Koh Samui, Editorial Overview
Koh Samui is the Gulf of Thailand's luxury-resort capital, the island where the country's finest hotels have concentrated their Thai fine-dining rooms. The four properties that shape the scene are Six Senses, Four Seasons, Anantara Lawana and the Ritz-Carlton. Most of the island's serious eating happens inside their grounds.
Dining Neighbourhoods
Choeng Mon on the north-east is the Six Senses / Anantara Lawana corner, quieter, more luxurious, home to the island's signature dining rooms. Chaweng is the mainstream tourist beach with a strip of international restaurants. Bophut's Fisherman's Village is the most atmospheric dining street, a wooden pier-town with independent Thai, seafood and French rooms. The south-west coast (Laem Yai, Taling Ngam) is where Four Seasons and InterContinental hide their beaches.
Dining Culture & Reservations
Samui's kitchen is Southern Thai, coconut-heavy curries, fresh fish, young coconut (the island's emblem), and a lighter touch than Bangkok. Most resort rooms offer a full international option alongside Thai. Dress is resort-smart (no swimwear or wet flip-flops at fine-dining). Tipping 10 per cent is standard on top of service charge. Book Dining on the Rocks three to four months ahead, it is the single most booked table on the island.
Tips From the Editors
Pick one resort evening and one village evening. A night at Six Senses Samui (Dining on the Rocks) or Anantara Lawana (Tree Tops Sky Dining) delivers the iconic Samui dinner. Bophut's Fisherman's Village is the best independent dining, drive at dusk and walk. Four Seasons' beach restaurants (Pla Pla, Koh Thai Kitchen) are the best group format.
All Restaurants in Koh Samui
$ under $50 · $$ $50, $150 · $$$ $150, $300 · $$$$ $300+ per person
Modern Thai / International
Tree Tops Sky Dining
"Anantara Lawana's private treetop salas, eight private decks in the canopy, each its own dinner-for..."
Thai Seafood / Grill
Pla Pla at Four Seasons
"Four Seasons Koh Samui's beachfront grill, the daytime lunch table that becomes the island's most s..."
Traditional Thai
Koh Thai Kitchen
"Four Seasons' Thai-kitchen room, regional Thai plates in a pavilion overlooking the cove, the islan..."
Thai / International
Zazen Restaurant
"The Zazen Boutique Resort's beachfront dining room, a Swiss-German-Thai kitchen on Bophut beach tha..."
Best for a First Date in Koh Samui
First Date
Koh Thai Kitchen
"Four Seasons' Thai-kitchen room, regional Thai plates in a pavilion overlooking the cove, the island's best introductory Thai tasting."
Read more →Best for Business Dinner in Koh Samui
Close a Deal
Zazen Restaurant
"The Zazen Boutique Resort's beachfront dining room, a Swiss-German-Thai kitchen on Bophut beach that has quietly held a reputation for two decades."
Read more →The Koh Samui Editorial Top 5
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#1
Dining on the Rocks
Six Senses Samui's ten-deck teak eyrie cantilevered over the Gulf, the most booked proposal dinner in Thailand.
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#2
Tree Tops Sky Dining
Anantara Lawana's private treetop salas, eight private decks in the canopy, each its own dinner-for-two theatre.
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#3
Pla Pla at Four Seasons
Four Seasons Koh Samui's beachfront grill, the daytime lunch table that becomes the island's most scalable celebration room at night.
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#4
Koh Thai Kitchen
Four Seasons' Thai-kitchen room, regional Thai plates in a pavilion overlooking the cove, the island's best introductory Thai tasting.
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#5
Zazen Restaurant
The Zazen Boutique Resort's beachfront dining room, a Swiss-German-Thai kitchen on Bophut beach that has quietly held a reputation for two decades.
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