Café Le Mar Restaurant and Pizzeria, to give it its full title, is one of those
restaurants that we “found” by accident. On Jomtien Beach Road, it is around 300
meters from the junction of Chaiyapruek 1 and Beach Road, heading towards the
quieter end of the beach.
It is a restaurant that has many faces, including fine
dining, a private roof-top, and a relaxed bistro café overlooking their own
private beach and even a sit-up Pizzeria outside.
The international flavor comes from one of the owners, Shan
Firouzi, a Persian who has some very forward and forthright ideas as to how a
restaurant should be run - and after an evening at Café Le Mar, I have to say
that it would appear he is very much on the right track.
The restaurant has a most welcoming feel about it, and this
may be a reflection of the enthusiasm shown by the service staff, all neatly
dressed in black outfits. The ‘service with a smile’ is efficient, without being
intrusive.
The inner air-conditioned area has comfortable chairs and the
tables are not too close together, so private conversations can remain private.
At one end is a cocktail bar and in the middle is an old palm tree, allowed to
grow up through the ceiling. Shan, who designed the restaurant, is very
conscious of the environment.
Dotted throughout all the dining areas are some large flat
video screens, with selected music DVDs being broadcast to be as background
entertainment. On our evening, I really enjoyed some Spanish Flamenco dancing.
Café Le Mar has only been open for just over two years, but
the development of the concept is continuous. The Pizzeria was added around six
months ago, and its operation and the recipes came from an Italian chef. Shan
does not leave anything to chance.
The next development is a wine cellar which he is currently
building, with wines at supermarket prices that you can even purchase to take
home. If you wish to drink the wine with your meal, corkage will be B. 200,
meaning that the cost will still be well under ‘normal’ restaurant prices per
bottle. A revolutionary idea that will be very attractive for his diners. “This
is how business should be done,” said Shan.
The menus include a la carte Euro and Thai, with another for
the pizza choices and another for cocktails/beverages/wines. Go to the website
www.cafelemar-pattaya.com and you will see that the individual items are not
expensive in any way. Appetizers B. 110-290, soups around B. 130, chicken dishes
around B. 280, fish B. 320-450, meat dishes around B. 400-500 and pastas under
B. 200. And there is even a selection of burgers and sandwiches B. 120-180.
Incidentally, Shan is very proud of the fact that he has two qualified chefs in
his kitchen, with 15 years experience.
We ordered two glasses of the Lindeman’s red house wine while
we perused the menu. The children were easy, one B. 200 pizza satisfied them,
with half a pizza ending up being taken home. The pizzas are quite large!
Madame decided to try the Thai food and chose the yum woon
sen (B. 120) and the gaeng liang goong (B. 150). She proclaimed that both had
the authentic Thai taste and both were extremely enjoyable.
For myself, I chose the stuffed beef scallops with tenderloin
stuffed with Parmesan, ham and sliced champignons and topped with melted
mozzarella (B. 395). Absolutely superb! Our waitress brought a container of
sauces and mustards, which I refused. The dish was so flavorsome, I did not wish
to spoil it in any way.
On the night we did the review, we had the two children with
us. They had both enjoyed the pizzas in particular on our previous visits, and
once again gave thumbs up to the Pizzeria. Madame and I were also very impressed
by the a la carte Euro and Thai food offerings, and the prices are very
reasonable, making for an inexpensive night out. This restaurant is well worth
visiting. Highly recommended.
Café Le Mar Restaurant and Pizzeria, Jomtien Beach Road,
telephone 038 233 466, website www.cafelemar-pattaya.com, plenty of on-street
parking, open seven days, 10 a.m. to 12 midnight.
