Cabbages and Condoms, Pattaya

[bao-bao]

In June friends and I had dinner one night at the Cabbages and Condoms Restaurant adjoining the Birds and Bees Resort. It was my third visit to the place and I enjoyed it yet again. Not getting much of a result after doing a forum search here I thought IтАЩd mention it in a little more detail and make the suggestion to try it, especially if you want to take someone special to a lush, impressive (and romantic) location for some pretty good food.

IтАЩve have never had anyone look sideways at me when IтАЩve visited with one or more male companions and canтАЩt imagine they ever would as long as you didnтАЩt try fooling around on the lawn and frighten the rabbits hopping around there.

The entryway to the restaurant from the parking lot at Birds and Bees Resort:
http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/albumpics/2728.jpg

Before IтАЩm taken to task about the тАЬpretty good foodтАЭ part of that last sentence, let me say itтАЩs not the best Thai food IтАЩve had in LOS and it seemed to be more tailored to the Western palate, but you can always ask for things to be more highly spiced, if thatтАЩs your taste. The views around the open dining areas and the pleasant, attentive staff were all very lovely.

Looking up from our table in the lower dining area, just above the surf (ask to sit down by the water):
http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/albumpics/2729.jpg

Our waiters for the evening:
http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/albumpics/2730.jpg

Their web site - http://www.cabbagesandcondoms.co.th - has driving directions and a map on it. It was about 7 to 10 minutes by car from the Jomtien area, just across sstreet from the Asia Pattaya Hotel.

I appreciated the great attention to quirky detail throughout the resort complex - from the bunnies hopping around the gardens to the life-sized figures covered in condoms in the gift shop to the sea-view windows above the urinals in the menтАЩs room of the restaurant (!?!), visible in this photo:

http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/albumpics/2731.jpg

The waves breaking on the shore 15 feet below our table were restful, the tiny blue lights strung throughout many of the trees and the warm night ocean breeze made for a very relaxing meal and visit. The picture below isnтАЩt one of my better night shots, but it gives you an idea of the view from our table:

http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/albumpics/2732.jpg

Add to the package that the entire resort is part of a charity organization thatтАЩs done a magnificent job with birth control, AIDS prevention and other causes since 1974 and you have a winning situation all around. IтАЩm thinking of seeking the Bangkok location out next month. If anyone has any input on that location IтАЩd be happy to hear it.

HereтАЩs a bit from their site:

тАЬMechai Viravaidya is the founder and Chairman of the Population and Community Development Association (PDA), one of Thailand's largest private, non-profit development organizations. Since 1974, PDA has initiated community-based family planning services, community and rural development programs, and HIV/AIDS prevention activities throughout Thailand.тАЭ

[bing]

I did not go to the Cabbage and Condoms this last trip, but I agree it is someplace special. I encourage first time guests not to take the first table offered as they will probably put you in the main dinning area. You want to go to sea side tables where you can hear the surf pounding on the shore. It is a rather spread out place, but wonderful. By all means take your camera with you as there are several places to take picutures. I rate it as one of the more romantic spots to take a special friend. One Caveat, it is a bit out of the way and it is best to have a cell phone to arrange pickup after the meal.

Fabulous place to go for a meal. Great ambience and good food.

Did you read the funny signs?

[GWMinUS]

The Cabbages and Condoms in BKK is located in a more Urban Area.
But the restaurant itself is very nice.
I went there with my Thai BF who used to be a waiter there.
So we got the Royal Treatment. Upstairs on the railing. Overlooking everything below.
I enjoyed the food and my friend told them to make it SPICEY!!!
AHHHHHH fond remembrances!!!

PS My BF looked a lot like your waiter in green. YUM YUM

[neddy3]

Well done, bao-bao.

A nice post about a nice place. Liked the photos.
Well worth a visit.
I have also enjoyed visits to C & C several times, and find their food to be enjoyable.

[bao-bao]

I neglected to include a few other pictures to the original post this morning, sorry.

IтАЩve never been disappointed with the food at Cabbages and Condoms. We were all hungry this last visit, so there were no pictures until after weтАЩd eaten. These appetizers are from February.

http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/albumpics/2739.jpg

The restaurant has several different dining areas, at several different levels. You can see some of them below, and the surf down at the bottom. I also second the suggestion by bing: ask for the lower seaside tables.

http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/albumpics/2740.jpg

This condom-covered Santa was there in February; I suppose heтАЩs long gone by nowтАж

http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/albumpics/2741.jpg

By the way, Oogleman's right - the signs around the resort and grounds are a hoot!

Prices?

[bao-bao]

GF, I'm guessing you're asking if it's reasonable or not and that's difficult to say - everyone has their own ideas of what cheap and expensive are.

I personally didn't think it was high for what you get, including the ambiance of the place which is very nice (but not snooty). Plus, understand, it's primarily there to benefit the charity.

There's an extensive menu in English and Thai at:

http://www.cabbagesandcondoms.co.th/Res ... 0Break.pdf (http://www.cabbagesandcondoms.co.th/Restaurant/SetMenu_Coffee%20Break.pdf)

Thanks for the link, bao-bao. The prices seem very reasonable, particularly when compared to similar venues without the ambience and with an over-abundance of "snooty"! My partner controls the food budget, except for a few special occasions when I am allowed to pay directly, so if I have some idea in advance it avoids all sorts of potential problems.

[francois]

My Thai friend was not excessively impressed with C&C. He liked the gardens but did not like sitting near the edge of the water. He was not impressed with the food and said service was slow. He did not want to return.. But often he does not like to sit and listen and not understand as farang jabber in English. For Thais it seems they want to eat and leave, but maybe only when with farang?

... often he does not like to sit and listen and not understand as farang jabber in English.

Can you blame him?

[yaraboy]

I have stayed at the resort and while expensive the ambiance and tranquility makes you think that you are far away from Pattaya. Interestingly the property used to be Meechai's family summer home. Both his parents were Doctors and his mother Scottish.