The best international restaurants in Hua Hin

Centrally located on Damnernkasem Road, a short walk from the main Hua Hin beach, Hagi serves up a mix of authentic and innovative Japanese dishes in an outdoor setting. Ask for a teppanyaki set and you can enjoy quite a show from the experienced chef. We recommend the Sukura set (B1,130/$44), which offers scallop, salmon, tiger prawn and sirloin, served with sushi, sashimi, cream soup, roasted mushrooms or fried vegetables, Japanese fried rice and fruit or ice cream. Hagi also offers a variety of sushi and sashimi like spicy tuna rolls (marinated tuna topped with tuna sashimi, B200/$8), dragon rolls (eel and avocado, B280/$11), and three sashimi sets. Naturally, the restaurant also offers a good selection of wines and refreshing drinks like sparkling jelly sake (B320/$12). The restaurant is quite popular and can get busy over the weekend, so reservations are recommended. 

 

 

Situated on the 17th floor of the Hilton Hua Hin, White Lotus is a Chinese restaurant that offers stunning views of Hua Hin bay and the Gulf of Thailand. Expect an extensive menu of authentic Szechuan and Cantonese dishes like snowfish fillet with chili lime and garlic (B900/$35) and braised abalone with shitake mushroom, sea cucumber, scallops and fried fish maw in brown sauce (B1,700/$66). The Peking duck (B1,850/$72) is a must-try, served in three courses including duck soup, crispy skin with homemade steamed pancakes, spring onions, cucumbers and Hoi Sin sauce, and, finally, the meat fried with garlic and pepper, oyster sauce or black pepper sauce. The dim sum menu is also extensive, with over 30 items on offer. Through Nov 30, the restaurant is offering an all-you-can-eat dim sum deal on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 11:30am-2:30pm at B580/$23 per person.

 

 

Arguably the very best Italian restaurant in Hua Hin, La Grappa is owned by Italian Chef Andreas Bonifacio, who has over 20 years’ experience in the kitchens of Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe and five-star hotels. The restaurant has both outdoor and air-conditioned indoor areas and the chef flies in lots of the ingredients directly from Italy. Start with a selection of cold cuts and cheeses (from B460/$18 for one or two people) and then move onto salads, risottos, pizzas (from B320/$12), pasta and the charcoal grill. Recommended mains include wagyu veal check slow-cooked for 36 hours in red wine and served with mashed potatoes (B880/$34), fresh egg tagliatelle pasta with porcini mushroom and black summer truffle (B440/$17) and veal shank ossobuco Milan-style, slowcooked for 24 hours and served with saffron risotto (B820/$32). The wine list is quite impressive, too. 

 

 

Nestled among dramatic hills 45km from Hua Hin town, Hua Hin Hills is one of Thailand’s most successful vineyards. Take a guided tour to explore the vineyard and then enjoy food and wine at Sala Wine Bar and Bistro, which offers international and fusion dishes paired with Monsoon Valley wines. Recommended dishes include the grilled KU beef tenderloin with tamarind and sesame foie gras (B1,650/$65), cocoa lamb chop kra prao with cranberry syrup and smoked almonds (B450/$17) and lobster with frozen red curry (B200/$8). Tasting sets are also available at B650/$25. The Sala’s views are difficult to beat in Hua Hin, best enjoyed with a tiramisu (B120/$5) paired with Monsoon Valley Fortified Muscat (B265/$10). 

 

 

Set on a lovely spot of beachfront at Putahracsa resort, Oceanside is a stylish beach club and restaurant with an open-air seating area and a beach bar decked out with white sofa beds and colorful pillows. The kitchen is headed by Chef Tanu Panthong, who trained in the Netherlands and specializes in Thai and international seafood dishes like crabmeat risotto (B380/$15), deep-fried tiger prawns in tamarind sauce (B400/$15) and seared scallops served with braised apple and flying fish roe (B300/$12). Another highlight is the grilled Australian lamb chop with roasted red capsicum, potato fondant and garlic cocktail (B790/$31). Happy hours run from 5-7pm daily, offering buy-one-get-one-free on selected drinks like pina colada (B250/$10), house wine (B220/$8) and Heineken (B150/$6). There’s also a barbecue brunch deal on Sundays from noon-3pm at B1,300/$51 per person, which includes free-flow wine and soft drinks. 

 

 

Intercontinental’s beachfront Azure restaurant offers a “Sunday Chill & Grill Chandon Brunch” from 1-4pm, with seven live cooking stations serving up creative food presentation like penne carbonara in a DIY shaker and pad Thai in a takeaway box that you can enjoy in the pool. Don’t worry, the hi-so stuff is on offer, too: pan-fried foie gras, classic seafood paella, suckling pig, sushi, sashimi and homemade crepes with ice cream. B1,700/$66 per person, including a bottle of Chandon (sparkling white) for two people.