The following unsolicited restaurant review was received at the Editorial office. Having missed this particular restaurant, I decided to include it this week. Take it away, Miss Anne Thrope…
There’s such a variety of good restaurants to choose from – it’s quite difficult isn’t it? The last time we went out for a treat we visited one of those places on Beach Road; the ones that have the big wai-ing clowns outside ensuring that we felt warmly welcomed before we’d even walked through the doors!
Lots of plus points about this place:
For a start, there’s no messing about with menus and waiters and all that palaver. They have great big photographs of what’s on offer. All I had to do was point and grunt a little. Nothing could be easier. And get this – you pay for it before you get it! Why don’t all places do this? It’s a great gimmick and saves messing about with bills and tips after you’ve eaten! Once you have your food (note: on your own tray!) you can sit where you like; you won’t be forced into a dark corner next to the toilets. We decided to sit by the window and had a fantastic view of the ocean across the road, just behind the trees and between two fried chicken carts. Bliss, and a wonderful way to relax after a hot day’s sightseeing.
The seating is brightly coloured and quite futuristic. Most of it is screwed firmly to the floor so there is no opportunity for people to mess about moving chairs around and generally being disruptive. A definite plus point in my book. The establishment is clean and well air-conditioned.
Now, to the food. On the night of our visit I had decided to try the house speciality, the Old Farm Happy Meal. This came with it’s own greaseproof wrapper and with a generous portion of chips (or rather, the far classier french-fries). These were presented in their own red and yellow carton – a nice touch – and at only 199 baht for the ‘super-sized’ meal this must be one of the best bargains in Pattaya. The burger is an amazing construction consisting of two – yes, two – beef burgers in a bap with a bit of lettuce, salad cream and a slice of gherkin. So ‘hats off’ to the young chef who was too busy on the night to pop over and speak to us.
Madame had chosen the Old Farm Somtam for mains and the portion was so large that she managed barely a few mouthfuls before pronouncing herself quite, quite full. Some minutes later she returned and gave the ladies’ toilet top marks – a feature too often overlooked by some establishments.
The drinks menu is extensive with prices to suit all pockets with Pepsi and Coca Cola at the top end of the range and the more affordable, but eminently quaffable, red or green Fanta in the mid-range. There appears to be no charge for corkage as we observed a group of Birmingham lads on the next table happily making light work of a six-pack of supermarket lager.
The restaurant has a nightly cabaret for the entertainment of guests. We were lucky to see a performance by a local avant-garde theatre troupe which I think was based on Chekhov. We all applauded when the actors playing the police arrived and escorted them back to their dressing rooms. Definitely worth a look if you are dining after 9 p.m.
We didn’t have the chance to sample the dessert menu due to Madame insisting that she’d had more than enough, but the wide range of Flurries (ice cream and smashed up Smarties) and hot apple pies all looked nearly good enough to eat! Perhaps next time…
So, in conclusion, Down at the Old Farm is an innovative addition to the dining scene here in Fun Town, whether you are just visiting, or one of the local ex-pats. Great food. Great value. Great entertainment.
We loved it!
Open 24 hours. No booking required. No credit cards. Parking available in the middle of the road or on the footpath.
