Location, location, location", as the old saying goes. That’s why Tom McNamara, owner of Baan Rim Pa, decided to convert his two-storey, open-design teak house into a restaurant. Overlooking the southern sweep of Patong Bay, it enjoys the finest location imaginable.

Baan Rim Pa has subsequently become one of the best-known restaurants in Thailand. We went along to find out just why.

The adventure begins with greetings from the heart, as elegant staff welcome guests with smiles that would melt a chocolate bar at the North Pole. A charming ambience unfolds in a candlelit shimmer with the sounds of the sea lulling the senses.

We’d already studied the Baan Rim Pa cookbook that afternoon. Many of these superb recipes are from the kitchens of Bangkok’s Grand Palace, in the past only prepared for the Thai Royal Family.

We chose goong chooh paeng thod, battered and deep-fried shrimp; gaeng liang goong, herbed soup of vegetables and prawns; panaeng ped, creamy curry with duckling; pla nueng manow, steamed fish with lemon; and a bottle of Australian Butterfly Ridge Shiraz Cabernet 2000.

Despite the hoary golden rule of red wine with red meat and white wine with white, this particular vintage complemented the herbs and spices wonderfully. What with only 200 or so wines on The Cellar’s wine list, we had to work a little for our supper.

The cicadas ceased their frenetic evening chorus and moved on. Trees danced outside in a gentle evening breeze. As the restaurant started to fill, a fascinating collage of light and smells emerged over the scent of hanging floral baskets, and a heady mix of multi-lingual conversations drifted like smoke on the night air.

The food arrived. The duck curry deserves special mention. The duck was simmered in coconut milk, making the dish creamy and sweet, not to mention yielding yet piquant. The battered and deep-fried shrimps were done to perfection. The shrimps were served with Chinese plum sauce and Thailand’s answer to catsup: a red chilli sauce. The herbed soup was perhaps outdone by the stronger flavours of the duck and prawn and, when the steamed fish arrived, I feared that the starters would bury its subtler tastes. Not so. This was an outstanding dish. The meat fell off the bone, and the lemon perfectly complemented the fish’s freshness.

Some restaurants epitomize the idea "romantic". With Tommy Doyle playing classics on his grand piano, the sea breeze tickling the candle flame, and the delicate aromas of world-class cooking in the air, the House by the Sea was the most romantic place I’d eaten in a long while. Tommy, who has performed with legends like Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong, brought tears to the eyes with his rendition of "Georgia on My Mind".

It is this combination of a dreamy atmosphere and gracious, friendly staff that makes this eatery so very special. "When my guests have dinner at Baan Rim Pa," says Tom, smiling, "I treat them just like friends who have come to my home for dinner except that, unfortunately, I have to present a bill at the end of the evening."

Baan Rim Pa delivers the goods in the high-end bracket with a style that easily distinguishes this establishment from the competition.