Koh Tao

A quirky restaurant built into the granite boulders on the Chalok Ban Kao hillside with some of the most interesting views and architecture of any restaurant in Thailand. The Thai-international menu is solid and the rotating Thai cooking classes using fresh market ingredients are offered every Tuesday evening.

📍Chalok Ban Kao, Koh Tao, Surat Thani 84360, Thailand

A small neighborhood market in the quieter Chalok Ban Kao bay area with a few Thai food stalls, fresh coconuts, and a morning coffee cart. The village market captures the authentic community life of the southern bay away from the tourist development of Sairee - a more local Koh Tao experience.

📍Chalok Ban Kao, Koh Tao, Surat Thani 84360, Thailand

A long-running favorite on the Sairee strip serving excellent BBQ, burgers, and steaks alongside cold beers and regular live music nights. Chopper's Koh Tao has fed thousands of divers after their last dives and the Tuesday and Friday night BBQ buffet is the most social eating event of the week.

📍Sairee Beach, Koh Tao, Surat Thani 84360, Thailand

A permanent cluster of dive equipment and wetsuit shops along Mae Haad's main pier road where second-hand dive gear, wetsuits, fins, and masks are bought, sold, and traded between the rotating population of dive professionals and divers on the island. Essential for long-stay divers looking to upgrade their kit.

📍Mae Haad Road, Koh Tao, Surat Thani 84360, Thailand

An Italian restaurant on Sairee Beach with genuine wood-fired pizza, fresh pasta, and an impressive wine list - the best Italian food within a 300km radius. The thin-crust Margherita with buffalo mozzarella and basil is extraordinary and the cannoli are made fresh daily.

📍Sairee Beach, Koh Tao, Surat Thani 84360, Thailand

The finest restaurant on Koh Tao, set on a private beach at the Koh Tao Cabana Resort, with an elevated Thai and international menu and arguably the best sunset seafood dining on the island. The grilled lobster with garlic butter, whole snapper, and fresh oysters are all outstanding - reservations recommended.

📍Sairee Beach, Koh Tao, Surat Thani 84360, Thailand

The daily market area surrounding Koh Tao's main pier with food stalls, fresh fruit vendors, dive equipment shops, and souvenir sellers. The morning market sees returning fishing boats land the night catch - fresh yellowfin tuna, barracuda, and mahi-mahi sold directly from boat to vendor.

📍Mae Haad Pier, Koh Tao, Surat Thani 84360, Thailand

A tiny, authentic Thai restaurant in Mae Haad where Pranee has been cooking the same excellent pad kra pao, tom kha, and green curry since 2001. The plastic chairs, neon lights, and market-fresh ingredients define the honest Thai cooking that travelers come to Thailand specifically to find.

📍Mae Haad, Koh Tao, Surat Thani 84360, Thailand

An evening food market at the top of the Sairee Beach road with Thai street food stalls, grilled seafood, som tam salad, pad thai, and fresh fruit shakes at local prices. The market provides an affordable alternative to the beach restaurants and is where the island's dive instructors and long-stay workers eat dinner.

📍Sairee Road, Koh Tao, Surat Thani 84360, Thailand

A monthly Saturday market organized by Koh Tao's conservation community with refill stations for sunscreen, shampoo, and cleaning products, organic produce from island gardens, and handmade eco-products. Koh Tao has one of the most active zero-waste communities in Thailand and this market is the hub.

📍Mae Haad, Koh Tao, Surat Thani 84360, Thailand

A health-conscious cafe and restaurant in Mae Haad with excellent organic Thai food, green smoothies, and a strong commitment to environmentally friendly ingredients. Zest Koh Tao is aligned with the island's growing reef conservation culture - the packaging is plastic-free and the menu features locally caught sustainable fish.

📍Mae Haad, Koh Tao, Surat Thani 84360, Thailand