1The Sky Gallery Pattaya
The Sky Gallery is Pattaya's most successful execution of the 'view restaurant' concept - and a study in how a strong location plus deliberate Instagram-friendly design produces a self-sustaining tourism magnet.
Fried chicken in Pattaya means three different things depending on where you go: Korean-style (double-fried, sauced — soy garlic or yangnyeom), Western-style (buttermilk-brined, big breaded pieces), or Thai-style gai tod (lightly battered, served with sticky rice and sweet chili). All three traditions have champions in Pattaya.
8 places worth ordering it from
2Leng Kee Restaurant
Leng Kee is the answer to 'where do Pattaya locals actually eat at 3 AM' and 'who serves the best roast duck in Pattaya.' Located at 341/3-6 Central Pattaya Road in the older part of the city's Chinatown area, the restaurant has been operating 24 hours a day for decades and ha...
3Sugar Hut Restaurant
Sugar Hut has been a Pattaya institution since 1986 - the kind of restaurant where the atmosphere is so specific and so deeply embedded in the location that even consistent food execution becomes secondary to the experience of being there.
4Bonchon Pattaya
Bonchon's path to becoming Pattaya's default Korean restaurant is a study in chain-discipline: take one technique - the Korean double-fried chicken method - execute it identically across every location, build a menu around it, and refuse to compromise on the chicken even as yo...
For the fried chicken, order: Soy-garlic double-fried chicken
5PIC Kitchen
PIC Kitchen has been serving Pattaya for over 40 years - founded in 1985 - making it one of the city's longest-tenured Thai restaurant institutions.
6Yamagoya Ramen
Donburi rice bowls (chashu-don, gyudon, oyakodon) are available for non-ramen diners, plus solid karaage (Japanese fried chicken), gyoza (pan-fried pork dumplings), tempura, and Japanese pickles.
For the fried chicken, order: Karaage (Japanese fried chicken)
7Moom Aroi Na Kluea
Moom Aroi Na Kluea is what 'beachfront Thai seafood' means in Pattaya at its best.
8Horizon Rooftop Restaurant & Bar
Horizon Rooftop Restaurant & Bar sits on the 34th floor of Hilton Pattaya - making it the highest dining venue in central Pattaya by a substantial margin.
Pro tip: When ordering this dish at a place that's not on this list, ask the staff "is this any good here?" — Thai service workers often steer you toward what the kitchen actually does well, away from menu filler.