Cool Breeze Café Bar

Dark furniture, comfy sofas, and vibrant paintings by local artist Elsie Evans punctuate the all-white interior of this beautifully renovated shophouse; an original fisherman house, it is one of the oldest buildings in Hua Hin.

The main area opens to the sea breezes with dining tables spilling out on to the pavement. At the back, a small courtyard filled with tropical plants offers another alfresco option.

Upstairs, the original teak interior opens out onto a narrow balcony that allows you to people-watch in the street below.

Owner Vaughan Parkes, who has experience managing a similar restaurant in Bangkok, says, “our vision was to recreate the wonderful feeling that you get by sitting at the beach around the coastlines of Spain, Italy, Greece or Portugal with family and friends having a wonderful meal, glass of wine and a laugh in a relaxed atmosphere.” And his mixture of authentic Spanish tapas and traditional Mediterranean mains certainly transports you to that coastline.

A jug of their sangria is an excellent kick-start to the evening, followed by a parade of the small, tasty dishes that vary from the traditional to the contemporary and are perfect for sharing.

Top choices are the meat platter with a hearty serving of Serrano ham, chorizo Pampolona, chorizo picante; the delightful crisp crab cakes with mild red pepper mayo; the Manchego cheese salad paired with sweet onion and French bread; mussels in garlic butter, and the Tunisian lamb stew.

More traditional tapas include the gambas al ajillo (prawns in a sizzling spicy garlic and white wine sauce), chipirones a la plancha (grilled baby squid), and albondigas (meatballs in tomato sauce), which also has a Thai version: spicy larb tord meatballs served with lettuce and a chilli dip.

For a hearty main dish, there are three versions of paella, which is adequate for two people. Conversation, food and drink flow easily at this place, so come prepared for a long evening, which can extend into the wee hours if football is on the telly.

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