Explore Phuket's Food Scene: Top 10 Restaurants
Where to Eat in Phuket and What to Try?
Phuket’s best restaurants and whole dining scene are as colorful as the food served on the island and if you love food, you’ll certainly love Phuket. There are restaurants to suit every taste, serving a huge selection of western and Asian food. You can eat breakfast at your hotel, have lunch at a local noodle stall, and enjoy dinner with fine wines in a sophisticated air-conditioned restaurant.
While Thai food is world-renowned for its wonderful flavors and fresh ingredients, Phuket is especially famous for its seafood. Best of all, you don’t have to empty your bank account to enjoy the most sumptuous of dishes. Check out these great restaurants around Phuket for an exciting culinary adventure.
1. Acqua
Elegant Italian dining in Patong
Good for: Couples, Food, Luxury
Acqua is a modern Italian restaurant that lies roughly a kilometer north of Patong on the Beach Road. With clean lines, futuristic design, and views out over the Andaman, it’s one of the most aesthetically-pleasing restaurants in Phuket.
For appetizers, try their yellowfin tuna and swordfish carpaccio with Pantelleria capers, cherry tomatoes, and dried tuna musciame in lemon and matured extra-virgin olive oil. For mains, grilled tuna fillet on eggplants and zucchini, fresh cherry tomatoes, capers, and oregano sauce is a must-try. Most of the restaurant’s staff have previously worked together at a 5-star resort for years, so expect quality service throughout the evening.
Location: 324, 15 Phrabaramee Rd, Pa Tong, Kathu District, Phuket 83150, Thailand
Open: Daily from 5.30 pm to 11 pm
Phone: +66 (0)76 618 127
Acqua
2. Blue Elephant Phuket
Royal Thai cuisine in Phuket City
Good for: Food, Luxury
Blue Elephant, an established restaurant brand, has branches around the world. The group specializes in Royal Thai cuisine, a rich and exotic combination of flavors once reserved only for the Royal Palace that has recently grown popular because of the global spread of Thai cooking.
Blue Elephant’s Phuket branch occupies a splendid Chinese-colonial mansion that’s set in sprawling grounds, near the old quarter of Phuket Town. If you’re interesting preparing these stunning Thai delicacies at home, check out Blue Elephants cooking classes. Read more
Location: 96 Krabi, Talat Nuea, Amphoe Mueang Phuket, Phuket 83000, Thailand
Open: Daily from 11.30 am to 10 pm
Phone: +66 (0)76 354 355
Blue Elephant Phuket
3. Kan Eang Restaurant
Fresh seafood and fantastic views by Chalong Bay
Good for: Food, Photo
Kan Eang Restaurant is a long-established restaurant specializing in seafood and local delicacies. Located on the shore of Chalong Bay, right next to the jetty, it has indoor and outdoor dining areas with views of the marina. For a large restaurant dealing with so many people every day, the atmosphere stays somewhat laidback and relaxed.
You can enjoy the sea breeze and unbeatable view while sitting under huge tamarind trees. If you prefer dining indoors, choose one of the three tastefully decorated air-conditioned pavilions, or one of the two open-sided ones, each with a thatched roof.
Location: 44 1 Rawai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83130, Thailand
Open: Daily from 10 am to 11 pm
Phone: +66 (0)7 638 1212
Kan Eang Restaurant
4. Mom Tri’s Wok Pagoda
A Rawai highlight serving Thai and Western staples
Good for: Couples, Food, Photo
Mom Tri’s Wok Pagoda offers fusion dishes with sweeping views of Rawai, all at reasonable prices. The restaurant also presents a great wine list. The sister establishment of Mom Tri’s Kitchen, the restaurant uses fresh ingredients to create traditional Thai fare and Western favorites, with added twists from other parts of Asia.
Dishes can be shared between groups in a traditional Thai-style of dining. Wok Pagoda is around 10 minutes from Kata Noi Beach. Call the restaurant in advance to arrange for a free transfer from the Kata/Karon area.
Location: 32/78 4 T. A. 83130, Soi Muang Phuket, Rawai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83100, Thailand
Phone: +66 (0)76 608 899
Mom Tri's Wok Pagoda
5. La Gaetana
Italian gastronomical gems in Phuket City
Good for: Couples, Food
La Gaetana enjoys a formidable reputation in Phuket as a small, family-run Italian restaurant with an eye for details. The main dining area of this 80-year-old building sports a red floor, dark wooden ceiling, and bright mustard walls with nuances of lime green. There’s an antique cupboard storing wine glasses next to its onsite bar, with plenty of tasteful trinkets and oddities throughout the area.
The secret to dining at this fine Italian dining spot is to take your time and let the dishes complement and fill out the evening. Try the truffle burrata and its luxurious combination of creamy burrata topped with earthy truffles or the tiger prawn pasta that features grilled prawns combined harmoniously with freshly sourced ingredients.
Location: 352 Phuket Rd, Talat Yai, Muang, Phuket 83000, Thailand
Open: Monday–Tuesday and Friday from midday to 2 pm and from 6 pm to 10 pm, Thursday and Saturday–Sunday from 6 pm to 10 pm (closed on Wednesdays)
Phone: +66 (0)81 397 1227
La Gaetana
6. Ka Jok See Restaurant
A unique dining and party venue in Old Phuket Town
Good for: Food, Unusual
Ka Jok See is one of the most successful restaurants on the island. Without any advertising at all, the restaurant has been featured in countless top magazines and newspapers around the globe. The food is served Thai-style, meaning that it’s meant for everyone to share.
Located in a historic Sino-Portuguese shophouse, it’s famous for its atmosphere, which starts with delicious, shared Thai dishes and evolves into energetic dancing on tables, limbo contests, and impromptu performances. Due to its popularity and high demand, do make a reservation well in advance to secure a table.
Location: 26 Takuapa Rd, Tambon Talat Nuea, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000, Thailand
Open: Wednesday–Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm (closed Sunday–Tuesday)
Ka Jok See Restaurant
7. Raya Restaurant
Where A-listers and royals go for authentic Thai cuisine
Good for: Food, Luxury
Raya Restaurant in Old Phuket Town occupies a renovated Sino-Thai mansion dating back to the 20th century. Its fame comes from its unique retro ambiance and its signature dishes, particularly the incredibly popular crab meat curry, and has received a Michelin Bib Gourmand award. Many movie stars, prime ministers, and royalty frequent Raya Restaurant when they are in Phuket.
This venue literally takes its patrons back to the past, serving genuine local cuisine at reasonable prices. Savor the crab meat with curry and coconut milk, known for its rich, fragrant coconut curry and large chunks of tender crab meat or try the deep-fried fish with lemongrass and tamarind sauce. Read more
Location: 48/1 Dibuk Rd, Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000, Thailand
Open: Daily from 10 am to 10 pm
Phone: +66 (0)76 218 155
Raya Restaurant
8. EAT Bar and Grill
Western cuisine near Karon Beach
Good for: Couples, Families, Food
EAT Bar and Grill Phuket is a great option for enjoying some Western-style grill dining. You’ll find a varied menu of meaty favorites and an expansive selection of drinks at reasonable prices. You’ll find EAT Bar and Grill on Thanon Patak, just a short walk from Karon Beach.
The kitchen combines high-quality imported cuts with fresh local ingredients, putting as much effort into the presentation as the taste. The professional team members are well versed about the various imported meats and can provide quality recommendations. Start with bruschetta or beef tartare Wagyu, then feast on Black Angus surf and turf or lamb shank, and finally wrap it all up with chocolate mousse or crème caramel.
Location: Karon 14 Rd Karon, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83100, Thailand
Open: Daily from 1 pm to 11 pm
Phone: +66 (0)85 292 5652
EAT Bar and Grill
9. CUT Grill & Lounge Phuket
A stellar steakhouse in Bangtao
Good for: Families, Food
CUT Grill & Lounge Phuket is an exceptionally high-quality steak restaurant on the lake at the back of Boat Avenue in Bangtao. The fact that it’s also quite a classy lounge bar is an added bonus as the star of the show, as the name suggests, is undoubtedly the finest cuts of beef, lamb, pork, and chicken, served with skill in a beautiful setting.
The menu features a choice of dishes beyond just meat, including quite an impressive selection of tapas, as well as salads, pasta, pizzas, fish, and some Thai cuisine. When it comes to the meats, discover the succulent flavors of rotisserie chicken, Australian Black Angus, or New Zealand lamb, all prepared on a wood charcoal grill. Read more
Location: 21, 16 Lagoon Rd, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket 83110, Thailand
Open: Daily from 2.30 pm to 11 pm
Phone: +66 (0)93 638 8921
CUT Grill & Lounge Phuket
10. One Chun Café & Restaurant
A kid-friendly Thai restaurant in Old Phuket Town
Good for: Families, Food
One Chun (more correctly spelt Wan Jan, meaning ‘Monday’ in Thai) is a family-friendly restaurant near the intersection of Thepkasattri and Dibuk roads in Phuket Old Town. Unpretentious yet trendy, this restaurant is extremely popular for both its authentic southern Thai cuisine as well as for its quirky vintage décor and relaxed atmosphere.
Featuring an alfresco area in its backyard, One Chun is as much a place to meet friends around a drink as a restaurant. Its extensive menu hosts all the favorite Thai dishes from roasted duck with red curry to crabmeat with yellow curry to pork panang. As the restaurant mostly caters to locals, be wary of how spicy some of the dishes can be.
Location: 48, 1 Thep Krasattri Rd, Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000, Thailand
Open: Daily from 10 am to 10 pm
Phone: +66 (0)76 355 909
One Chun Café & Restaurant
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