Tin-town noodles, Baba braises and Andaman seafood.
Free cancellation on most tours, with live prices on the partner's site.
Phuket eats like a tin town that happens to have beaches. From the 1800s Hokkien miners settled in Phuket Town, married into local families and raised the Peranakan, or Baba, culture that still runs its kitchens: mee hokkien noodles tossed with seafood, moo hong pork belly braised in dark soy and black pepper, dim sum at dawn, and o-tao and loba at the evening stalls. Malay and Indian Muslim cooks added roti with curry, and the Andaman supplies crab, prawns and the island's own GI-protected lobster. In 2015 UNESCO named Phuket Thailand's first Creative City of Gastronomy, and the Michelin Guide now lists dozens of its shophouse counters beside resort tasting menus. The rhythm is local: noodle shops open early and sell out by early afternoon, night markets take over after dark, and each October the Vegetarian Festival turns Ranong Road into a nine-day jay buffet. Eat in the Old Town by day, go to the coast for seafood at sunset, and order what the next table is having.
Guided tour · 4 hours
Discover Thai cuisine in Phuket! Explore markets, craft 4 dishes in a colonial mansion, and take home Blue Elephant souvenirs. Ideal for foodies and families!
Private tour
Visit Wat Chalong as the sacred Buddhist temple of Phuket. Prime sightseeing destinations at phuket's unique Big Buddha on the top of Nakerd Hill. then drive to Promth...
Multi-day trip · 13 hours - 2 days
Discover Khao Sok and Cheow Lan Lake on this nature escape in Phuket. Choose from a 1-day trip featuring bamboo rafting or upgrade to a 2-day trip to also include a fl...
The plates that define eating in Phuket.
Phuket's defining noodle: thick yellow Hokkien egg noodles wok-fried over charcoal in dark soy gravy with pork, prawns, squid and greens, bound with egg.
Where Go La, Meesapam Khun Yai Chian
Where to eat Mee hokkien in Phuket →A Phuket street dish found almost nowhere else: oysters or seafood and soft taro fried with egg and batter over charcoal into a crisp, gooey, smoky tangle.
Where O Tao Bang Niao
Where to eat O-tao in Phuket →A Phuket favourite: blue swimmer crab in a turmeric-yellow coconut curry, often with wild betel leaf, ladled over soft khanom jeen rice noodles.
Where Raya Restaurant, One Chun, Blue Elephant
Where to eat Crab curry with rice noodles in Phuket →Phuket's Thai-Muslim breakfast: crisp, flaky roti fried on a wide pan, torn and dipped in beef or chicken curry, or eaten sweet with banana and egg.
Where Roti Chaofa, Roti Taew Nam
Where to eat Roti with curry in Phuket →Phuket's early-morning fry: paired dough sticks deep-fried golden and hollow, eaten plain or with sweet dips, often beside soft steamed salapao buns.
Where Pathongko Mae Pranee
Where to eat Pa thong ko in Phuket →Phuket's comfort bowl: rice boiled soft in clear broth with fish, pork or a Chinese brown herbal soup, eaten for breakfast or supper at old family counters.
Where Khao Tom Dibuk, Krua Kao Kuk
Taste itKhao Sok and Cheow Lan Lake Tour with Lunch฿4,720Where to eat Khao tom in Phuket →The southern Thai sour curry at its Phuket best: a thin, fiery, tamarind-sharp orange broth with fish such as barramundi and vegetables like green taro stems.
Where Chom Chan, Go Ang Seafood, Lertrod
Where to eat Gaeng som (southern sour curry) in Phuket →A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Phuket.
PRU at Trisara holds One Michelin Star and a Green Star, serving a seasonal tasting menu of Thai produce at a kappo-style counter by the open kitchen.
Jampa is a Michelin Selected, Green Star farm-to-table room at Tri Vananda in Thalang, cooking garden vegetables and island fishermen's catch over fire.
Acqua brings Sardinian technique to Kalim Bay above Patong, Phuket, where chef Alessandro Frau cooks pasta, wood-fired pizza and an Italian tasting menu.
Royd seats twenty on Dibuk Road in Phuket for chef Suwijak Kunghae's six to eight course tour of southern Thai herbs, seafood and torch ginger.
Tambu is a Mughal-inspired rooftop at Avista Hideaway in Patong, Phuket, where chef Saurabh Sachdeva cooks a modern Indian tasting menu over the bay.
Thai Library at Trisara in Phuket plates a refined southern Thai menu of local recipes, including mud crab sauteed with yellow chilli, over sunset views.
The Sino-Portuguese shophouse grid of Thalang, Dibuk and Krabi roads, where Baba kitchens, noodle counters and cafes fill the old tin-merchant houses.
Best for: Mee hokkien, Peranakan, Street food, Cafes
The working town around the Old Town core, from Ranong Road's market to Saphan Hin and Sam Kong, where locals eat breakfast noodles, khao tom and roti.
Best for: Street food, Khao tom, Roti, Markets
The fast-growing inland district of Chao Fa and the bypass road, where malls sit beside long-running dough-stick and salt-grilled duck stalls.
Best for: Dough sticks, Duck, Markets
The island's southern crossroads around Chalong Bay and the pier, a residential mix of seafood kitchens, vegan cafes and expat-run restaurants.
Best for: Seafood, Vegan, Local Thai
Phuket's southern tip, where the Rawai seafood strip cooks the day's catch and Nai Harn's lanes hold relaxed cafes, bakeries and small coffee roasters.
Best for: Seafood, Cafes, Brunch
Also: nai-harn
A beach village south of Karon, with casual Thai kitchens, a reggae bar on the rocks and hotel dining rooms on the slopes above the bay.
Best for: Beach dining, Thai, Bars
Mee hokkien
Phuket's defining noodle: thick yellow Hokkien egg noodles wok-fried over charcoal in dark soy gravy with pork, prawns, squid and greens, bound with egg
O-tao
A Phuket street dish found almost nowhere else: oysters or seafood and soft taro fried with egg and batter over charcoal into a crisp, gooey, smoky tangle
Crab curry with rice noodles
A Phuket favourite: blue swimmer crab in a turmeric-yellow coconut curry, often with wild betel leaf, ladled over soft khanom jeen rice noodles
Roti with curry
Phuket's Thai-Muslim breakfast: crisp, flaky roti fried on a wide pan, torn and dipped in beef or chicken curry, or eaten sweet with banana and egg
Pa thong ko
Phuket's early-morning fry: paired dough sticks deep-fried golden and hollow, eaten plain or with sweet dips, often beside soft steamed salapao buns
Phuket Old Town
The Sino-Portuguese shophouse grid of Thalang, Dibuk and Krabi roads, where Baba kitchens, noodle counters and cafes fill the old tin-merchant houses
Phuket Town
The working town around the Old Town core, from Ranong Road's market to Saphan Hin and Sam Kong, where locals eat breakfast noodles, khao tom and roti
Wichit
The fast-growing inland district of Chao Fa and the bypass road, where malls sit beside long-running dough-stick and salt-grilled duck stalls
Chalong
The island's southern crossroads around Chalong Bay and the pier, a residential mix of seafood kitchens, vegan cafes and expat-run restaurants
A sample of Phuket hotels from our booking partner, who list 1,070 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.
Ai Phuket Hostel
A stay at Ai Phuket Hostel places you in the heart of Phuket, a 1-minute drive from Phuket Sunday Night Mar...
Check dates
Hock Mansion Phuket
With a stay at Hock Mansion Phuket in Phuket, you'll be 6.1 mi (9.9 km) from Chalong Temple and 7.8 mi (12....
Check dates
Ananas Phuket Hostel
A stay at Ananas Phuket Hostel places you in the heart of Phuket, within a 15-minute walk of Phuket Trickey...
Check dates
Capzule Bed Phuket
With a stay at Capzule Bed Phuket in Phuket, you'll be 9.3 mi (14.9 km) from Patong Beach and 10.1 mi (16.3...
Check dates
Fulfill Phuket Hostel
A stay at Fulfill Phuket Hostel places you in the heart of Phuket, steps from Phuket Baba Museum and 4 minu...
Check dates
Sleep at Phuket
With a stay at Sleep at Phuket, you'll be centrally located in Phuket, just a 3-minute walk from Phuket Tri...
Check dates
Crystal Inn Phuket
With a stay at Crystal Inn Phuket, you'll be centrally located in Phuket, just a 3-minute walk from Robinso...
Check dates
Phuket Blue Hostel
With a stay at Phuket Blue Hostel in Phuket (Talat Yai), you'll be a 4-minute walk from Phuket Trickeye Mus...
Check dates
Siri Hotel Phuket
With a stay at Siri Hotel Phuket in Phuket, you'll be 8.7 mi (14 km) from Bangla Road and 8.8 mi (14.1 km) ...
Check dates
Pure Phuket Residence
With a stay at Pure Phuket Residence in Phuket (Talat Nuea), you'll be within a 10-minute walk of Suan Luan...
Check dates
TP Guesthouse Phuket
With a stay at TP Guesthouse Phuket in Phuket (Talat Yai), you'll be within a 5-minute drive of Phuket Tric...
Check dates
Pakta Phuket
With a stay at Pakta Phuket in Phuket, you'll be 3 mi (4.9 km) from King Power and 6 mi (9.7 km) from Chalo...
Check dates
Also compare: Booking.com in Phuket · Expedia in Phuket
Stays are listed by our booking partners, not editor picks. We earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Phuket, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Peak food season: December to March is the dry season and the island's busiest time. October brings the Vegetarian Festival, February the Old Town's Lunar New Year festival, and May to August the durian and mangosteen glut.
Local dining hours: Breakfast 06:00-10:00 at dim sum and noodle shops, lunch 11:00-14:00, dinner 18:00-22:00. Many Old Town counters sell out by early afternoon; night markets run from about 17:00.
Tipping: Not expected at street stalls or shophouse counters. At sit-down restaurants, rounding up or leaving 20 to 100 baht is welcome; hotel and upscale rooms often add a 10 percent service charge.
Phuket's signature dishes include Mee hokkien, Moo hong, O-tao, Loba, Crab curry with rice noodles. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.
TableJourney editors map Phuket by district. Phuket Old Town, Phuket Town, Wichit, Chalong are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.
Editor picks in Phuket include PRU, Jampa, Acqua, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.
TableJourney covers 5 editor-picked food tours in Phuket, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
TableJourney's Phuket dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free, halal, kosher venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.
