Moonlight

[richsilver]

Moonlight is a six month old small, intimate restaurant with great food in a surprising location: the ground floor of View Talay 7 overlooking the swimming pool.

I had dinner there last night with a friend and it was really good. The reviews on Trip Advisor were very positive (I have added mine) so we decided to try it.

If you're looking for a quiet, delightful place to share a wonderful meal with a friend or a lover...this is it! There is no loud music; there are no TVs. The layout affords maximum privacy for each table. The entire ambiance is one of intimacy and elegance, a big surprise considering the location. There are perhaps 10 View Talay buildings in Pattaya and typically the establishments on the main floor are laundries, minimarts or real estate agencies. Moonlight is a very happy exception.

As for the food, it is really good! In my opinion it is on a par with some of the best in Pattaya: Mata Hari and Cafe des Amis. You can find the complete menu at their website: http://www.moonlightpattaya.com/moonlight-cuisine/. It is certainly not for those on a budget, but I think worth every baht.

I can't wait to go back...

[Gaybutton]

Thank you for your report. It never would have occurred to me to look for a high end restaurant at a View Talay condo. I'm looking forward to trying it.

[Undaunted]

Nice touch the 17% added to your bill.

[RichLB]

As good as the food looks, I will most probably give this restaurant a pass on principle. I hate the automatic service charge being added to the bill. To me, it is dishonest. Show the real price on the menu and indicate it includes the service charge AND the vat. I think they stick it on at the end so they can advertise lower prices.

[Alex]

Oh look, the VAT & Service Charge discussion circus is back in town.

[Gaybutton]

Oh look, the VAT & Service Charge discussion circus is back in town.

And that is a problem because . . . . . ?

[lvdkeyes]

Rich LB, How is this dishonest when it is clearly on the menu that it will be added?

[Up2u]

I know several other friends that dined there recently and loved it. I have no issues with service charges when fully disclosed on the menu.

[RichLB]

Rich LB, How is this dishonest when it is clearly on the menu that it will be added?

A legitimate question, but when a price is advertised on a web site I think it's reasonable to assume that is the price one will be required to pay for a meal. To me, it's dishonest to be surprised by a 17 percent increase in price - even if it is on the menu present in the establishment. Since such a charge is not voluntary, I think it's deceptive to not simply include such charges in the price printed on the menu. I assume the reason is that to do so would make the price so high it would discourage customers. Anyway, that's why I think it's dishonest to stick that on at the end of the meal.

[Gaybutton]

I have no issues with service charges when fully disclosed on the menu.

I do. If it's on the menu I don't consider it dishonest, but that doesn't mean I like it. My issue is I prefer to be the one who decides how much I'll tip or even if I'll tip. If I get rude or lousy service, I don't see why I should have to tip for that. If I think I have a legitimate reason to refuse to tip, I don't want to have to go through an argument about it with the restaurant. If the restaurant wants to control the tip amount, then instead of forcing it on customers it would be much more acceptable to me if the menu simply said something like "A 10% tip for service is suggested" and leave it up to the customer's own discretion.

I agree with RichLB in that the VAT should be incorporated into the menu price. That's what most restaurants in Thailand do and the price shown on the menu is what you pay. When 17% VAT and service charge is added to the menu price, then if the menu price is 500 baht, what you're really paying is 585. Math never was my strongest subject. Sorry, but I don't want to have to bring a calculator to a restaurant to figure out how much my meal will actually cost (as I just now had to do to figure out that it would cost 585 baht).

Unless there is something truly outstanding about the restaurant, when they add VAT and service charge to the menu price I usually don't go back. There are plenty of other restaurants I enjoy just as much that don't do that.

I really don't understand why restaurants do that in the first place. I've never seen anyone complain when the menu price is what you pay and tipping is left to your own discretion. But I do see complaints when the restaurant adds on a service charge or both VAT and service charge.