Phuket is a food-lover's island, and its cooking is far more distinctive than the generic pad thai of the tourist strips. This is the home of a unique Baba (Peranakan) cuisine born of Chinese and southern-Thai traditions — think crab in yellow curry, moo hong braised pork and Hokkien noodles — alongside super-fresh seafood, heritage restaurants in the Old Town, beachfront tables and some of the best-value street food anywhere. Here is where locals and clued-up visitors actually eat, from cheap hawker stalls to fine dining, with prices and what to order.
฿฿฿Raya Restaurant
Area
Phuket Town
Type
Southern Thai / Phuket
“Order the famous crab meat in yellow curry (poo pad pong karee) — book ahead, it's a local institution.”
฿฿฿Tu Kab Khao
Area
Phuket Town
Type
Southern Thai / Phuket
“Come for the Instagrammable Peranakan interiors and the sea bass in southern-style curry; expect a queue at peak times.”
฿฿One Chun Café & Restaurant
Area
Phuket Town
Type
Southern Thai / Phuket
“The crab curry and hokkien noodles rival Raya's at gentler prices — arrive early for lunch to skip the queue.”
฿฿฿฿Blue Elephant Phuket
Area
Phuket Town
Type
Royal Thai fine dining
“Splurge on the tasting menu in the restored Governor's Mansion, and consider the well-regarded cooking class by day.”
฿฿฿Kan Eang@Pier
Area
Chalong
Type
Seafood
“Pick your fresh seafood by weight and dine at a table right on the waterfront — sunset over Chalong Bay is lovely.”
฿฿฿Suay Restaurant
Area
Phuket Town
Type
Modern Thai fusion
“Chef Noi's creative Thai tasting menu is the way to go; there's also a Cherngtalay branch near the northern beaches.”
฿฿Mor Mu Dong
Area
Chalong
Type
Rustic Thai / Seafood
“Dine in a thatched hut over the mangrove creek — utterly local and atmospheric, and great value for fresh seafood.”
฿฿฿Rock Salt (Nai Harn)
Area
Nai Harn
Type
Thai & International / Beachfront
“Grab a sunset table right above the sand at Nai Harn — a polished all-day spot for both Thai dishes and Western comfort food.”
฿Lock Tien Food Court
Area
Phuket Town
Type
Local hawker food
“Cheap, authentic Phuket street eats under one roof — try the Hokkien noodles, oh aew dessert and loba; cash only.”
฿Go Benz (Rot Dee Ded)
Area
Phuket Town
Type
Local / Khao Kha Moo
“Famous for its stewed pork leg over rice (khao kha moo) — a cheap, hearty local breakfast or lunch; go before it sells out.”
Phuket restaurants in detail
1.Raya Restaurant
Raya Restaurant is a Phuket dining institution and, for many visitors and locals alike, the definitive place to taste authentic southern Thai and Phuketian home cooking. Set inside a beautiful, gently faded century-old Sino-Portuguese mansion in Old Phuket Town, complete with high ceilings, antique tiled floors, ceiling fans and shuttered windows, the setting alone evokes the island's tin-mining heyday and makes for an atmospheric, nostalgic meal. The kitchen has been run by the same family for generations, and the food is proudly traditional, rich and boldly flavoured rather than toned down for tourists. The signature dish, and the reason many people come, is the poo pad pong karee — succulent crab meat stir-fried in a fragrant, creamy yellow curry with egg — widely rated among the best versions on the island. Beyond it, the menu roams through southern specialities such as spicy yellow curry with fish, moo hong (sweet braised pork belly, a Phuket classic), fiery stir-fries, whole fried fish and vegetable dishes bursting with turmeric, shrimp paste and chilli. Prices are higher than a street stall but fair for the quality, setting and history. It is deservedly popular, so booking ahead, especially for dinner, is wise. A meal at Raya is as much a cultural experience as a culinary one, offering a genuine taste of Baba (Peranakan) heritage cuisine in surroundings that tell the story of old Phuket — a highlight for any food-minded traveller.
Hours
Daily ~10:00–22:00 (reservations recommended)
Price
Mains ฿180–450; crab curry higher
Getting there
In a heritage mansion on Dibuk Road in Old Phuket Town; ~40 min by taxi/Grab from the west-coast beaches
Insider tip: Order the famous crab meat in yellow curry (poo pad pong karee) — book ahead, it's a local institution.
2.Tu Kab Khao
Tu Kab Khao has become one of Old Phuket Town's most talked-about restaurants, pairing seriously good southern Thai and Peranakan (Baba) cooking with one of the most photogenic dining rooms on the island. The interior is a joyful celebration of Phuket's Sino-Portuguese heritage: vibrant floral tiles, vintage furniture, colourful porcelain, antique clocks and nostalgic bric-a-brac fill a restored shophouse, creating a warm, eclectic setting that draws a steady crowd of locals, Thai tourists and clued-up visitors. The menu digs deep into the flavours of the south and of Phuket's distinctive Baba kitchen, which fuses Chinese and Thai traditions. Standout dishes include the signature steamed or fried sea bass in a rich, tangy southern-style curry, moo hong (the sweet, soy-braised pork belly that is a Phuket staple), spicy stir-fried crab, superb tom yum, and hard-to-find local specialities alongside the better-known Thai classics, all vividly spiced and generously portioned. Prices sit at a comfortable mid-range level — more than a street stall but very reasonable for the quality, portions and lovely surroundings. Its popularity means it can get busy, particularly at weekends and dinner, so arriving early or being prepared to wait for a table is wise, though the turnover is usually brisk. For visitors keen to explore Phuket's unique regional cuisine in stylish, characterful surroundings right in the heart of the historic quarter, Tu Kab Khao is a reliably excellent choice and a feast for both the palate and the camera.
Hours
Daily ~11:00–22:00
Price
Mains ฿180–500
Getting there
On Phang Nga Road in Old Phuket Town; ~40 min by taxi/Grab from Patong/Kata
Insider tip: Come for the Instagrammable Peranakan interiors and the sea bass in southern-style curry; expect a queue at peak times.
3.One Chun Café & Restaurant
One Chun Café & Restaurant is a much-loved Old Phuket Town favourite that serves up authentic, traditional Phuketian and southern Thai cooking in a delightfully nostalgic setting, and it does so at prices noticeably friendlier than some of its more famous rivals — which has made it a firm favourite with both locals and in-the-know travellers. The dining room is a treat, styled to evoke old Phuket with retro furniture, vintage photographs, patterned floor tiles, enamel crockery and period knick-knacks that conjure the island's mid-twentieth-century past. From the kitchen come the classic dishes that define Phuket's regional cuisine, prepared with home-style care: the celebrated crab meat in yellow curry, moo hong braised pork belly, Hokkien-style stir-fried noodles reflecting the island's Chinese roots, spicy southern curries, tom yum and fresh seafood, all richly flavoured and satisfying. Portions are generous and the bill gentle, offering excellent value for genuinely good regional food. As with the town's other popular spots, its reputation means it can fill up, especially at lunch and dinner, and a queue is not unusual at peak hours, so arriving a little early is the trick. Friendly service and an unpretentious, welcoming atmosphere round out the appeal. For visitors who want to eat the real food of Phuket — the dishes families cook at home rather than the generic pad thai of the tourist strips — in a charming, characterful and affordable setting, One Chun is one of the best introductions to the island's distinctive culinary heritage.
Hours
Daily ~10:00–22:00
Price
Mains ฿120–350
Getting there
On Thepkasattri Road in Old Phuket Town; walkable from the Thalang Road shophouse streets
Insider tip: The crab curry and hokkien noodles rival Raya's at gentler prices — arrive early for lunch to skip the queue.
4.Blue Elephant Phuket
Blue Elephant Phuket is the island's flagship fine-dining destination, the local outpost of the internationally renowned Blue Elephant group, and it offers an elegant, special-occasion take on Thai cuisine in one of Phuket Town's most magnificent historic buildings. The restaurant occupies the beautifully restored Chinpracha House, a grand century-old Sino-Portuguese governor's mansion, all soaring ceilings, sweeping staircases, antique furnishings and a lush garden, which provides a suitably refined and romantic backdrop. The kitchen specialises in 'royal Thai' cuisine — the sophisticated, artfully presented dishes historically associated with the Thai court — alongside regional southern and Phuketian specialities, executed with polish and served with attentive, formal care. Expect intricately composed curries, delicate appetisers, fragrant soups, grilled seafood and beautifully plated mains, available à la carte or, for the full experience, as multi-course tasting menus that showcase the range of the cooking. This is comfortably the most expensive dining on this list, firmly in the treat or celebration bracket, but the combination of accomplished cuisine, gracious service and the sheer grandeur of the setting justifies it for a memorable night out. Blue Elephant also runs a highly regarded cooking school on site, offering hands-on daytime classes that include a market tour, making it a rewarding option for visitors keen to learn to recreate Thai dishes at home. For a dressed-up evening of elegant Thai gastronomy in a heritage setting, it is Phuket's premier choice, and booking ahead is recommended.
Hours
Daily ~11:30–14:30 & 18:00–22:30
Price
Mains ฿450–900; tasting menus higher
Getting there
In the historic Governor's Mansion on Krabi Road, Old Phuket Town; ~40 min from the beaches by taxi/Grab
Insider tip: Splurge on the tasting menu in the restored Governor's Mansion, and consider the well-regarded cooking class by day.
5.Kan Eang@Pier
Kan Eang@Pier is a Phuket seafood stalwart, a large, long-running waterfront restaurant on the shore of Chalong Bay that has been drawing diners for decades with its winning combination of fresh seafood, well-executed Thai cooking and a breezy, relaxed setting right beside the water. Tables spread along the seafront and out onto a terrace where you can watch the longtail boats bobbing at Chalong pier and, on a clear evening, enjoy a lovely sunset over the bay and its islands. The star of the show is the seafood, much of it displayed fresh on ice for you to choose by weight — succulent tiger prawns, crab, squid, lobster, snapper, sea bass and shellfish — cooked to order in whatever style you fancy, from simple charcoal-grilling to garlic-and-pepper stir-fries, steaming with lime and chilli, or the classic sweet-and-spicy sauces. Alongside the seafood, the extensive menu covers all the well-loved Thai staples — tom yum goong, som tam, curries, stir-fries and rice dishes — cooked reliably well, so there is something for everyone, including those less keen on fish. Prices are mid-range and fair for the quality and generous portions, with the by-weight seafood the main variable. The atmosphere is convivial and family-friendly, popular with locals, tourists and groups alike, and the service copes well with its size. For a classic Phuket seafood dinner by the water — pick your catch, watch the sun go down and dig in — Kan Eang@Pier is a dependable, enjoyable and quintessentially local choice.
Hours
Daily ~10:00–22:30
Price
Mains ฿200–500; fresh fish/seafood by weight
Getting there
On the waterfront at Chalong Bay near Chalong Pier; ~20 min by taxi/Grab from Kata or Rawai
Insider tip: Pick your fresh seafood by weight and dine at a table right on the waterfront — sunset over Chalong Bay is lovely.
6.Suay Restaurant
Suay Restaurant is where Phuket's celebrated homegrown chef Tammasak 'Noi' Chootong showcases his inventive, contemporary take on Thai cuisine, and it has earned a loyal following among food lovers seeking something more creative than the traditional trattoria-style Thai kitchen. The name 'suay' means 'beautiful' in Thai, and the cooking lives up to it: Chef Noi takes the bold, familiar flavours of Thai and southern cuisine and reinterprets them with modern technique, refined presentation and clever international touches, producing dishes that feel both rooted and fresh. Signature plates might include a seared tuna with green mango and cashew, foie gras with tamarind, lamb massaman, soft-shell crab, or a deconstructed take on a classic curry, often best experienced through a multi-course tasting menu that lets the kitchen show its range. The original branch occupies a relaxed converted house with garden seating near Old Phuket Town, giving it an intimate, unpretentious feel despite the ambitious food, while a second location in Cherngtalay serves the northern beach areas around Bang Tao and Surin. Prices are mid-to-upper range, sitting between the casual Old Town eateries and the full fine-dining of Blue Elephant, and represent good value for cooking of this creativity and quality. Service is warm and knowledgeable. For visitors who love Thai flavours but want to see them pushed in new, contemporary directions by a talented chef, Suay is one of the most rewarding tables on the island and a highlight of Phuket's evolving dining scene. Booking is advisable.
Hours
Daily ~17:00–24:00
Price
Mains ฿300–650; tasting menu higher
Getting there
In a converted house near Old Phuket Town; a second branch in Cherngtalay near Bang Tao/Surin
Insider tip: Chef Noi's creative Thai tasting menu is the way to go; there's also a Cherngtalay branch near the northern beaches.
7.Mor Mu Dong
Mor Mu Dong is one of those wonderful hidden-gem restaurants that reward the adventurous diner, a rustic, thoroughly local eatery tucked away amid the mangroves near Chalong that feels a world apart from the tourist strips. The setting is its great charm: you dine in simple thatched-roof salas (open huts) raised on stilts over a tranquil mangrove lagoon and creek, some with cushions on the floor in traditional style, surrounded by greenery and the sounds of the wetland, with fishing boats and birdlife for company. It is peaceful, shady and utterly atmospheric, especially at lunch. The food matches the authentic setting — honest, home-style southern Thai cooking and fresh seafood at very reasonable, local prices, with no concessions to Western palates. Specialities lean on the seafood pulled from these very waters and nearby: whole fried fish, spicy seafood salads, curries, tom yum, stir-fried crab, prawns and the fresh, fiery, herb-laden dishes of the south, all bursting with flavour. Because it is off the beaten track and popular with Thai families rather than package tourists, finding it can be part of the adventure — it is a little tricky to locate down the lanes near the mangroves, so a map app or a knowing taxi driver helps. English may be limited, but the welcome is warm and pointing at the menu works fine. For travellers who want to escape the resorts and eat genuinely local food in a magical, tucked-away natural setting, Mor Mu Dong is a delightful and memorable find, and superb value to boot.
Hours
Daily ~10:00–21:00
Price
Mains ฿100–350
Getting there
Tucked away near Chalong/Wichit by the mangroves; ~15 min by taxi/Grab from Chalong — a little tricky to find
Insider tip: Dine in a thatched hut over the mangrove creek — utterly local and atmospheric, and great value for fresh seafood.
8.Rock Salt (Nai Harn)
Rock Salt is the beachfront restaurant of The Nai Harn hotel, and it enjoys one of the most enviable settings on the island — perched on a low headland directly above the beautiful crescent of Nai Harn beach in Phuket's quieter, more upscale south, with wide-open views across the bay to the sea and the sunset. The stylish, breezy, open-sided dining room and terrace make the most of that position, catching the sea breeze and framing the water, and it works equally well for a relaxed breakfast, a long lazy lunch or a romantic sunset dinner. The menu is broad and crowd-pleasing, spanning well-executed Thai favourites — curries, tom yum, seafood, stir-fries and local specialities — alongside international and Mediterranean-leaning dishes, wood-fired pizzas, grills, salads, burgers and lighter fare, so it suits both those craving authentic Thai flavours and those wanting familiar comfort food or a mix across the table. Being part of a smart hotel, standards of cooking, presentation and service are polished, and prices are correspondingly higher than a local eatery, though still reasonable for the quality and the peerless location. It is a lovely spot to time for the golden hour, cocktail in hand, as the sun drops toward the Andaman Sea over one of Phuket's prettiest beaches. Open to non-guests and popular for sundowners and special meals, Rock Salt combines a knockout view, a versatile menu and reliable quality, making it a go-to for a more refined beachfront dining experience in the south of the island.
Hours
Daily ~07:00–23:00
Price
Mains ฿250–650
Getting there
At The Nai Harn hotel above Nai Harn beach in the south; ~15 min by taxi/Grab from Kata or Rawai
Insider tip: Grab a sunset table right above the sand at Nai Harn — a polished all-day spot for both Thai dishes and Western comfort food.
9.Lock Tien Food Court
Lock Tien is a beloved old-school food court in the heart of Old Phuket Town, and it offers one of the best and most affordable introductions to the island's distinctive local hawker food, served from a cluster of long-established family stalls gathered under one open-air roof. This is where locals have come for generations to eat Phuket's signature dishes, and it remains refreshingly unpretentious, cheap and authentic — a world away from the resort restaurants. You order from the individual vendors, each specialising in their own dish, and eat at shared tables in the middle. The must-tries reflect Phuket's unique Hokkien-Chinese-influenced Baba cuisine: Hokkien fried noodles (a local staple), loba (a plate of deep-fried pork offal and tofu with a dipping sauce), po piah (fresh spring rolls), satay, curried noodles and, to finish, the famous o-aew — a refreshing local dessert of jelly, red beans and shaved ice that is a Phuket original. Portions are small and prices tiny, so the joy is in grazing across several stalls to sample a spread of specialities for very little money. It is cash only, busiest around lunchtime, and some stalls sell out and close by mid-afternoon, so going earlier in the day is best. The atmosphere is bustling, local and genuine. For budget-conscious and food-curious travellers wanting to taste real Phuket cooking cheaply and authentically while exploring the historic quarter, Lock Tien is an essential and delicious stop.
Hours
Daily ~10:00–20:00 (some stalls close earlier)
Price
Dishes ฿40–120; cash only
Getting there
On the corner of Yaowarat and Dibuk roads in Old Phuket Town; walkable from the shophouse streets
Insider tip: Cheap, authentic Phuket street eats under one roof — try the Hokkien noodles, oh aew dessert and loba; cash only.
10.Go Benz (Rot Dee Ded)
Go Benz — officially Rot Dee Ded — is a legendary hole-in-the-wall eatery in Phuket Town that has built a devoted following, and a reputation across the island, for one dish above all: khao kha moo, tender stewed pork leg served over rice. This humble roadside spot, marked by its bustling open kitchen and constant queue of locals, is the go-to place for a hearty, satisfying and astonishingly cheap Thai breakfast or lunch. The star khao kha moo features pork leg slow-braised for hours in a fragrant, dark, five-spice-scented gravy until it is meltingly soft, served sliced over steamed rice with a boiled egg, pickled greens and a punchy chilli-garlic-vinegar sauce on the side to cut the richness — deeply comforting and full of flavour. Beyond it, the kitchen is known for excellent pork-based noodle soups and other simple rice-and-noodle dishes, all executed with the confidence of long practice. It is a genuine local institution rather than a tourist spot, so the surroundings are basic, the service brisk and functional, English limited and payment cash only, but that is all part of the authentic appeal. The one catch is timing: it opens early and the popular dishes, especially the pork leg, frequently sell out well before lunchtime, so early birds are rewarded and latecomers may be disappointed. For travellers wanting to eat like a local, cheaply and deliciously, and to sample one of Phuket's most iconic comfort dishes, an early visit to Go Benz is well worth the trip into town.
Hours
Daily ~06:30–13:00 (often sells out by lunch)
Price
Dishes ฿50–100; cash only
Getting there
On Phuket Road near the town centre; ~40 min by taxi/Grab from the beaches, or walkable in Phuket Town
Insider tip: Famous for its stewed pork leg over rice (khao kha moo) — a cheap, hearty local breakfast or lunch; go before it sells out.