go searching in a baht bus with a tired eight year old.
Beach Road and Central Pattaya
Bricks and Barrels
On Beach Road at the corner of Soi 13/2. Two floors, a terrace upstairs for sunset, live music inside, and a menu that runs from steaks and pizza to a beef panang curry people keep talking about. Feels more grown up than most of Beach Road.
Playa Bistro and Lounge
Beachfront, up toward the Naklua end of Beach Road. Thai, European, wood fired pizza, steaks, Belgian beers, and mocktails for whoever is driving. Waffles and ice cream on the dessert list, which buys you about an hour of peace with the kids.
Hops Brewhouse
A proper microbrewery on Beach Road, South Pattaya side. House beer, pizza from the oven, German and Italian plates, and a live band most nights. One of the old reliables. If you've lived here a while you've probably been dragged here for somebody's birthday.
Tiffany's Bar
Small open air bar right on Beach Road with a sunset view over the water. Cold beer, frozen cocktails, and a som tam the regulars swear by. One important note. Tiffany's sits at the foot of Soi 6. Enjoy your drink, watch the sun go down, and do not let her or the kids wander up that soi. You've been warned.
Cafe La Plage
Corner of Beach Road and Pattaya Klang, with a rooftop bar on top and the beach right out front. Thai, Western, seafood and some solid Isaan dishes. Good spot to park the family after a day on the sand.
Hard Rock Cafe
You know what you're getting. Burgers, memorabilia, a house band every night. Worth knowing: after 10 PM it's 20 and over only, so take the kids early.
Beertique
Craft beer bar on Beach Road with a rotating lineup on tap and in the fridge, plus food and live music. Took over the old Hooters spot. A massive upgrade for anyone who actually likes beer.
Moon Whale
Rooftop sunset bar on the third floor of Royal Garden Plaza. Sea views, cocktails, DJs, Thai and Italian food. Do the mall in the afternoon, come up here for the sunset. Easy win.
Horizon Rooftop
Level 34 of the Hilton, above Central Festival. The best view of the bay in the city, no argument. Sunset happy hour from 4 to 7 is buy one get one on cocktails. Smart casual dress, so leave the singlet at home.
Prego Pasta Lab
The Italian place at the Amari, north end of Beach Road. Fresh handmade pasta and Italian classics. Date night material. Book ahead.
Fat Coco
Beach club and seafood restaurant inside A-One The Royal Cruise Hotel on North Pattaya Beach Road. Poolside seating, tropical decor, pizza and seafood. Fun with the kids during the day.
The Collective Pattaya
Beachfront at the Holiday Inn's Bay Tower. Smokehouse BBQ, pizza, Thai and seafood, and Guss Damn Good ice cream. That last part is all you need to tell the kids.
Hemingway's Pattaya
The Second Road branch of the Hemingway's family. Sports on the screens, big Western menu, open from breakfast till midnight. Any taxi or Bolt driver knows where it is, which says plenty.
Robin Hood Tavern
In The Avenue on Second Road. Gastropub and steakhouse that bills itself as family friendly and means it. The Sunday roast and carvery has a following. Opens at 7 AM if you need breakfast.
Jasmin's Cafe
On Central Pattaya Road. Thai food plus the Western comfort stuff: breakfasts, burgers, pasta, steaks, smoothies. A good lunch stop that won't eat your afternoon. Check the day before you go, one listing has them closed Tuesdays.
Wizard Brewery
Wizard themed craft brewery off South Pattaya Road on Soi 14. House pilsner, IPA, hefeweizen, a black lager, plus German, Italian and Thai food and live music. The decor is a little Hogwarts. Kids love it. Dads love the beer list.
Osteria Sendi
Tiny Italian place on Soi Bong Koch, dinner only. Fresh pasta, ravioli, a carbonara people rave about, and tiramisu. Not many tables, so reserve or show up early.
Cafe des Amis
Fine dining at the end of Soi 11 off Thappraya Road. Seafood, steaks, lobster, tasting menus. Anniversary dinner, apology dinner, whichever applies. Reservations recommended.
Two Brothers Chill and Restaurant
Yes, it's on Walking Street, and yes, it's on this list. The place itself is a seafood and Thai Western restaurant with a view over the bay and live music. Go for an early dinner, enjoy the view, then head home. The rest of the street can wait for another lifetime.
Lighthouse Bay
Right beside the Bali Hai lighthouse at the bottom of the bay. Beachfront cafe doing Isaan food like som tam and jaew hon hotpot, plus coffee, smoothies and desserts. Daytime and early evening spot. Parking is mostly roadside.
Danny's Sports Bar
Big open bar on Soi Buakhao with screens everywhere, pool tables and beer on tap. NFL, Premier League, Rugby, NBA, MLB and UFC are the big draw here. . A newer second bar, Danny's@Pattaya, opened down the same road toward Treetown.
The Nest
Sports bar and restaurant on Soi Diana. Big menu, live sports, and a Sunday roast that has a reputation for being enormous. Full kitchen runs breakfast to late evening.
Trench Town Rasta Bar
Reggae, ska and roots with live bands that take requests. The Soi Buakhao branch is featured but they actually have two locations, the other in LK Metro Entertainment District (adult oriented ).
Rock Factory
Hard rock and metal, live every night, near Tree Town on Soi Buakhao. Acoustic set early, main band from around 9. Loud, sweaty and honest.
Area 39
Bar and bistro in the Soi Buakhao area with live Thai music and a mostly Thai crowd. Gets packed late. If your partner is Thai she'll probably know a few of the songs. You won't, and that's fine.
Sky Music
Thai dinner and show club out on Third Road. Live bands, show dancing, food, and whisky by the bottle at the tables. The show starts around 10 PM and gets going closer to 11, so this one is a couples night, not a family one. Book a table if a known Thai artist is on.
Naklua and Wongamat
The Moment Beach House
Beachfront restaurant up in Naklua. Thai, seafood, pizza, pasta, cocktails, and live music with the sunset. Sunset tables go first, so book.
Cozy Beach, Pratamnak, Jomtien Beach and Na Jomtien
This is where a lot of us live for a reason. Quieter, greener, and full of places with a view.
The Chocolate Factory
International chain, you probably have one at home. Sea view restaurant and cafe with Italian and Thai food plus their own handmade chocolates, cakes and pastries. If you have a daughter, this is the one she will remember.
The View
At the seaward end of Pratamnak Soi 5, right on the water facing Koh Larn. French, European, seafood and Thai. Open from breakfast, so you can watch the boats with your coffee. Same ownership as Dom’s Pizza.
Sands Cafe
Also at the beach end of Soi 5, literally on the sand. Breakfast through dinner, indoor and outdoor tables. Shoes optional, more or less.
Dom's Pizza
On Pratamnak Soi 5. Thin crust pizza, Italian and Thai dishes, breakfasts, and gluten free pizza for the one person in your group who needs it. Open late.
Siam Lounge
Thai, German and Austrian. Schnitzel, pizza and Thai classics at fair prices. There's a branch on Pratamnak Soi 5 and another on Pattaya Klang. Both easy, both unfussy.
Peaky Blinders
Gastropub inside the Pattaya Heights complex on Pratamnak Soi 1. Upscale Western comfort food and brunch. It's a daytime and early evening place and it's closed Mondays, so plan accordingly.
SunFlour Village Eatery
On Pratamnak Soi 4. American style breakfast and brunch, pancakes, quesadillas, comfort food. Closes in the early evening. Perfect for the morning after.
Cabbages and Condoms
At the Birds and Bees Resort off Pratamnak Soi 4, with a terrace looking over the sea. Yes, the name gets a laugh every time. The story behind it is a good one though. The restaurant /resort was started to support public health, education and community development work in Thailand, and the cheeky name comes straight from that mission. Thai food and seafood, breakfast through dinner, and high chairs if you need one.
The Sky Gallery
Cliffside cafe, beach bar and restaurant on Pratamnak Hill with a big view of the bay and Koh Larn. Coffee by day, cocktails and mocktails at sunset. Reserve a sea view table or you'll be staring at the back of someone's head.
3 Mermaids
Another cliffside spot on the hill with a sea view sunset. Online bookings open from 5:30 PM and need to be made at least three hours ahead if the Chinese tour groups are in town. Worth the planning.
The Lunar Beach House
Cliffside cafe with a tropical beach house look, swings and floating tables by a little pool. Big menu, good mocktails, and pet friendly. Closes around 8 or 9 PM. There's also a newer branch in Naklua.
The Oxygen Beachfront Oasis
Right next door to Lunar on the hill. Beachfront restaurant with sea views, Thai, seafood and international food. Open late morning till 11.
Wasabi
Casual Japanese on Phra Tamnak. Sushi and sashimi, open late. Good for when everyone is sick of pad thai.
Hemingway's Jomtien
On Thappraya Road, a few minutes from the beach. Calls itself Jomtien's biggest expat sports bar, and with 15 screens they have a case. Good food, cold beer, and a crowd that's there for the match.
Daisy D's
Sports bar and restaurant on Jomtien Beach Road next to the Grand Jomtien Palace. Pool tables, big screens, food from 7 AM. Look for the full sized General Lee hanging above the bar. Happy hour runs 2 to 6 PM.
The Clubhouse Jomtien
Beachfront sports bar on Jomtien Beach Road with something like 20 screens and two pool tables. Breakfast from 8. Kitchen closes at 10, the bar keeps going.
La Clasica
Beachfront restaurant and wine bar near the Silver Sand Villa. Mediterranean, European and Thai, breakfast through dinner. Just came back from a renovation in September.
Salt Rooftop Bar
Ninth floor of U Jomtien, next to the pool. Sea and sunset views, cocktails, wine and light bites. Quiet, classy, and you can actually hear each other talk.
30175 Bistro
Venetian style Italian on Jomtien Soi 5. Cicchetti, handmade pasta, pizza and Italian wine. Violinist playing most evenings, don’t worry your fine in those board shorts and flip flops. Closed Mondays. A real find for anyone who misses proper Italian.
Peine Cafe and Bistro
On Soi Chaiyaphruek 1. Breakfast and brunch, bagels, pancakes, salmon plates, vegan friendly options, good coffee. Daytime only.
Sandbar by the Sea
On Dongtan Beach at the north end of Jomtien. Beachfront restaurant, Thai and Western food, live music some evenings. Feet in the sand, drink in hand.
Ice Queen
Artisan ice cream on Jomtien Beach, with more flavors than you can reasonably try. Not a bar, obviously. But it's on this list because the kids earned it after sitting through your beer.
Na Jomtien
The beach clubs down here are why a lot of Bangkok people drive down on weekends.
Cave Beach Club
On Soi Na Jomtien 10, right beside The Glass House. Beachfront, cocktails, Thai and international food, DJs, and plenty of sunset photo spots. Kitchen winds down earlier than the bar.
Glass House BOHO
The well known beachfront restaurant down here. Seafood, Thai dishes, wine, and a choice of beach tables or air con. Service can be slow on busy nights. The setting makes up for it.
Bacco Beach Italian
Bacco Beach
Italian restaurant and wine bar right on the beach. Pizza, pasta, seafood, steaks. Some listings have it closed Wednesdays, so check first.
Jimmy's Surf Kitchen
Surf themed beach bar on Na Jomtien Soi 8. Thai and British food, including roast dinners. Cash only, so hit the ATM first.
View Mare
On Na Jomtien Soi 14. Beachfront with terrace, beach and indoor seating, great sunsets, Thai and international food and seafood. Mondays they open later.
Alexa Beach Club
Na Jomtien Soi 8. Infinity pool, private beach, bars, DJs and pool bed packages. The flashiest spot on this list. Book a bed and make a day of it.
A La Campagne
A little village style complex in Na Jomtien with two sides to it. Somtum Villa does Thai and Isaan food, and Tea Factory & More handles Western plates, tea and the bakery. Open from 10 in the morning till 8, an hour later on Fridays and weekends. Handy if half the group wants som tam and the other half wants a sandwich.
House of Benedict
About a kilometre south of the Floating Market. Hard to describe. Part fantasy photo set, part cafe, with themed rooms, carousel horses hanging from the ceiling, and food, drinks and desserts scattered around. Get ready to play photographer, you’ll be shooting her next Instagram post. Entry is 200 baht for foreigners and comes with vouchers you can spend inside. Kids under 120 cm get in free. Mostly under cover, so it saves a rainy afternoon.
East Pattaya, the Darkside
Out past Sukhumvit the beer bars thin out and the family restaurants take over. Plenty of expats with families live out here for a reason.
Hemingway's Lakeside
On Pornprapanimit Road by Lake Mabprachan. Order a meal and the swimming pool is free, which turns a lunch into a whole afternoon. There's a play room, billiards, over ten screens and English management. If you live out on the Darkside with kids, you already know this place. Closed Tuesdays.
Outback Sports Bar and Restaurant
Off Pornprapanimit Soi 29, near the lake. Big screens for the sport, a terrace and garden, and a play area for the kids. Breakfast from 7, then steaks, burgers, pizza, Thai food and some Swiss dishes. Easy Sunday afternoon.
The Loft Sports Pub and Grill
By Lake Mabprachan, and it calls itself a family pub, which tells you who it's for. Five big screens, European and Thai food, a large children's play area and a function room upstairs. Closed Mondays.
The Green House Mabprachan
A small resort near the lake with a bar, cafe and restaurant attached. Breakfast from 8 in the air conditioned cafe, every day but Tuesday. There's a pool with a kiddie pool, sports on in the bar, and cocktails on tap. The menu wanders from Thai and Chinese to Filipino and Middle Eastern.
Smokehouse BBQ Meat Market
Texas style barbecue, smoked low and slow over real wood near Lake Mabprachan. Eat in, or take it home hot or vacuum sealed for later. There's also a newer branch on Soi Buakhao next to Witherspoons. If you're from the American South, prepare to get emotional.
Ae & Ek Steak
Steakhouse with a branch on Pornprapanimit Road out by the reservoir, plus another at Vilaiwan Resort. Steaks first, with pasta and pizza for anyone who isn't in the mood for beef. Usually closes around 9, so don't show up late.
Moo Sook Mookata
Proper Thai moo kata near Map Prachan. Grill on top, soup around the edge, and you cook it all yourself at the table. Kids love it because they get to play with fire, sort of. Open till 11. Good way to show visiting family how Thais actually eat out.
Maysaya Cafe
Garden cafe on Pornprapanimit Soi 34. Specialty coffee, brunch, and a lot of green to sit in. Open 8 till 5:30. A good place to recover from the previous night.
Route 66 Diner
Not the club. This is a family owned 1950s style American diner out on the east side, all retro booths and neon. Breakfast all day, burgers, Philly cheesesteaks, a kids menu, and sport on the screens. The same team runs Route 66 Tavern, a sports bar with pool tables and darts. Busy at Sunday lunch, so be patient.
Vespresso
On Pattanakarn Road, and one of the better European kitchens on this side of town. Reviewers keep mentioning the duck confit, rack of lamb and beef stroganoff. Not cheap, but fair for what lands on the plate. Hours vary between listings, so call first.
Grano Italian Bakery
Italian bakers on Pattanakarn Road who take their dough seriously. Long fermentation, imported flour, proper focaccia and bread, plus a cafe for breakfast, lunch and coffee. Open 8:30 to 5, closed Wednesdays. Take a loaf home and you'll ruin supermarket bread forever.
Camellia Matcha Space
A tiny, calm Japanese matcha cafe, also on Pattanakarn Road. Matcha whisked to order, hojicha lattes, warabi mochi and other Japanese sweets, with tatami seating if you want it. No coffee at all, so don't ask. Closed Mondays.
Pepper & Salt
Out in Khao Talo. European steakhouse food alongside Thai dishes, a long drinks list and a private dining room for occasions. Open 11 till 10:30 every day. Tricky to find, but the place is usually busy anyway.
Mickey Restaurant
Small family restaurant in the Map Yai Lai area cooking German, Swiss and Thai food. Regulars talk about the free pumpkin soup starter, the soup and salad bar and the daily specials. Dinner only, 4:30 to 10, closed Sundays.
Little Bistro 87
Family run bistro inside a townhouse on Soi Nong Krabok, with only about 20 seats. European and Thai food, a German streak, and a weekend set menu that's very good value. Dinner Tuesday to Saturday, lunch on Sunday, closed Monday. Book.
LaMesa Restaurant and Tapas Bar
Spanish and Mediterranean inside the Holland Tulip Village Resort on Soi Nernplubwaan. Tapas, paella, steaks and a decent wine list. Closed Mondays. Order too many small plates. Everyone does.
One Last Thing
None of this is a secret. Pattaya has always had a second life away from the neon, it just doesn't make the headlines. Hours and menus change here faster than the weather, so check before you head out, especially the smaller spots. We are still building this list, check back often for new additions and feature articles. If you've got a favorite we missed, please tell us about it.