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Phuket has plenty to offer beyond beach clubs and tourist hotspots, and some of my favourite meals have come from places I would not have found at first glance. From waterfront dining and wellness cafés to neighbourhood Thai cooking and modern restaurants, these are the spots I return to for different occasions and budgets. Whether you’re after a casual meal or somewhere to linger over dinner, there’s something to suit.
| Name | Best for | Location / Area | Key highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLUU Asian Kitchen & Bar | Waterfront dinners and celebrations | Royal Phuket Marina, Ko Kaeo | Thai, coastal Indian and Southeast Asian flavours with yacht views |
| Solavita Café | Healthy meals and brunch | Royal Phuket Marina, Ko Kaeo | Wellness-focused menu with vegan and nutritious options |
| Hom-Ha (หอม-หา) | Affordable Thai comfort food | Ko Kaeo, Thalang District | Neighbourhood setting and good-value Thai dishes |
| Raya | Traditional Phuket cuisine and heritage dining | Phuket Old Town | Restored Sino-Portuguese mansion and classic local dishes |
| Suay | Modern Thai dining and special occasions | Phuket Town | Creative Thai cooking with set menus and garden setting |
1. BLUU Asian Kitchen & Bar
BLUU Asian Kitchen & Bar at Royal Phuket Marina is one of Phuket’s top waterfront restaurants, offering romantic water’s-edge dining and a memorable setting for birthdays, celebrations and special occasions. This is where I go whenever I want a proper sit-down meal with a view of yachts bobbing in the water. The menu is inspired by the spice routes of Andaman Sea and Indian Ocean, so you enjoy flavours from Thailand, coastal India, and Southeast Asia, sitting at the same table and somehow mixing well.
Before I can even sit down, I’m already ordering the Tom Yum Pani Puri (฿230/ approx S$9) — crispy puri is stuffed with potato and bean sprouts salsa along with a tangy tom yum infusion.
Another outstanding appetiser is the Roasted BBQ Pork Ribs (฿425/approx S$16). These ribs are cooked to perfection and are braised till they become soft and then cooked with garlic and chili oil; they are sticky, smoky, and it’s really difficult to have just one bite. My family’s go-to snack is the Por Pia Larb Gai Rolls (฿260.-/approximately S$10) which are Thai-style chicken spring rolls that vanish real fast when you’re hungry.
If you’re having difficulty choosing what dish to order from the mains, you can’t go wrong with the Phuket Yellow Crab Curry (฿600/approx S$23). This is a special dish made with Phuket crab meat which is boiled in a delicate coconut spiced curry, and comes with rice noodles. Don’t forget to save some space for dessert.! I highly recommend try the Mango & Sticky Rice Spring Roll (฿260/approx S$10) — an innovative take on the traditional dessert, wrapped in a spring roll. One for the ‘gram… and your tummy!
Bluu Asian Kitchen & Bar is easily my favourite spot in Phuket, when you want to escape the madness of tourism-centric zones, and linger over a long unhurried dinner, followed by cocktails as we see luxury yachts draft in and out of the Marina.
On the Boardwalk, Royal Phuket Marina, Ko Kaeo, Phuket
+66 (0)81 172 1587
Daily: 12pm – 10pm
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2. Solavita Café
Solavita Café is my go-to when I need a healthy reset in Phuket, this wellness-inspired café promises to “nourish with nature,” and it genuinely delivers on that. Another hidden gem tucked away in Royal Phuket Marina, this is a place I always find myself back at.
For all-day fuel, my pick would definitely be the Mediterranean Shakshuka (฿295/approx S$11), two free range eggs poached in tomato sauce along with Moroccan chickpeas and crushed feta cheese. Spicy and rich in flavor, this dish is perfect as a weekend brunch. If you want something light yet nutritious, then try the Zen Buddha Bowl (฿245/approx S$9) which is vegan heaven — made up of roasted sweet potatoes, broccoli, avocados, chickpeas and toasted peanuts on red rice berry.
For something more filling, the Smoky Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwich (฿245/approx S$9) serves up pulled BBQ chicken sandwiched between pickled red cabbage, aged cheddar and sriracha mayo on toasted sourdough bread, smoked and spicy, and among the heavier dishes on the menu. To wash it all down, the Ocean Blue Smoothie (฿THB/approx S$7) is a striking vegan blend of pineapple, banana, mango and avocado, swirled with blue spirulina, organic coconut milk and homemade cashew cream, as pretty as it is refreshing, and a great way to cool down after all that food.
The space is bright and airy, service is unfussy, and there’s always a good mix of locals and expats catching up over coffee. It’s the kind of place I recommend to friends who want something that feels good to eat without sacrificing flavour, and I’ve never left disappointed.
On the Boardwalk, Royal Phuket Marina, Ko Kaeo, Phuket
+66 (0)76 360 811
Daily: 8am – 6pm
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3. Hom-Ha (หอม-หา)
Hom-Ha is proof that some of the best meals in Phuket don’t come with a fancy hotel address. Tucked away in Ko Kaeo, right in Thalang District, this is a proper neighbourhood favourite, the kind of spot locals swear by, and with a 4.8-star rating from 177 reviews (at time of writing), it’s clearly not just me who thinks so. My brother-in-law lives in Phuket, and he took us to Hom-Ha for dinner on our very first visit to the island. I’ve been back three times since, on every return trip. There really is magic in good comfort food.
The vibe here is homely and unpretentious, wooden tables, outdoor seating, and a menu that leans into honest, well-executed Thai comfort food rather than anything overly styled.
The Stir-Fried Crab Meat with Yellow Curry Powder (฿550/approx S$21) is the dish that had me going back for seconds, sweet, delicate crab meat wok-tossed in a fragrant, slightly spicy yellow curry powder sauce, with just enough egg to bind everything into that classic silky texture. It’s clearly one of their pricier plates, but the amount of actual crab meat you get justifies it.
No trip to Hom-Ha feels complete without their Tom Yum Goong (Creamy) (฿220/approx S$8), a fiery, fragrant bowl loaded with big, plump prawns swimming in that rich, creamy tom yum broth, sour, spicy and packed with lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime punch. It’s got real heat to it, the kind that clears your sinuses and keeps you reaching for your drink, but that’s exactly why it works so well against the richness of the coconut milk base.
The Stir-Fried Minced Pork with Dried Salted Fish (฿220/approx S$8) is a punchier, more rustic option, minced pork stir-fried until slightly crisp at the edges, tossed with salty, umami-rich dried fish and served alongside raw cabbage, long beans and shallots to balance it all out. It’s salty, savoury and addictive over a plate of steamed rice, exactly the kind of home-style Thai cooking I keep coming back to Hom-Ha for.
Best of all, it won’t break the bank, making it one of the better value meals on this whole list.
หน้าบริษัทซูช่วยแอร์ ตรงข้ามสถานีไฟฟ้าแรงสูง, Ko Kaeo, Thalang District, Phuket 83110
+66 84 246 6628
Daily: 11am – 8.30pm
4. Raya
Tucked into a beautifully restored Sino-Portuguese mansion in Phuket Old Town, Raya feels like stepping back in time, and it’s easily one of my favourite places to bring visiting friends for a taste of authentic Phuket cuisine. This is the kind of restaurant that’s hosted royalty and movie stars, yet still feels unpretentious enough for a casual lunch.
Their signature Kang Puu (crab meat curry with rice vermicelli) is the dish everyone comes for, generous chunks of crab in a rich, aromatic coconut curry, reputedly some of the biggest crab pieces on the island. I’m also a huge fan of the Moo Hong (฿250/approx S$10), slow-braised pork belly that’s fall-apart tender and beautifully sweet-savoury, and the Goong Pad Sataw (฿250/approx S$10), stir-fried prawns with stink beans that pack a punchy, addictive flavour. Round it off with their deep-fried sea bass in tamarind and lemongrass sauce, it’s a dish worth the slightly higher price tag.
What really sells it for me is the setting itself, the antique furniture, vintage photographs and creaky wooden floors give the whole meal a sense of occasion, even on a random Tuesday afternoon. It’s the kind of place where the history feels lived-in rather than staged, and I always end up lingering long after the plates are cleared, just soaking it all in.
48/1 Dibuk Road, Talat Yai, Phuket Town, Phuket 83000
Daily: 10am – 10pm
Website
5. Suay
Suay (meaning “beautiful” in Thai) lives up to its name, both in presentation and in the quiet garden setting of its Phuket Town location. This is modern Thai cooking at its most creative, and I always leave impressed by how something so refined still tastes so distinctly Thai.
Their Grilled Lemongrass Lamb Chops with Papaya Salad is the dish I order without fail, tender, smoky and beautifully balanced against the tangy salad. Also try the Crab Cakes with Sriracha Chili Aioli and Mango Chutney, crisp on the outside and packed with sweet crab flavour. For a proper feast, their signature set menus are the way to go, six dishes for two at ฿2,199 (approx S$85), or the premium version at ฿2,590 (approx S$99). Going à la carte, don’t skip the Larb Tuna (฿259/approx S$10) or the Curry Tempura (฿249/approx S$10).
50/2 Takua Pa Road, Phuket Town
Daily: 11am – 4pm, 6pm – 10pm (closed Mondays)
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How to choose where to eat in Phuket
Choose BLUU Asian Kitchen & Bar for a waterfront sit-down meal or celebration, while Solavita Café suits lighter, wellness-focused meals and brunch. For affordable Thai comfort food, Hom-Ha offers a neighbourhood setting in Ko Kaeo. Raya is suited to visitors seeking traditional Phuket cuisine in a historic Phuket Old Town setting, while Suay fits modern Thai dining and special occasions, with set menus from ฿2,199 for two. The choice largely depends on whether the priority is setting, lighter fare, value, traditional flavours or a more refined meal.
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