Nestling in the front of the Holiday Inn on Beach Road is
a sleeper of a bar/restaurant named Havana, complete with photographs of
Fidel Castro and Che Guevara on the walls. I say ‘sleeper’ because it is on
Beach Road, one of Pattaya’s busiest thoroughfares, yet it is hidden because
it is behind the Holiday Inn’s Terrazzo restaurant. However, it is really
not difficult to find, now that you know!
Parking on Beach Road can be difficult, but it is easier
and safer to use the Holiday Inn’s secure car parking behind the hotel, and
after the gateman lets you through, at least you know there’s no bombs under
your vehicle!
The Havana Bar is very large, with enormously high
ceilings and ornate wrought iron lamps suspended from it. The table settings
are an eclectic mix, some obviously for those who like to settle back with a
drink or three and others more utilitarian for those there to eat. Our host
for the evening was the charming Panida Ottesen, who described the d้cor as
‘retro-Cuban’, and that probably describes it best.
Before perusing the menu, we ordered a bottle of the
Stonefish Cabernet Sauvignon, which at around B. 1,400 is excellent
drinking. It is available at B. 260 a glass, but one glass of this wine is
definitely not enough!
The menu starts with Traditional Pizzas (B. 300-390) with
all the usual styles on a thin and crispy base (as pizzas should be). There
are also some ‘Signature’ pizzas (B. 390) including a tom yam goong version,
a Greek version and an Indian example. You can also create your own pizza
with up to five toppings (B. 350).
Pastas are well represented (B. 250-350), and the Thai
menu has been upgraded and enlarged, as the Havana Bar has become a favored
place for the Bangkok Thai contingent at weekends, with most dishes B. 275.
By the way, the menu also has indicators for vegetarian dishes, spicy dishes
and those recommended by the chef, plus the prices quoted are net, as they
already include a 10 percent service charge and a 7 percent VAT.
The menu continues with Snacks and Bar Bites, all
generally around B. 200 and includes baguettes, chicken wings, quesadillas
and spare ribs. From there it is into Antipasti and Salads (B. 175-320) with
an interesting mango caprese salad as well as the usual Parma ham and melon.
Soups are B. 175 and you have the choice of minestrone or roasted red
peppers and tomatoes.
Burgers (served with fat chips and salad) are generally
B. 285 and that includes the ‘All-American’ burger with 200 gm of 100
percent beef pattie, followed by Mains also ‘mainly’ B. 285 with lamb, beef,
salmon, chicken and pork.
We sampled both soups, and they were very filling and
then a Hip Club pizza for Madame and the marinated pork loin for myself. All
our choices were very pleasant. The motto of the Havana Bar is ‘sapore
delizioso’ which just means ‘delicious taste’ and we would agree that Havana
did give us that.
We finished our review drinking the Havana Bar’s
signature drink, the Mojito (similar to a caiparinya), a very drinkable and
refreshing rum based tipple, while listening to the live music (Friday and
Saturday nights).
Havana Bar offers a good range of bistro-style dishes,
with very large servings and well presented. In fact, I was unable to finish
my main course because it was so enormous, and the pizzas are definitely
meant for two to share. Madame couldn’t manage desserts!
You will certainly not leave the Havana Bar hungry, and
despite Fidel’s photo, the situation is nothing like the immediate
post-revolution era when the signs in the Havana Zoo were changed from
“Don’t feed the animals” to “Don’t eat the animal’s food”. It is also
claimed that as times got worse, these were changed to “Don’t eat the
animals!”
Havana Bar (in front of Holiday Inn and behind Terrazzo
restaurant), 463/68, Moo 9, Pattaya Beach Road, tel: 03872 5555, fax: 03872
5562, website www.holidayinn.com/pattaya. Open 2 p.m. till 1 a.m. Monday to
Thursday and 12 noon till 1 a.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Secure parking
behind and underneath Holiday Inn.
