It’s always a pleasant surprise to be in a resort destination and find that every place, be it from low to high end restaurants, offers consistently good food. Koh Lanta’s one of those places that offers diverse dining that can go from traditional to fusion, from low-key to high end luxury dining. If you want great presentation, romantic candlelight dinners and the highest quality of meals, then hotel dining is a must. Try the Tides at Layana Resort & Spa where the kitchen serves excellent Thai and international cuisine. Baan Pimalai at Pimalai Resort & Spa serves quality seafood. For high-end dining and a cool spot by the sea, try The Restaurant at Costa Lanta. Right next door is the Twin Lotus Resort and Spa which features Thai fusion cuisine, whose chef creates meals with the freshest quality ingredients and a menu that features traditional favorites infused with a modern touch. Lanta Palace Resort & Beach Club offers seafood in Thai and Lanta style in addition to western servings. Don’t forget to check out the four new restaurants and a sports bar at the brand new Rawi Warin Resort & Spa where you can expect the best of Lanta cuisine in elegant and chic dining options ranging from seafood, Mediterranean, international to Asian. The hotel also has its own bakery which turns out freshly made baked goods.

But if you are an easy going and adventurous type, there is inexpensive and tasty food for you around Koh Lanta. Lanta Seafood and Saladan Seafood are restaurants built on the waters in the village of Saladan. Menus are mostly of seafood prepared in the traditional Thai way, with a few Western recipes thrown in. Take time to venture out and pick your choice of the catch of the day, the Lanta way. You’ll have a memorable meal of the freshest kind imaginable. Heading further south of the island are local favorites such as Cookai, and Same, Same but Different restaurants, which are popular among Thais and a sure indication that the flavor is local and tasty.

Viewpoint restaurant, as its name states, boasts of a stunning view, in addition to its varied menu. Khao Yai restaurant gives its diners magnificent views of the islands as well. It’s always best to go there at sunset and book your table.

Walk in to any resort or bungalow and you will find some decent food there as well. You can expect fresh seafood and authentic Thai food as well. Barbecue dining on the beach is popular at most resorts during the high season.

The best thing to order on the menu is seafood and local southern Thai food. Southern preparations are considered to be more intense in flavor and therefore are the preferred order. But be sure to let your waiter know beforehand if you’d rather have them tone down your dish’s spicy level.

Take in the freshness of the herbs, the intensity of spices, the heady aroma and the rich tastes that’s sure to make your meals here unforgettable.