🍸 Bars & drinks

A sunset bar where cheese boards and carpaccio join the cocktails

You come for the drinking and the room, not the plates: standard cocktails, decent liqueur, and it holds up nicely for a whisky evening too. Eat first, arrive late — and factor in music at a volume that makes conversation work.

ℹ The food is secondary to the atmosphere, and the music is loud

A sunset beach with cocktails and a fire show, and play equipment off to the side

The order here begins and ends with a glass: cocktails on the beach for the sunset hour, and there's a fire show as well. From the kitchen it's worth stopping at the blue crab salad at 150 baht, and factoring in steep pricing — even a coconut can run 120 baht here.

⚠ The food is uneven, and prices are high for what arrives

A bar with a real kitchen — cocktails, a gin list and sea bass at sunset

The spirits here are a step above and the drinks run in a style close to the Alcove's, including a large gin selection for anyone who follows the genre. What separates it from an ordinary bar is the kitchen — fried calamari, ceviche, burger and sea bass — so one drink rolls easily into a full meal.

ℹ Not a gourmet destination

A gastro-bar with bruschetta, steak and a playroom for the kids

An excellent margarita, music that makes the room and careful service — and you can settle in without a full meal, on a coffee or a drink. If you do want something alongside the glass, the bruschetta arrive in pairs across several flavours, from eel to duck.

⚠ The food is hit or miss; prices are high

New in Hin Kong, in the old Summer space — and a wine bar address too

Wine is a whole side of this place: it works as a wine bar and as a restaurant for a full evening, and the food is good enough to turn one glass into dinner. Fairly new and with no presence on the maps — book the table by phone ahead of time.

⚠ Opinions are divided

A beach club with a big pool and a sea view, and food that does the job

The drinks set the tone here: wine or cava in an ice bucket at the poolside, shakes for the hot hours, and around them a beach club with a big pool and a stretch of sand. From the kitchen, ask for the pomelo salad — a dish that is hard to find elsewhere — and the rest is perfectly decent.

ℹ Little shade around the pool

A charming Mexican spot with atmosphere and cocktails worth starting with

The order runs backwards here — drink first, order food after, and the cocktails are good enough to justify the method. The easy-going Mexican kitchen turns it into a full evening rather than just a round of drinks.

A surprising room and open mic nights, a good burger and an excellent date cake

As a drinking address it works both as a wine bar and as a place for a drink with live music — the open mic here is at a level that embarrasses nobody. And what sets it apart from other bars: a real kitchen, with a burger worth ordering and a date cake to close the bill.

Serious cocktails and a snooker table, well back from the beach

The cocktails are the story: behind the bar is a bartender who came from Bangkok, and the selection he builds is among the widest on the island. No sea view — just an unhurried Koh Phangan mood, and good beer for anyone keeping it simple.

A perfect Haad Rin beach for long hours by the sea, and salmon as the best order

A Haad Rin resort that works as a few indulgent hours out, with the meal as an extra rather than the reason. The kitchen genuinely divides opinion — a plate here can arrive tasty or arrive bland — which leaves the salmon as the safe bet. It suits a quiet beach day with one lunch stop and expectations set accordingly.

⚠ The food is middling, the portions small and the price high

A lounge restaurant with live music — sea bass and salmon over mash

You come for the music, and discover that the kitchen holds up its end with dignity. The sea bass comes out tender in a sauce that makes the dish, and the kitchen is flexible — you can ask for the fish in place of the chicken breast in another dish. Keep it for an evening when you want to eat well without giving up live music.

A beautiful, quiet spot for tapas, a cheese board and a glass of wine

A wine bar that has somehow stayed under the radar, and there is almost always a table free without booking. The food divides opinion — the safe bet is the cheese board alongside a glass of wine. The quiet works nicely for an easy date; just don't expect a buzz or a lively bar atmosphere.

⚠ Opinions on the food are divided

A beach club with music from midday, decent food and room for kids

As a beach club it shifts into gear at midday — excellent music from 2pm — with space that takes in large groups. From the kitchen: sushi and Thai dishes, and the food overall is decent and then some; cards are accepted.

A Bangkok-style cocktail bar beside HOB Cafe — precise bartending

A young addition to Thong Sala's evenings — not a bar that impresses with its design, but what lands in the glass makes up for all of it. The spirits selection carries bottles and ingredients you will barely find elsewhere on the island. An obvious evening stop for anyone who takes their cocktails seriously.