Where to Eat on Koh Samui
Eating out in Thailand is a joy and dining out in Koh Samui is no exception. Whether you are looking for authentic street food for a quick snack or high-end fine dining, it’s all available on the island.
In the evenings, many of the beaches are dotted with tables and chairs attached to restaurants for pretty candlelit beach dining. The smell of fresh seafood on the BBQ wafts along the beach enticing you in. Choose your fish and seafood from the counter, take a seat and enjoy!
Many of the small, rustic, local Thai restaurants serve up delicious Thai food and are great for a snack or lunch.
There are plenty of high-end hotels with stylish restaurants and first-class chefs creating fabulous Thai and International dishes, perfect for a special occasion.
Fisherman’s Village Bophut
Every visitor to Koh Samui should a least make one visit to enjoy dining out in popular Fisherman’s Village in Bophut. It attracts couples, families, sports fans, the budget conscious and older travellers. There's something for everyone.
Restaurants line both sides of this narrow road that winds its way through the village. The eateries on the beachside of the road are open at the back and offer quite amazing views of Koh Phangan. A number of these restaurants tumble out on to the adjacent sandy beach and are popular for candlelit dining.
There
If you are looking to enjoy street food at Fisherman’s village, come for the Friday night walking street market. It's crammed with stalls and shoppers between 5 pm – 11 pm. Make your way to the south end of the village where the main car park is at the plaza and there you will have a 200 - 300m zone of stalls offering an impressive and colourful array of delicacies at amazingly cheap prices.
The atmosphere is buzzing, but be prepared for slow progress between the stalls as it's usually busy. There is an eating with plastic tables and chairs to sit and enjoy the food and sometimes live music.
Recommmended Restaurants in Fisherman's Village
Cafe Darling- Similar to enterng a French Bistro. Balcony overlooking the beach. A great view with quality food & wines
Krua Bophut - Beachside quality Thai restaurant specialising in tradition local cuisine. Authentic wooden "house" Dine on the sand or inside.
Coco Tams X Peppina - Italian cuisine on the ground floor. Bar serving cocktials & beers on roof top. Amazing views to Koh Phangan
The Hut - Dine in part of a Thai family's home at the east end of the village and enjoy great value delicious Thai food. Booking recommended - limited tables.
The Shack Bar & Grill - Mouthwaterlig steaks, ribs, burgers chicken and seafood dishes. Front of the house kitchen accompanied with jazz and blues music
Chaweng & Lamai
In the main tourist areas like Chaweng and Lamai, there are stand-alone fine dining options including Brazilian churrascaria, Italian, French, Japanese, Indian and more. You could eat out with cuisine from a different country every evening.
The fast-food chains are also all in these two mainn townsi if you need a quick burger or snack. Make sure you try a roti (pancake) from one of the many roti sellers – banana pancakes smothered in Nutella or condensed milk are to die for!
Recommended restaurants in Chaweng & Lamai
The Kitchen - Watch the world go by outside the Central Festival Mall - Duck and Chicken recommended
Dr Frogs - Faboulous views of Chaweng Bay on the ring road to Lamai
The Red Snapper- Sophisticated dining with international cuisine choices - live music.
Prego's - Italian dining at it’s best with a renowned international top chef and beautiful decor
Rocky’s
The Cliff
Big Buddha, Choeng Mon, Maenam, Bank Por (North Coast)
Here are a couple of our recommendations to get you started on your food journey.
Zazen
For the incurable romantic, the Bophut beachfront restaurant Zazen is delightful. Serving heavenly Thai and western cuisine and a fine selection of wine in a quiet and elegant setting, makes it a perfect place for a dinner for two.
Ban Tai Seafood
Up on the north coast of Samui is Ban Tai beach and here you’ll find the freshest of seafood. Ban Tai seafood is a rustic beachside restaurant. They serve all the Thai favourites and the seafood is mouth-watering. Make sure you get there in time to watch the sunset with a beer before dinner!
Café Talay
Located on Maenam beach, Café Talay is a great lunch or dinner spot for families. Boasting tasty Thai food, western favourites and plenty of choices for the kids. The service is friendly and you can keep an eye on the kids playing on the beach while you eat. Great cocktails too!
Recommended restaurants on the north coast
Zazen - Beachside location at one end of Bophut beach. Elegant and romantic ambience serving Thai and western cuisine.
Café Talay - Located on the beach in Maenam village, Café Talay is a great lunch or dinner spot for families.
Moon Hut - Rustic Thai style restaurant on Maenam beach as part on the Moon Hut bungalows. Great value for breakfast and lunch
Oceans’s 11- Stunning location on Big Buddha beach with high end quality international cuisine
The Orchid - A favourite with our guests staying at Choeng Mon. Good value food in Choeng Mon village
Dining On the Rocks -
Nightlife on Koh Samui
Of course, holidays are for relaxing, chilling out and rejuvenating, but if you want some evening adventure you'll find it here. Koh Samui has a wealth of watering holes from the small beachside rustic bars to stylish, chic hotel cocktail bars, pumping clubs and even cabaret. Whichever kind of nightlife you are looking for, you’re likely to find it on Samui. We have a few recommendations to get you started.
Coast, Chaweng
The chic and cool Coast Beach Club, ideally set on gorgeous Chaweng beach, is a great place for a few sundowners. Large wicker sofas and double sunbeds with oversized mattresses dot the beach front wooden deck. Chill to the gentle DJ set as the sunset hues are replaced by magical torch light. Make sure you stay on to see the acrobatic fire twirlers performance on the beach.
Sundowner Tips: Check out the website for more information http://www.coast-beach-club.com/private-events/#groups
Air Bar
Set dramatically on the cliffs overlooking Taling Ngam bay is the Air Bar. This super chic cocktail bar has wooden decks sprawled out on the rocks giving uninterrupted, panoramic views of the ocean and the Five Islands. There’s a cool and lively vibe complemented by great service and a range of fabulous cocktails created by the world-class mixologists. A live saxophonist and singer welcome in the sunset with chilled Jazz tunes.
Hip Tips: Check out their website to see the live entertainment times and the cocktail of the week: http://samui.intercontinental.com/air-bar
Make sure to take advantage of the 2 for 1 Happy Hour cocktails.
Coco Tams
Beachfront Coco Tams, on Bophut beach, is easily identifiable by its large, indulgent cushions and low tables set out on the beach. Plonk yourself down, order your cocktail and watch the beach life antics. Surrounding the bar are adult swings. Friendly service, creative cocktails, chilled music and the beachfront location make Coco Tams the perfect sunset venue.
Beach bar Tips: Why not combine a trip to Coco Tams with a browse around Bophut Walking Street on a Friday evening.
For information on opening hours and locations see: http://cocotams.business.site/
The Jungle Club
This Jungle Club, set high on the hillside overlooking Chaweng Noi, is a long-term favourite of locals and tourists alike. A steep rocky road up the mountainside is the only way to get there - don’t worry they send a jeep to pick you up at the bottom! The rustic Jungle Club’s setting, in a coconut plantation, is gorgeous, but as you approach the bamboo pavilions and decks set on the hillside, you’ll realise why it’s highly recommended. The chilled spaces maximise the panoramic view over the Gulf of Thailand. Cool tunes accompany the setting sun and then the candlelight creates a magical, serene ambience.
Jungle Tips: Book your pick up from the bottom of the mountain in advance. It’s advisable not to try the drive yourself!
See the website for more information: http://www.jungleclubsamui.com/restaurant.html
Ark Bar
The Ark Bar on Chaweng beach has long been a favourite with tourists looking for a beach party. With regular international DJs playing, fun loving party goers and a lively vibe, it’s the ultimate party spot. A cocktail of hot dance tunes, the famous Samui ‘bucket’, dancing barefoot on the sand and the sun setting is a great recipe for a hip night out on Samui. Large sunbed decks line the shore, so if you are more of voyeuristic party goer they are perfect for chilling out and people watching.
Party Tips: A ‘bucket’ is a small plastic bucket filled with your favourite spirit and mixer. Enjoy the spectacle of people dancing with a pink bucket, sucking on pink straws.
Notice the entrepreneurial hawkers selling all sorts of shiny tack along the beach from laser pointers to plastic nodding horses to bouncy sparkling balls!
See http://www.ark-bar.com/ for events information.
Starz Cabaret
The fun just keeps going in Chaweng once the sun has gone down. A holiday in Thailand is not complete without taking in an infamous Thai Lady Boy cabaret. Starz Cabaret, in the centre of Chaweng, is fun. Before long you’ll be singing along to all the classic numbers. Diamantes, sequins and feathers are the order of the day and the dance acts are creative and entertaining. Entrance is free, but you have to buy drinks. They are a bit
Cabaret Tips: If you want to take photos of the Lady Boys after the show be prepared to pay 100 baht or so.
Check out the website for more information and show timings: https://www.starzcabaret.com/
Coco Tams
Beachfront Coco Tams, on Bophut beach, is easily identifiable by its large, indulgent cushions and low tables set out on the beach. Plonk yourself down, order your cocktail and watch the beach life antics. Surrounding the bar are adult swings. Friendly service, creative cocktails, chilled music and the beachfront location make Coco Tams the perfect sunset venue.
Beach bar Tips: Why not combine a trip to Coco Tams with a browse around Bophut Walking Street on a Friday evening.
For information on opening hours and locations see: http://cocotams.business.site/
The Green Mango
If you’ve done the sunset, had dinner, seen the cabaret and are still raring to go, the next place on the list is Soi Green Mango. It’s the hedonistic heart of Chaweng nightlife with a string of bars selling cheap booze and belting out music.
The strip comes to and end at the rocking Green Mango club. International and local DJs spin the tunes well into the early hours of the morning and it’s always full of happy, sun kissed tourists dancing the night away.
Late night tips: Keep an eye on your belongings. Haggle with the late night taxi drivers!