The Best Phuket Restaurants

Baan Rim Pa

Critics and food enthusiasts often cite Baan Rim Pa as the best Phuket restaurant. It has earned this distinction through its Royal Thai cuisine, as well as for its incredible setting. Baan Rim Pa is set on the edge of the island, overlooking Phuket's beaches and coastline. It is an open-air, two-story building, and the restaurant's breezy, refined feel, along with the smell of incredible food, creates an atmosphere that is unmatched. Baan Rim Pa offers a menu consisting of food that was prepared only for Thai royalty, and you'll feel like you're dining in Thailand's Grand Palace when fresh fish, stir-fried crab curry, grilled prawns, and other delicacies are brought to your table. Along with your meal, you'll enjoy wines selected from Baan Rim Pa's award-winning wine cellar, and you can cap off your experience with a cocktail in the restaurant's piano bar.

Lucky Tom's

Lucky Tom's doesn't offer a fine dining experience, but its delicious food and great value make it one of the best Phuket restaurants. It is a favorite amongst visiting families and diners on a budget, thanks to its low prices, and food enthusiasts rave about its authentic, local menu. Ingredients are exceedingly fresh, and the simple dishes like shrimp satay and fish cakes speak volumes about the local culture. The owners are on hand to explain and prepare meals, so don't be afraid to ask questions about different menu items. Lucky Tom's also offers an extensive European menu for visitors who aren't feeling adventurous. Lucky Tom's is one of the best Phuket restaurants, as well as one of the island's best values.

La Gaetana

Phuket's dependence on tourism has in turn led to a significant European influence on the local culture. This is more than evident at La Gaetana, which has earned a reputation as one of the best Phuket restaurants for, of all things, an incredible Italian menu. La Gaetana is a small restaurant decorated in Thai style, but the food is authentically Italian – handmade pastas are paired with the likes of seabass, prawns, and truffle oil, and the chocolate fondant is a truly transcendent dessert experience. La Gaetana is very popular amongst Italian expats, and reservations are recommended, which is a good sign in itself that this is one of the best Phuket restaurants.

Ka Jok See

Sometimes a restaurant can earn a reputation based solely on one incredible dish. This isn't quite the case with Ka Jok See, which offers the classiest dining experience on the island, but it could easily be considered one of the best Phuket restaurants just for its goong-saroong, which is a dish of vermicelli and fried shrimp, with a unique mustard sauce. Go to Ka Jok See, order this dish, and be happy.

Phuket has a very unique food tradition, thanks to Thai and western tastes. Discover the ins and outs of the different types of Phuket food with this helpful guide.