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Boutique hotels in Koh Samui

Koh Samui
Eating, drinking and dancing

We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in Koh Samui.

Restaurants

+66 (0) 7741 3831

Bellini

Charming Italian chef Francesco Vitagliano cooks up a fine selection of traditional rustic dishes in this elegant Chaweng eatery. Pizzas, pastas and seafood are all rendered with flair and complemented with a meticulously selected wine list.

Soi Colibri, Chaweng South, 46/24, 26, Moo 3, Tambon Bo Phut, 84320 Koh Samui, Suratthani, Thailand

+66 (0) 7741 3370

Betelnut

Run by an American chef who loves talking to his customers as much as he likes to cook, Betelnut is a cool, casual institution. Chef Lord’s fusion cuisine – an exquisite collision between Thai and Californian – is familiar and exotic, like the beach scene just outside his doors.

Soi Colibri, Chaweng South 43/04-5, Moo 3, Tambon Bo Phut, 84320 Koh Samui, Suratthani, Thailand

+66 (0) 7742 7584

The Mangrove

The Mangrove is an excellent off-the-radar French restaurant operated by a talented French/Belgian couple. Enjoy alfresco dining overlooking the mangrove forest that gives the place its name, and listening to the sounds of the surrounding jungle. There’s a roster of daily specials but house favourites include the wonderful Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Béarnaise Sauce. Make sure you order a post-prandial rum ginger.

Airport Road, Big Buddha Beach, 32/6, Moo 4, Tambon Bo Phut, 84320 Koh Samui, Suratthani, Thailand

+66 (0) 7741 3614

Tropical Murphy’s

The only Irish pub on Koh Samui, this cheerful Chaweng landmark serves up a mean Ulster Fry to kick-start your day. After all, you can’t live off of buffet breakfasts and banana pancakes all the time. Portions are just as generous for the Thai-slanted pub grub.

Chaweng Beach Road, Chaweng Centre, 14/40, Moo 2, Tambon Bo Phut, 84320 Koh Samui, Suratthani, Thailand

+66 (0) 7742 9100

Lom Talay

At sunset, make a beeline for the terrace of this Thai-cum-Mediterranean hotel restaurant and watch the sun sink over the sea. The hilltop restaurant overlooks Ang Thong Marine National Park and serves fresh local seafood that’s as good as the view.

Baan Taling Ngam Resort and Spa, 295, Moo 3, Tambon Taling Ngam, 84140 Koh Samui, Suratthani, Thailand

Cafés

+66 (0) 7742 7201

Starfish & Coffee

Starfish and coffee aren’t the most obvious bedfellows, but this quirky Bophut café makes then seem the most natural of marriages, recreating Mediterranean-chic within its brick walls. Nosh aside, this inimitable joint offers massages and boasts an attached boutique.

51/7, Moo 1, Tambon Bo Phut, 84320 Koh Samui, Suratthani, Thailand

Bars and clubs

+66 (0) 897 242 843

Guapa

If Mexican sunsets came in a can, Guapa’s walls would be painted with them. Live jazz and latin music ease the evening along, aided and abetted by quality cocktails, an impressive wine selection, Cuban cigars, and an innovative tapas menu created by Betelnut’s chef.

Soi Colibri, Chaweng South, 46/12, Moo 3, Tambon Bo Phut, 84320 Koh Samui, Suratthani, Thailand

Q Bar

This Bangkok-born Thai nightlife institution (www.qbarsamui.com) overlooks Chaweng Lake. Cutting-edge music and stylish decor attract a well-heeled party crowd.

+66 (0) 7744 0125

Solo

Solo is an oasis of ivory cool in the heart of Chaweng. The couch seats on the first levels are great for unwinding while people-watching.

+66 (0) 7742 2015 19

Bar@C

For somewhere a little swankier, head to Amari Palm Reef Resort’s own cocktail lounge. Yummy daiquiris are the poison of choice at this sophisticated beachfront bar.