his is it — that perfect romantic spot I had in mind, but never found, when I first started dating. There was one girl in particular I remember; I once wanted to marry her. If only I'd brought her to Coco Palms. But we ended up at Wiener World, and they were giving away those silly hats.

Coco Palms is located on absolute beachfront at the Kata Beach Resort, on Phuket's south. It's a fabulous setting. Palm trees swaying overhead, white sand beach, a aquamarine wading pool — this makes the ideal setting for an alfresco eatery. You get the ambience of a 5-star resort, the whole of it shimmering in the glow of an oversized sun setting into the sea. In fact, the entire resort was recently renovated, and the result really is sensational.

The food at Coco Palms is a great mix, ranging from home favourites up to a first-class dining experience. Executive chef Khun Sunthorn creates daily specials that rival the sunset show. We started with a round of cocktails, accompanied by oysters baked with garlic and pepper. Superb. Next came a tender, delicious, giant plate of lobster salad with a synthesis of Thai- and Western-style salad greens. A Chilean wine was uncorked, and the conversation ran to great tales of adventures in Thailand, of spouses and children, of polo fields and lives of hoteliers.

We had the pleasure of dining with the general manager of this resort and the group executive manager. It was after a delicious meal of seabass with baby potatoes and fennel, and king prawns served as yom yum heng (a Thai lemongrass soup) that we learned our friendly executive was sharing his birthday with us.

Coco Palms is a wonderful restaurant for all occasions. The view is amazing, just how you imagined a tropical island view should be. Sunset is especially magnificent, a wash of brilliant colours streaking the sky and wrapping around an islet lying just offshore. The delicious menu, comprehensive wine list and stylish setting make it a perfect meeting place for dates, casual drinks and meals with friends, or for that special occasion with a very special someone. It would have been the perfect place to have asked her to marry me. But where is that smart girl now? What the heck, I'll have the Mai Tai, please, the one served in a pineapple.

To find Coco Palms Restaurant you can stroll through one of the most spectacular resort lobbies in Thailand, pass the swanky interior of coffee shops, wine shops and breakfast bars, enter the outdoors again and wind up staring across pools and palms to the beach that laps this oceanfront property. Off to the right, as you pass the large sala, or Thai-style pavilion, housing the latino band, you come to a beautiful little pool and a short staircase leading up to the deck of this quaint eatery. On the other hand, you can simply walk up the stairs from the beach below.