Are you the adventurous type? Do you like to explore a little beyond your own doorstep, seeking places out of the ordinary off the beaten track? Well, if you are, you won’t be disappointed once you’ve made the effort and arrived at Shasa Hotel Casavela’s exciting new restaurant – The Z.

The hotel is situated at the very south of the island, just beyond the popular Central Butterfly Garden. It’s well sign-posted and you won’t miss it. Reach the entrance and you’ll see a large wooden gateway which will be instantly swept away by the guard as soon as he sees you approach. And as you enter the driveway and car park, the subtle lighting and unique design features will give you an indication of what’s inside.

Go through into the lobby, and the contemporary décor and styling continues. Interesting colours interwoven with contrasting textures abound. Shasa is as sophisticated a place as you’ll find on Samui, and definitely somewhere that you can dress up a bit for, although it’s not mandatory!

And as you’re led down pathways past water features and through tropical gardens to The Z, you’ll see the vista open up encompassing views of three huge free-form swimming pools, swaying coconut palms and the Gulf of Siam beyond.

Arrive at The Z and you’ll immediately be reassured that you’ve made a good decision to go there. It has the elegance and style reminiscent of top Bangkok restaurants – but with an amazing tropical beach location. It really is the best of both worlds. Reflective black glass on walls and ceilings, marble table-tops, floor-to-ceiling windows and discreet spotlighting all combine to create one of the classiest places to eat on Samui.

Choose to sit at a conventional upright table, or opt for one of the low ones with sofa-style seating. Both of these are in the main 45-seat airconditioned section of The Z, but you may wish to enjoy the balmy night Location in Thai: air and dine on the 15-seat lower terrace below. Wherever you select, the friendly-yet- sophisticated ambience remains the same – as does the food.

And that’s both Thai and International cuisine. The Z isn’t a Thai restaurant with a few international dishes added on. Neither is it an international eatery with a couple of token local offerings included for good measure. No, The Z specialises in both, and is VERY good at each.

“… and it has the elegance of top Bangkok restaurants
– but with an amazing tropical beach location.”

There’s a varied selection of both cuisines (plus an excellent pasta section, too) but I’d personally recommend the set-meals they offer. Not only because they’re terrific value-for-money, but because they are extremely tasty, well thought-out and the courses go so perfectly together.

The Thai set-meal comprises the following: starter – Po Pia Pla Salmon – fresh spring-rolls with salted salmon, aromatic vegetables and tamarind sauce; main course – Phanang Lamb – Australian lamb rack combined with Southern Phanang curry and coconut milk; dessert – Kaow Niew Ma Muang – Thai mango and sticky rice with tropical fruit, toasted coconut salsa and coconut ice-cream.

And the equally varied International set-meal includes: starter – Scallops and Foie Gras – caramelised Hokkaido scallops, foie gras, micro salad, chili jam and Japanese caviar; main course – Sea Bass and Béarnaise – grilled sea bass with sautéed wild mushrooms, an aromatic Asian-herb salad and Béarnaise sauce; dessert – Chocolate Mousse – dark chocolate mousse with chocolate shavings and cashew nut chips.

And all this wonderful food is accompanied by a good selection of New and Old World wines plus an interesting cocktail list. There’s a comfortable sofa-lounge and bar at the far end of the restaurant where you can chill-out before/after you meal. And what with such a captivating environment and some enchanting Jazz playing in the background (put together by the hotel and restaurant’s designer to match the ambience), The Z is a very hard place to leave.

Yes, the adventurous amongst you will certainly be well rewarded when you spend a magical evening of dining pleasure at this restaurant.

The Z is open from 7:00 pm with the kitchen closing at 10:30 pm. For reservations and further information, telephone 0 7791 3888.