31 Best Restaurants in Phuket and the Andaman Coast, Thailand

Looking for delicious local food at a low price: This strip of street-side food stalls serves everything from simple fried rice and papaya salad to more sophisticated southern delicacies such as kanom jeen (rice noodles topped with whatever sauces and vegetables you want). Open from nightfall until midnight, the stalls provide an excellent opportunity to discover some exotic and enjoyable Thai foods. Walk along the street and enjoy the carnival atmosphere—the local stall holders are more than happy to let you try the assorted delicacies before deciding what to buy. This is one of the highlights of Krabi Town, and the street enjoys a nationwide reputation.

From the outside, this restaurant looks like a standard, wooden Thai beach restaurant, but the creative cooking elevates it from the ordinary. Sizzling "hot pan" dishes of seafood in coconut cream, stir-fried morning glory, and sweet-and-sour shrimp are delicious. Specials, such as duck curry served in a hollowed-out pineapple, change daily and augment the already extensive menu.

The walls of this unique restaurant--café in the heart of the architecturally quaint Sino-Colonial Old Town are lined with vintage black-and-white images of Phuket, which pretty much reflect the kind of food served here—old-school Thai-Chinese fare. Signature dishes are inspired by family recipes, and include bak kut teh (a pungent shiitake-mushroom-and-pork soup), mee sua pad (noodles with seafood and spices), and the crispy noodle and egg salad. Ice teas like Butterfly Pea Flower and lime are especially good for cooling your insides on a hot day, while a variety of smoothies and good coffee strained in a cloth bag are also worth a try.

For a delicious snack, buy some of the creamy homemade pepper cookies or crunchy caramel peanuts to take with you.

This is one of the most popular beach bar/restaurants in Koh Lanta, mostly owing to its vibrant owner, Otto, a been-there, done-that, rocker-hippie-type with an infectious joie de vivre. It's open all day, serving delicious, fruity cocktails and a variety of barbecued meats (burgers have a following) and salads. Otto also has few basic bungalows backed away from the beach.

In the heart of Phuket Old Town, this beloved restaurant is in a historical Sino-Thai mansion, built in the early 20th century by a rich tin-mining family. Authentic Phuket dishes are the specialty here; try the yellow crab curry with rice noodles or the whole red snapper with roasted garlic. The charming decor is traditional Thai, with a nod to colonial influences, and the atmosphere is as much part of the experience as the outstanding food. 

The chicken satay, an otherwise ordinary dish of chicken skewers served with a side of spicy peanut sauce, is especially skillfully prepared at this traditional restaurant. More elaborate Thai dishes are available as well.

This bohemian-chic café in Phuket's Old Town is part of a new wave of trendy global enterprises that focuses on excellent coffee and baked goods. It's also home to a design bookshop, as well as an exhibition arts space, and there's an upstairs film room, where indie flicks are played from time to time. Creativity seeps through the walls at this venue, but it's the scent of their homemade brownies and freshly ground coffee beans that will keep you here, wiling away the day in the company of Phuket's artsy set, a relaxed bunch of Thais who mostly absconded from Bangkok in search of exactly this type of vibe.

Right on the beach, this open-air café is popular for its boho chic vibe, unique decor, and excellent food. The menu features freshly brewed Italian coffee, classic Thai dishes such as green curry with jumbo prawns, international fare such as pasta and pizza, and a wide range of imported and local beers, as well as tropical cocktails.

Championship baristas pull specialty coffee drinks and serve homemade cakes and pastries at this bright little spot in the heart of Phuket Old Town. They also sell freshly roasted coffee beans and coffee accessories.

This lovely restaurant is situated at the end of a small dirt road in a wooden, traditional house with high ceilings from which colorful Chinese lanterns hang, swaying in the sea breeze. The Thai chef has a culinary vision and style that differs from the standard southern fare, so expect food a bit more sophisticated than elsewhere. The  menu reflects what was in the market that day so don't expect a menu. You can sit inside or choose to relax on the scenic wraparound terrace at the water's edge, taking in beautiful views of the horizon. 

As it is off the beaten track and less busy in the evenings, the restaurant only stays open if it receives reservations.

The scent of freshly ground espresso greets you as you enter this lovely café next to one end of the weekly Sunday Walking Street. In addition to light meals, coffee, and desserts there are souvenirs made with natural materials, notebooks, and postcards.

This is one of those quintessential backpacker-friendly cafés with a laid-back vibe, eclectic seating (including beanbags and hammocks), and all kinds of comfort food. Try the tuna wasabi sub, the DK veggie samosas in puff pastry, or a burger.

Over in the small village of Din Daeang Noi, this is the place to try delicious regional specialties that are not easy to find elsewhere. The seafood is excellent---try the fresh crab spring rolls---as are the curries. The owner is always happy to share his knowledge about the region with travelers hungry for new perspectives.

Although this sleek café sells delicious baked goods like orange cinnamon rolls and croissants, it's the ice cream, made on-site in a variety of unique and delicious flavors, that really draws the crowd. Try the Tom Yum Kung ice cream for a real taste of Thailand or more traditional with Almond Espresso. 

The chefs at this bamboo-patio restaurant specialize in seafood and fish dishes made according to traditional recipes from the northern hill tribes, like tempura of banana flowers, a sizzling seafood hot plate, or the prawns fried with herbs in a red-whisky sauce. The dessert of sticky rice with coconut cream and ripe mango is just wonderful.

The decor is simple but locals love this spot for the radna—a noodle dish served with pork or chicken and a thick gravy—as well as the grilled pork or chicken satay, radish cakes, and varieties of fried rice. It's so popular that there's often a line for a table. 

There's not much to this casual restaurant, but their renditions of Thai dishes are very tasty and come at great prices. Seafood options are recommend, including the signature Pineapple Fried Rice with Shrimp or any of the spicy curries. 

For a good cup of coffee, try this artsy store, which sells funky designer souvenirs and serves traditional Thai food and international snacks, sandwiches, desserts, and shakes. It opens daily at 9:30 am.

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.

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

It's all in the name at this tiny roadside eatery presided over by the 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. 

The extensive menu at this street-side café includes breakfast platters, sandwiches served on freshly baked bread, Thai dishes, and, not surprisingly, a huge variety of coffee drinks, like raspberry latte frappés. It's in the heart of the hotel district and caters mainly to foreigners.

With tables facing out to the horizon, and fresh, flavorful seafood and fish barbecues, this is an idyllic spot for dinner by the beach. It's a simple but charming restaurant; the food certainly attracts a loyal clientele, but the service can be slow.

You can take a cooking class organized by Roi Thai, which also teaches the traditional art of fruit and vegetable carving.

With a back terrace that overlooks the beach and a pleasant atmosphere, this is a good spot for fresh seafood, classic Thai favorites, and specialities from northern Thailand.  The chicken satay here is particularly good.

The friendly ladies at this popular street-side shanty serve made-to-order noodles and stir-fries with seafood. Every meal comes with a complimentary bowl of aromatic cardamom soup, which is delicious and known to aid digestion. During the day there are beach deliveries available, if you find you don't want to move from your particular spot in the sun. 

The menu at this simple Thai restaurant is encyclopedic, but the speciality 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 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.