Fisherman's Restaurant & Bar

Fisherman's sits right at Ban Tai Pier, which does most of the work in explaining why it's popular — a seafood restaurant that's actually next to the water it's serving fish from feels a lot more honest than one stuck inland with a "fresh catch" sign out front.

The menu covers the expected seafood-and-Thai ground but also makes a genuine effort on vegetarian dishes, which isn't always a given at seafood-focused places. It's a quieter part of the island than Haad Rin or Srithanu, so this tends to be more of a locals-and-long-termers spot than a big tourist draw — which some people count as a point in its favour.