The Amari’s Tavern by the Sea is well established these
days and is at the opposite end of Beach Road from Walking Street, and you
will easily find it having come from the Dolphin Roundabout, passing the
Amari main entrance and the Mantra restaurant, and after turning into Beach
Road is about 50 meters along Beach Road on your left, and you cannot miss
it. Park in the Amari grounds in secure parking lots.
The Tavern by the Sea is set up as a true sports pub with the very large
screen a central point with comfortable sofas in which to lounge. Dotted
around the venue are 15 other TV’s so you should be able to find your
particular sport’s coverage. However, there will be heavy emphasis on the
soccer at present.
There is also a darts area and a pool table for those who
like to do more than just sit and watch other people playing sport.
At the front of the building there is an al fresco garden section with
chairs and tables and an area for setting out buffet items, whilst upstairs
there is a mezzanine section overlooking Beach Road, with its own bar as
well.
On Friday and Saturday evenings from 6.30 p.m. until 10
p.m. the Tavern has its Churrasco BBQ and the Dining Out team went to
investigate. Churrasco is probably not a cuisine that comes readily to mind,
but if you come from South America you will know it is steak skewered and
barbecued over a wood or charcoal fire. The origin of the name itself is
South American Spanish from Spanish dialect churrascar ‘to burn’. However,
with Executive Chef Leonard Faust supervising the staff, the BBQ items are
not left to burn!
Before reviewing the menu, since the a la carte menu runs
concurrently with the Churrasco BBQ, I asked for a glass of Kookaburra
Laughing White Chardonnay (B. 230) and I was given a sample to ensure the
wine was fine. When I gave it the thumbs up, a complete measure (a standard
drink carafe) was poured into my glass. A nice touch, Tavern.
The a la carte menu is very comprehensive covering Tex-Mex, Thai (B.
190-290), Pizza (B. 290-340), Burgers, Pub Grub (B. 280-490), and even a
‘Sharing’ menu (B. 1,200-2,200) for 4, 6 or 8 people, and a huge long
baguette for 4 at B. 730. Chef Leonard has also been revamping the a la
carte menu with new items such as 250 gm Kurobota Pork Chop (B. 510).
On our Saturday the rains came, but the staff was
prepared and in no time at all, the buffet items were set up in the main bar
area, with both hot and cold items, including a Louisiana Clam Chowder.
We had chosen one of the alcove booths for our evening and these provided
plenty of room for a family of four.
However, we had come for the Churrasco and the junior in the family crew was
particularly fond of ribs, with an immediate request to Chef Leonard. These
came with their own special BBQ sauce. At the end of the evening I counted
15 rib bones on the plate! What better recommendation?
The true Churrasco options are many, with the staff coming round with
skewers with different meats and large prawns to add to your selections from
the buffet. The method is to grasp your meat with the supplied tongs as the
staff slice it from the skewer. All very simple and all good fun. I firmly
believe that food should be fun as well as sustenance. At B. 749 for the
Friday and Saturday Churrasco nights, which are an all you can eat deal,
this is an excellent value for money offer.
We can heartily recommend The Tavern, and can assure you that any family
will be well catered for on a Churrasco night. We certainly were.
Tavern by the Sea, Amari Orchid, Pattaya Beach Road, open seven days 11 a.m.
(for breakfast or early lunch) until 1 a.m., secure car parking within the
Amari grounds between the Tavern by the Sea and the Mantra restaurant,
telephone 038 418 418, web www.amari.com.
