Experience Phuket like the locals and with the locals! Try excellent small restaurants most tourists miss entirely, local food, desserts and drinks, markets, shops and even beaches!
You can’t miss this mint-green building when you walk through the heart of Phuket Old Town — it sits right at the corner where Dibuk Road meets Yaowarat Road, just opposite the Locktien Local Food Court, a beautiful example of the island’s old Sino-Portuguese architecture.
Phuket is known today for its beach clubs, resorts, and nightlife, but beyond the modern lifestyle, there is another side that many forget — what we call the “Real Phuket.” This side of the island hasn’t disappeared. It’s just a little quieter and often hidden.
Roti Taew Nam is one of those rare places in Phuket Town that never seems to change. Set right at the entrance of the Sunday Walking Street Market on Thalang Road, this tiny shop has been around for more than 70 years—and it feels like time stood still inside.
Long Hun Keng Shrine (肜雲宮) is a small and lesser-known Chinese shrine located along Thepkasattri Road in Phuket Town. Despite its modest size and low profile, it holds cultural significance for the local Chinese-Thai community, especially during the Vegetarian Festival.
Ekachai Kai Ob is the kind of local restaurant people often recommend when you ask where to find good Thai food in Phuket Town. Located right along a busy roadside, it might not look like much from the outside, but the tables are always full by dinner time.
Krua Praya Phuket Restaurant is a hidden gem that offers an authentic Southern Thai dining experience. Nestled in a beautiful garden setting under the shade of small trees, this restaurant provides a casual yet charming open-air atmosphere.
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.
Ton Mayom (ต้นมะยม) is a long-established restaurant tucked along a busy roadside on the outskirts of Phuket Town. For decades, it was a low-key spot known only to locals, who came to enjoy its authentic Southern Thai dishes.
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!
For seafood or Thai food, you can choose one of the many small restaurants near the beach, and by the lake at the north end of Karon. 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.
Kaset Market is in Phuket Town, behind Robinson shopping centre. It may be a bit smelly and dark for the first-timers, but it offers really good local produce in a fun local atmosphere and a good choice of goods)
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.
Siang Khaeng is as big and basic as a warehouse but always full for dinner! The best dishes we know are Som Tam (Papaya Salad), Laab Het (Mushroom spicy hot salad), Kai, Namtok Nua (Beef Salad) and Pladook Foo (Grilled Cat Fish). But the list is extensive. Therefore, this place serves Esarn Food, which can be quite spicy (in northern Thailand). They are located on On Mae Luan Road, almost opposite the Mitsubishi Showroom.
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.
