It is hard to imagine that the Art Cafe is
now two and a half years old. It seems just yesterday that Jo Stetten opened
the doors to a new dining concept for Pattaya, a restaurant that combined
art and food. As usual, the doomsayers said it wouldn’t work, or it was
too far away (in Naklua!) or that Mediterranean cuisine wasn’t popular.
Thirty months of operation has proved them all wrong. In every respect.
One of the reasons for the success is Jo Stetten himself.
He is there 110 percent of the time, ensuring that every table is being
looked after. Jo Stetten is the Art Cafe.
In the two and a half years, the garden area outside the
dining patio has become lush greenery, and the paintings on the walls now
cover every square inch. If you are lucky, you may even find an artist
carefully anointing a canvas with oils, while the service staff move past
with the plates for the diners. Art and food can co-exist!
The venue is on the ground floor of an old ‘colonial’
building, opening out on to the lawns and gardens at the front, and the
swimming pool area at the rear. The chairs are cane with cushions, and are
easy to sit in and just enjoy the ambience. On one side is a sit-up bar
area, where many come just to enjoy the art works, and have a quiet drink as
they contemplate the various artistic styles and media. Art and alcohol can
co-exist!
The menu is very extensive, in French, English and German
and the cuisine of a Mediterranean leaning. Entrees, hot and cold are
generally well under B. 190, with a multiple item palette at the top end.
Many main dishes are under B. 300, including the grilled Catch of the Day
with butter cr่me sauce a bargain at B. 220. Poultry is similarly
priced, with the enticing ‘Morroccan Style’ chicken leg with plums and
couscous at B. 270. Imported steaks are naturally high end items. There is
also a good Thai menu.
We settled back in the covered patio area and had a
cocktail as an aperitif, while perusing the menu. Madame had chosen the
scallops, while I decided to try the Anti Pasti Palette ‘Art Caf้’
style after hearing from Jo that it was a dish that provided a sampling of
many of the entrees. This comes to the table with six individual dishes
arranged on an artist’s palette. Novel and very appropriate.
Madame enjoyed her very plump scallops, but I have to say
I relished my palette. There is enough of each to almost make a meal of it,
and the different collection of tastes and textures is a wonderful
gastronomic experience, with home made graved salmon, a salmon mousse,
mussels in a paprika sauce, grilled vegetables with buffalo mozzarella,
couscous and lentil salad with eggplant mousse in a seasoned yoghurt sauce.
I would return to the Art Cafe just for this dish alone.
For mains, Madame had the classic lobster thermidor while
I went for the roasted duck leg. They came on pre-warmed plates, and the
lobster was very large, and very enjoyable. The duck literally fell apart
and the skin was almost caramelized and very tasty.
With the success of the restaurant, Jo Stetten has
enlarged its appeal by making the pool area available for party groups, and
is also now doing catering, all the way from just the food, to a complete
outside provision of everything needed to make your event a success - even
down to the chairs.
If you have not been to the Art Cafe before, then it is
well worth the trip (and Naklua is not far). If you have been before, then
it might just be time to return and try the artist’s palette yourself.
Incidentally, the Art Cafe was selected as one of Pattaya’s ten best
restaurants in the Thailand’s Best Restaurants publication. It deserves
it. Highly recommended.
The Art Cafe, 285 Moo 5, Soi 16 Pattaya Naklua Road, telephone 038 367
652, fax: 038 367 653, mobile 01 832 6031. Open seven days, 11 a.m. until
late.
