The Blue Olive brings the Mediterranean to Pattaya

Pattaya may well be famous (or infamous, depending on your viewpoint) for its nightlife, but for more than a decade it has also become a resort city where genuine world-class cuisine can be found across a multitude of restaurants.

One of the most recent additions to this ever-burgeoning Pattaya culinary scene is Blue Olive. Ideally located in Soi 8, off Thepprasit Road in Jomtien, Blue Olive offers a different kind of dining experience by concentrating on what is called Mediterranean cuisine.

Indeed, the management of Blue Olive have given the eatery a catchy motto: ‘The Mediterranean is closer than you think’.

The question naturally arises, just what is Mediterranean cuisine? In the Blue Olive handbook it covers a selection of dishes which emanated originally from all parts of the European side of the Mediterranean basin, stretching from Spain across to Italy and thence to Greece.

Of course this is Pattaya, and so the owners recognized the need to diversify from the Mediterranean style and include Thai food and some other Western styles as well, thereby ensuring they can appeal to all segments of the local community.

The Mediterranean flavour begins with the layout of Blue Olive. Its intricately decorated brick ceiling, large open kitchen and lava grill, as well as the meat and cheese delicatessen counter, wine station, and open-air terrace are all visual markers intended to subliminally put diners in mind of the Mediterranean, whether they have spent time in that region or are have simply seen pictures.

This is the kind of place you want to come to and spend some time in, relaxing from the daily grind by embracing the Mediterranean style of eating, whether your culinary selections are totally southern European or come from further afield.

There is an abundant array of starters, from simple salads and tapas to the Italian starter platter filled with a variety of cold cuts or the cream soup of Parmesan Cheese with Royal Oyster Mushrooms.

There is a wide selection of mains, as you would expect. These cover such dishes as Moussaka, Gyros, French Monkfish with Scampi, Oven-Grilled Blue-Eyed Cod, Slow-Smoked Spare Ribs, and some Tex-Mex delights such as Fajitas with Smoked Chicken and Tacos.

The Thai menu is equally diversified, with management recognizing the fact that so many of their potential clientele will likely be accompanied by a Thai national whose tastes may well run to European cuisine, but who may equally be looking to enjoy a classic Thai dish in a different setting.

If you’ve made it through the starters and mains you should definitely leave enough room for a classic dessert, whether it be Blue Olive’s home-made specialty Tartuffe Italian ice cream or home-made Tiramisu.

Blue Olive employ a knowledgeable and friendly staff who are keen to introduce newcomers to the delights of Mediterranean-style dining. This is not anything like a fast-food restaurant, the Blue Olive experience is meant to be one to savour for far longer than the time it takes to eat. It is designed to be a night out all on its own, leaving diners with the desire to make this a regular experience.

For more information on Blue Olive you can phone them on 038 416 285, email: [email protected] or check out their website: www.blueolivethailand.com