48 Best Restaurants in Phuket and the Andaman Coast, Thailand

There are two positive signs at this restaurant before you even try the food—locals hanging out, and the fish and seafood that will end up on your plate are on display in tanks in all their variety. You'll find every kind of fresh catch prepared using lots of local herbs and spices at this friendly colorful place.

The seafood here is perfectly cooked and artfully presented, but what makes Lae Lay Grill extra-special is the location. The restaurant is on a terrace on a hill overlooking Ao Nang and the sea, which makes it a highly romantic spot from sunset on but also lovely during the day. Staff will pick you up from your hotel and bring you here by van.

This extremely casual roadside street-food restaurant serves delicious, basic, and inexpensive food that everyone loves. Try the Isaan (northeastern) catfish laap, the zingy som tam (spicy papaya salad), the fat noodles cooked in a thick pork broth, and sticky barbecue chicken.

This brick-laden restaurant offers solid comfort foods like pastas, grilled meats, and seafood. Come on Wednesdays and Fridays for live DJ nights and beverage specials.

Built on a rock overlooking Karon Beach, this restaurant has great views of the water. Seafood is the specialty, but well-made Italian and traditional Thai dishes are also on the menu. Book in advance to ensure you get a table with a view.

Outside the gates that lead to the Bangpae Waterfall are two picturesque wooden pavilions nestled in the jungle that serve up stellar versions of Phuket specialties, like spicy stir-fried clams. This is home cooking that you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.

It's all in the name at this tiny roadside eatery presided over by a talented musician-owner who also plays local gigs. There are several varieties of delicious pad Thai.

Ask the owner when his next gig is. His band, Why Not, attracts huge crowds of locals, expats, and tourists alike and guarantees a rocking night out.

If you've been craving fresh-baked doughnuts, croissants, mouthwatering eggs Benedict, and real coffee rather than the instant stuff, you'll fall in love with the family-run Phi Phi Bakery, which serves American, continental, and Thai breakfast and brunch specials and freshly baked pastries (the cinnamon buns are especially good). They also serve Thai and Western standards for lunch (it closes at 5 pm).

This delightful sea view restaurant in Lanta Old Town is known for its fresh seafood and Thai cuisine, but also serves great burgers and has a separate vegetarian menu. The staff are quick to recommend favorite Thai dishes, in particular the tamarind prawns and the tart pomelo salad. Great atmosphere and wonderful location. 

Although it doesn't look like much from the Promthep Cape parking lot, views from the tables out back are hard to beat. The restaurant serves Thai food, specializing in fresh seafood, and some Western fare. 

Serving Thai and European fusion food in an atmospheric garden setting, with a compact menu that creative chef Ed Qarré renews every six weeks, Red Snapper, unsurprisingly, has become one of the island's most happening restaurants. If you're hungry order one of their large platters, or opt for a wonderful selection of tapas dishes if your palate is yearning for adventure; the eponymous red snapper is always succulent and fresh. Cocktails, too, are innovative; try the Thaipiroska for a locally inspired alcoholic kick.

With a terrace that overlooks the beach and a pleasant atmosphere, this is a good spot for fresh seafood, classic Thai favorites, and specialties from northern Thailand.

This old-school restaurant in the Holiday Inn Resort serves prime cuts of imported beef prepared with notable French flair and presentation. The atmosphere is peaceful, away from the crowds on Patong's busy streets.

A part of the Layana Resort, this beachfront restaurant offers easy beach food during the day and a more extensive selection of Thai and western food in the evening. The adjoining Sundowners Bar makes classic cocktails. 

The menu at this simple Thai restaurant is encyclopedic, but the specialty is tom yam pla, a spicy fish soup. The open-air setting is pleasant and the charming owner is happy to chat—he speaks a variety of languages.

A few minutes' tuk-tuk ride north from the busy part of town, Smoh Ruer is barely more than a roadside shack, but prepares top-notch food in the local Khao Lak style. Dishes include a spicy wild-boar red curry, perfectly cooked prawns fried in sesame oil on a bed of rice noodles and celery, and the mellow egg-fried morning glory in oyster sauce.

Located in one of the Old Town's most impressive mansions, this stylish eatery pays homage to classic home-cooked Phuket dishes—hence the name, which translates as "pantry." Pay attention to your dining neighbors, as the cuisine draws Thai celebrities from as far away as Bangkok.

Nestled atop the biggest hill in Phuket Town, Tunk Ka serves Thai food made from fresh local ingredients and the views are marvelous, especially at sunset, which more than justify the tuk-tuk drive up. The Ruby Red dessert (red water chestnut in coconut cream with lashes of young coconut and jackfruit) will satisfy even the most demanding sweet tooth.