The Nam Hai

Eating

The main bar and restaurant overlook the swimming pools and are set back from the beach close to reception. They come in a clipped minimalist style with lots of glass and wood, very attractive lighting and a stylish array of cut-glass crystal globes, some suspended above water. The bar has a balcony, the restaurant a terrace. There is also an elegant open-air beach restaurant next to the main pool, which is nearer the beach.

The buffet breakfast is extensive and laid out beautifully. You’ll find freshly-squeezed juices and fruit smoothies, cereals and muesli, baguettes and croissants, pancakes and waffles, then eggs any way you want them with bacon and sausages, too.

The Beach Restaurant specialises in wood-fired pizzas and fresh salads, sushi and sashimi, is open for both lunch and dinner, Vietnamese style. That means regional favourites - such as banh vac Hoi An (Hoi An style steamed shrimp dumplings) and ca mu nuong la chuoi (grouper in banana leaf with spice paste) - designed to share.

Dinner at The Restaurant is more formal. The head chef and fusion master, Ashish Deva, is from India but is well versed in all types of cuisine - expect a blend of Indian and contemporary cuisine. Among the imaginative dishes to choose from are pan-fried duck liver with truffled leeks, steamed snapper with ginger and coriander, tandoori prawns with marinated watermelon cubes, mint chutney and chili oil; lemongrass panna cotta with citrus-mint salad, and chocolate-crusted foie gras au torchon with strawberry swipe, brioche and lotus seeds.

There is a full in-villa dining menu (breakfast from 6am-midday; lunch and dinner from 11am-10.30pm). Goats' cheese salad, wok-fried chicken and chocolate mousse or a plate of cheese can all be brought to you.

To eat out, pop into Hoi An, which has a number of popular old-town restaurants, cafes and bars, where you eat, drink and make merry in attractive courtyards or on river terraces. Mick Jagger once stopped for a bite at Mango Rooms, where excellent food has won itself a big reputation. The Hai Scout Café offers good Vietnamese food (if you’re impressed, return for cookery classes that start at the market, return to the kitchen and finish in the dining room); the restaurant supports the WWF. If you want to eat by the river drop into Restaurant 96, where the food is as good as the view. Tam Tam Café is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, a French colonial house with a very pretty courtyard; the menu swings both ways, there’s a 1st-floor pool table and the bar serves a mean cocktail, making it one of the most popular spots in town day and night. Café des Amis offers an owner-cooked, no-choice, 5-course dinner that is extremely popular. Good Morning Vietnam is Italian-owned and cooked, so come here for a crispy pizza. Finally, try Brother’s Café for a little style and a garden overlooking the river.