Techo Vayo Restaurant & Bar

Ao Nang has no shortage of places to eat, and that's exactly the problem. Half of them are chasing whoever walks past once and never comes back. This one has clearly built something steadier than that, and in a strip like Ao Nang that counts for a lot.

It's a restaurant and a bar in equal measure, which makes it flexible. Late lunch after a morning boat trip, a proper dinner, or just a drink somewhere with chairs and no one hurrying you along. The kitchen doesn't open until 12:30, so it's no use to you for breakfast, and the last of the evening runs to 22:30. My advice is to aim for around six if you want the place calm. Between seven and eight is when Ao Nang eats, and you'll feel it.

Worth knowing that the address puts you within walking distance of the beach and most of the Ao Nang hotels, so there's no transport puzzle to solve. Turn up on foot after the sunset crowd has cleared off the sand.