The Spaghetti Factory

South Pattaya
Junction with Soi 13/2

Quality: 8
Quantity: 8
Value: 7
Atmosphere: 6


AHH, pizza. There are times when nothing else will do.
And not just any pizza. No, you can’t be doing with those stodgy, three-inch thick offerings; you want the real thing. The Spaghetti Factory provides just such cuisine, as well as a variety of pasta. Sat right on Beach Road, it is out in the open and looks out over Pattaya’s beach. Diners, meanwhile, are kept in the shade, giving the place an airy, almost Continental feel. It’s easy to while away an hour or so with a beer and a plate of penne, watching Pattaya’s characters drift past.

The menu isn’t vast, but offers all a good Italian place should. There is antipasta and bruschetta for starters, salad, specials including ravioli, and then the main meals. We went for the Nicotera (190 baht), a combination of beef, mushrooms, and cream sauce, and the Romana pizza (180 baht).

The pizza was suitably thin and had just the right amount of oils and cheese. Covered in a generous sprinkling of sausages, it was filling and flavoursome. The pasta was just as satisfying, with meaty mushrooms and a well-cooked pasta, that was all the better for a good dose of black pepper. The Spaghetti Factory is in a great location, but the restaurant itself isn’t overflowing with colour, but then maybe its lived-in feel is part of the character. The only downside is the waitresses, most of whom are slightly mature, and all of whom are incredibly miserable. Once they’d taken our order they took to sitting down in a corner and talking among themselves, and any request for help was met with the most indignant look. That aside, the food is good and plentiful, and in just the right spot.