If you can’t resist dining with sand between your toes then Chong-Fah Seafood is definitely for you. With heavy wooden furniture, well-spaced tables, several dining pavilions and a large show kitchen this is the place to enjoy those delicious sea breezes while tucking into the catch of the day, although you’ll have to do it early as Chong-Fah closes at 22:00.

• Opening Hours: 08:00 – 22:00
• Location: Bang Niang Beach
• Cuisine: Thai seafood

Serving Thai food with the occasional steak and western dish, Dao Thong lives up to its name ‘Golden Star’ as its inner lighting setup is extremely attractive and unusual. You can choose your seafood from the ice-filled ‘boat’ display cases out front.

• Opening Hours: 18:00 – 23:00
• Location: Opposite Bang Niang Market
• Cuisine: Thai/International

As its name implies, Enzo Bistro Japanese Fusion brings other Asian flavours to Khao Lak. Run by Japanese Chef Toshi, the quality of the traditional and fusion dishes served here is second to none, as they are prepared with the best local and imported organic ingredients. Japanese cuisine is renowned for its use of fresh seafood, which is why the chef goes almost every day to choose the freshest fish and crustaceans directly from the nearby fishing piers. From sashimi to tempura to sushi to yaki gyosa and more, you’ll find all the dishes that contributed to the Japanese cuisine’s fame around the world here. Please note that reservation is recommended.

• Opening Hours: 13:00-23:00
• Location: On the road that leads to Bang Niang Beach
• Tel: +66 (0)76 486 671

Opened in 2008, Hill Tribe Restaurant is located a good 10-minute walk from Bang Niang Market, off Phetkasem Road. Run by Khun San, a talented young chef from Chiang Rai, this restaurant has rapidly become one of the most popular venues in Khao Lak to those who appreciate northern Thai cuisine. Among the favourite dishes, you’ll find the delicious seafood hot plate, lemon chicken, and banana flower salad, to name just a few. As the name suggests, the restaurant is nicely decorated with northern hill tribe artefacts, and the service is excellent. Please note that reservation is recommended.

• Opening Hours: 13:00-22:00
• Location: on Phetkasem Road, 500m before International Tsunami Museum in Bang Niang
• Tel: +66 (0)93 648 3860

A simple but effective setup, La Roma is Italian owned and run, specialising in pizzas and mixing Thai food with Italian dishes. It’s the personal attention that counts here as La Roma is small and intimate with a view out over the market on the opposite side of the road.

• Opening Hours: 18:00 – 23:00
• Location: Opposite Bang Niang Market
• Cuisine: Italian/Thai

Next-door neighbours and eerily similar to just about every other bamboo-and-thatch seafood restaurant in the area, these two both have ‘boat’ ice-filled display cases out front, sell fish by weight and wish a year-round ‘Happy New Year’.  Interiors feature atmospheric lighting, plenty of space and happy-go-lucky staff members. There’s not much to choose between them as is the case of The Lobster seafood restaurant further down the road.

• Opening Hours: 18:00 – 23:00
• Location: Soi Bang Niang # 1
• Cuisine: Thai Seafood

This attractive trattoria sports white furniture with blue tablecloths and makes its own pasta and sauces and pizzas as well as importing ice cream. With a large alfresco space and fan-cooled interior dining it’s big enough to handle the crowds in style.

• Opening Hours: 12:00 – 23:00
• Location: Halfway down Soi Bang Niang # 1
• Cuisine: Italian-Thai

This restaurant serves northern Thai specialties – mostly leaning heavily on barbecued and grilled meats with rice with unusual sauces along with salads. Ta Kieng is a large restaurant and it’s well worth a visit.

• Opening Hours: 12:00 – 22:00
• Location: Opposite Bang Niang Market
• Cuisine: Northern Thai specialties

Going slightly upmarket, The Candle is classier than its neighbours, with a textured brickwork exterior and an ambitious alfresco terrace along with a Thai menu with international touches to it. Intimate and innovative, the The Candle’s a good place for a meal with that special person. Try the Thai wine there.

• Opening Hours: 18:00 – 23:00
• Location: Near the Main Road, Soi Bang Niang # 1
• Cuisine: Thai and international

This is a modest, family-run restaurant with a hard-working team serving up Thai and Indian food with a lot of enthusiasm. The restaurant also does set menus with several optional dishes as well as free delivery of takeaways. Indian food at Victoria is not cheap, but it’s the genuine article.

• Opening Hours: 12:00 – 23:00
• Location: Opposite Mukhdara Resort on Soi Bang Niang # 1
• Tel: 089 047 5387
• Cuisine: Thai, Indian and seafood