Pelmeni Club is exactly what it sounds like - a restaurant built around the Russian dumpling. The kitchen makes over 30 varieties of pelmeni and vareniki by hand daily, with fillings ranging from classic pork-and-beef to salmon-and-dill, mushroom-potato, lamb-cherry, and seasonal specials. The menu also covers Russian classics (borscht, beef stroganoff, blini with caviar) and a selection of European and Thai dishes. German draft beer, Russian vodka selection, and reasonable prices have made it a favorite of Pattaya's enormous Russian-speaking community.
Our take
Pattaya's Russian-speaking population is large - estimates put it at 30,000+ permanent and seasonal residents - and Pelmeni Club is the restaurant most of them name first when asked where to go for genuine homestyle Russian cooking. The premise is simple: build a menu around the pelmeni dumpling and execute it with fanaticism. The kitchen produces over thirty varieties daily, all hand-pleated by Russian and Ukrainian staff who learned from their grandmothers. The classic pork-and-beef pelmeni in butter and dill is the entry point - perfectly al dente wrappers, juicy filling, served with sour cream and the suggested vinegar-and-mustard combination. From there, the menu spirals into specialty fillings: salmon and dill, lamb and sour cherry, mushroom and potato (vareniki), pumpkin and ricotta, beef and cabbage, chicken and chanterelle. Each is steamed or boiled to order, never pre-cooked. Beyond pelmeni, the broader Russian menu hits all the classics: borscht with smetana and rye bread, solyanka, beef stroganoff with hand-cut frites, chicken Kiev that bursts butter when cut, blini with red caviar or salmon roe, herring under a fur coat, Olivier salad. There's also a small selection of European and Thai dishes for non-Russian companions. The drink program is what you'd hope: a Russian vodka selection running to a dozen-plus brands including Beluga, Russian Standard Gold, Mamont, served correctly chilled with appropriate zakuski. German drafts complement, plus a wine list focused on Eastern European producers. Prices are mid-tier - 600-1000 THB per person for a main with a couple of vodkas. The dining room is unpretentious - red walls, framed Russian art, soft Russian music. Service is in Russian and English. The clientele is overwhelmingly Russian and Ukrainian regulars, with German and Scandinavian expats mixed in. It's not a tourist-trap experience; it's a neighborhood institution.
The atmosphere
Long-established restaurant with a settled, regular-clientele feel. Casual atmosphere - unfussy, comfortable, designed for relaxed dining.
What to expect
Arrival: walk in or check at host stand. Service is efficient - allow 60-90 minutes for a full meal. Reservations recommended on weekends.
Menu highlights
Is it worth the price?
Mid-tier value. Fairly priced for the quality delivered. Per-person estimate: 500-1000 THB.
Insider tips
- Order pelmeni varieties as a 'sampling plate' - kitchen will plate 5-6 different fillings on one platter for groups to share.
- Vodka is best ordered in 50ml shots with chilled glasses - ask for 'graphined' (chilled in ice).
- The dish 'herring under a fur coat' looks alarming but is delicious - try it once.
- Russian rye bread is brought free with most savory dishes - ask for extra.
- Borscht is genuinely better the next day - some regulars order extra to take home.
- Cash is preferred but cards work fine; small discount available for large cash bills.
- Russian/Ukrainian staff appreciate basic Russian greetings (привет / спасибо) - small effort, big returns in service warmth.
The story
Pelmeni Club opened in 2014 to serve Pattaya's growing Russian-speaking expat community, which had expanded rapidly through the 2010s. The kitchen was set up specifically around the labor-intensive process of daily hand-pleating dumplings, hiring Russian and Ukrainian staff who had grown up making them. The restaurant has expanded its filling repertoire from an initial 12 varieties to the current 30+ over the years.
Getting there
Central Pattaya, on Second Road. Walking distance from Beach Road. Songthaew baht bus stops directly outside (10 THB). Tuk-tuks and Grab readily available.