Koh Lanta surprised me in the best way when it came to food. I already expected good Thai food, fresh fruit shakes, and easy beach dinners, but I did not expect to find so many cozy cafes, healthy breakfast & lunch spots, and casual restaurants I would happily go back to again. Seriously, sometimes I still randomly talk about the delicious coconut iced coffee from ZENITH CAFE with Lorenzo.
This is not a fancy fine-dining guide. These are the places I personally visited and loved, went back to, or would highly recommend to a friend visiting Koh Lanta. Smoothie bowls, fresh sourdough bread, beach burgers at sunset, big portions of pad Thai, local street food, Koh Lanta has it all.
So, if you are looking for the best restaurants in Koh Lanta, this guide gives you a few tasty places to save for your own Koh Lanta trip.
My Quick Koh Lanta Tips
How to get to Koh Lanta: Take a flight to Krabi and book a transfer from Krabi Airport to Koh Lanta.
Best time to visit Koh Lanta: April-May, for hot & sunny weather.
Where to stay in Koh Lanta: My favorite stay is Lanta Sand Resort & Spa, this luxury stay is located right on the beach, and the staff is absolutely amazing! It also offers three insane pools to cool off and has some amazing spots to watch the sunset.
Favorite restaurant for dinner: Where Else Garden Eatery & Bar
Favorite brunch spot in Koh Lanta: ZENITH CAFÉ
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1. ZENITH CAFE
ZENITH CAFÉ, formerly known as SHAKA CAFÉ, was probably my favorite breakfast and lunch spot on Koh Lanta, especially because they serve the most impressive smoothie bowls. They put their heart & soul into the presentation of the bowl. It is the kind of place where the food looks beautiful, and the food is also very tasty, all made with fresh ingredients.
Next to amazing smoothie bowls they also serve a wide range of dishes, like tacos, healthy bowls, luxury burgers and more.
I absolutely loved their coconut iced latte, which ended up being one of my favorite lattes I had on Koh Lanta. It felt like the perfect mix of sweetness, cold, creamy, tropical, and exactly what I need on a sunny day with high temperatures.
This spot is located right on the beach, so you’ve got the best view possible during your breakfast or lunch.
2. THE BACKYARD
The BACKYARD is another place I really liked for having lunch in Koh Lanta. It is one of those easy-going cafes where you can stop by whether you are craving something healthy, something sweet, or a simple Thai dish.
By now, you can probably tell that I really love having a smoothie bowl for lunch. So it’s no surprise that my favorite food here was the Mango Tango smoothie bowl. It was full of fresh fruit and had that light, tropical taste that makes smoothie bowls in Thailand so good. I also tried some other dishes from the menu: fried rice with chicken, pad Thai, and honey pancakes with fresh fruit, all way too good and you should try it yourself if you get the chance!
It’s also a great spot to work outside for a few hours, enjoy the fresh air and the smell of all the food being made in the middle of the restaurant.
Prices are affordable too, we paid around €3 to €7, or $4 to $8 per meal per person. For the portion sizes, freshness, and quality, it felt very fair.
3. The Living Room Bakery
Living Room Bakery is a great brunch spot and was about a 5-minute drive from our hotel. It feels cozy, calm, and laptop-friendly, with big tables, comfortable chairs, and strong Wi-Fi if you want to sit down and work on your laptop.
It had a lovely café atmosphere, with enough movement around to feel cozy, but enough calmness to actually open a laptop and get some focus work done.
Their eggs benedict with hollandaise sauce was one of my favorites at the restaurant, and you could really tell this place knows how to do brunch properly. Thesourdough bread they serve is baked in their own little bakery next to the restaurant, and you can taste that it is not just standard toast. The sauce was rich and creamy, and the eggs were perfectly soft.
They also serve fresh pastries which are made in their own bakery as well. Lorenzo especially loved the cinnamon rolls, which were soft, sweet, and super tasty. I personally was blown away by the raspberry cheesecake and the carrot cake. They both tasted so fresh and were a nice treat after a good work session. 😉 If you’re craving a good coffee, or looking for a relaxed lunch & work spot, this is one of the places I highly recommend on Koh Lanta.
4. KinBurger
KinBurger is 100% the place to go on Koh Lanta if you are craving a really good burger. The menu is very basic, with not too many options, which I actually liked, because they focus on a few dishes instead of trying to offer everything.
The triple cheeseburger was our winner. It was so tasty, the perfect amount of cheese (which we, as Dutchies, obviously love), and exactly what we needed after eating a lot of Thai food for a couple of weeks. Sometimes on a longer trip, a good burger just hits completely different. So different, that I totally forgot to take a picture, oops… I guess that’s a good reason to come back some time hehe.
They also sell small brownies for the crazy price of 10 THB, which is such a yummie little dessert after finishing probably the best burger on the island.
For the portion size and the quality of the food, in my opinion KinBurger is really affordable if you want to go for something else than local dishes.
What made KinBurger even better was their beach location. They actually have two locations. The first time we visited Koh Lanta we didn’t even know they had a second location. We were surprised to find out that the second location was actually 10 meters away from our beachfront hotel.
Eating a freshly made smashburger with loads of cheese right on the beach while the sun is about to set is such a memorable moment of our time on Koh Lanta.
5. Local Street Food Market
For affordable and freshly made local dishes, the local street food market is the place to go. It is perfect if you want to try some different Thai options, which are freshly made right in front of you.
You can get almost everything on the street markets, from fresh coconuts and pad thai (most common Thai dish and absolutely one of my favorites) to fried potatoes and roasted insects. That is one of the things I always love about street food in Thailand: you see the ingredients, the cooking, the steam, the wok, and the whole meal coming together in a few minutes, made by a smiling local.
This is the most affordable dinner option on this list and probably the best place to go if you are traveling on a budget or just want something easy and try a bit of everything. It is also nice if you are craving one specific local dish and don’t want to spend too much. Thai people are the friendliest, so I’m sure you’ll have a great evening with delicious food!
6. Where Else Garden Eatery & Bar
Where Else Garden Eatery & Bar was my favorite dinner spot in Koh Lanta. It’s a cozy place, they always have great music playing and the restaurant really gives you an island vibe.
Their pad thai was such a hidden gem. It came in a big portion, tasted delicious, and was one of those simple meals I would happily order again. We also tried the pasta pesto, because at that point in the trip we were really craving pasta, and it was surprisingly good too.
That is what I liked about Where Else Garden Eatery & Bar: it is not just one of those restaurants that looks nice but disappoints on the food. Everything we had tasted good, and the portions made it feel worth the money.
Some dishes are mid-range, while others are a little more expensive, but because the portions are generous, it still felt fair to me. If you are looking for a cozy dinner place in Koh Lanta, this would be one of my top recommendations.
7. Somewhere Else
Somewhere Else is the only place on this list where I actually haven’t been myself, but I heard nothing but good stories about it from people around me, so I am saving this spot for my next visit to Koh Lanta.
It is located right on the beach, which makes it a fantastic option for dinner, especially if you want a date-night kind of setting with comfortable seating and if you’re lucky a perfect sunset. Based on the recommendations I heard, their menu is great: the garlic pepper prawns and massaman curry must be worth trying.
Since I have not eaten here myself yet, I cannot say from my personal experience how the food tastes, but Somewhere Else is definitely on my list for next time. I still wanted to include this restaurant, because it came up as a strong recommendation multiple times. It sounds like a missed opportunity for myself, so I want to make sure anyone reading this post won’t make the same mistake!
FAQs About Eating in Koh Lanta
What are the best restaurants in Koh Lanta?
My personal favorite restaurants in Koh Lanta (if you haven’t noticed it yet) are ZENITH CAFE, The BACKYARD and The Living Room Bakery. I absolutely love lunch spots located on the beach. Breakfast/lunch with a view gives me the happiest feeling to start the day with!
What is the best breakfast spot in Koh Lanta?
For me, the best breakfast spot in Koh Lanta is ZENITH CAFE, especially if you love smoothie bowls and healthy food. The smoothie bowls are fresh, they are filling and they’re served up in a beautiful way. The coconut iced latte is a must-try: it was one of my favorite coffees I had on the island.
What is the most affordable restaurant in Koh Lanta?
The local street food market is the place in Koh Lanta if you want affordable local food. You can get fresh coconuts, pad thai, and other Thai dishes freshly made right in front of you. Perfect if you want to try some new local food or just want to stroll around.
Is food expensive in Koh Lanta?
Food in Koh Lanta can be very affordable if you eat at street food markets and local restaurants. Western cafes, smoothie bowl spots, and beach restaurants are usually a little more expensive (depending on the place and location) but still offer good value for money.
What is the best dinner spot in Koh Lanta?
My favorite dinner spot in Koh Lanta was Where Else Garden Eatery & Bar, because the food was delicious, the portions were quite big, and the place felt cozy and the seating was very comfortable.
What is the best beach restaurant in Koh Lanta?
For a casual beach dinner, I really liked KinBurger. I am a huge burger fan, so when I found out they also have a restaurant right on the beach, it was obvious I had to try. Somewhere Else is located at a beautiful spot right on the beach. We haven’t had dinner there, but I would definitely try it myself next time!
Do you need reservations for restaurants in Koh Lanta?
For most casual places, it’s not needed to make a reservation, but during high season it can be a clever idea to arrive a bit earlier than usual as the more popular places, especially located on the beach, will fill up quickly with people during sunset.
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