Yupin's Restaurant — Restaurant in Pattaya City

Title - Well located, Mixed menu, poor value

Scored - 3 stars out of 5

We have visited Yupins on the odd occassion for 7 years. Our experience has been checkered.

The restaurant is well located in a popular gay area handy for people looking to grab a meal whilst staying within this bar area.

Thoughtfully, the restr offers an indoor aircon area and a small outdoor patio for those wishing to take in the sights and sounds of the bar scene.

It is ideally suited to people wishing for 'something-down-the-street" or 'across-the-road'. Ideal for people not wanting to walk more than a few steps either before or after drinks at the gay bars dotting this street. 80 pct of the diners seem to be 60+ years so proximity for a meal can be important. Also thoughtfully a ramp for wheelchair access is provided. This is great given that not many in Pattaya consider this.

The walls are lovingly painted to add some character to the place. The food is good quality and tasty. Portion sizes are small. Nice choice of wines.

The owner welcomes diners and takes time to chat. Many diners esp. the regulars like this.

All the soup, steak, salmon and chicken dishes on the menu have remained unchanged since Yupins opened its doors many moons back. Great if one is a creature of habit, enjoys sameness or a once in a way diner here. In the Pattaya dining scene I have come to expect change and renewal in food offerings - esp. if its a fine-dining establishment with Continental dishes (mains alone) priced at USD 25+

Spaghetti Bolognaise, Spaghetti Carbonara, Spaghetti Marinara at THB 295- are very poor value measured by tastebuds - food content - price. Quantity of sphagetti good..

The service is reasonable & waiters attentive. Perhaps overly attentive. The waiters push one to order quickly after you arrive. They do not encourage diners to linger unless one orders a bottle of wine or spirits. This comes across very clearly in the way they hover - ask - disappear and again hover - ask, ask, ask. The owner clearly does not want people lingering over entrees or coffees. Order - Eat - Pay - Go is the drumbeat. It comes across very clearly and is a shocking style for an owner to promote. Some other reviews have made similar comments so it is noticed by diners.

The dish called Jumbo Tiger Prawns comprised 1 large prawn (diced into 2 halves) with veges or salad. Has been on the menu for years & years. Priced at THB 495- it offered me zero in terms of value. In fact when we compared this we have had a better "value" experience (for THB 495) at nearby SandBar, Natan's and the Hilton buffet (at THB 1200) in terms of : Dining space - Ambience, views - Quality - good portion size.

Much as we like the gay street location of Yupins, genuine value is something we struggle to find at Yupins. Its cramped settings are far removed from a fine dining experience but the prices are for fine dining. A paradox.

On table space - The tables are 6 inches apart so one is able to hear everything from the next table. Due to the tiny shop house into which 14 tables are cram-jammed it means sitting elbow to elbow, if you have diners sitting at adjoining tables. Also my 2 friends were told to slide-in whilst the table was pulled out. After they sat the table was pushed back. Each time someone went to the loo the procedure of moving the table back and forth was repeated - all the time we are trying to enjoy our meal. Imagine having a group dine-out and going through this for a group. We observed that inside the restaurant all 10 (of the 14 tables, 4 outside) had the same inconvenient arrangement.

The micro-tables carry a sauce/ condiment box, 2 bottles of wine & a house specials display. After these are cleared food was served - all the while trying to create table space for the dishes whilst leaving just enough for ones plate. I am a "Yupins--occassional-diner" but not a "Yupin-diehard" so elbow-to-elbow dining is not an enjoyable experience and definitely not at the prices Yupin charges for what...

The standards are quite high when you enter: fine dining, European and Thai food. The welcome from the owner is very friendly. Unfortunately, you and your table are trapped against the wall, which gives you a somewhat strange feeling at the beginning when the owner pushes the table in front of your chest and you are restrained.

But ok, there is a menu, a good wine list and very high priced cocktails. Since we didn't want to drink alcohol that evening anyway, that didn't matter. We chose fish & chips and grilled chicken breast and a smoothie and a soft drink.

The food was ok, but it didn't live up to the high expectations that the owner raised at the entrance. Of course, fish & chips are not "fine dining food" either, but you could at least expect excellent quality. The fish was good, but the unsalted French fries were poorly fried. They were soggy with oil and not crispy either. This can be done better. The salad that came with both meals was below average. It's not a dressing if you pour balsamic vinegar over the salad and a lot of greens with two half tomatoes and 3 slices of onion is not a real salad either. That too should work better. Overall it was ok, but far from great. The owner should perhaps double check the preparation of his salads and fries....

Cosy, intimate and great hosts who are warmly welcoming. This was our first time here and certainly will not be our last. Try the sizzling garlic prawns, fantastic with lots of fresh bread supplied for mopping up the butter, yum yum!! The chicken curry served in a clay pot is also highly recommended, full of flavour with loads of tender tasty chicken and it’s perfect for those who don’t like spicy food. Add to the mix a great wine selection, this is a restaurant where you could indeed spend a good few hours in the evening just enjoying the overall ambiance...