For Pattaya’s expat community, the question of where to get the best Christmas dinner in town is one of the most hotly debated questions of the year. Some have their own regular favourites where they dine year after year on Christmas Day, while others like to try a new restaurant every year. There will also be thousands of western tourists in Pattaya looking to have a traditional Christmas dinner so we thought we would do a round-up of the best places and their offerings this Yuletide.

Pubs are a very popular option, particularly for the British and Irish crowd and there are plenty of good ones to choose from. Dicey Reilly’s is always busy on Christmas Day and this year is offering two sittings at lunch and again at dinner. There is a feast of festive fare on offer, served buffet style, including traditional turkey and ham, plus roast beef and pork on the carvery. Dicey’s is charging 699 Baht per head.

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Also serving carvery style is Robins Nest offering turkey, ham and pork as the central attraction as well as a range of Christmas desserts. The Nest does not have the range of Dicey’s buffet but comes in cheaper at 450 Baht.

For those wanting a pub meal but looking to avoid the buffet crush, the Sportsman is serving a more traditional sit down set menu dinner with a choice of three starters and main dishes, as well as a range of puddings. The mains courses are traditional turkey, sirloin steak or pork medallions. Three courses and coffee is 995 Baht a head.

Many of Pattaya’s fine dining restaurants are also rolling out the boat to provide a festive feast. Café Pascal has a sumptuous-sounding five course meal including a Christmas appetiser plate which includes smoked salmon, crystal prawns, roast beef, parma ham and terrines. Beef and turkey are on offer as the mains with Christmas pudding and rum sauce or apple strudel to finish. At 1,290 Baht a head, it looks a bargain.

 

Mantra is serving a Christmas brunch from 11.30am complete with a welcoming glass of bubbly, mulled wine or eggnog. As well as their usual excellent cuisine, there is beef Wellington and turkey. The brunch costs 1,999 Baht a head. However that is not all; in the evening, Mantra is presenting a six course dinner and party complete with carol singers and a visit from Father Christmas. The evening meal is 2,999 Baht per person.

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For those that want to feast but are looking for a twist on tradition, Benihana are putting on Christmas Teppanyaki style. The menu includes tiger prawns, salmon, scallops and for the piece de résistance, turkey with nori and cranberry sauce served with garlic rice! Their six course meal including a glass of sparkling wine and souvenir gift is 2,999 Baht a head, with a 500 Baht discount for all bookings made before 20th December.

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Obviously, this was just a small selection out of literally hundreds of dining venues in Pattaya open on Christmas eve. Anyone wishing to dine out on this special day is strongly recommended to book in advance as it is likely that most restaurants will be operating at maximum capacity. Wherever you choose to dine, we wish you a very merry Christmas.