Ao Nang: recommended restaurants

SEAFOOD is the obvious choice when holidaying by the sea and most people head straight for the main ‘seafood street’ - a small walkway at the far corner of the beach (near Wanna’s Place) lined with seafood restaurants. All serve similar fare (except for Lo Spuntino - see below), so walk along and see which ‘catch of the day’ takes your fancy. The locally owned Ban Lay Thai Kitchen is a favourite. As the restaurants are located over the water, tables fill up early - around sunset - and remain very busy until around 9.30pm, so you may have to wait for a table.

Ao Nang also has the best selection of western and international dining on mainland Krabi, and is particularly strong in Italian food. Lo Spuntino, in the ‘seafood street’ mentioned above, is a clear favourite, with excellent filled pasta, melting risottos and simple grilled meats. Two other Italians on the beachfront road - great for people-watching, as well as decent food - are Azzurra, again, strong on pasta, and La Luna, which does a fine pizza. Many other pizzerias you will find are actually owned and run by south Asians (Indian and Bangladeshi people) - so if authenticity is important to you, seek out one of the restaurants named above.

Red meat eaters should head straight for Carnivore, on the Klong Haeng Rd opposite Thai Village Resort, which serves simply perfect steaks, with hearty accompaniments, as well as a range of classic European cuisine for those with smaller appetites. Good wine list.

If you - or your children - are yearning for a taste of home, you are sure to find it in a corner of Ao Nang. Scandi natives can head to Blue Mango (pictured above) opposite Krabi Resort, which serves a small Swedish menu including pytt i panna meatballs and plank steak; or Jeanette's, another Swedish restaurant on the beachfront; Swiss people will find their rösti and schnitzel in Wanna’s Place (which is also the place to try a Thai massaman curry); Germans can get a meat and potato fix in Divers’ Inn; while Dutch tourists should head to the tiny Poppy’s for authentic kroket and other delicacies. British people can indulge in a roast dinner on Saturday, Sunday or Wednesday at The Irish Rover pub, or eat real fish and chips and mushy peas at Oy's cafe on the main road in Ao Nang Village.

Gringos in the new "Walking street" on the corner of Phra Nang Inn, offers decent (though not great) Tex-Mex food and is run by the same Finnish - Thai team as the always crowded beach front restaurant, A-ning.

There has also been a recent spate of openings of Indian restaurants along the beachfront. These tend to be stronger in tandoori (clay pot) dishes and vegetarian options - meat dishes are often bland and overpriced. The best of the lot are Navrang Mahal (behind the seafood street mentioned above) and Tandoori Nights, diagonally opposite McDonald's.

Fast food and chain restaurant fans are catered for with franchises of McDonald's and Burger King, as well as a Subway. You will also now find a Starbucks, Pizza Company and Swensen's ice cream parlour along the main beach road.

Most international food you will find will be in the 250 - 500 baht a head range (without drinks). For western food on a budget, try The Irish Rover (pub grub and Mexican food) or Bernie’s Place, which offers the longstanding all-you-can-eat buffet dinner for 250 baht - or a wallet-friendly 75-150 baht for children (including ice cream).

Authentic Thai food is - surprisingly - quite hard to come by in the beach area, as it is usually adapted to (what Thai people think are) tourists’ tastes. If your taste buds can't cope with chilli, Sala Bua, Blue Mango or A-ning restaurants serve probably the best modified versions of Thai food we have tasted. If you can take the heat, there are also a few places that serve something close to the real thing - although those who are really into their Thai food should definitely consider making a trip to Krabi Town (see Restaurants and Nightlife).

The small ‘night market’, a plaza opposite Krabi Resort is a good place to start in Ao Nang. You can try all sorts of Thai street food such as pad thai, noodle soup, and papaya salad, as well as food made to order, such as tom yam kung soup, red and green curries and spicy salads. It used to be a popular place with locals until they hiked up their prices (often to more than the "fancy" restaurants with proper table service nearby). You can order from any stall you like, then sit down and wait to be served. There is a cheaper, more basic version of this place outside the McDonald's. You will find simpler dishes and chairs but no tables.

If you prefer to eat in a restaurant, Ton Sai, opposite Phra Nang Place hotel, is a basic shack serving really excellent food (though be prepared for a long wait if the place is busy). The Massaman, diagonally opposite, and Lucky Yim, opposite Vogue Phranang Bay Resort (next to the overpriced Aree Ba Ba), are also good bets. Ruen Preutsa in Somkiet Buri Resort (opposite McDonald's) is a more upmarket Thai restaurant, set in a romantic garden. Another romantic dining spot (though not serving Thai food) can be found in The Last Fisherman bar (at the end of Soi 17). Here they do a nightly (western style) barbecue on the beach, so you can eat by candlelight on the sand.

Find more restaurant ideas for all areas of Krabi in the Your Krabi guidebook, which has a complete restaurant review section.