It’s set between the ring-road and the beach just 300 metres before you reach the rustic fishing village at Hua Thanon, as you’re approaching from Lamai. And you can’t miss it, because of its striking architecture. Pure white in a Mediterranean style, complete with lots of circular pillars and curving arches. And when you talk ’boutique’ resorts, then this has got to be a perfect example:
Accommodation comprising just eight suites - each, beautifully-styled; a mini-spa with only two treatment rooms - both, superbly designed; and a restaurant with just nine tables - that’s amongst the top two dining establishments on Samui (and I’m not saying what the other one is!).
Samui, in general, and Chaweng, in particular, is jam-packed with lovely Thai-style restaurants, complete with their elaborate decor and ornate surroundings. So it comes as something of a visual relief when you visit somewhere that has lots of wide-open spaces, clean lines and just a few colours. But there’s nothing missing here. In fact, there really is a whole lot more.
Approach The Library via Chaweng Beach Road (next to the Is Spa, just 100 metres south of Tropical Murphy’s), and you’ll spot a cute white mannequin sitting reading a book. The resort’s subtle entrance pathway is to the left of this, so go down here and within 20 metres you’ll arrive at the reception, appropriately named ‘Contents’. And it’s at this point that you’ll fall in love with the concept as a whole.
The Height restaurant I’m talking about is the signature restaurant at the stunning new Silavadee Pool Spa Resort, in Laem Nan. And to get there is easy. As you’re nearing Lamai on the ring-road, coming from Chaweng, just take the first concrete road on the left past the landmark IT Complex and follow it a kilometre to the very end. You’ll pass other resorts along the way, but nothing passes Silavadee. And that means it’s very peaceful and private up there.
The resort is set on a hillside and the pathway from the reception leads you down a hundred metres or so to The Height restaurant. Come in the daytime for lunch and you’ll see that it looks down upon its own picture postcard beach. Although it isn’t technically a private beach, no one else has access to it by land so it just as well might be!
But before I go any further, I’d better say that dinner reservations here are definitely advisable. Tables do get snapped up very quickly - for very good reasons.The setting, as the name suggests, is breathtaking. It’s high up on the mountainous section of the ring-road between Chaweng and Lamai, and looks down upon huge natural boulders next to the water’s edge and across a picturesque bay to a tropical headland. And being open from midday makes The Cliff an ideal spot for stopping for lunch too when you can really appeciate the surrounding natural beauty. Although it only opened in April 2004, it’s already become a favourite meeting place for local business people looking for suitable ‘mutual’ territory to discuss their latest projects over a good meal.
Just a couple of kilometres south of Chaweng, in Chaweng Noi, is the Impiana Samui Resort & Spa. And what a lovely place it is too. Smart and luxurious without being formal and stuffy. And it’s that friendly-yet-professional theme that runs through the complete resort, being especially apparent in its fine-dining Tamarind restaurant.
It has an airy split-level design, providing sea-views through the swaying palms for each of the thirty-four diners it comfortably seats. Spacious is an understatement when used to describe Tamarind’s dimensions. Impiana has resisted the temptation of cramming more tables in, preferring the luxury of lots of room. And what a difference that makes. Subtle spotlighting, and candle-lamps on each table provide the perfect illumination.
Well I suppose the ideal way of finding one is by going to the Thai restaurant on Samui that’s considered to be right there at the top. And that’s Sala Thai in the stunning new Bo Phut Resort & Spa.
Dining at Sala Thai is more than just an opportunity to enjoy Thai cuisine at its very best. It’s also a chance to savour the complete Thai dining experience - in exquisite surroundings. And that starts from the moment you pass through the resort’s entrance.
So, it naturally follows that the resort’s signature restaurant, Sea Wrap, also exudes an unhurried, calm atmosphere. Which it certainly does. When it comes to having a totally chilled out dining experience, Sea Wrap really is hard to beat.
And it all starts as you come off the busy ring-road in Bo Phut (it’s opposite Peace Tropical Spa - owned by the same family), and enter the driveway leading to the car-park. Everything slows down and becomes, well, peaceful. Pass the reception on your right and take a short walk along an enclosed wooden decking pathway before emerging the other side with the restaurant in front of you. And you’ll immediately be drawn in by the cosy golden glow emanating from the many yellow fluted hanging lanterns.
Part of a stunning new resort of the same name, it’s got the lot! Beachfront location (in a quiet, romantic area); spacious surroundings; warm, friendly, intimate atmosphere; casual but classy decor, superb international and classic Thai cuisine, plus that special indefinable ingredient. And that’s the ‘X’ factor.
And it’s not in Chaweng with all the crowds either! No, it’s in Choeng Mon, just 5 minutes away, with its fine white sandy beach and prestigious 5-star neighbours, making it a great place for visiting in the daytime too. SALA Samui’s world-famous Mandara Spa is also there, so you can come here for lunch and make a complete day of it.
Pass through the entrance with its high walls and you’re in another world. One of lush tropical gardens. Stroll down the central avenue past the individually-walled, private pool-villas and you’re met by a wide vista of two huge swimming pools with the turquoise-blue Gulf of Siam beyond.
Sounds like a bold claim doesn’t it? But it’s true. And it’s not just the restaurant that’s so pleasing to the eye, the resort (of the same name) as a whole has been given the same attention to detail as the restaurant. In fact, I’d even recommend visitors to go to the family-owned Rocky’s Resort just to have a look around. But when the food and service, and just about everything is as good as it is here, I highly recommend coming for an evening of culinary pleasure, and a perfect Samui dining-out experience.
It might be a little further afield than some would like to travel (it’s a few hundred metres beyond the turning for Hin-Ta Hin-Yai - the grandfather and grandmother rocks - just south of Lamai), especially at night. But it’s certainly worth the extra effort, for which you’ll be well rewarded!
Rice officially opened in October 2005, after many months of meticulous preparation. Every detail has been considered here, with the aim of making it the place to go in Chaweng for an evening’s wining, dining and FUN!
It’s directly opposite Soi Green Mango, on Chaweng Beach Road in the heart of town, which fits the vibrant theme of this restaurant perfectly. And the first thing you’ll definitely notice is the 3-metre-wide pond which spans the entire 12-metre frontage. Cross the wooden bridge into the open ground floor and you’re hit by an invisible wall. Well it’s actually a curtain of cold air that acts as a barrier for keeping the air-conditioning in and the hot air out.
That’s the name of the outstanding new restaurant that opened its doors - not that it has many - to the public in August 2003. It’s opposite Amari Palm Reef Resort and Blue Lagoon, on the northern part of Chaweng Beach Road, making it very easy to find - and you certainly wouldn’t want to miss it!
Prego is open on 3 V2 of its 4 sides, giving it a cool, airy feel. And this ‘al fresco’ atmosphere is accentuated by the spacious lay-out and subtle lighting of the tables and lounge area. There’s even a completely open terrace at the entrance surrounded by one of the restaurant’s numerous water features, in this case a pond that runs the entire length of its frontage.
And it’s through this terrace that the wide, black and white marble walkway leads you into the terra-cotta tiled restaurant itself. Again it’s the water, plants, lighting and space that you’re immediately aware of as you select a table. There’s seating for 110 here but, even when full, it doesn’t feel crowded.
And it’s been like this since it opened over 10 years ago. Many restaurants have come along over the years trying to knock Poppies off its top spot. Some get close. But Poppies is still there. And this is why .
To begin with its part of one of Samui’s finest boutique resorts. And if you approach the restaurant from the Chaweng Beach Road you’ll pass through it, and see exactly what I mean. As you follow the meandering pathway over rustic bridges and past carp-filled ponds you’ll spot the 24 detached cottages spaciously set out in gloriously landscaped gardens. So by the time you reach the restaurant, with the beach on one side and a free-form swimming pool on the other, you’ll be hooked already.
Choose between sitting in the elegant, 40-seater open-sided restaurant itself with its ornate Thai-style roof, or outside on the beach terrace under the stars where there’s room for 30 more. There’s also seating around the pool and in the Ayuthaya-style teak pavilion too. Many places, many choices.
And a place that’s absolutely dripping with modern style and class is the fabulous new Padma restaurant at Karma Samui. The bad news is that it’s not located in the middle of Chaweng, and the good news is that it’s not located in the middle of Chaweng! But those of you who don’t like traveling far at night, for whatever reason, don’t need to cross Padma off your list too quickly, because it’s literally just five minutes’ drive away on the road leading from Chaweng to Choeng Mon.
Having arrived at the hotel lobby on the main road, you’re whisked down the steep hillside through the beautiful grounds of Karma Resort in a golf-style electric buggy. And when you’re dropped off at the front of Padma, you’ll immediately realise that this is a ‘restaurant within a resort’, as opposed to being a ‘resort restaurant’. There is a difference, and it’s a BIG one.
The staff are great here. And from the moment you arrive till the moment you leave they’ll be attentive, helpful and, above all else, very friendly. Which is of paramount importance when it comes to having a special meal out.
Take the restaurant building itself. Although part of the plush new Kandaburi Resort (at the northern end of Chaweng Beach, between The Briza and Baan Haad Ngam Boutique Resort) it’s completely ’stand-alone’ on the opposite side of the road, next to its Mediterranean cuisine sister restaurant - Kandalina (you can order from this menu too, should someone you’re with prefer), so you don’t have to go searching for it.
Choose to dine outside on the expansive wooden terrace, where there’s seating for 24 alongside the lotus-pond aqueduct which spans the entire 25-metre frontage, or go inside the fabulous split-level 80-seat interior. And this is somewhere very special. The overall colour scheme is purple and gold; royal colours which befit a place of this style. Floor-to-ceiling windows give Orchidea an open, airy feel and the artistic use of wood carved into Thai archways create a unique atmosphere of Oriental opulence and splendour. And this Thai elegance is reinforced by the staff uniforms; all individually tailored in satin.
But that doesn’t mean discarding the things that are obviously satisfying the customers. What it does mean though is not resting on laurels. Being constantly on the look-out for improvements. A change of menu here, more entertainment there.
And with such an absolutely superb restaurant already, finely honing it to even greater perfection is a difficult task. But he doesn’t do it alone. He’s fully-supported by an experienced restaurant team. One that’s headed by master-chef Luigi Fadda.
And that’s rather like performing an opera with Pavarotti in the cast! Luigi is the archetypal Italian chef. He’s smiling, he’s round, and he’s not a teenager. Luigi’s had a life-long love affair with food, which is far from over! He’s been wowing diners at Olivio for 3 years now; a culmination of 25 successful years in Asia where he’s been ’spreading the word’ of Italian cuisine. And collecting countless converts!
Indian is a great alternative. It’s still Asian - you are in Asia after all. It’s still spicy - giving it that distinctly Oriental flavour. And it’s still absolutely delicious - if you go to the right restaurant!
But there are surprisingly few Indian restaurants on Samui. And there are even fewer that provide the things that we in the West have come to expect of a quality Indian restaurant. We’re used to having three things. Firstly, and most importantly, excellent food - with a good selection. Secondly, we expect attentive and efficient service. And thirdly, the surroundings and atmosphere must be pleasant and relaxing - a place where we’d be happy to be on a great night out. Not just going there to fill ourselves up.
And it’s not to be found amongst the many other popular restaurants along the beaches. Nor is it on the busy roads with throngs of tourists marching past just metres away. No, Muda Restaurant sits peacefully alone on the side of Chaweng Lake, far away from the hustle and bustle yet still in Chaweng, and it really is an idyllic location.
If you’re driving there yourself, it really isn’t that difficult to find. Take the turn into Chaweng from the traffic lights near Tesco-Lotus on the ring-road. About 100 metres down, with a temple on your right, the road will turn sharply to your left. Here you turn off and take the road that goes straight on, and it will lead you directly to the lake. Turn left here and about 200 metres along you’ll come to Muda House, the resort in which the restaurant is situated.
Part of the French-owned Papillon Resort at the northernmost tip of Chaweng Bay, this charming restaurant manages to combine the famous French ‘joie de vivre’ with Thailand’s world-renowned warmth and hospitality. And in doing so has created a lively, fun, and most relaxed atmosphere.
The name - Le Cafe des Arts - gives away something about what to expect of the restaurant. For the whole place is festooned with some beautiful decor and Lanna-style pieces of art from Chiang Mai. So many people were eating here then asking if they could to buy various things around them, that the owners decided to combine the restaurant with an Oriental showroom of sorts (there’s a separate boutique too). Not that you have to buy something!
But the first question that needs to be answered is: ‘Where is it?’ Well, that’s easy. It’s part of Napasai, a brand-new resort that’s set over several acres of idyllic beachfront land in Maenam. And it’s on a gently sloping hillside so that means that you get some marvelous uninterupted views down to the ocean.
There are two restaurants here. One down on the water’s edge that mainly serves snacks and grills, and another that provides a choice of French or Royal Thai cuisine. And this restaurant is highly recommended!
La Taverna is located right in the heart of Chaweng’s lively nightlife area, just 10 metres down the lane which runs parallel to Soi Green Mango, off Chaweng Beach Road. And it’s everything you’d expect from a real Italian restaurant. Framed prints of Italy on the spotless white walls, soft atmospheric lighting, the friendly chatter of satisfied diners and the appetizing aroma of Italian cooking wafting in from the kitchen. Plus one of the friendliest and most interesting hosts you’ll ever meet, and that’s the owner - Carlo Magello.
He’s flamboyant and fun, and takes great delight in greeting every customer personally, making sure that everybody’s totally happy. And it’s entirely effortless. Which comes as no surprise when you hear that up until a few years ago Carlo was the Managing Director of Gucci (UK), mixing socially and professionally with the rich and famous, including royalty. And, having held that position for 15 years, if he doesn’t know how to be sociable, then no-one does!