10 Best Restaurants in Phuket Town

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 favourite Thai dishes from roasted duck with red curry to crabmeat with yellow curry to pork panang – so, plenty of local delicacies for you to sample. As the restaurant mostly caters to locals, be wary of how spicy some of the dishes can be.

La Gaetana is a 32-cover restaurant near the intersection of Phuket and Ongsimpai roads, in the centre of Phuket Town. Set in a standard 2-storey shop-house, it's small in size but huge in the quality of its cuisine, atmosphere and service.

Opened in 1998 and run by a charming Italian-Thai couple – Gianni and Chonchita – La Gaetana is an intimate place with the décor of a stylish trattoria and the atmosphere of a high-class yet laidback venue. The attention to detail is usually what marks the difference between a good and higher-grade establishment, and La Gaetana is indeed in the latter category. With fine Italian cuisine, an excellent wine list, and a sophisticated yet pleasant ambience, La Gaetana is the perfect venue for a romantic dinner with your loved one.

Raya Restaurant is one of the best places for authentic Thai cuisine in Phuket Town. Set in a converted 2-storey shop-house built at the beginning of the 20th century in Phuket Old Town, the restaurant offers its customers a feeling of dining at the museum in addition to the great quality of the food served.

Raya is so renowned that it often has movie stars, royalty, TV personalities and other VIPs for customers. In fact, they even have customers in Bangkok who request the star dish – the crabmeat curry – be specially flown up to the capital. With excellent genuine Thai cuisine, historical settings, relaxed atmosphere, and fair prices, Raya is a must-sample restaurant in Phuket Town.

Suay Restaurant is a set in a single-storey Thai-style house on Takuapa Road in downtown Phuket. Featuring an alfresco area in front and on both sides of the house as well as a few tables inside, Suay is a chic yet unpretentious venue to dine at.

The cuisine served at Suay is a fusion of Thai and western flavours prepared by the talented German-trained chef and manager Tammasak Chootong. Top-class food at affordable prices is the motto of this restaurant, which shows that quality and original dishes, neat and clean settings, and low prices are indeed a winning combination.

Brasserie Phuket is a stylish European restaurant on Rassada Road in downtown Phuket. It's like an ambassador of genuine Belgian and French cuisine on the island. Featuring a cleverly lit modern décor, this rather large restaurant has 4 areas, each of them offering a slightly different atmosphere. Near the entrance stands the oyster & lobster bar at which you can sample seafood from various origins (Boston, Atlantic or local). The dimly lit dining room is an elegant place in which you can enjoy a romantic dinner. The alfresco section is situated at the back of the establishment and lets you dine in garden-like surroundings. Finally, the large bar occupies a central position and is the place to enjoy one (or more) of the 30 delicious yet potent Belgian beers available.

Ka Jok See is a legendary restaurant that's packed every night, although you never see it advertised or promoted anywhere. In fact, you could pass in front of its door without noticing it as there's no sign to indicate its presence.

Set in a converted shop-house located on Takuapa Road, off Rassada Road in downtown Phuket, Ka Jok See blends admirably quality Thai cuisine (served in large portions) with party spirit. Every night after 9pm, things seem to get out of hand: conga lines, limbo dancing, diners dancing around and even on the tables; the party is launched and will last until late.

Flavor Restaurant on Yaowarat Road is a neat and clean simple place – it's obviously not for its décor that this restaurant deserves to be visited! The dark wooden furnishings, whitewashed walls, and black concrete flooring are just a background to the outstanding quality of the cuisine prepared by Belgian chef/manager Erik Vranckx. He's an extremely talented man whose main focus is on the freshness and excellence of the ingredients used to prepare his dishes. By using only organic products, all the dishes served here have an incomparable sparkling taste.

Salvatore's is a long-established stylish trattoria run by a cheerful Sardinian character – Salvatore Cossu. Located on Rassada Road in Phuket Old Town and set in a 2-unit shop-house, the restaurant’s décor and atmosphere are typical of a genuine Italian trattoria: orange rendered walls on which paintings and ornaments are hung, white Doric columns, wooden furnishing – the venue is classy, warm and welcoming. Serving top-of-the-range classic Italian cuisine prepared with the freshest ingredients, Salvatore’s is indeed a recommendable place if you miss Mediterranean flavours.

Blue Elephant is certainly the most impressive restaurant in Phuket Town. Set in a huge Sino-colonial mansion built in 1903, this restaurant belongs to an internationally recognised chain of high-end eateries. Blue Elephant has restaurants in 12 countries serving classic Royal Thai cuisine, including ‘forgotten’ dishes rediscovered by the restaurant’s Executive Chef Nooror.

Additionally available for private parties and running Thai cooking classes, Blue Elephant should be on the bucket-list of every visitor to Phuket, as much for its historical and architectural assets as the outstanding Thai cuisine.

Tu Kab Khao is a great Thai restaurant in a 120-year-old building on Phang Nga Road in Phuket Old Town. It focuses on serving delicious dishes from Southern Thailand, offering an exceptional local dining experience. The restaurant is easily spotted along the street of similarly old and beautiful buildings because of the giant multicoloured lobster fastened to one wall.