The Pavilions, Phuket

360° Bar, Cocktails & Tapas, The Pavilions Phuket

360° Bar is not only frequented by in-house guests of the luxury adults-only villa property, The Pavilions, but is also popular amongst residents in the area. Elevated above the crowd on a hill in Laguna it has a distinct advantage over other bars in the vicinity offering a mildly cooler temperature, ravishing sunsets and a competitively priced food and beverage menu.

360° Bar and Grill, The Pavilions, Phuket
360° Bar and Grill

Cocktails, or Love Potions as they’re so named here, represent a fine play between local flavours and quality branded spirits. The use of tropical fruits, herbs and spices, and a thoughtful balance of character produce a collection of tipples that easily rival those in any bar in Bangkok.

Rambutan Basil Mojito (250) combines the juice of the local rambutan fruit with gin, lemongrass, Thai basil, and galangal. A creative roll of just-peeled fruit garnishes the top, and the freshness in adornment is reflected in the flavours in the glass – a great start! Phuket Mule (250) makes use of not only local herbs but also the island’s very own rum from the Chalong Bay distillery. Muddled with ginger and topped up with ginger ale, it too is a tasty entrance.

360° Bar and Grill, The Pavilions, Phuket
Rambutan Basil Mojito & No. 1 Pom

Continuing with the Thai theme, Mango Madness (250) mixes vodka with ripe mango, Thai basil, lime juice and sugar into a pretty and fruity concoction well suited to an island holiday. Another fruity blend sees fresh pineapple chunks mingled with crushed kaffir lime leaves, white rum and Cointreau in the Pineapple & Kaffir Lime Crush (250). You’ve probably already guessed it, but these sweeter, fruitier compositions are clear hits with hubby.

360° Bar and Grill, The Pavilions, Phuket
Mango Madness

Taking note of the current trend around the world, 360° Bar has its own dedicated gin corner. Currently a handful of versions of the traditional Gin and Tonic are offered and we try the No. 1 Pom (400). London No. 1 gin is poised with lemon bitters, tonic and elderflower liqueur, and sports a chrysanthemum garnish. Served in a voluminous glass it feels just as imperial in the hand as it does in our mouths. Our last beverage, the Hex Appeal (250) demonstrates just how well balanced these mixes are. A striking trimming of a whole red chili seems to warn of a powerful punch. Equilibrium however is found with kaffir lime leaves, sugar syrup, vodka and lemon juice softening the spicy kick to a mild blow. This turns out to be my favourite, and even hubby (usually aversive to spice and acidity) agrees he’d be happy with more than just a few sips.

360° Bar and Grill, The Pavilions, Phuket
Phuket Mule

A consummate pairing with cocktails and these stunning views is the tapas menu, which draws from both the east and the west.

Popcorn Prawns (220) come in a pair of skewers coated with a green tea mayonnaise and popcorn crumbs. Creamy, textured and firm to the bite, these crustaceans are decadently more-ish – another order please! As hubby rants about the virtues of the first dish, a waitress puts her fingers to her lips and makes a kissing sound confirming his opinion.

360° Bar and Grill, The Pavilions, Phuket
Popcorn Prawns

Sun-dried Wagyu Beef (360) is inspired by a northern Thai dish. It has been lushed up with the use of wagyu and dried just enough to gift a mild chew, but not so much so to make it leathery (as is the tradition). For veggie-loving me, the strong taste of beef is too much on its own. The spicy Issan sauce however lightens the force, and I find myself dipping a whole handful of the strips. Hubby on the other hand declines the accompaniment and eats these bites as if they were a bowl of popcorn.

360° Bar and Grill, The Pavilions, Phuket
Sun-dried Wagyu Beef

Tuna Tataki (350) plates multiple rectangles of fish crusted with black sesame. Quickly pan-seared, a few millimetres around the edges are done, while the remainder brandishes a rosy pink middle. Coriander, green chilli and mint leaves complement the freshness of this dish.

360° Bar and Grill, The Pavilions, Phuket
Tuna Tataki

The simply named Calamari (160) is taken up a notch with a squeeze of lime and a few drops of the Thai herb sauce. The char of the grill is branded on the white flesh and carries over in full bounty to the mouth.

360° Bar and Grill, The Pavilions, Phuket
Calamari

Bakpao (200) are soft white steamed buns holding thin slices of house-made lemongrass chicken sausage, finely shredded green mango slaw, a good dose of coriander, a shaving of pickled ginger and a slim slice of pineapple. There’s a small gob of mayonnaise that lubricates it all and makes the wonderful mix of elements slide down all too easily.

360° Bar and Grill, The Pavilions, Phuket
Bakpao

Lobster Dog (480) – a very lavish version of the foot long hotdog – although in miniature, features succulent pieces of crustacean on an oblong brioche bun. The succulent lobster doesn’t need much more trimmings than the meat itself, so a light mayonnaise is all that’s supplied assisting the flesh to slip down effortlessly. Don’t miss eating the zucchini skewer garnish. Soaked in a sweet marinade with a lovely hint of mustard, these soft slices of veggie are delicious.

360° Bar and Grill, The Pavilions, Phuket
Lobster Dog

Sliders (220) are a classic that apparently can’t be removed from the menu. Soft buns hold house-made wagyu beef patties, tomato, lettuce, melted comté cheese and white onion. Hubby bites into the mini burgers and his loud oohs and aahs are confirmation of their timeless appeal.

360° Bar and Grill, The Pavilions, Phuket
Sliders

Sticky Rice Ice Cream Sandwich (250) is a wonderful twist on the classic, which I adore partly because it tastes so good and partly because I can have it and technically still say that I’ve only had two Mango Sticky Rice dishes today, not three. Fresh mango slices sandwich a chilled cream of sticky rice with coconut milk, and a paper-thin sesame tuile tops it off.

360° Bar and Grill, The Pavilions, Phuket
Sticky Rice Ice Cream Sandwich

A quote from Mark Twain printed on the menu, “Sometimes too much to drink is barely enough,” (and we add ‘eat’ to our own interpretation) resonates with us as we leave 360° Bar and Grill. The flavours have been expertly curated and if our stomachs (and livers) weren’t limited in their capacity we’d happily continue tasting until we’d sampled the whole menu.

Reasons to visit: cool hilltop temperatures, postcard perfect location for sunset gazing, Popcorn Prawns, Bakpao, Sliders, Sticky Rice Ice Cream Sandwich, refreshing well-balanced cocktails with good use of local ingredients.

360° Bar
The Pavilions Phuket
31/1 Moo 6
Cherngtalay
Thalang
Phuket, Thailand
+66 7631 7600
www.thepavilionsresorts.com
Open from 5:30pm for drinks and tapas.

13 Comments

  1. What a gorgeous, soothing and romantic setting! The popcorn prawns look tempting.

  2. Stunning sunset. Calamari looks really enticing…and bak pao? That’s what we call steamed meat buns in Hokkien. Same in Thai?

  3. Impressive resort – food except for that calamari are very tempting.
    Are there shuttle buses or golf buggies to take guests to the
    beachside??
    Not too many “drinkie-poos”, young Cordobes Jnr. !!!
    You at the wheel of a buggy setting off for a swim or surf at the beach
    might be rather hazardous for the locals and the livestock – ha ha!

    At last after 17 years – the Hopman Cup has Australia carved onto
    the winners list. The “Young Duo” blasted their way to victory – especially
    in the mixed doubles!
    Stormy looking here and really steamy – but still cool evenings and nights.
    Cheers and have fun in Phuket.
    El Colin Cordobes

    • Yes, golf carts whizz you around and there’s even an open backed one tonner to take you to the beach. 🙂 Thankfully they’re all chauffeur driven so no chance for Jr. to get up to mischief.

  4. Popcorn prawns, something different…would taste yummy i expect.

  5. popcorn prawns! pretty unique and very, very tempting! 🙂

    • These were my fav tapas of the night Sean. They were hubby’s too until he tasted the sliders. 😉

  6. This time, I got stuck at the awesome sunset and moving on to get a beautiful view from the Bar & Grill, a very romantic place.

  7. He he… The popcorn prawns are truly eye-popping!
    Toffee or salted? 😉

  8. I would love to visit Phuket, I’ve heard so many good things about it. Bangkok is wonderful!! The sunset pictures are so beautiful Monica 😉 Great photographer you are! I hope one day I’ll be able to create beautiful images like these! Have a lovely week dear!

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