Uncover seven of Phuket’s finest Thai restaurants, each presenting its own interpretation of southern Thai cuisine

Beaches and nightlife are only part of Phuket’s story. It has a culinary scene shaped by a long cultural history that is carried directly into the kitchen, where the Andaman Sea provides seafood at its freshest. The Thai cuisine served moves between authentic flavours and more contemporary expressions.

This edition of Koktail Kuisine brings together seven Thai fine-dining restaurants that tell stories of the sea while serving southern delicacies that reveal a lesser-known side of Phuket. From local produce to sea-sprayed flavours, these restaurants sit at the heart of the island’s culinary identity.

Baan Rim Pa

A Phuket fixture for over three decades, offering cliffside dining with royal Thai cuisine and views over Patong Bay

For more than three decades, Baan Rim Pa has been a go-to Phuket hangout for those wanting a scenic escape. As the name suggests, it’s perched right on a cliff, serving royal Thai cuisine with gorgeous sea views over Patong Bay. It’s a place every Phuket enthusiast knows by heart – and by stomach.

Open with their signature chormuang, soft dumplings filled with crab meat and chicken. Alongside local fish, tiger prawns and Phuket lobster comes a variety of sauces, but don’t skip Phuket’s famous naam prik, with either tamarind or dried shrimp. A French-leaning extensive wine list, soft drinks and expert sommelier complement the cuisine, enhancing the overall experience.

249/4-5 Prabaramee Road, Patong, Kathu, Phuket. Tel: +66 92 274 9095. Open daily from 12pm-11pm.

Black Ginger

Drawn across the water by staff to floating black Thai pavilions, Chef Piak’s focused southern Thai cooking emerges

From the moment you arrive, Black Ginger is ready to tell a story. Pulled across the verdant lagoon by staff members dressed in old-style Thai costume, your raft moves through a near-ceremonial silence before reaching a floating enclave of sleek black pavilions where Chef Piak’s southern cuisine unfolds.

Andaman seafood anchors Phuket Authentic: beef and pork belly, with lobster salad, crispy prawns with aralia leaves and poh pia sod spring rolls. Black Ginger Experience focuses on local produce featuring garlic-rich squid stir-fry and coconut soup with mud crab and galangal. A meat-free selection includes two spicy salads, massaman peanut curry, stir-fried tofu and gian thod.

The Slate Phuket, Sakhu, Thalang, Phuket. Tel: +66 76 327 006. Open daily from 6pm-11pm.

Blue Elephant Governor Mansion Phuket

Inside a historic Sino-Portuguese mansion from Phuket’s tin–mining era, culinary tradition is reflected through Chef Nooror’s signature touch

Inside the Sino-Portuguese mansion, once home to a prominent figure from Phuket’s tin-mining era, heritage is carefully preserved and reflected in the cuisine at Blue Elephant. Outside, colonial yellow stands against the green front lawn while long musa leaves frame the facade as if sprouting from the ground.

Chef Nooror’s distinctive touch shapes the whole menu. Crab soufflé opens the experience, made with blue swimmer crab, homemade spices and sweet basil, with tart pineapple served in a banana leaf cone. Fenugreek and black diamond garlic sauce coat grilled king mackerel, delivering an aromatic depth. And at Blue Elephant, Chef Nooror’s lamb massaman curry is a signature staple you can’t miss.

96 Krabi, Talat Nuea, Amphoe Mueang Phuket, Phuket. Tel: +66 76 354 355 7. Open daily from 11.30am-10pm.

Dara Cuisine

A star-charted journey of flavours, rooted in local farms, leading up to an on-site observatory and zodiac-inspired cocktails

Dara, meaning “star”, is a constellation of food and place. Local produce from Anantara Layan Resort’s gardens and nearby farms grounds the cuisine, while an observatory above draws the experience outward, into Phuket’s night sky through a telescope. Astrological symbols inspire the cocktails. Sagittarius, for example, combines gin shiraz, campari, sweet vermouth and angostura bitters.

A seven-course degustation menu by Chef Supakarn showcases the breadth of the kitchen, from grilled wagyu to turmeric curry of tender beef cheek and soft-shell Phuket crab. Standouts include pomelo salad with tempura shrimp, cashews and pomegranate seeds, and fried prawn cakes with housemade chilli sauce and mango salsa. Creamy tom yum soup rounds things off under a canopy of starry skies.

Anantara Layan Phuket Resort, Cherngtalay, Thalang, Phuket. Tel: +66 76 317 200. Open daily from 6pm-11pm.

Jaras

A zero-waste southern Thai kitchen inspired by the Sukhothai era, where Chef Nui transforms invasive species into precise culinary creations

Southern Thai cuisine finds new expression at Jaras, InterContinental Phuket Resort, where Chef Nui draws from the culinary heritage of the Sukhothai era. A zero-waste philosophy threads through the kitchen, turning excess ingredients into refined expressions of flavour that honour both land, sea and intention.

Charcoal-water Andaman squid, slicked in ink, lands in a crisp tart with wild water mimosa. Blackchin tilapia kanom jeen comes with yellow curry made from its bones, finished with black caviar seaweed from Hua Hin. Charcoal-grilled Phuket lobster follows, alongside bitter bean sauce, fermented rapo grass and lobster crackers.

Intercontinental Phuket Resort, Kamala, Kathu, Phuket. Tel: +66 76 629 999. Open daily from 10am-10pm.

Saffron by Banyan Tree Phuket

Award-winning contemporary Thai cuisine shaped by family recipes, set in a relaxed space with a glowing circular bar

Award-winning Saffron presents contemporary Thai cuisine in a relaxed yet refined setting. Family recipes are transformed to elevate simple flavours into something far more memorable. The space features shiny wood flooring and a glowing circular bar that invites you in for rum or cocktails.

Slow-braised pork belly comes first, with sprouts, turnip and tofu, drizzled in sour tamarind sauce. Spare ribs follow, honey-glazed and slow-roasted with a peppery warmth. Lobster finishes in green curry: a fine balance of coconut milk and fresh herbs. Massaman nua is tender, cooked with peanuts, pumpkin and sweet potato, served alongside homemade roti.

Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts, Cherngtalay, Talang, Phuket. Tel: +66 7 637 2400. Open daily from 6.30pm-10.30pm.

Ta Khai

This “fishing net” showcases Andaman Sea catches through Chef Nun and Chef Yai’s shared passion in a candlelit, sea-scented setting

Meaning “fishing net” in Thai, Ta Khai is driven by a passion for showcasing the finest catches from the Andaman Sea. Chef Nun and Chef Yai – affectionately known as Uncle Nun and Auntie Yai – bring their shared love of food to life through Andaman classics, enriched by close ties with local farms that add a sense of warmth and homeliness. The space opens to the scent of the sea, while night brings a soft glow of candlelight that deepens the intimacy among the surrounding greenery.

Khao tang na tang opens strong: crispy rice topped with blue crab, minced chicken and prawns. Tom nuea tang follows, a grilled beef salad as spicy as it is fragrantly herbal. Gaeng pu of dressed crab, yellow curry paste and rice vermicelli delivers a briny introduction to the flavours of the Andaman Sea. The Pond fish of the day follows, grilled or wok-fried, while mango with sticky rice and coconut milk bring things to a gentle close.

Rosewood Hotels, Patong, Kathu, Phuket. Tel: +66 76 356 888. Open daily from 6pm-10pm.