El Gaucho Thappraya — Restaurant in Pattaya City

Whenever I travel, I make it a point to seek out the best steaks, and I’ve dined at several Michelin-starred restaurants. During my stay in Jomtien, I noticed El Gaucho on my route back to the hotel every night. Curious, I asked my driver for a good steakhouse recommendation, and he suggested El Gaucho.

The restaurant has a cigar humidor, which added a nice touch to the ambiance. Though they didn’t carry my preferred brand, they had a solid selection, and I picked up a stogie for after dinner.

The kitchen did an outstanding job with the food. The decor was reminiscent of the Argentinian steakhouses I’ve visited, creating a warm and familiar atmosphere.

However, the service wasn’t quite what I expected.

As a solo diner, perhaps my experience was different, but it felt rushed. The waiter presented the menu and hovered as I decided what to order. I tried to buy some time by ordering wine first, but that didn’t help. So, I ended up ordering a soup, salad, appetizer, and entrée all at once. I’m used to ordering courses gradually, but this might be a cultural difference.

Unfortunately, everything arrived at the same time, cluttering the small table and making the dining experience a bit disjointed. I had to decide quickly which dish to eat while it was still hot, which took away from the enjoyment.

That said, dessert was a highlight—definitely try the cheesecake with strawberries. The bill came with an exceptional homemade caramel vodka, which was a delightful surprise. I might just have to order a bottle of it!

Despite my personal experience, the other tables around me seemed to be having a great time. It could be that my preferences or cultural differences played a role, as I’m a guest in Thailand and not fully familiar with the local customs. Still, the steak was melt-in-your-mouth tender, the wine was excellent, and the setting...

Be warned: If you look out for a decent cost/performance ratio, this place is NOT for you

During my visit, I ordered half a litre of italian sparkling water, and a main course avocado salad. According to the menu, this would cost almost 1000 THB (rounded 200 + 800) - a lot of money, not least compared to what walking-distance italian restaurants there charge for something nominally comparable (where you usually would pay less than half), but I was willing to take the risk: The place looks decent, and it claims to be 'argentinian' - I made lots of good experience with restaurants in Argentina, not least the quantities served.

The first setback: The salad was not much larger than a side salad. I told them this was unacceptable, but the thai staff didn't seem to understand, plus they apparently had nothing to offer as a kind of compensation.

Then the second shock: Instead of charging the price according to the menu, they came with a bill where they had added a kind of surcharge - something in the range of ten percent. Used to 'inclusive' pricing rules which are the law in civilised countries (thus not the US), I told them I wouldn't accept that, offered the price according to the menu instead. Predictably, this led to more fuss and calling invisible superiors - but finally, they accepted my proposal.

My conclusion: This place is not for regular people. If you are super-rich and do not care to be fleeced, then I would vividly suggest you...

I watched the stodgy old Bruno’s slowly being re-imagined as the lovely El Gaucho over a number of months as I looked forward to the prospect of having a premium steakhouse right in my neighborhood.

It was finally opened last week, and I finally had the chance to go last night.

It was a disappointment!

It is a lovely place with a well-trained, attentive staff. The menu is extensive with something for everyone, but of course it is heavy on the beef (this is a steakhouse after all). And steak is what I ordered: specifically a USDA Prime filet with a side of French fries.

The steak was quite good and the fries were fine, but I was hoping something much better. My meal (with a Coke) came to almost 3,000 baht and for that price I was expecting something divine. I think perhaps I just had my expectations set too high!

They bill themselves as “The Place for Steak”, but there are better steaks (and much better French fries) around at a fraction of the price: at The Bull, at Cafe des Amis and the wonderful huge ribeye at Au Bon Coin (with the best fries in town!).

I sampled the burger that my friend ordered and it was very good indeed. But there are equally good burgers for much less than 800 baht at Peaky Blinders and at Marco’s.

In short, El Gaucho is a lovely dining experience with above average food, but not worth the...