See our detailed Phuket food guide for the full breakdown of Phuket Old Town’s food scene. This page covers where to eat by area across the island.
Phuket Old Town: the best food on the island
The Sino-Portuguese old town is 30–40 minutes from the main beaches but worth a dedicated trip for the food. Phuket’s local cuisine — shaped by the Hokkien Chinese settlers who worked the 19th-century tin mines — is unlike anything else in Thailand.
Kopitiam by Wilai on Thalang Road is the most cited address for traditional Phuket food. The menu covers mee hokkien, oh tao, and the local-style dim sum served on Saturday mornings. Atmospheric shophouse setting. Budget approximately ฿120–250 per person. Closes early afternoon.
Raya Restaurant (also known as Raan Jay Fah) on Dibuk Road is a Phuket institution — a Sino-Thai restaurant in a restored old-town building. The pork-and-shrimp curry and the stir-fried crab are the most ordered dishes. Budget approximately ฿200–400 per person.
Ka Jok See on Takua Pa Road is the old town’s most atmospheric dinner option — a converted Sino-Portuguese home with communal tables and a policy of dancing breaking out after 9pm. The Thai menu is good; the experience is the main draw. Book ahead. Budget approximately ฿400–700 per person.
Sunday Walking Street (Lard Yai) runs along Thalang Road from approximately 4pm. Street food stalls sell mee hokkien, fresh spring rolls, steamed dim sum, coconut milk sweets, and Phuket-style coffee. Prices ฿40–120 per item. Worth planning an evening around.
Rawai: seafood at the source
Rawai’s seafood market on Viset Road is the most direct way to eat fresh Andaman seafood. Vendors display whole fish, crab, tiger prawns, and squid; you select and they cook it on the spot, or the restaurants adjacent will cook what you buy. Prices are lower than any beach-area restaurant. Budget approximately ฿300–600 per person.
Nikita’s on Rawai beachfront is the most established restaurant in the area — open-air tables above the water, good seafood and Thai standards, a consistent long-stay favourite. Budget approximately ฿250–500 per person.
Kata and Karon
Boathouse Wine and Grill at Kata’s south end is one of Phuket’s best restaurants at any price point — a beachfront setting with a serious wine list and well-executed Thai and European dishes. Budget approximately ฿800–1,500 per person. Reservations recommended.
Beyond Restaurant in Kata Town serves central Thai food accurately — not adapted for tourists. The green curry and pad see ew are the reliable orders. Budget approximately ฿150–280 per person.
Two Chefs Restaurant in Karon is a local institution for Western food — reliable steaks, good salads, relaxed setting. Budget approximately ฿300–600 per person.
For street food and casual Thai in Kata–Karon: the fresh market on Kata’s eastern road (parallel to Patak Road) has morning food stalls open from 6am with the cheapest meals on the beach. ฿50–100 per dish.
Patong
Baan Rim Pa on the Patong headland cliff is Phuket’s most elegant Thai restaurant — a 40-year-old institution serving central and royal Thai cuisine in open-air pavilions above the Andaman. Budget approximately ฿700–1,500 per person. A taxi from central Patong costs approximately ฿80.
Savoey Seafood Restaurant at the southern end of Patong Beach is the most reliable mid-range seafood option in the area — a large, well-run restaurant with straightforward Thai seafood dishes at consistent prices. Budget approximately ฿350–700 per person.
For casual and street food in Patong: the food court inside Jungceylon Mall is the cheapest reliable food in the tourist area (฿60–120 per dish). The night market on Rat-U-Thit Road runs from the early evening with grilled skewers and pad thai at street prices.
Bang Tao and Laguna
Boat Avenue is the island’s best restaurant strip outside the old town — a collection of around 30 restaurants in a low-rise commercial development behind Bang Tao Beach. Covers Japanese (Nagisa), Italian, Thai, Indian, and quality casual international. Budget varies widely: ฿300–1,200 per person.
La Gritta at Amari Phuket in Patong headland (technically accessible from both areas) is worth noting for Italian food with a sea view at a non-tourist price: approximately ฿500–900 per person.
Browse Phuket food tours and cooking classes
Browse hotels in Phuket — stay in Phuket Old Town for the best access to the Sunday Walking Street market and authentic Southern Thai cooking.
See also: Things to do in Phuket · Phuket travel guide · Full Phuket food guide