Thailand is famous for its amazing food with intense flavors. But even in Phuket, and especially in the touristy districts, you can come to the wrong place when it comes to true authentic Thai food with all its various nuances. Insider has compiled a selection of the best Thai cafes and restaurants in Phuket with the most delicious cuisine 🔥 The best ones go first 👇🏼
The Farmer and The Fisherman Porto de Phuket
The Farmer and The Fisherman at Porto de Phuket is a stylish spot in a popular lifestyle complex, known for its laid‑back “holiday” vibe. Think high ceilings, plenty of greenery, pleasant background music, and a very photogenic interior. Reviews often highlight the attentive, friendly service — staff are happy to...
CRAFTs & Co.
CRAFTs & Co. is a cafe and bar in Old Phuket Town, convenient for lunch, an evening drink or a break from the heat. The space feels stylish yet cozy, with a clear pineapple theme running through the decor and even the plating. Add relaxed background music, and you get...
Eagle Ray Restaurant
Eagle Ray Restaurant is located at the new Kora Hotel in the Bang Tao area of Phuket and operates as a full-service restaurant as well as a pool bar. The space is calm and unhurried, with a modern “hotel-style” presentation and a neat, almost intimate atmosphere — especially in the...
Somtam Yam 3 Ao
Somtam Yam 3 Ao is a cozy hilltop café-restaurant tucked among lush greenery, best known for its sweeping views over the sea and Kata coastline. From the terrace you can look out over the bays and beach, spot Koh Kata, and — on clear days — even see the outline...
Usedbook Cafe & Sookjai Thai Food
Usedbook Cafe & Sookjai Thai Food in Phuket is a seaside café and second‑hand bookshop with the kind of vibe where you “drop in for a minute” and end up staying for hours. Inside you’ll find shelves of pre‑loved books, a calm, homey atmosphere, and only a handful of tables...
Green Heart Garden
Green Heart Garden is a hillside restaurant above Kata, best known for its sweeping sea views and sunsets. The layout is designed so most guests face the horizon, with several seating areas, cushioned sofas, plenty of shade, and fans. Sunset hours tend to be noticeably busier, while daytime feels calm...
Sabai Sabai
Sabai Sabai is a small café in the Cape Panwa area, tucked away on a quiet side street. It feels intimate and unpretentious, with a subtle seaside vibe nearby. The dining room is compact, clean, and relaxed — more of a casual bistro atmosphere — making it a good fit...
One Chun Cafe & Restaurant
Located in a colonial-style building is a famous restaurant serving classic Thai cuisine. The interior is very atmospheric and the dishes on the menu are prepared according to third generation family recipes. One Chun Cafe & Restaurant has a Michelin recommendation for many years and most often there is a...
Mor Mu Dong Restaurant
Mor Mu Dong Restaurant is more than just a restaurant — it’s an entire world hidden among mangrove forests. Wooden huts stand right over the water, connected by small bridges, with fish swimming beneath the floors. All around are lush greenery, the sound of cicadas, and a gentle sea breeze....
Raya Restaurant
Raya Restaurant — an atmospheric mansion restaurant with excellent Thai cuisine in the old town. The place has beautiful lighting, a terrace on the second floor (very romantic in the evenings, sit there) and a green patio on the ground floor - it is very atmospheric and homely inside. For...
SKA BAR & Kata seafood Restaurant
SKA BAR & Kata Seafood Restaurant sits at the far end of Kata Beach, right by the rocks — a spot where the sound of the waves follows you all evening and it’s easy to stay longer than you planned. Its biggest draw is the ocean view and sunsets: tables...
LERTROD KITCHEN
LERTROD KITCHEN is a small Thai café with a Michelin award and delicious cuisine. The Tom Yam and Tom Kha here are simply amazing (rice for the soup needs to be ordered separately)! As are all the other dishes on the menu. This is truly an excellent place to get...
Da Mario Rawai
Da Mario Rawai in Phuket is a laid-back restaurant that brings Italian and Thai food together on one menu — where wood-fired pizza sits right alongside Tom Yum. The kitchen turns out classic pasta dishes such as carbonara and bolognese, as well as gnocchi, bruschetta, grilled seafood and fish. On...
Esan Bar
Esan Bar in Phuket is a bold, characterful spot focused on Isan cuisine — flavors here are intense, spicy, and unapologetically Thai. The menu shines with papaya salad (including genuinely fiery versions), pad kra pao served with well-cooked rice and an egg, tom yum, and juicy, aromatic grilled chicken. For...
Arisa Kitchen
Arisa Kitchen in Phuket’s Kata Beach area is a calm, unpretentious café with a simple interior and relaxed seating. It’s quiet without feeling overly hushed or “sterile.” The space is clean and cozy, making it a solid choice for a family dinner: the staff are attentive and genuinely friendly, treating...
Baba Soul Food
Baba Soul Food on Cape Panwa is a café and Thai restaurant within the Sri Panwa hotel complex. The main reason to come here is the sweeping sea view: it’s a relaxed spot for unwinding and watching the sunset, with plenty of photogenic corners and a thoughtfully designed interior. The...
Sabai Corner
Sabai Corner is a hilltop restaurant in southern Phuket, tucked away from the busy tourist areas. Getting there means following a quiet road through lush greenery, so it’s not the easiest place to stumble upon — but the payoff is a sweeping panoramic view of the sea and the bay...
Black Ginger | Thai Restaurant | The Slate, Phuket
Black Ginger | Thai Restaurant | The Slate, Phuket is a unique venue in the Mai Khao jungle, where guests are ferried in on a traditional raft. A very unusual experience, the likes of which you will never experience anywhere else! The cuisine here is predominantly traditional Thai, the cooking...
Wungkeree Seaview
Wungkeree Seaview is a small café-restaurant on the mountain road to Phuket’s Big Buddha. It’s an easy stop after a walk — or a convenient place to wait out a sudden rain shower. Seating is simple, the place is neat and well kept, and the staff are friendly and attentive....
Thai Library at Trisara
Thai Library at Trisara is a restaurant within a luxury resort in Phuket, with a clear focus on Southern Thai cuisine — bold, expressive flavors built around hard-to-find local ingredients from both the sea and the land. Before the dishes arrive, the team often introduces the key components and shares...
Saffron Phuket
Saffron Phuket is the signature Thai restaurant at the Banyan Tree Phuket. Guests often choose it for its “tropical elegance”: generous spacing between tables, comfortable seating, well‑kept surroundings, and a pleasant semi‑open layout — especially at sunset, when the evening breeze sets the mood. Many reviews also highlight the beautiful...
AURA RESTAURANT KATA
AURA RESTAURANT KATA is located in the Kata Beach area of Phuket, set slightly back from the busy main road near the entrance to the Kata Station hotel. It’s easy to find, although the pin on the map may be a little off. Inside, the restaurant feels warm and welcoming,...
Tu Kab Khao Restaurant Phuket
A good restaurant in the center of the old town with an interesting interior for connoisseurs of aesthetics, which is in the Michelin Guide. The place is very clean and beautiful. Portions here are large, food is tasty and traditionally Thai, the choice in the menu is extensive. There is...
Baan Rim Pa
Baan Rim Pa is a restaurant with mesmerizing views and delicious Thai cuisine. Perched on a hillside, this restaurant offers a stunning view of Patong Bay. It’s especially magical to dine here under the moonlight – a must-visit for romantics! Lovely music, attentive service, and delicious food come together for...
Na Rimtang Phuket
Na Rimtang Phuket - a stylish cafe in Phuket located near the famous Chalong Temple and scenic lake. We recommend stopping by here after visiting the temple to have a nice lunch in a cool place. The cafe specializes in Thai cuisine and especially traditional Thai grass jelly. If you've...
The Savoury Restaurant
The restaurant is part of The Vijitt Resort but is open to everyone. Its main highlight is its seaside location. Stunning views are guaranteed, but it's best to come during high tide – that’s when your photos will be a solid 10 out of 10! The menu features Thai and...
Ao Yon Seaside Restaurant
Ao Yon Seaside Restaurant is a simple, homey waterfront spot in Phuket with lovely bay views. The dining area is spacious and airy, with lots of wood throughout the interior. In the evening, a cool breeze comes in from the sea and it can get a bit windy. The vibe...
Mandarin Kata Restaurant
Mandarin Kata Restaurant in Phuket is a cozy spot for lunch or dinner, with a laid-back vibe, music, and simple comforts during the hot season. The dining room is cooled by fans, though it can still feel stuffy at peak heat. It’s usually lively, but you can typically find a...
Kalim Rimlay Restaurant
Kalim Rimlay Restaurant sits on the shoreline of Kalim Beach, just outside Patong, and its biggest draw is the row of bamboo pavilions right at the water’s edge. Here you can hear the waves, watch crabs scuttle over the rocks, spot birds nearby, and the steady ocean breeze takes the...
After Beach Bar & Restaurant
After Beach Bar & Restaurant is a restaurant and beach bar perched on a hill above Kata Noi Beach, best known for its sweeping sea views and spectacular sunsets. Most seating is outdoors, and the terrace is ideal for watching the sun drop below the horizon. As evening sets in,...