Despite being clearly signposted, when you turn down into the dusty side soi off Rat-U-Thid Road, Patong, you will be forgiven for questioning whether you are at the right place to enjoy what is quickly becoming known as ?the? place in Patong to enjoy fine dining.

As soon as you park your car or bike in the ample parking lot however, and are stood in the elevator, the only way is up; quite literally.

When its doors ping open to the 9th Floor, you step out into a tastefully designed lobby/reception area, where you can relax and enjoy a pre or post drink while flicking through the racks of foreign language magazines before stepping into the stunning dining area.

The subtle colours and contemporary design of the restaurant perfectly reflects Swiss-born Thomas Brack?s opinion of what makes a good Phuket restaurant, ?Restaurants in Phuket should not exclude anyone, so our restaurant does appeal to and welcome everyone; young and old, groups of men or couples in love.?

Almost on cue a bunch of Chang-vested, flip-flop wearing young men enter and quietly walked past us and to a window seat. Later on in the evening, another group of men came in, slightly older expat residents to enjoy a drink at the bar, among other things, before settling down at a table to enjoy their dinner.

Mr Brack said, ?60% of our customers are regular returning residents and we also get lots of tourists.?

From November 2010, 9th Floor will have been open for four years and Mr Brack continues to attract customers even in the low season, whether it be through hosting special wine dinners or entertaining members of the Chaine de Rotisseurs, an international gastronomic society headquartered in Paris, France.

Mr Brack also offers a special recommended list of dishes not contained within the menu that changes every two weeks that is extremely popular with the returning customers.
Of course guests can if they so wish choose from a variety of seafood and meat dishes from the extensive mouth-watering food menu.

For my starter, I had a crab meat and apple salad (280 baht) with Melba toast accompanied by a crab timbate with mayonnaise cr?me fraiche.

The meal was very light and exquisitely fresh and was a perfect example of Mr Brack and Chef Wara?s culinary aim, ?The presentation of our dishes is very important as is the Mediterranean dishes we create,? said Chef Wara.

For the main course, Mr Brack recommended that I try a favourite with the English tourists; Lamb Shank cooked in red wine sauce and served with creamy polenta. The meat ? imported from Australia - is left to stew in the sauce for 2-3 days before being slow-cooked.

The lamb was very succulent and the polenta, which is a dish made from boiled cornmeal was a very welcome and healthy alternative to potatoes or rice and went really well with the sauce.

Okay? that?s long enough I think.

Anyone who has been to the 9th Floor restaurant before will know that I have, as of yet, failed to sufficiently mention something of extreme importance.

It?s not the wine, food or even the incredible views. They?re all important; it is in fact the incredibly beautiful staff. There are currently just ten, but in high-season there arefifteen wonderful waitresses that twirl around catering for you. All resplendent in matching ?tasteful? dresses.

It?s hard to describe how visually pleasant the sight of the waitresses are and how much they add to the experience, so I will allow Mr Brack to explain how he came up with the idea to ?decorate? his restaurant with such beautiful women, ?It?s easy, I am a man and I know what I like. I have to work here every day so it?s nice to look at.?

Mr Brack used to be in the fashion and textile business and therefore prides himself of knowing what looks good, ?I have travelled and dined at restaurants all over the world and so I know what I like ? and I don?t think it?s so bad for many people.?

It is all very tasteful and has a distinct air of professionalism that compliments the subtlety of the d?cor. This is perhaps why the Chang-vested young men remained as quiet throughout the meal as their older counterparts and just settled down to enjoy the wine, food and sights.