Go La Restaurant is a tiny local restaurant located at 11 Kra Road in Phuket Town, away from the busy centre and a bit hard to find. This third-generation family-run restaurant is renowned for its authentic Hokkien-style fried noodles.
Southern Thai food is a fiery fusion of flavours. We use a lot of turmeric, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and of course, an abundance of chillies that will make your taste buds dance – or cry, depending on your spice tolerance!
Just before reaching the hill that leads to Kata Beach, visitors can see a line of small seafood restaurants. The fresh seafood is kept on ice in front of the restaurants and you can pick what you want them to cook, or choose and Thai dish directly from their menu. It’s quite cheap and has a fun local feel to it.
For seafood or Thai food, you can choose one of the many small restaurants in front of the stadium or those by the lake. They are relatively cheap, and while they are not serving haute cuisine, they have a unique exotic charm and a beach view.
Royros is a lively local restaurant located along the roadside of Ya Nui Beach in Phuket. With its large outdoor seating area shaded by tall trees, it’s an excellent spot to enjoy a meal or a drink after activities like swimming, snorkelling, kayaking, or relaxing on the beautiful beach
There are two or three restaurants around, which also rent basic bungalows. One is called Ya Nui Restaurant, and it’s just across the street from the beach, set in the welcome shade of tall trees; it is a perfect place for lunch. They serve excellent Thai food at the right price, so don’t hesitate.
Star Mountain Cafe is another tiny open-air restaurant where we occasionally stop for the sweeping views of the bay of Karon below. The cafe is located just before arriving at the Big Buddha and serves drinks and simple Thai food.
A small local restaurant on Montri Road in Phuket Town, where most jewellery shops are. Chuan Chim is quite large, simple and spotlessly clean. The food is cheap and excellent. We loved the fried basil with minced pork or chicken and the seafood salad.
This local restaurant appeared in a famous Korean Magazine, and many customers are now Korean. Their speciality is a Seafood Hokkien noodle soup. Order two; you won’t regret it. Choose between ‘Hokkien Mee’, a fat round yellow noodle, or ‘Ba Mee’, a thin egg noodle. The noodles can be served dry or ‘Hang’ (soup on the side). They are located on Phang Nga Road in Phuket Town.
Cue Bar is a friendly place to enjoy live music and pool in the Phuket Old Town area on Phang Nga Road. The bar is split into two sections, with its main bar, pool table and stage found on the air-conditioned ground floor space with a sports bar vibe, and an open-air rooftop bar.
Khum Kathu is a popular mookata restaurant with a unique location by a small lake. In addition to the relaxing view, the open air allows a cool breeze to flow through the dining area.
Krua Kao Kuk is a hidden gem on the outskirts of Phuket Town, praised for its simple and delicious southern Thai cuisine. Founded by a Peranakan family in 1995, it’s a favourite among locals for fresh seafood dishes, vegetables with ginger, and classic Thai comfort food like omelettes and pork belly.
Kha Mu Boran is a very discreet and modest restaurant at a busy intersection of Kathu. It is easily missed as you drive by and not easy to park, but when you know the place, it is worth it for a delicious casual lunch.
Salaloy Seafood Restaurant in Phuket is located on Rawai Beach, in the very south of Phuket. Divided into two parts on each side of the busy beachfront road, the kitchen and main dining room are on one side and a sidewalk by the ocean and under the tall trees.
Thanoon Seafood Restaurant is perfect for spending a half-day in a unique location, a breezy place right on the beach of a stunning bay in the very north of Phuket Island. Thanoon Seafood has found itself a little golden spot no one had thought about before: next to the Sarasin Bridge connecting Phuket to the mainland. This small bay benefits from a gentle breeze with amazing views of both the open sea and the new bridge on the other side.
Thai Mueang Restaurant is set in an ancient house that is more than 100 years old and has been renovated to make it new and beautiful just next to the Chinpracha House Museum.
Mee Sapam is a a famous 50-year-old restaurant located on the outskirts of Phuket Town and owned by a local Phuketian Khun Yai Chian, listed in the Phuket Michelin Guide.
Our list of the best local Thai restaurants in Phuket keeps growing because local food in Phuket is great, especially if you step away from Patong Beach! We chose not to list any places and no trendy venues here; our blog is about local food and only local food! These restaurants are not fancy, and all are cheap: they don’t care about the decor, and they sometimes forget to smile; it’s all about efficiency and great taste.
Piset Restaurant is a fun place on Yaowarat Road in the old Phuket town that has been very popular with the young local crowd for serving creative Thai food for many years. The restaurant is run by Khun Praew, a famous local influencer and a member of one of the longest-established families in Phuket.
Green Heart Garden is a superb hidden restaurant perched high on the hills above Kata Beach and blessed with incredible panoramic views of the Andaman Sea.
