I must admit that the Dining Out Team had never heard of Pedro Gastrobar before our review, but it has apparently been going for nine months. Towards the ocean end of Soi 4 off Second Road (one way down from Second Road), and just past the Pattaya International Hospital, the Pedro Gastrobar is a new addition to the Hotel Vista, getting part of its name from the hotel owner Peter (Pedro colloquially).
It had been some years since we reviewed the main restaurant in the Hotel Vista, and we were pleased to see that the clean, smart décor looked just as fresh as it did a couple of years ago.
This new outlet is on the left facing the registration desk and its theme color is black, with black steel framework, brushed steel chairs, glass-topped tables and a sit-up bar at the far side of the bar. There is also a small kitchen area on the other side of the bar, where the chef and her assistant produce the items on offer. In addition, there is a temperature controlled wine cellar behind glass, and in another area there is a pool table.
The menu is not extensive, but neither is it expensive; however, it should be noted that the portion sizes are more of a ‘tapas’ style, rather than full meal sizes. It begins with Appetizers which range between B. 80 – B. 120, and begins with a Gazpacho, the Spanish cold soup, and fits with the “Pedro” in the name, being Spanish for Peter. One interesting item in the appetizers was a grissini with blue cheese and caramelized onion dip.
The next division in the menu is Seafood with the range B. 120 to B. 220. This section has New Zealand mussels, salmon and a river prawns with garlic sauce.
After the seafood comes Meat ranging in price between B. 80 to B. 350 and includes beef tortillas and a braised beef tenderloin with red wine sauce and olives at the top end.
The beverages menu is separate and has many imported beers (B. 150-200) including Hoegarden and Budweiser, plus many cocktails and soft drinks, of course.
The Dining Out Team consisted of three adults and two children, and the manager decided it was easier to just cook the menu items and let us share and compare. With tapas sized portions, this was a good move on her part. Standouts were the use of blue cheese on a couple of items and the grissini bread sticks with the blue cheese and caramelized onion introduced several flavors all at once. The braised beef tenderloin was so good, we re-ordered it, and it was just as good second time around!
From the seafood section we tried the NZ mussels and the river prawns with garlic sauce. These were well cooked and presented and the garlic was not overpowering. The salmon steak was liked by the children in particular, and were hefty fillets. Almost a meal in itself.
Pedro Gastrobar is a little different from most venues and to me, looks like the place to end an evening after a show with drinks and tapas. Probably a brave move by the owner to attempt to make a niche in Pattaya’s already overcrowded dining out marketplace. The main drawback for this venue is a lack of publicity – normally I stay away from commenting on such things, but this is one place that needs to advertise itself to bring Pedro Gastrobar to the forefront of diners’ minds. Having said that, the food was excellent and well presented and yes we would go again with a bunch of friends for a great ending to a fun evening somewhere.
Pedro Gastrobar, Hotel Vista, 196 Pattaya Soi 4, Banglamung, Chonburi 20150 Tel: 038 052 300, Fax: 038 052 317, email: [email protected], secure parking underneath the hotel (steep ramp, so go slowly).
