Whether right on the beach or located along the bustling main tourist strip, Chaweng has dining options for every conceivable budget and palate.
Fresh exotic vegetables, meat, and locally caught seafood provide the basis for the deliciously spiced Thai dishes you can sample around Chaweng, and most places will tone down the chilli quota for uninitiated foreign taste bud upon request. In addition, there are some excellent International restaurants serving a wide variety of global cuisines, with Indian, Mexican, English, Japanese, Scandinavian, Italian and French all well represented.
Koh Samui as a whole is gaining a reputation as a foodies' heaven, with a number of dining guides for visitors a 'Culinary Circle' and 'Fine-Dining Association' for ex-pat residents. As a result, Chaweng boasts an increasing number of high-end restaurants employing highly rated chefs from around the globe.
Many of the fine dining establishments in Chaweng Beach serve what is known as 'fusion' cuisine, essentially giving the chef free reign to employ techniques and ingredients from diverse global culinary traditions, in order to create beautifully presented dishes that blend the best of East and West.
The majority of Chaweng's better restaurants are located on the main beach road, but the beach itself becomes a huge outdoor eatery after dark, when lots of the resort restaurants put tables and chairs out on the sand and serve fresh seafood laid out on ice-filled trestles for you to inspect and choose from. Most of these places have both Thai and international menus, and dining on the beach is supremely romantic.
To the Southern end of Chaweng beach road, the perennially popular Poppies serves fine European and Thai dishes in a beautiful open-air tropical garden, right on the beachfront. Fr reservations call 077422419.
Further north, opposite the Centara Beach Resort, Soi Colibri is home to three of the island's top independent restaurants: Betelnut, which serves delicious, innovative California-Thai fusion cuisine:077413370, Jing, with top quality, wonderfully presented Cantonese cuisine, which is also open for lunch from 11.30-2.30 and dinner 6-12pm: 077413462 and Bellini, which serves contemporary Italian cuisine in a stylish surroundings that include and open air terrace. It's open from 12-3pm for lunch and 6-11.30 for dinner and the bar closes at 1am. For reservations and a free pick-up service call: 077413831 or 0817370380.
Zico's is a massive 150-seater restaurant that's definitely worth a hungry visit. Prepare yourself with a mini-fast in order to make room to enjoy the 'all-you-can-eat' Brazilian BBQ with 15 varieties of meat and seafood grilled on revolving spits. The roving waiters come to your table and top you up as required. There is also an excellent self-serve salad bar and nightly entertainment with a DJ and Brazilian carnival dancers. Zico's is open from 5pm-1am: 077231560.
Not far from Zico's, in a side-street opposite Tradewinds Resort, Sushi 2 is the island's original Japanese restaurant and uses authentic Japanese ingredients, expertly prepared.
At the end of the same street Pickles Barbeque and its sister restaurant Ocean Basket are also both 'all-you-can-eat' style restaurants that offer excellent value for both your money and your appetite.
Just north of Chaweng's one-way turning, Eat Sense boasts a well-designed beachfront location, and alongside its Thai/International menu serves 'Spa Cuisine' with a focus on freshly prepared dishes and juices, incorporating lots of goodies such as organic fruits and vegetables. It's Open all day: 077414242.
Further north again, The Page is the signature restaurant at the chic new minimalist resort The Library, with a stunning beachfront setting, quirky décor and delicious Thai and International cuisine. Open from 7.30-12pm: 077422767-8.
In this southern area of the beach road, there is also a justifiably popular, no-frills Thai café known as Ninja Crepes, which is open 24 hours, and where the cheerfully busy staff serves great value, tasty Thai food.
If you hanker for some alternatively spiced curry after all the Thai food, try Noori India, which serves some delicious, authentic Indian dishes. Located in central Chaweng, and open from 11am-11.30pm: 077413315.
In the heart of Chaweng, Churrasco Steak House has a great international menu to complement its prime imported Australian beef. Open 3-12pm: 0862747662.
For a Latin twist there's Gringos Cantina with yummy Tex-Mex fare, plus vegetarian food and kids options available: 077230500. While a little further north, the Red Snapper Bar and Grill, attached to the Chaweng Regent Resort is a classy, mid-range diner with a Mediterranean influenced menu and great salad bar. The bar area has live Latin music in the evenings: 077422008.
Finally, as you head out of Chaweng proper towards the airport, right opposite the Amari Palm Reef Resort, Prego serves renowned Italian cuisine in a very smart locale: 077422015, while at the far northern end of the strip, the smart new Kandaburi Resort has two super restaurants: the Orchidea for Thai fine dining, and Kandalini, which serves contemporary Mediterranean cuisine: 077428888.
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