Archive for the ‘HUA HIN NIGHTLIFE’ Category

HUA HIN RESTAURANTS

Sunday, February 24th, 2008

The area is packed with restaurants serving quality foreign food in restaurants owned and managed by foreigners who have decided to make Hua Hin home. Particularly impressive are some of the Japanese restaurants that take advantage of local and imported seafood.

Italian food fanciers can dine on pizza, pasta and occasionally more elaborate fare. There are also several outstanding French restaurants, some German places, and a goodly supply of Indian places specializing in food from northern India. There are also several bakeries that serve sandwiches and coffee, in addition to excellent baked goods.

Brasserie de Paris
3 Naresdamri Road
Hua Hin,
Tel: 01-826 6814
Charmingly French place adjacent to the pier in Hua Hin town

Hagi Japanese Restaurant
1 Damnernkasem Road
(Adjacent to Sofitel)
Hua Hin
Tel: 0-3251-2021-38
Outstanding Japanese food; restaurant operated by Sofitel

Let’s Sea, Hua Hin Beach Restaurant
83/155 Soi Talay 12,
Khao Takiab-Hua Hin Rd., Hua Hin
Tel 0-3253-6022
A well known place to chill and soak in the atmosphere with fine wine and beach cuisine featuring Thai favourites and fresh international flavours with plenty of seafood

Maharaja
25 Naresdamri Rd.,
Hua-Hin
TEL: 0-3253-1122
Good northern Indian food served from 11.00AM-11.00PM

Monsoon Restaurant & Bar
62 Naresdamri Rd
Hua Hin,
Tel: 0-6877-7808
Charming and chic with a menu of Thai and continental dishes

Orchids French & Thai Restaurant
110/1 Naresdamri Rd.
Hua Hin
Tel: 032-513670
Serves a mix of French and Thai dishes from 6:00PM-10:00PM

Sasi’s ba Bar
83/159 Nhongkae
Near the Hyatt Hotel
Hua Hin
Tel: 0-3251-2488
Features a mix of Western and Thai food, lots of drinks and live music from 8.30PM onwards

Taj Mahal
31/1 Naresdamri Road
Hua Hin,
Tel: 0-3251-6615
Nice selection of northern Indian favourites, sister restaurant at 112 Chom Sin Road

Chao Lay Seafood
15 Naresdamri Rd. Hua Hin
Tel: 0-3251-3436
Popular outdoor restaurant on pylons over the water by the pier in Hua Hin.

Chom View Seafood
Cha-am Beach Front Road
Cha Am
0-3243-0350
Smashing seafood served right on the beach in a rustic, open air setting.

La Mer
Khao Takiab Beach
Hua Hin
Tel: 0-3253- 6205
Popular seafood restaurant located on a hill overlooking the beach that gets high marks for both its food and view.

Ketsarin Restaurant
17/1 Naresdamri Road
(at Sea Front near Fishing Pier) Hua Hin
Tel: 0-3251-1339
Big outdoor place right on Hua Hin’s sea front near the pier

Madame Green Seafood
Khao Takiab Village Beach
(at Takiab Road)
Hua Hin,
Tel: 0-3251-2233
Outstanding beachfront seafood in a restaurant popular with locals as well as tourists.

PLE Seafood Restaurant
Takiab Bay Beach
Hua Hin
Unpretentious open-air dining right on the beach; this restaurant gets rave reviews.

Rua Rimtarn
12 / 203 Khao Tikiab
Hua Hin
Tel: 0-3251-6277
Seafood served on a ‘boat’ sitting on land. Large menu of traditional Thai favourites.

Supratra by the Sea
122/63 Soi Mu Baan Takiab
(at the Supatara Beach Resort)
Hua Hin
Tel 0-3253-6512-2
Romantic dining featuring outstanding seafood in a lovely setting.

Posted in HUA HIN ATTRACTIONS, HUA HIN HOTELS, HUA HIN NIGHTLIFE, HUA HIN THINGS TO DO | No Comments »

HUA HIN DINING & RESTAURANTS

Sunday, February 24th, 2008

Nothing less than a feast awaits for your taste buds… Leaving the cooking to someone else is always an important part of a holiday experience, and the variety and quality of restaurants in and around Hua Hin will ensure the experience is a memorable one. Once an active fishing port, Hua Hin still has enough fishermen around to provide a steady supply of fresh seafood for its restaurants and those in neighbouring Cha-Am and Pranburi. Traditional Thai food is, of course, served everywhere, including food stalls along the beachfront and in Hua Hin’s well-known Night Market.

There are numerous dining spots serving Western, Indian and Japanese food. For those looking for a drink after the sun goes down, there is an ample supply of bars and pubs, some of which have live music. In addition, all of the hotels have bars and lobby lounges, many featuring live entertainment. All the hotels and resorts have restaurants too, and these range from top-notch speciality and international cuisine, to light meals of Thai and Western varieties. Highly recommended are the buffet spreads laid on by top hotels for breakfast, lunch and dinner – definitely worth the expense since you’ll get to sample an enormous variety of Thai, Asian and Western food. At some venues, these buffets consist of open cooking stations, including a Seafood BBQ, and often also offer live entertainment like traditional Thai music and dancing.

Seafood fresh from the ocean
Thais eat fish, prawns or other items foreigners think of as ’seafood’ with virtually every meal. Basic condiments like fish sauce, shrimp paste, and ‘pla rah’ are all made from fermented fish or seafood. ‘Tom yum gung’, a delicious spicy and sour shrimp soup, is widely considered Thailand’s national dish. Another regular is ‘tod man pla’, an unusual melange of fried minced fish, curry paste, and sliced long beans – fish cakes, basically. Hearkening back to the days before refrigeration, dried and salted fish are served in a variety of ways and are still a mainstay of the Kingdom’s diet. There will also be lots of squid, catfish, ’serpent head’ fish, and Nile River Tilapia. All are day-to-day favourites in homes and ordinary restaurants.

However, when Thais go to a restaurant specializing in seafood, the menu broadens considerably. The items previously mentioned will be present, but will take a backseat to a host of other dishes with their culinary roots in China. Crab, cockles, mussels, oysters and lobsters will suddenly appear. Cooking methods and sauces will change and there will be items like crab with yellow curry cauce, lobster cooked in XO Sauce and grilled clams or cockles. Fish will be steamed and served with a variety of sauces, as well as grilled and fried. Lobster and giant prawns, pricey items for the average Thai, will play a big role and will often arrive at the table after spending time on a grill.

Going out for seafood is a big event for Thais and they always seem to have a good time. Joining them will be a highlight of any holiday, particularly when the restaurant is in the area around Hua Hin. Many of the restaurants are found in Hua Hin town on Naresdamri Road, just south of the pier. Ao Takiap beach, 5km to the south, has several famous places, and there are some excellent restaurants to the north as you approach Cha-Am. The least expensive, and most popular with Thais, are scattered along Phetkasem Road.

Posted in HUA HIN HOTELS, HUA HIN NIGHTLIFE, HUA HIN THINGS TO DO | No Comments »

HUA HIN BARS & PUBS

Sunday, February 24th, 2008

Hua Hin isn’t the place to head to if you’re looking for wild and untamed nightlife experiences . That said, with its diminutive but lively nightlife scene you can certainly find some fun if you look hard enough. Scattered about town are several clusters of beer bars (little ramshackle affairs where you can score a beer and a girl), a number of family-friendly pubs and bars (many of which are located in hotels), and one or two discos.

Though the above adds up to a tame after-dark scene compared to Bangkok, Phuket’s Patong or Pattaya, there is fun to be found and several establishments open past the official 02:00 closing. With an annual jazz festival happening in Hua Hin, it’s no surprise that there’s also quite a lot of live music to be enjoyed, from cover bands to authentic Thai acts. And one thing you definitely won’t find back home is ladyboy cabaret Blue Angel. Check this out for 60 minutes of drama, beauty, elegance and glam, as well as dazzling insight into Thailand’s famous third sex.

Hua Hin’s nighlife scene is growing gradually, with new places opening up and widening the scope for visitors. There are a couple of tried and tested venues that have been around for a while – being popular with both locals and visitors – and we’ve lined them up for you here…

Billy’s Bar & Restaurant (Hua Hin Bazaar)
This place exudes pub atmosphere, and has lots of Brits in attendance. Food, darts, sports TV and all the other things that make for a good pub.

Blue Angel Cabaret (Soi Bintaban)
A nightly transvestite show at 20:00 and 21:45 and a midnight show on weekends. Probably different than anything you’ll find back home.

Crawford’s Irish Bar (Poolsuk Road)
Giant TV’s, lots of drinks, and highly regarded pub grub. Popular with local expats and suitable for families.

Hua Hin Brewing Company Bar (next to Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa)
Decorated like a rustic fisherman’s house, this is Hua Hin’s busiest disco by far. Live music and DJs.

Johnnie Walkers Sports & Music Bar (Selakam Road)
Good pub food and lots of promotions. Popular with expats.

Jungle Juice (Selakam Road)
Pool and dart leagues, sports on the TV and lots of local expats downing beer and eating good pub grub.

P and P Bar (Poolsuk Road)
Lots of attractive girls here, and pool and 9-ball are free.

Octopussy (Selakam Road)
Popular beer bar with waitresses dressed in risqué school uniforms. Sports can always be found on the TV.

Satchmo Club (Main Lobby of the Sofitel Central Hua Hin)
A live Filipino band play here every night. Satchmo’s is also a great excuse for visiting this classic hotel, reputed to have been Hua Hin’s first luxury hotel.

Posted in HUA HIN HOTELS, HUA HIN NIGHTLIFE | No Comments »