Dine in a Phuket heritage house
Panwa House is a white Sino Portuguese restaurant surrounded by palm trees, right on the secluded and private beach of the Cape Panwa Hotel on the southern east coast of Phuket. This house has been a Phuket icon for years, even appearing in movies or TV series.
Cape Panwa is a remote hideaway, it’s quite far from the crowded beaches of the west, but it is worth travelling to for a romantic dinner in an exclusive area, that not many tourists get the chance to visit. (The Panwa House is open for dinner only and outside guests are welcome).
The street leading to Cape Panwa Hotel is quite narrow and easy to miss, but there is a sign on your left-hand side before the aquarium. Once you reach the hotel lobby at the top of the hill, a little ride in an old-fashioned mini tram will take you down the hill, where the beach restaurants are. After a short walk in the garden along a white sandy beach, the house will appear surrounded by very tall palm trees, and you will instantly see why the house is a perfect timeless movie set.
Panwa House was the residence of a Thai aristocrat and has been since renovated and kept in excellent condition. The original Sino-Portuguese style was respected: old tiles, wooden floors and nacre-encrusted teak furniture, old library cabinets and flowery carpets. As you enter the house, the central staircase seems to be leading to two separate indoor houses, each having beautiful green doors and window shutters turned inside the house.
Panwa House can accommodate about 80 guests outside and 20 inside, but everyone prefers dining al fresco on one of the beautiful terraces. Having the last daylight over the sea on one side and the majestic white mansion on the other & is a unique moment to enjoy.
What to order?
We treated ourselves to the Southern Thai Special set (1,400 baht). After all, people travel all the way to discover this part of Thailand, so trying the famous local dishes seems to be a full part of the experience. The team at the Panwa House is very gentle and friendly, and they certainly will ask you how spicy would you like your dishes to be. South Thailand and Phuket dishes can be seriously hot!
So we went for ‘normal spicy, the way locals would eat it’ and it was spicy but also surprisingly authentic and delicious. Sometimes you may think hotels tone down the food to be more blend to Westerners’ palate, but not Panwa House. It was a really great dinner in a superb setting, and we’ll go back!
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Panwa House Info
Location: Cape Panwa Hotel, Cape Panwa
Address: 27, Mu 8, Sakdidej Road Cape Panwa Phuket 83000
Tel: 02 233 3433
Open: 6:30 pm – 11 pm (except Mondays)
Dinner is a la carte, so you might want to call in advance to book
Panwa House Map
Get the directions on your phone: https://maps.app.goo.gl/zXhZN8P38dNA4L6AA
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