Koh Samui's Wining & Dining

One of the greatest pleasures in life, and certainly a core component of any outstanding holiday, is enjoying good food in great surroundings. In this respect, Koh Samui will not disappoint, as it has a superb selection of places to dine out. If you ever get bored of the tasty (and cheap) Thai food, there are restaurants serving every imaginable style of food, from vegan spa to greasy spoon. There are also excellent restaurants serving a wide variety of global cuisines, with Indian, Mexican, English, Japanese, Scandinavian, Italian and French all easily available.

It may be worth picking up one of the local restaurant guides to give you some clues, or you can just wander along and see what takes your fancy. Bophut is particularly famous for its laid-back evening ambience and great selection of top-notch eateries. Starfish and Coffee has decent food and stunning décor, The Shack has tasty steaks and there are also a number of good Thai, Italian like the amazing Juzza Pizza and Indian restaurants, all within a short stroll. Especially romantic options in Bophut are Shades and Smile house, serving fresh seafood right on the beach. Right in the Northern end of Bophut beach, is the renowned Zazen Boutique Resort & Spa where the chef serves up scrumptious fusion fare in a lovely outdoor setting. 

Bang Rak now also features its very own famed venue popular with expats and frequent visitors alike. Ocean 11 is a beach front restaurant offering fine cuisine with a very personal service and a cozy atmosphere.

The resorts in the other main tourist centres of Lamai, Chaweng and Maenam also serve food on the beach after dark, and while the emphasis is on fresh seafood, will usually have a decent selection to cater to different palates.  Particularly good quality eateries in Lamai include Rocky’s and The Pavillon. In Maenam, the old-school Café Talay serves cheap and delicious Thai and Foreign food right on the beach, nearby the Chinese temple.

Chaweng hosts the lion’s share of high-end restaurants, with Poppies (Fusion), Rice (Italian), Zico’s (Brazilian) Red Snapper (Grill), and The Page (Contemporary Thai) at The Library Hotel being amongst the notables, for style, setting and décor, as well as exemplary food, prepared by highly rated international chefs. It would be a shame to be on holiday on Samui, and not sample some of the local food though, especially as Thailand is famed for its deliciously fragrant dishes. You can pick up interesting bites such as the ubiquitous ‘som tam’ - a spicy papaya salad served with grilled chicken and sticky rice - for around a dollar, on roadside stalls around the island. The stalls and cafes in Nathon, and in the market of Laem Din (Chaweng) are good places to check out real local nosh. Just ask for ‘mai ped’ (not spicy) if the local love of chilli scares you – all the dishes are prepared fresh so can be adjusted to taste.

For more upmarket, or ‘Royal’ Thai cuisine, which utilizes the finest ingredients and carefully blended fresh spices, there are a number of good options, which are often restaraunts attached to the smart resorts. Baan Chantra Royal Thai Restaurant at Baan Taling Ngam Resort and Spa: whilst a little out of the way, on the west coast, the hilltop setting is truly stunning overlooking the five islands, and a highly recommended restaurant. Lai Thai at the Napasai Resort is on the pretty and tranquil Ban Tai beach and serves authentic and delicious Royal Thai cuisine.

Koh Samui Restaurants