6 Best Restaurants in The Gulf Coast Beaches, Thailand

Established by the son of a local fisherman in 2007, this restaurant offers delectable seafood dishes like deep-fried snapper in a masala fusion sauce, and New Zealand mussels served with creamy garlic sauce. People can eat in a longtail boat, steps from the lapping sea, or in the bamboo and rattan hut.

As if striving to please every last one of the island's international visitors, this fun restaurant serves entrées from around the world. The specialty, though, is grilled seafood, prepared with one of 12 sauces; select your fish and sauce, then enjoy the breeze from the ceiling fans while you await your food.

The alluring scent of fresh baked goods immediately delights all who enter this funky place. The owner, who picked up his baking skills while living and working in Germany, opened Nira's in the mid-1980s, before the island even had electricity.

Note and El, a Thai couple, run this lovely breakfast spot on the way from Thong Sala to Srithanu. The two of them specialize in home-made dim sum and Chinese herbs soup, but also serve steamed dumplings or rice soups with egg, fish, or pork. The teak interior of this open-sided Thai restaurant creates a homey atmosphere that locals appreciate, and traditional Thai coffee and tea invite you to linger. Prices are very reasonable, and the owners are always happy to chat. 

Lovers of Italian food are particularly well-served on the island, with several stellar options. One of the most memorable is where chef-proprietor Alessandro Paterno presides (usually with cigarette fixed to mouth) over a daily-changing selection of fish and seafood creations.

Sati Pot lays a strong claim to be Thailand’s finest Persian restaurant. The food justifies the hype: Lamb shank is slow-cooked in saffron and yogurt sauce and served with aromatic rice mixed with crushed pistachio and almonds, caramelized onion, paprika, and raisins. Another highlight is bandari shrimp, a dish with origins in the coastal regions of southern Iran. Plump crustaceans are sauteed with ginger and garlic and nudged towards the stratosphere by a tangy green herb sauce.