Phuket restaurants serve all kinds of cuisine but finding real Thai food can be a little challenging. The large majority of the restaurants in the island’s tourist areas, such as Patong Beach, Kata or Karon, have been adjusting their tastes to accommodate first-timers. You probably would never see Thai people eating in those places, and it’s usually a sign. Real Thai food is often found in more modest areas of Phuket, and we list some great Local Thai Restaurants here. Phuket Seafood is also famous, and you should try the real thing without paying a fortune by checking out our Best Local Seafood Restaurants list.
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.
We didn’t know what to expect as restaurants inside the hotel are always challenging and often lack culinary personality. But La Scala was a surprisingly great surprise, and the dinner was beyond expectation, the kind of experience you still talk about once back home.
This coffee bar serves coffee, tea, and pastries in the morning, and wine and cocktails in the evening. Most importantly, this is where you will enjoy a generous breakfast buffet every morning.
The bay of Kata Noi Beach is not very big, but there are quite a few restaurants nearby. Some of the most scenic restaurants in Phuket are perched along the roadside that passes high above the bay, offering superb panoramic views and stunning sunsets, too. Kata Noi Beach is also home to a couple of fine dining venues.
Rooftop in Karon Beach The Dim Sun at Avista Grande Phuket Karon in Karon Beach is a large rooftop terrace with sunset views over the… Read More »The Dim Sun at Avista Grande Phuket Karon
Portosino Restaurant, one of the best restaurants in Karon Beach, located in Avista Grande Phuket Karon – MGallery, offers a refined dining experience blending Phuket’s tin-mining heritage with modern culinary artistry.
Thai Gallery and Coffee Bar is a small open-air café and restaurant set on the hillside near the Big Buddha in Chalong. Its entry has an artistic touch, with beautiful carved wooden panels lining the front roof and columns and several paintings hanging in the small gallery just off to the side.
Rivet & Rebar at The Slate Phuket near the beach is an open-fired grill and smokehouse with dramatic, industrial-chic interiors, a great place to enjoy steaks and after-dinner drinks. The restaurant is all wood and leather, creating a dark and intimate atmosphere.
Tin Mine, the main restaurant, is where you will have your breakfast. It’s vast and open-air, surrounded by greenery like almost everything in the resort. The breakfast buffet is impressive and excellent. Again, and like in the entire resort, the mining theme is omnipresent in every detail, even in the table sets.
Kata Rocks has only one restaurant serving Mediterranean and seafood cuisine, but with rooms so well designed for in-house dining, you won’t need more. Tables are along with the iconic infinity pool, so make sure you come a bit before sunset to enjoy some of Kata Rocks’ famous cocktails (they even have their signature gin). As the sun disappears, the pool lights turn on, and the atmosphere becomes even more romantic, the perfect setting to enjoy the superb cuisine.
The Harbor Restaurant at The Shore at Katathani Resort on Kata Noi Beach was a lot better than most hotel restaurants we had previously tried. Set by the side of the infinity poolside and above the beach, it has a very romantic mood and offers an excellent menu and wine list. Try the Pinot Noir beef braised short ribs. These were so good that we had to order them again the next day! Prices are surprisingly reasonable, so don’t be shy about ordering.
Laimai Courtyard is the restaurant and relaxing area between the pool and the beach road where guests can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner. The vast area is covered with an artificial lawn, and the many trees, lights and umbrellas surrounding a thatched roof central bar create a surprisingly attractive garden atmosphere
Twilight Sky is a vast, breezy poolside restaurant on top of The Sis Kata in Kata Beach, where guests can enjoy all their meals and drinks with a panoramic view on one side and a vast pool on the other.
The Thai restaurant was maybe the least impressive because it lacked sea views (you tend to get used to this luxury at Sri Panwa), but the food was good, and the service was spotless.
We were pleasantly surprised when we went to Baba Hot Box BBQ and Steak House at Sri Panwa in the south of Phuket Island. The quality of the meat, the sophisticated equipment used to cook and smoke it to perfection (a Spanish Josper BBQ) and, most importantly, the chef’s skills made this evening a treat.
We started with Baba Iki, Japanese, which served a beautifully presented and fresh choice of sashimi. The restaurant mostly consists of a single massive table designed to create a casual party atmosphere, which is a little surprising initially. The views of the ocean through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls are superb.
Sunshine View Restaurant is perched on the roadside hill that leads to Paradise Beach, just past Tri Trang Beach, near Patong. The restaurant serves Indian, Thai, European, and seafood dishes (including huge prawns and Phuket lobsters) at reasonable prices
Pitbull Bar is a hidden bar and restaurant located next to Tri Trang Beach. Since it’s the first in the group at the bottom of the hill and its entrance is somewhat hidden under a tree, it’s easy to miss. Expect drinks and simple Thai food in a colourful atmosphere, with bamboo furniture and umbrellas that create a fun, tropical vibe—perfect for a holiday in Phuket.
The Cozy Cafe is one of the few restaurants built on the hillside overlooking the south of Tri Trang Beach. The restaurant is built on the roadside and has several terraces for guests to enjoy food or drinks
