Last Updated on October 3, 2025
From Thai beach dinners to Italian specialities
On our last night at Amari Koh Samui, we had an unforgettable experience. As the sun set, my husband and I strolled onto the white, powdery sand of Chaweng Beach where the resort is located. A simple beach gazebo was dressed in white gauzy fabric, a table was laid with white linen, and a vase of fresh flowers. Six tall lanterns were set into the sand, filled with fairy lights. This was the setting for the Amari Koh Samui Romantic Dinner. If Robinson Crusoe had had a wife, he could not have improved on this scene.
Amari Koh Samui Restaurants
Amaya Food Gallery
As the sun dropped towards the horizon, the sea turned an exquisite shade of aquamarine, and the last rays illuminated two small fishing boats bobbing on the water only metres away. Above us, tall palm trees swayed in a gentle breeze that took the heat off the day. A 4-course dinner lay ahead as we enjoyed our last evening on Koh Samui, the island of coconuts. The Romantic Dinner at Amari Koh Samui is prepared by the chefs at the resort’s restaurant, Amaya Food Gallery. There are three set menus: Thai, Indian, or Western. We chose the Thai Love Story menu.
Rather than ordering a mocktail to begin the dinner, I chose my favourite juice – papaya. The juice was not sweetened, just the pure flavour of the fruit. I loved the fresh fruit juices available everywhere on Koh Samui.
The meal began with the Amaya Platter, a popular sharing plate starter in Thai restaurants. It included Satay Gai, chicken satay skewers with a piquant peanut dipping sauce, and Thod Mun Goong, pork and chicken golden bags. We also had crispy shrimp cakes, all tasty and attractively served on a banana leaf.
Tom Khlong Talay, a fiery seafood soup infused with fresh basil, stands out as a hallmark of Thai cuisine. Here in Southern Thailand – home to the country’s spiciest fare – this version was the hottest we encountered during our three-week journey. Brimming with sweet shrimp, a hearty mix of seafood, and aromatic Thai herbs, it delivered a lip-tingling, unforgettable punch.
For the main course, I had Goong Mung Korn Phad Prik Thai Dum – Canadian lobster in black pepper sauce, served with jasmine rice and roasted potatoes suffused with Tom Yum flavours. The lobster looked resplendent, surrounded by tiny bushels of pepper berries. I tucked into the meaty chunks of lobster with gusto. The server warned me that, even though she is Thai, she finds the pepper berries too spicy, so I took care with my first encounter with the fresh version of dried pepper corns.
My husband had Nuea Yang Keaw Wan Heang – grilled Australian beef sirloin in a green curry sauce, served with jasmine rice and stir-fried garlic tofu. The rich and spicy sauce gave this steak dish a real Thai twist.
By this time, it was dark, and the lights of the resorts that line the bay reflected on the ocean. It was very romantic. As we waited for dessert, a fire show began on the sand at the resort next door. We had ringside seats to this live entertainment.
There is one dessert I always hoped to see on a menu in Thailand: Khao Neow Mamuang – mango sticky rice. Many restaurants put a spin on this dish, which can be found in every street food market in the country. The sticky rice was bright blue, and the mango slices were thinly sliced and laid out like a flower. Blue rice is created by mixing rice with butterfly pea flower, which, when boiled, has a cobalt blue hue. It is used extensively across Thailand to colour cocktails and rice dishes. A few days earlier, we had been welcomed to the resort with a butterfly pea flower infusion. We ate a lot of mango sticky rice on our Thailand trip, yet this version was one of the most creative ways of serving this deliciously sweet dessert.
Our Romantic Dinner was a night to remember and the perfect end to our Thailand trip. We savoured spicy Thai flavours with beautifully cooked luxury ingredients, presented by friendly servers. This was the cherry on top of the cuisine at Amari Koh Samui. It was the first time I had eaten on a beach with the sand between my toes rather than in my sandwiches. Amari Koh Samui exemplifies attention to detail, and we were delighted with the setting for this dinner and the small touches that made it so attractive. The hotel hosts beach weddings, and walking down to the gazebo with my husband, I almost felt we were getting married again. Treat yourself to this special event. It is what memories are made of.
Amaya Café
During our stay at the resort, we enjoyed lunch at the Amaya Café, another of the restaurants at Amari Koh Samui. This all-day café served breakfast, brunch, lunch and afternoon tea. It was an attractive, light-filled space with floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Chillout music, comfy cane furniture, interesting artefacts, and friendly staff created a convivial space. The good air-conditioning was wonderful on a baking hot and humid day. There was a wide-ranging menu. There were some deliciously healthy power bowls or full Western or Chinese breakfasts to start the day. For lunch, there were salads, Italian dishes and sandwiches. The items were mostly Western food, so we chose from four Asian options in the Grains and Strands section. One of these was Char Kway Teow, which happened to be my favourite dish, one I had eaten many times across Thailand. It is similar to Phad Thai but has a smokier and less sweet flavour. It contained delicious wide, flat rice noodles, stir-fried with chicken, shrimp, bean sprouts, chives, eggs and tofu.
While my husband opted for an iced coffee, I enjoyed a sweet watermelon drink called Lazy Day. This included TWG chamomile tea, watermelon, sugar syrup, and mint. Amari Koh Samui restaurants prepared an excellent selection of creative fruit drinks. I was reading through the dessert menu when my husband announced we had to leave immediately. He had prematurely and accidentally pressed the ‘order’ icon on the local taxi app (called Grab in Thailand), and the car had arrived for an afternoon of sightseeing. I felt somewhat shortchanged at having missed out on what I expected to be a sweet and tasty end to our lunch…
Prego
The third restaurant at Amari Koh Samui was a popular Italian restaurant called Prego. Established by Italian chef Marco Boscaini, this is one of four Prego restaurants across Thailand. The large restaurant was buzzing at dinner time. Judging by the volume of Western food options offered by hotels in Thailand, I assume that many guests choose to mix and match their menu preferences. Prego serves a full Italian menu from wood-fired pizzas to risottos and pastas, ossobuco, and grilled meats and fish.
We shared a starter of burrata fresca – a creamy ball of burrata on marinated cherry tomatoes, which are ubiquitous in Thailand. It was served with a wedge of warm focaccia. It reminded me of Italian dinners enjoyed during a recent summer spent in Rome, where the hot and humid weather was not unlike Thailand.
We opted for pescatarian mains, hoping to sample local seafood. I chose aragostelle—grilled Thai slipper lobster tails served with garlic, chilli, pesto linguine, and a crisp Parmesan cup. It was my first taste of slipper lobster, a local catch, and the trio of firm, sweet tails impressed. The al-dente linguine, rich with garlicky pesto, added an Italian twist to this satisfying Thai seafood dish
My husband ordered grigliata di pesce, a grilled seafood platter minus crab that was unavailable on the night we were at Prego. The platter included slipper lobster, tuna, calamari, mussels, seabass, salmon, and prawn, along with roast potatoes. This generous portion was attractively presented, well-cooked, and served with a pesto sauce.
For dessert, we were encouraged to try the tiramisu, which was boozy and moist with a great coffee kick. We also tried a panna cotta with strawberries. The panna cotta had the requisite wobble and was beautifully presented with a strawberry coulis that was sweet but not overly so.
Prego is a popular restaurant with an upbeat atmosphere and is an excellent choice for those in the mood for a very good Italian meal on Koh Samui.
Amari Koh Samui Restaurants
Amari Koh Samui has three restaurants, providing guests with an excellent choice of cuisines, from traditional Thai to Italian. Perhaps you fancy a romantic dinner on the beach one night, enjoying a luxurious Thai menu prepared by the Amaya Food Gallery. Then, the next day, you can order pasta at Prego. You can enjoy a range of healthy breakfast and brunch options at Amaya Cafe or treat yourself to an afternoon slice of cake or a Thai dessert. Both the Amaya Food Gallery and the Amaya Cafe offer a diverse menu, allowing you to select a delicious Thai meal while the kids tuck into a pizza. This offers a flexible approach to menu selection, making it suitable for a family resort. Whatever combination you prefer, you will be looked after by excellent staff and enjoy a good meal. The friendly team at Reception will make your restaurant bookings for you.
Amari Koh Samui,
14, 3 Chaweng Beach Road,
Bophut Koh Samui,
Surat Thai 84320,
Thailand
Check our full review for more about our stay at Amari Koi Samui Resort
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