Chaweng Restaurants and Dining

Captain Kirk

Captain Kirk has built up a loyal following of return clientele over the years. Overlooking central Chaweng, the first-floor restaurant is a great spot for people watching and has its fair share of quirky design features, such as the South African-themed bar complete with wall murals, and the glass-topped dining tables filled with pop memorabilia from proprietor Gillou's travels. It's also a great place for Mediterranean and Thai food.

Opening Hours: 18:00 – 24:00
Location: Central Chaweng
Tel: 081 270 5376
Cuisine: Mediterranean/Thai
Price Range: Affordable

Chez Andy

Swiss proprietor Andreas Muller spent many years working in the international hotel industry before deciding to settle in Samui in 1998 to establish the island's finest Swiss kitchen and first German beer garden. Patrons can choose between a romantic candlelit dinner in the upstairs Steak House or an easy-going buffet in the Beer and Grill Garden, which is perfect for the kids (under 10s eat free). The food is a veritable smorgasbord of Swiss, international and Thai cuisine. The steaks are amongst the finest on the island and are imported from Australia or the USA and come with a variety of side dishes and sauces.

Opening Hours: 12:00 – 24:00
Location: Central Chaweng
Tel: 077 422 593
Cuisine: Swiss, international/Thai
Price Range: Pricey

Drop In

Drop In is located inside a large open-air Thai house, with an attached Baskin Robbins Ice cream parlour. It is easily Chaweng's largest restaurant and boasts over 250 tables. That said; Drop In still retains an intimate feel helped along by lots of internal trees and water features.

Drop In's menu encompasses Thai, Italian and international cuisine. The wine list is also extensive and includes labels from France, Italy, Australia, South Africa, Spain, Chile, Argentina and the USA. There's also a well-equipped play area for the kids – so the evening needn't finish too early.

Opening Hours: 12:00 – 23:30
Location: Central Chaweng Beach Road
Tel: 077 413 221
Cuisine: Thai/international/Italian
Price Range: Affordable

Eat Sense

Adding another touch of class to beachside dining options in Chaweng, Eat Sense serves delicious Southern Thai cuisine with a healthy eating twist – its signature dishes such as crispy soft shell crab with eggplant, kaffir lime leaves and sweet basil leaves in green curry paste and roasted duck in red curry stuffed with rambutans and lychees, accompanied with grape, kaffir lime leaves and sweet basil are highly recommended. The already romantic setting is enhanced by lots of candlelight and mostly al fresco dining.

Opening Hours: 11:00 – 24:00
Location: North Chaweng Beach
Tel: 077 414 242
Cuisine: Southern Thai
Price Range: Pricey

Gringo's Cantina

Samui's finest Mexican joint serves a comprehensive range of South-of-the-border fare. Alongside nachos, tortillas, tostadas, enchiladas, burritos, tacos and chimichangas, nightly specials include chilli verde, curried lamb burritos, fish tacos, campfire beans and sausage, barbequed ribs and a very authentic Sunday paella.  The patrons, including lots of large groups on their way to nearby Soi Green Mango, are kept well oiled with frozen margarita, jugs of sangria and tequila slammers. 

Opening Hours: 12:00 – 24:00
Location: Central Chaweng, behind The Islander
Tel: 077 413 267
Cuisine: Tex Mex
Price Range: Affordable

Hagi

Japanese cuisine in a great environment. A lot of attention has been paid to both the décor and food. This restaurant features a number of silk paintings that set the mood for your meal and there is also an internal fountain with polished white pebbles and a mini ‘Zen Garden’. A substantial extensive a-la-carte menu with set meals and specials adequaTely showcases the cuisine here.

Opening Hours: 18:00 – 22:30
Location: In Centara Grand Beach Resort
Tel: 077 230 500
Cuisine: Japanese
Price Range: Pricey

Olivio

Olivio boasts what is quite possibly the most romantic dining venue in Chaweng. Benefiting hugely from its Location at the northern end of the beach, the restaurant looks out across the bay to the bright lights of Chaweng in the distance. It's also very peaceful – especially if the tide is in and lapping on the sand a few feet from your table. The ambience is more than ably matched by the modern Italian cuisine - all rustled up by maestro-chef Luigi Fadda. (Read a review of Olivio Restaurant.) Read More...

Opening Hours: Dinner served from 18:00 – 23:00
Location: In Baan Haad Ngam Boutique Resort, North Chaweng
Tel: 077 231 500 – call for free shuttle service
Cuisine: Modern Italian
Price Range: Pricey

Prego Italian Restaurant

Some of Samui's finest modern Italian cuisine is served in one of its most elegant restaurants. Chef Marco Bosciani has honed his craft in some of the best hotels in Asia and the results show in his fare. For dessert, the homemade tiramisu is essential.

Opening Hours: 11:00 – 24:00
Location: In Amari Palm Reef - North Chaweng
Tel: 077 422 015-19
Cuisine: Modern Italian
Price Range: Moderate to pricey

Red Snapper

With a big screen and a nightly live band you'd think that Red Snapper wouldn't exactly be totally be focused in on its food but you'd be wrong.  Part of Chaweng Regent Beach Resort, Red Snapper fronts onto the Beach Road and is great for that laid-back meal, while watching the passing throngs. Modern fusion and healthy dishes prevail with more of a leaning towards cocktails than wine on the drinks list, the décor is pleasant and this is definitely a happening place to be.

Opening Hours: 17:00 – 01:00
Location: Central Chaweng Beach Road – Chaweng Regent Beach Resort
Tel: 077 422 008
Cuisine: Modern fusion
Price Range: Pricey

Rice

Modern, well appointed and atmospheric, as well as being smack-bang downtown central Chaweng, Rice has a lot of things going for it, not least of all its eclectic and meticulously prepared dishes. A three-storey affair, tastefully lit and fitted out with good service, Rice serves up international food with an Italian leaning, such as lobster ravioli, beef carpaccio and a good choice of pastas and pizzas from the wood-fired oven. A DJ keeps things relaxed early on and ups the tempo as the night progresses. 

Opening Hours: 18:00 – 24:00
Location: Central Chaweng on Beach Road opposite Soi Green Mango
Tel: 077 231 934
Cuisine: Modern Italian/eclectic
Price Range: Pricey

Spice Island

Located beachside at Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui, the elegant Spice Island has both indoor and outdoor seating, connected by a series of stylish hardwood walkways that run through the hotel's expertly manicured tropical garden. There are over 100 dishes on the comprehensive menu, encompassing all of Thailand's regional cuisines. If you've got a favourite Thai dish, you're more or less guaranteed to find it here.

Opening Hours: 18:00 – 22:30
Location: Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui
Tel: 077230 500
Cuisine: Thai
Price Range: Pricey

The Muda House

Muda House serves Royal Thai Cuisine and has nightly shows. For an all-round entertaining evening out dining in a 100-year-old house with all the trappings, Muda delivers in style.

Opening Hours: 12:00 – 23:30
Location: Chaweng Lake Side
Tel: 077 484 985
Cuisine: Thai
Price Range: Pricey

Tropical Murphy's

The ultimate in good, ultra-fresh pub food with a buzzing atmosphere, live music and a gamut of beers from here to Dublin. Tropical Murphy's can make simple fish and chips into a gourmand's delight, an Irish breakfast into an unforgettable treat and what with live bands performing every night, quizzes and pool competitions, all appreciated by a crowd of happy punters, it's a fairly unique place to be.

Opening Hours: 09:00 – 02:00
Location: Chaweng opposite McDonald's
Tel: 077 413 614
Cuisine: Gaelic and British cuisine
Price Range: Affordable

Vecchia Napoli

This restaurant serves exceptionally well-made Italian classics and has been popular for years on the island – it was set up in 1994. The antipasto includes mussels in white wine sauce, thin sliced raw beef fillet with parmesan, olive oil and lemon and Norwegian smoked salmon. Like the best Italian cuisine, it's all kept simple, fresh and delicious. The homemade pasta, such as ravioli filled with ricotta cheese and spinach in tomato sauce and black squid noodles with calamari, olive oil, cherry tomato and garlic melts in the mouth.

Opening Hours: 12:00 – late
Location: Soi Starbucks, Central Chaweng
Tel: 077 231 229
Cuisine: Italian
Price Range: Affordable

Will Wait

A long established and ever-popular bakery-cum-restaurant with two branches in Chaweng. An extensive menu covers all your dining needs from breakfast through to post-club snacking. The freshly baked bread and Thai food is high quality and reasonably priced and there's also a decent range of a la carte specialities on the menu. Also shows movies nightly.

Opening Hours: 07:00 – 01:00
Location: Two branches in Chaweng
Tel: Central Chaweng 077 321 152, Southern Chaweng 077 230 590
Cuisine: International
Price Range: Budget

Zico's

One of the most spectacular dining options in the south of Thailand, the Brazilian-themed Zico's is an on-fire mixture of entertainment, glam cocktails and skewer after skewer of freshly prepared meat served from sword-like serving knives by strolling waiters. To the side lies a salad bar to balance the all-you-can-eat fixed price meats. Entertainment takes place on a central stage and consists of bottom-wiggling sexy samba dancing girls in outfits that leave little to the imagination, live percussion and sax players. The lower, air-conditioned restaurant seats 60, while an upper, chic cocktail bar has room for 45. Décor follows the colours of Brazil's flag and the atmosphere is tangibly Latin – this, right in the heart of Chaweng. Try the Sunday brunch from 11:00 – 15:00. Read More...

Opening Hours: Restaurant 18:30 – 22:30, Bar 17:00 – 01:00
Location: Opposite Centara Grand Beach Resort
Tel: 077 231 560-3
Cuisine: Churrascaria/rodizio
Price Range: Pricey