Think Rio de Janeiro. Imagine carnival. Now conjure up a picture of
a smart contemporary-styled Brazilian barbecue restaurant. And if you
combine all these images, what have you got? The answer is Zico's.
This restaurant's on the southern section Chaweng Beach Road, opposite
Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui (its parent company), and is a quite
magnificent structure in itself. Huge stone pillars, tall leafy trees and a
grand entrance dominate the 50-metre façade. And as you approach
you'll hear the rhythmic samba beat spilling out onto the street by way of
enticement; which it certainly does.
Choose to dine inside the completely air-conditioned 60-seat interior
with its novel floor-paneled lighting, or in the open-air 45-seat section
under the stars. But, wherever you sit, you'll be on super-comfortable
chairs in plenty of space (no bumping into other diners here!).
And the first thing you'll be invited to do by your waitress is to help
yourself to the super-fresh 50-item salad bar. There are all manner of
sauces and dips to tuck into, too. And, whilst you're on your feet, do take
a look in the well-stocked walk-in wine cellar where you can make an
unhurried choice of a favourite bottle.
Back at the table you'll notice that in front of each diner there's a
small disc - green on one side and red on the other. And the reason for
this additional piece of tableware becomes apparent very quickly as roving
passadors start passing. Each one presenting a different meat or fish on
a long skewer and stopping at you if you have the green side of the disc
showing (and pass you by if the red side's up). And an endless stream
of beef, lamb, pork, chicken, duck, salmon, king prawns and a whole lot
more comes around throughout the evening. Flip to red for a break and
back to green when you're ready for more.
And alongside the meats you'll be served with your choice of potatoes, vegetables and other side dishes. All this is included in the price but there's a separate dessert menu, too, should some of you still want more!
Thanks to the friendly staff and the Latin music playing, the atmosphere and mood is already upbeat. But it rises to another level entirely when the sound goes up and two gorgeous Brazilian dancers appear in their feathers, high heels, and bikinis (plus very little else!) and dance away on the central stage. How they manage to move at four beats per second beats me but the effect's both electrifying and mesmerising. And when they've finished their set, they're straight into the audience for individual photos – which is entertainment in itself! (They perform three sets a night, starting at approximately 8, 9 and 10 pm. respectively.)
"... and two gorgeous Brazilian dancers appear in their feathers,
high heels, and bikinis (plus very little else!)."
One of the great things about Zico's is that when you've finished
eating you don't have to relocate to carry on the evening's revelry. Take
the few steps up at the right-hand side of the restaurant and you're in
one of the classiest lounge/bars on Samui. Here, there're comfortable
sofas, several plasma-TVs and an attractive central bar where you can
perch yourself and continue enjoying a combination of up-beat Latin and
sultry Jazz.
It doesn't have to be a special occasion to dine at Zico's, but many
families, honeymooners and groups do choose this restaurant to celebrate
particular events. And I can fully understand why.
Zico's is definitely a cut above most on the island. Especially
when you're looking for somewhere that's exciting, has great food, is
terrific value-for-money, and gives you that reassuring feeling of being
somewhere special.
The restaurant is open from 6:00 pm with the kitchen
closing at 10:30 pm. The bar is open from
5:00 pm until 1:00 am.
For reservations and further
information, telephone
0 7723 1560.
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