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There is a difference between a casual holiday dinner and the kind of transformative upscale dining that completely defines an evening. Phuket excels at the latter, serving as a hub where world-class gastronomy, meticulous technique and premium ingredients come together to sweep both you and your date off your feet.
Koktail has curated six premier establishments pushing the boundaries of fine dining on the island. From Mughal-style tents and sweeping Andaman viewpoints to an ambitious subaquatic dining room with live mermaids, these fine dining restaurants prove that Phuket’s haute cuisine is just as brilliant as anywhere else – if not better.
Founded by Chef-Owner Alessandro with Chef Fabrizio running the kitchen, this crisp space matches its geometric design with innovative Italian gastronomy
Established by Chef-Owner Alessandro Frau, Acqua brings high-end Italian dining to Phuket’s Kalim Bay. With Executive Chef Fabrizio Crocetta at the helm and Marcella Mocci managing operations, the restaurant features a crisp, monochromatic interior that opens up to views of the Andaman Sea. The geometric ceiling installation matches the kitchen’s dedication to balance, structure and presentation.
Acqua’s à la carte selection delivers a mix of coastal Italian flavours and premium ingredients, offering seafood pairings, like Sicilian red prawn, Avruga caviar and Hokkaido sea urchin, alongside dishes like lobster-infused Sardinian fregola. Mains and desserts stay true to regional roots, featuring Mediterranean red mullet with Pantelleria oregano and rum-soaked baba cake.
324/15 Prabaramee Road, Kalim Bay, Patong, Kathu, Phuket. Tel: +66 76 618 127. Open daily from 5.30pm-11pm.
Backed by restaurateur Dax Lee with Chef Luca running the kitchen, this restored Yaowarat mansion pairs a historic atmosphere with Peranakan heritage cooking
Specialising in the finest Peranakan cuisine, Baba Lee is centred around the spirit of heritage cooking inside a restored mansion on Yaowarat Road. While the space feels homey with a historic air, like stepping into a family estate, the restaurant serves fine-dining presentations that elevate traditional recipes. The menu is rooted in the childhood memories of Malaysian-born, Phuket-based restaurateur Dax Lee, with Chef Luca Brozzu translating those memories into precise culinary artistry.
The menu at Baba Lee presents a curated exploration of Straits heritage refined for modern dining. Guests will find vibrant seafood and meat dishes, from barramundi accented with Vietnamese coriander to robust lamb saddle kari kambing. The kitchen showcases strong, comforting profiles, presenting Thai wagyu rendang with herbed rice and rounding out the meal with sweet elements like coconut, palm sugar and local Prakaan whisky. Be sure to visit the bar, where the mixology is treated with serious craft.
175 Yaowarat Road, Tambon Talat Nuea, Amphoe Mueang Phuket, Phuket. Tel: +66 98 015 4712. Open Thursday to Monday from 7pm-11.30pm.
Led by Chef Marcelo, this minimalist white sanctuary draws inspiration from ancient manuscripts to serve up borderless plates inside a dramatic tiered pavilion
The sense of scale at hom begins long before you step inside. Housed within the InterContinental’s Sawan Pavilion, the restaurant reinterprets traditional Thai tiered architecture into a stark, minimalist white monument. Inspired by the ancient Traibhumikatha manuscript, the space feels both ethereal and refined, an atmospheric sanctuary that complements Chef Marcelo Baruch’s borderless approach to culinary innovation.
The kitchen focuses on unconventional ingredient pairings, matching local oysters with tamarillo kombucha and balancing fresh berries with bitter sator seeds and ant eggs. The presentation is visually satisfying, featuring a sculpted beetroot and caviar “butterfly” alongside plates of sea snail with corn custard and confit grouper with fermented cherries. Opting for the wine pairing is central to the overall experience.
InterContinental Phuket Resort, 333, 333/3 Moo 3, Kamala, Kathu, Phuket. Tel: +66 76 629 956. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm-11pm.
Brainchild of restaurateur Dax Lee with Chef Atanu perfecting the craft, this theatrical underwater venue backs up its mermaid shows with serious global gastronomy
Another ambitious brainchild of restaurateur Dax Lee, Su Va Na takes dining beneath Central Phuket Floresta to theatrical depths. The restaurant pairs deep blue aquarium tanks and moody purple lighting with live mermaid performances, but the spectacle is far from a gimmick. As Lee emphasises, the focus remains firmly on the plate, where Chef Atanu Nath fine-tunes a menu built on premium, globally sourced ingredients, leaving the aquatic display as a captivating bonus.
Chef Atanu Nath’s 10-course tasting menu features premium global proteins alongside local accents. The meal showcases a progression of sakura masu (cherry salmon) served both raw and partially cooked, followed by a savoury Hua Hin caviar cheesecake and foie gras royal. Main courses of quail and Kinross Station lamb add depth, before a bright dok dala (torch ginger flower) sorbet wraps up the experience.
B Floor, Central Phuket Floresta, 199, B01, M.4, Tambon Wichit, Mueang Phuket, Phuket. Tel: +66 63 308 8262. Open Thursday to Tuesday from 7pm-12am.
Helmed by Chef Saurabh, this rooftop spot channels Mughal-era romance to serve up charcoal-fired Indian gastronomy high above the Patong coastline
Head to the roof of Avista Hideaway Phuket Patong, and Tambu introduces an entirely different world. Framed by distant Andaman Sea views, the restaurant’s “Tented Palace” design leans into Mughal-era romance. That historical narrative defines the food, where Chef Saurabh Sachdeva applies sharp, modern technique to a multi-course Indian charcoal menu served high above the coastline.
The multi-course menu offers a broad look at Indian flavours. It includes introductory bites such as a ragda samosa with smoky beetroot, alongside deconstructed jhal muri, which is a popular street-food mix of puffed rice crispies, avocado snow and tamarind. Mains focus on well-known regional curries such as Old Delhi butter chicken, with the experience concluding with a mango and white chocolate ice cream dessert.
Avista Hideaway Phuket Patong – MGallery, 39/9 Muen Ngern Road, Patong, Kathu, Phuket. Tel: +66 95 834 7208. Open daily for lunch from 12pm-2.30pm, and for dinner from 6pm-11pm.
The creation of Brigitta Houkamp and Chef Luca, this culinary lab proves its ten-year sourdough hypothesis through precise technique and beautiful presentation
Driven by a signature sourdough technique a decade in the making, Chef Luca Mascolo approaches the kitchen as a science lab. This philosophy defines Smokaccia, a culinary ground where ideas bounce around as they take on physical form. Backed by co-founder Brigitta Houkamp’s distinct design direction, the venue recontextualises fine dining as a delicious hypothesis – one that proves highly successful through technical, meticulously styled presentations.
The menu is built around a signature smokaccia sourdough bun, which serves as the base for precise, technical courses featuring 24-month aged Parma ham, caramelised onions and an airy mortadella emulsion. A zero-waste vegetable foam and pine nut sorbet balances the richness, leading into a heavier course of premium A5 Japanese Oguma wagyu beef paired with oyster, mango and seaweed caviar.Â
116/4 Moo 3 Surin, Tambon Choeng Thale, Thalang, Phuket. Tel: +66 93 179 4489. Open Thursday to Monday from 6pm-10pm.
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