Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [508]
Vantana Restaurant (0 7723 8813; dishes 80-150B; breakfast, lunch & dinner) Spilling out onto Soi Krung Thai Bank, Vantana offers a hearty selection of English eats. The gut-busting Sunday Brunch (260B) is the perfect cure for homesick Brits.
Kaito (0 7737 7738; dishes from 130B 3-9pm Thu-Mon) Authentic Japanese imports (sorry, no sushi) are the speciality here – slurp an Asahi while savouring your tangy seaweed salad and tonkatsu (pork cutlet). The upstairs level offers cosy cushioned seating while the main sitting area is flanked with manga and pocket-sized Japanese novels.
A’s Coffee Shop & Restaurant (0 7737 7226; dishes 80-260B; breakfast, lunch & dinner Mon-Sat) Located on Soi Krung Thai Bank, A’s is the perfect place to nab some heart-clogging British pub grub, if you’re stuck in town waiting for the ferry.
Pizza Chiara (0 7737 7626; pizzas 180-320B; lunch & dinner) The quintessential chequered tables confirm it (in case you didn’t guess from the name): Pizza Chiara is all about tasty Italian fare. Go for the Pizza Cecco smothered with prosciutto, salami, mushrooms and cotto cheese.
John’s Bar & Bistro (08 7345 5417; dishes from 195B lunch & dinner) John, a professional chef and English expat, serves scrumptious roast dinners and refined European fare. Tuesday is quiz night.
Ban Tai & Ban Khai
Like in Thong Sala nearby, the small villages of Ban Tai and Ban Khai have some solid dining options as well.
Ando Loco (08 6780 7200; meals from 59B dinner) This outdoor Mexican hang-out looks like an animation cell from a vintage Hanna Barbera cartoon, with assorted kitschy accoutrements like papier-mâché cacti. Down a super-sized margarita and show your skills on the beach volleyball court.
Somtum Inter (0 7737 7334; dishes 40-80B breakfast, lunch & dinner) Housed in a breezy open-air pavilion next door to Boat Ahoy (owned by the same family; Click here), Somtum announces its speciality in the restaurant’s name: spicy papaya salad (sôm·am). Other Isan favourites, such as crispy fried beef, are also a big hit.
Maew Hot Pan BBQ (08 1970 4077; buffet 110B; dinner) The island’s best do-it-yourself dinner joint, Maew is an all-you-can-eat affair where diners cook their meats, veggies and quail eggs (a local fave) over a gurgling hot pot. Maew can be easy to miss; it is located on the ocean side of Ban Tai’s main road near the 7-Eleven.
Boat Ahoy (0 7723 8759, 0 7737 7334; dishes 100-180B breakfast, lunch & dinner) A compound of open-air pavilions encased in slats of mahogany wood, Boat Ahoy offers a night’s worth of fun. After feasting on a variety of sensational Asian victuals (the beef salad and cashew chicken are especially delish), grab a drink at the boat-shaped bar, or re-enact the Spice Girls’ reunion tour in your own private karaoke suite.
WEST COAST BEACHES
Tantawan (0 7734 9108; Hat Son; dishes 60-200B; lunch & dinner) This charming teak hut, nestled amongst jungle fronds, drips with clinking chandeliers made from peach coral and khaki-coloured seashells. Diners sit in a sea of geometric cushions while gobbling up some of the tastiest Thai- and French-inspired dishes on the island.
Absolute Island (0 7734 9109; Hat Yao; dishes 60-250B; breakfast, lunch & dinner) The name sounds like a Swedish vodka ad, but it’s only by coincidence that the menu has some Scandinavian classics. Actually, every traveller will find a dish from his or her native country – Absolute’s menu is so vast, it really needs an index.
Drinking
Every month, on the night of the full moon, pilgrims pay tribute to the party gods with trance-like dancing, wild screaming and glow-in-the-dark body paint. The throngs of bucket-sippers and fire twirlers gather on the infamous Sunrise Beach (Hat Rin Nok) and party til the sun replaces the moon in the sky.
A few other noteworthy spots can be found around the