🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Koh Samet is a small island, so a walk along the beach turns up restaurants lined up at almost every bay. The draw isn't just fresh seafood, it's the setting. By day you sit under an umbrella looking at clear water; by evening many places move the tables down onto the sand, light candles, and put on a fire show, turning dinner into something you remember for a while. We've grouped the restaurants by beach to make it easy, because every bay really does have its own mood.
Read before you order
Seafood prices on the island are usually by weight at that day's market rate. Before you order lobster, blue crab, or a big whole fish, always ask the price per kilo and ask to see it weighed first, so there's no shock when the bill comes.
Sai Kaew Beach restaurants — the liveliest on the island
Sai Kaew Beach (Haad Sai Kaew) is the main beach where most boats drop people off, with restaurants strung out along the sand. In the evening almost every one moves tables onto the beach, lights candles, and runs a fire show. It's the spot if you want a lively buzz without things being too quiet.
Nah Sun Pochana
A long-running spot right on Sai Kaew Beach that comes up the most in conversation. Bold, properly Thai seafood — sea bass fried with fish sauce, creamy seafood tom yum — and a fire show by the sand in the evening, so you eat while watching the waves. For a lot of people this is the first name that springs to mind on the island.
Buddies Bar & Grill
A bar and grill on Sai Kaew Beach known for big grilled river prawns in sauce. There's both an indoor area and tables with a sea view, which makes it a good pick for groups of friends who want to settle in for a long meal with drinks on the side.
Med Sai Moo Kratha
If you're tired of seafood-only menus, this is a Thai BBQ (moo kratha) spot on Sai Kaew Beach with cushioned seating right by the sand, so you eat while watching the sea in the late afternoon. It's buffet-priced, the som tam is made in-house and punchy, and it works well for big groups on a budget.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Rayong food tour or cooking class
Half a day with a local who knows the lanes — or cooking a dish yourself — teaches you more than just eating. Book ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide.
Wong Duan Bay — a pretty curved beach with water views
Wong Duan Bay (Haad Wong Duan) is a crescent-shaped bay on the southern side of the island, with clear water and a pretty curving beach, and slightly fewer people than Sai Kaew. Most restaurants sit in front of the resorts, the mood is calmer, and it suits couples or anyone who just wants to eat in peace.
Samed Cabana Restaurant
A restaurant in front of a resort on Wong Duan Bay serving Thai food and fresh seafood, good for both lunch and dinner. There are nice sea-view photo spots, and the main appeal is the shady, relaxed setting — not as busy as the main beach.
Tonsak Cafe & Restaurant
A warm, lantern-lit spot in the evening with a fire show by the beach. The dishes to order are sea bass fried with fish sauce and creamy seafood tom yum, and the sand-side tables fill up fast in the evening. Good for a dinner where you want both the food and the atmosphere.
Ao Prao — the west side, for sunset
Ao Prao is the only bay that faces west, which makes it the best sunset spot on the island. It's a fairly premium resort zone, the restaurants are quiet and calm, and it suits a special meal or a romantic dinner.
Kerala Coco Restaurant
A restaurant on Ao Prao with a full, open view of the sunset. The menu runs from steamed seafood curry (hor mok) to prawn cocktail and pineapple fried rice, and there's a drinks bar — handy if you want to sip something cold while you wait for the sun to drop below the horizon.
Lima Coco Restaurant
The restaurant at Lima Coco Resort on Ao Prao, with a romantic dinner feel in the evening and a view opening straight out to the western sea. It's a good pick for couples who want a quiet, uncrowded meal.
Quiet northern bays — Ao Noi Na, Loong Dum, Loong Wang
If you want to escape the crowds, the north side and small bays like Ao Noi Na, Ao Loong Dum, and Ao Loong Wang are much quieter. The local spots here have friendly prices, and the seafood is fresh because many owners take their own boats out. Good for anyone who wants honest, homestyle cooking.
Apache' LoongDum (Ao Loong Dum)
A local spot on Ao Loong Dum known for fresh squid, since the owner catches it himself at night. The cooking is homestyle, the way islanders make it, prices are easygoing, and the setting is quiet — good for anyone who wants the old, original Koh Samet.
Tong Ta Pha View (Ao Loong Wang)
A spot with a view over Ao Loong Wang serving bold Thai-style seafood — prawns, shellfish, crab, fish — where you eat with the sea breeze coming through. The mood is relaxed and it stays open from morning until 9pm, good for anyone who wants a meal with a view without fighting for a table.
Nong Ning Seafood
A fresh-seafood spot that reviewers praise for its seafood dipping sauce and prices that aren't bad for the island. There's fresh seafood you can buy to have cooked your way too, so it works for anyone who wants it fresh while keeping the budget in check.
Tips for eating well for less
In the evening Sai Kaew Beach and Wong Duan Bay get busy. If you want a good sand-side table with a view, go grab it around 5pm before the sunset. And if you're watching the budget, shift over to the quiet northern bays — cheaper, and the catch is just as fresh.
How to pick the right spot for your trip
- With family or a big group — Sai Kaew Beach has plenty of restaurants and easy choices, including budget-friendly Thai BBQ buffets.
- As a couple — Ao Prao on the west side for sunset, or Wong Duan Bay, which is quieter than the main beach.
- For honest, local cooking — Ao Loong Dum, Ao Loong Wang, and Ao Noi Na: fresh catch, friendly prices.
- For atmosphere and a show — the beachfront spots on Sai Kaew and the southern side, where almost every place runs a fire show in the evening.
Plan your whole Koh Samet and Rayong trip
See the Rayong travel guide →