It’s totally unrivalled. Definitely 5-star. Dramatically stylish. Decidedly special and it’s, undoubtedly, one of the most romantic restaurants on Samui.

Locating an Italian fine-dining restaurant is difficult on Samui. There’s only a couple. But there’s only one that’s outside of Chaweng, and that one is Italian fine-dining – ‘with a twist’. Many of the dishes have an Asian touch. An indefinable zip of subtle spicing which transforms a regular recipe into something totally unique, and spectacularly delicious.

Since Anantara Resort Koh Samui, in Bo Phut/Maenam opened its doors in January 2005, it has already redefined Samui standards with its Full Moon contemporary Italian restaurant. From the split-second you enter the gates of the resort, with its ornate, Thai-style, gabled archway – complete with massive, flame-lit incense burner – the magic begins. Cross a lily-pond via a long wooden bridge, park your car, and take a leisurely stroll up to the magnificent lobby.

Pass through and you’re met with a stunning sight. A 200-metre-long rectangular flame-torch lined pond, with Full Moon at the very end. When you arrive there via the garden pathways there’s a water feature (this time candle-lined at the bottom of the entrance steps. Ascend these and yet another watery vista is revealed across the spacious terrace restaurant. This time it’s the lake-sized free-form swimming-pool (also flame-torch lined) and the Gulf of Thailand beyond. ‘Anantara’ actually means ‘water without borders’, which explains things perfectly.

Full Moon’s high-roofed terrace really is huge, but with seating for just 30 diners, the tables are spread well apart, ensuring total privacy – and romantic seclusion. Two upper sections can each accommodate a further 10, but that’s it. You won’t be banging your chair into neighbouring diners in this restaurant!

It’s contemporary, exciting and, perhaps, most importantly – innovative. This final factor is largely due to its engaging Executive Chef – Donald Lawson (who’s also the current president of the Samui Culinary Circle). Originally from Australia, his cooking career has taken him around the world, including notable fine-dining restaurants in Dubai, London, and Thailand. But he’s not the only one here who makes it a memorable occasion.

Super-attentive staff are always at-the-ready, without being intrusive. When they bring you the menu, you’ll see that there’s plenty to choose from in its small but widely-varied sections. Anti-pasta dishes include a wonderful Seared Tuna – pepper-encrusted tuna loin served with artichoke, tomatoes, mesclun salad and wine vinaigrette, and also an ‘Asianated’ Beef Carpaccio – wafer-thin sliced raw tenderloin of beef with marinated straw-mushrooms, shaved Parmesan reggiano and a dash of chili oil, to liven it up a bit.

“… and it recently received Wine Spectator magazine’s
highly-coveted ‘Award of Excellence  - 2006, 2007 and now 2008’.”

As for the pasta itself, Full Moon’s signature dish really does take some beating: it’s the Giant Spaghetatta (for two). Choose your favourite pasta: penne, linguine, ravioli, spaghetti or rigatoni, and it’s then complemented with sauces of mushroom cream, spicy clam, tuna & tomato, seafood pesto and green curry of beef. Or perhaps you’d prefer the Sweet Potato Gnocchi with toasted walnuts in a warm pesto sauce, which is also outstanding?

Piatti Di Carni & Pesce dishes, or as we say – the main course – also offers some mouth-watering specialities, including the Prime Australian Double-Rib (also for two – oven-roasted, marinated rib of beef spiked with rosemary, sun-dried tomatoes and olive tapenade, and presented with a bouquet of mixed vegetables. Again, this comes with an element of floor-show, for it’s carved at your table.

Creativity abounds here, and that’s no more evident than in the desserts, particularly the Tiramisu Anantara. What with 150 of the finest wines being presented alongside this fabulous cuisine in these stylish surrounds, this is an ideal restaurant in which to spend a truly romantic dinner on Samui.

As a final testament to Full Moon, I must mention that it recently received the highly-coveted ‘Award of Excellence - 2006’ 2007 and now 2008from the prestigious, international Wine Spectator magazine. Out of 4,000 listed restaurants, worldwide, only 14 in Thailand made the grade: with only one on Samui!