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Where to eat the best local food in Phuket?

The list of the best local restaurants in Phuket keeps growing, and it is truly amazing how great local food can be here. No tourist places and no trendy venues here; our Phuket Food Blog is about local food and only local food! Here are some of Phuket’s most popular (very) local Thai restaurants. They are not fancy, and all are cheap: they don’t care about the decor, and they sometimes forget to smile; it’s all about efficiency and great taste! Some of them might appear dirty if you are not used to them, so if you don’t like the crowd, plastic chairs and plates, toilet paper as napkins and ice cubes in your beer (and sometimes MSG), you probably will not print this page to take it with you. If you want to know what makes people queue in Phuket, prepare for a real dining experience!

This list of local Thai restaurants where to eat in Phuket is, of course, very subjective. We know other places would make it to the list, but here are the best-known local shops for two decades. We also built a map at the end of the page to help you locate these fancy places.

Local restaurants by the sea in Phuket

1. Kruvit Floating Restaurant

Phuket Floating restaurant


Local popularity: 6/10 – Atmosphere: 10/10 – Reachability: 4/10 – Affordability: 5/10


Kruvit Raft or Kru Suwit Seafood Restaurant brings a unique tropical touch to a lunch or dinner. The seafood is in nets between the rafts, and the Thai food is delicious. Prices are a little higher than in roadside seafood restaurants, but it includes the transfer by longtail boat from the Laem Hin Pier. Pick one of the tables under little wooden roofs and enjoy the breeze and even the sunset if you come for dinner. Read more

Location: Koh Kaew, Laem Hin Pier (Phuket east coast)
Open: 10 am – 10 pm
Phone: 086 687 0892
Price: a bit high, but the shuttle boat from the pier is free!
Speciality: Seafood
Distances from Patong: 17 km – from Phuket Town: 8 km – from Kata: 22 km – from Bang Tao: 19 km

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2. Mor Mu Dong

Mor Mu Dong Restaurant Phuket


Local popularity: 9/10 – Atmosphere: 8/10 – Reachability: 6/10 – Affordability: 7/10


Mor Mu Dong is hidden on the southeast coast of Phuket, on the way to the well-known Chalong Circle. The middle of the mangrove setting is unique, so unique that Andrew Zimmern from ‘Bizarre Food’ introduced it in one of his TV programs. You can eat lunch or dinner in one of those small wooden houses over the water (or over the mud if it’s low tide). Mor Mu Dong has a great selection of Thai food and seafood.

Location: Chalong
Address: 32/9 Soi Mu Dong, Chao Fah East, Chalong (past the zoo), Phuket
Open: 10:00 am – 9:30 pm
Phone: 088 766 1634
Specialities: local Thai food, seafood
Price: Affordable
Distances from Patong: 19 km, from Phuket Town: 10 km, from Kata: 11 km, from Bang Tao: 31 km

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3. Bang Pae Seafood

Bang Pae Seafood


Local popularity: 7/10 – Atmosphere: 7/10 – Reachability: 5/10 – Affordability: 6/10


Bang Pae is a great local restaurant in Phuket, very hidden by the mangrove on the island’s east coast. The place is very relaxing, with a view of the mangrove and the ocean beyond it. The food is excellent, especially the fresh seafood, and the prices are very reasonable, making it a perfect escape for lunch or dinner.

Location: Soi Bang Toei, near Bang Pae waterfall
Open: 10 am – 8.30 pm
Phone: 087 887 5785
Price: Affordable
Specialities: Seafood
Distances from Patong: 31 km, from Phuket Town: 25 km, from Kata: 39 km, from Bang Tao: 21 km

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4. Laem Hin Seafood

Laem Hin Seafood restaurant Phuket


Local popularity: 10/10 – Atmosphere: 7/10 – Reachability: 6/10 – Affordability: 6/10


Laem Hin Seafood is one of the best-known local seafood restaurants in Phuket. Located on the island’s east coast, Laem Hin is vast but still manages to get full for dinner and even more on weekends. The setting above the water is enjoyable but not what we call a romantic restaurant. It’s a little too busy for that. However, if you arrive at the restaurant around 6 pm, you will find the place pleasantly quiet and breezy.

Location: Laem Hin Pier on Phuket’s east coast
Address: 90/11 Soi Baan Laem Hin, Thepkasattri Road
Open: 10 am – 10 pm
Phone: 076 239 357
Price: Moderate
Specialities: Thai food and seafood
Distances from Patong: 18 km, from Phuket Town: 9 km, from Kata: 24 km, from Bang Tao: 19 km

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Piset Restaurant in Phuket Town

Piset Restaurant Phuket

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Piset Restaurant, located on Yaowarat Road in the historic district of Phuket, is renowned among the youthful local population for its innovative Thai cuisine and enjoyable atmosphere. The restaurant is managed by Khun Praew, a prominent local influencer and member of one of Phuket's oldest families. With its vibrant decor and welcoming staff, Piset Restaurant is a delightful destination for diners. Read more

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5. Laem Sai Seafood

Laem Sai Seafood in Phuket


Local popularity: 9/10 – Atmosphere: 8/10 – Reachability: 2/10 – Affordability: 8/10


Laem Sai Seafood is a hidden, local restaurant located on the east coast of Phuket. The restaurant features a large wooden terrace that overlooks the sea or mud flats, depending on the tide. From the terrace, you can enjoy views of Coconut Island and the mainland in the distance, making for a peaceful and relaxing dining experience, especially when the ocean is crossed by passing rain clouds. The menu features delicious, typical Phuket cuisine with a wide selection of fresh seafood at reasonable prices. Laem Sai is a popular spot and can get crowded on weekends.

Location: North East coast of Phuket
Address: 330 Thepkrasatti Road, Amphoe Thalang, Chang Wat Phuket 83110
Open: 10:30 am – 8:30 pm
Phone: 088 169 4780
Price: Cheap
Specialities: Seafood
Distances from Patong: 36 km, from Phuket Town: 33 km, from Kata: 48 km, from Bang Tao: 22 km

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6. Kan Eang 2

Kan Eang 2 Seafood Restaurant Phuket


Local popularity: 6/10 – Atmosphere: 9/10 – Reachability: 8/10 – Affordability: 5/10


Kan Eang 2 is not easy to find, but it’s one of Phuket’s best local seafood restaurants. Everyone in Phuket knows that there are two Kan Eang Seafood restaurants on the island. Kan Eang@Pier is the youngest and most talked about, while Kan Eang 2 is the venerable and more modest older sister.

Location: Chalong
Address: 9/3 Moo 9 Chao Fah Tawan Aok Road, Ao Chalong, Phuket 83130
Open: 10 am – 10 pm
Phone: 076 381 323
Price: A bit high
Speciality: Seafood
Distances from Patong: 19 km, from Phuket Town: 10 km, from Kata: 9 km, from Bang Tao: 32 km

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7. Rim Pan Restaurant

Rim Pan Seafood restaurant Phuket


Local popularity: 8/10 – Atmosphere: 10/10 – Reachability: 2/10 – Affordability: 6/10


Rimpan Seafood is a small but great local restaurant hidden in plain sight north of Phuket Island, near the Sarasin bridge that connects the island to the mainland. Just like the Sri Sunthorn reclining Buddha, thousands of people drive past Rimpan without noticing that such a great place sits here.

Location: North Phuket
Address: Below Sarasin Bridge
Open: 9 am – 10 pm
Tel: 083 647 1147
Price: Affordable
Specialities: Seafood and local Thai food
Distances from Patong: 46 km, from Phuket Town: 44 km, from Kata: 57 km, from Bang Tao: 32 km

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8. Chaiyo Seafood

Chaiyo Seafood Restaurant in Phuket


Local popularity: 7/10 – Atmosphere: 8/10 – Reachability: 7/10 – Affordability: 7/10


Chaiyo Seafood is a simple little local restaurant close to Phuket town if you feel like a nice seafood lunch by the mangrove without getting far from the city. Nicely built in a more comfortable setting than the famous Mor Mu Dong just across the canal, Chaiyo Seafood keeps its livestock directly in the mangrove stream. Seafood can’t get much fresher than this.

Location: : Phuket Town
Address: 25/2 Moo 6, Soi Muangthong-Borrae, Sakdidech Road
Open: 10.30 am – 10.30 pm
Phone: 076 393 142
Price: Cheap
Specialities: Seafood
Distances from Patong: 17 km, from Phuket Town: 6 km, from Kata: 14 km, from Bang Tao: 28 km

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9. Kalim Rim Lay

Kalim Rim Lay Restaurant


Local popularity: 9/10 – Atmosphere: 8/10 – Reachability: 9/10 – Affordability: 7/10


Kalim Rim Lay Restaurant is a hidden local restaurant serving good honest Thai food and seafood at a reasonable price. Best of all, it is not far from Patong Beach (Past Kalim Beach). Rim Lay is a very relaxing spot to enjoy lunch or dinner with spectacular sunsets. Real, local Thai restaurants around Patong are not easy to find, but the food at Rim Lay is genuinely Thai, and some dishes are spicy. Rim Lay has a fantastic setting with the seaside, sunsets and bamboo huts. Those tiny bamboo huts have been part of Phuket local for as long as I remember Phuket. Comfort is minimal, but who cares! You travelled to Thailand for a real experience.

Location: Kalim Beach
Address: Phrabaramee road, Patong, Phuket
Open
: 9 am – 8.30 pm
Tel
: 081 539 8873
Price: Cheap
Specialities: seafood and halal (no alcohol served)
Distances from Patong: 1.5 km, from Phuket Town: 15 km, from Kata: 13 km, from Bang Tao: 16 km

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Local restaurants in Phuket Town

1. Nam Yoi Restaurant

Nam Yoi Restaurant Phuket


Local popularity: 10/10 – Atmosphere: 5/10 – Reachability: 7/10 – Affordability: 8/10


Nam Yoi is very modest and challenging to find a restaurant serving excellent local Thai cuisine in a remote street in Phuket town. The setting is simple, the price is low, and the food is delicious. You will often see the local crowd who love and write about Thai food on social media dining at Nam Yoi.

Location: Phuket Town
Address: 63/250 Rumpattana Rd, Ratsada, อำเภอ เมืองภูเก็ต Phuket 83000
Open: 11 am – 9 pm
Phone: 076 525 858
Price: Cheap
Specialities: Local Thai food
Distances from Patong: 15 km, from Phuket Town: 3 km, from Kata: 18 km, from Bang Tao: 22 km

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2. One Chun Restaurant

One Chun Restaurant Phuket


Local popularity: 7/10 – Atmosphere: 6/10 – Reachability: 10/10 – Affordability: 6/10


You could argue that One Chun is not a ‘local restaurant’ in the pure sense, but it is! One Chun is real Phuket food, and locals often eat it here. One Chun Restaurant Phuket (One Chun means ‘Monday’) is one of the best Thai restaurants in Phuket Town. Serving southern Thai cuisine without compromise, they first succeeded with locals who are not easy to impress when it comes to their food. Finally, the young owner Khun Prang found the right formula: great food, reasonable price, fun atmosphere, excellent service, and good location. You can enjoy real Thai food the way we love it here.

Location: Phuket Town
Address
: 48/1 Thepkrasattri Rd., Talat Yai, Phuket Town, Phuket 83000
Open: 10 am – 10 pm daily
Tel: 076 355 909
Price: Affordable
Specialities: Thai food and local southern food
Distances from Patong: 13 km, from Phuket Town: 0 km, from Kata: 15 km, from Bang Tao: 22 km

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3. Ko Ang Seafood

Ko Ang Seafood


Local popularity: 7/10 – Atmosphere: 5/10 – Reachability: 10/10 – Affordability: 6/10


It looks small and narrow, but once inside, it’s much bigger than you think. Very popular among locals and always full (hard to get parking). Ko Ang serves excellent seafood in general, excellent fish, and lots of shells, and some hardcore stuff. Try their Tom Yam: delicious, full of flavours ‘Hoi Chak Tin’, a popular local shell, ‘Razor clams’, and ‘ants eggs’ if you are adventurous.

Location: Phuket Town
Address: 226/2 Phuket Road, Phuket Town, Phuket 83000 (on the way to Sapan Hin)
Open: 6 pm – 12 am
Phone: 076 221 460
Price: Cheap
Speciality: Phuket seafood and local Thai food
Distances from Patong: 14 km, from Phuket Town: 0 km, from Kata: 16 km, from Bang Tao: 23 km

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4. Go Benz

ko benz restaurant

Go Benz serves some amazing rice porridge and great noodle soups using instant noodles! Half the restaurant is full before they can take the first order, so get ready to wait, but it’s worth it! Another strange thing: The shop opens according to the moon calendar! So it is hard to predict the chances of eating there, yet we drive all the way to see if it’s open. Try ‘Mama Moo Sap’, the famous noodle with mama instant noodles (photo), ‘Woonsen Moo Sap’ (with glass noodles) ‘Khao Tom Haeg’ (Porridge with pork chop plus crispy pork).

Location: : Phuket Town
Address: Krabi Road, Talat Nuea, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
Open: 7 pm – 2 am
Phone: 084 060 7799
Price: Cheap
Specialities: Noodle soup and rice porridge

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5. Chom Chan by One Chun

Chom Chan Restaurant in Phuket Town

Chom Chan is a Thai restaurant that offers an impressive variety of Phuket dishes and regional delicacies. It is situated in a charming little house with a garden, which is somewhat hidden on the outskirts of Phuket Town, and may go unnoticed by passersby. Chom Chan has gained a following among locals in Phuket and was even recognized by the new Michelin Guide with a BIB mention, and it has a sister restaurant called One Chun in the historic area of Old Phuket Town.

Location: Phuket Town
Address: 242/2 Yaowarat Rd, Tambon Talat Yai, Amphoe Mueang Phuket, Chang Wat Phuket 83000
Open: 10 am – 10 pm
Phone: 076 605 954
Price: Affordable

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6. Chuan Chim

chuan chim phuket

A small local restaurant on Montri Road in Phuket Town, where most jewellery shops are. The restaurant is quite large, simple and spotlessly clean. The food is cheap and excellent. We loved the fried basil with minced pork or chicken and the seafood salad.

Location: : Phuket Town
Address: 37/3 Montri Rd, Tambon Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
Open: 11.30 am – 1.30 pm, 5.30 pm – 11.30 pm
Phone: 076 215 825
Price: Cheap
Specialities: Stir-fried basil with minced pork or chicken, Seafood Salad

7. Hong Khao Tom Pla

Hong Khao Tom Pla

Hong Khao Tom Pla is an excellent local restaurant frozen in time. You go there for their delicious local cuisine, not for the decor! If the indoor room is full, you can sit at one of the three outside tables; it feels even more exotic. Read more

Location: : Phuket Town
Address: 5 Kra Road, Mueang Phuket, Phuket 83000
Phone: 076 214 877
Price: cheap
Specialities
: Khao Tom Pla (rice porridge with fish), Pu Phat Phong Ka Ri (seafood curry), Pla Tom Buay (fish with sour plum sauce)

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8. Khun Jeed’s Radna

Khun Jeed's Radna Phuket

Khun Jeed’s Radna Yod Pak is a trendy restaurant in Phang Nga Road, Phuket Town, open for more than 20 years. It is best known for a famous dish called Radna, a Thai-Chinese flat rice noodle dish served with pork, beef, chicken or seafood, but mostly known for a lot of gravy served on top.

Location: Phuket Town
Address: 31 Phangnga Rd, Talat Yai, Phuket Town, Phuket 83000
Open: 9 am – 8:30 pm, closed on Wednesday
Phone: 084 1875 737
Price: Cheap
Speciality: Radna

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9. Jadjan by Ko Dang

jadjarn


Local popularity: 7/10 – Atmosphere: 5/10 – Reachability: 7/10 – Affordability: 7/10


Jadjan is a local Thai restaurant hidden on the outskirts of Phuket Town, and not many travellers know that Khun Dang, a former chef from a 5-star hotel in Bangkok, runs it. If you are familiar with Thai food, you will appreciate the unique flavours of the southern food prepared at Jadjan, which has a deeper taste than usual. The dishes are so good that Jadjan received a Michelin Plate from the Michelin Guide for Phuket. Khun Dang (Chef Suthee) serves excellent Thai food cooked with a personal touch to please the most demanding customers. Service is speedy, prices are low, and Khun Dang, who speaks good English, is a friendly person who ensures you have a great meal. Read more

Specialities:
Pad Pak Boong Moo Krob (Stir-fried morning glory with crispy pork) – 140 Baht
Pla Tod Kra Tiam Prik (Fried Fish with Garlic and Chili) – 180 Baht
Kang Poo Bai Cha-Ploo (Crab curry with betel leaves) – 300 baht

Location: : Phuket Town
Address: 9, 3 Sakdidet Rd, Tambon Talat Nuea, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
Open: 10.30 am – 10 pm
Phone: 089 868 1954
Price: Cheap to Affordable
Distances from Patong: 15 km, from Phuket Town: 0 km, from Kata: 13 km, from Bang Tao: 25 km

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10. Piset Restaurant in Phuket Town

Piset Restaurant Phuket

Piset Restaurant is a fun place on Yaowarat Road in the old Phuket town that has been very popular with the young local crowd for serving creative Thai food for many years. The restaurant is run by Khun Praew, a famous local influencer and a member of one of the longest-established families in Phuket. Piset restaurant is colourful and bright and the team is friendly and helpful. Read more

Address: 231/3 Yaowarad Rd, Tambon Talat Nuea, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
Hours: 11 am – 9 pm
Phone: 097 114 8237
Facebook: click here

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11. Khao Tom Thanon Dibuk

dibuk khaotom phuket town 2

Khao Tom Thanon Dibuk, which means ‘Rice Porridge on Dibuk Road’, is a local restaurant famous for its morning rice porridge and noodle soup, located on Phang Nga Road in the back of Phuket Town, and only open from 6 in the morning to 12 pm. The restaurant got listed several years in a row in the Michelin Guide for Thailand.

Location: Phuket Town
Address: 185 11 Phangnga Rd, Taladyai Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
Hours: 6 am – 12 pm
Phone: 081 535 9302
Price: cheap
Speciality: Porridge & Noodles

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12. Som Chit Hokkien Noodles

Som Chit Hokkien Noodle Soup Phuket

Som Chit Restaurant is famous for its delicious Hokkien Noodle Soup. People from Bangkok who know about it will stop for lunch at Som Chit if they are on the outskirt of Phuket Town. Som Chit (pronounced ‘Som Kit’) is easy to find, near the clock circle in Phuket Town and just next to the famous Mee Tong Poh, which is also renowned for its Hokkien noodles! However, the dishes served in those two restaurants are entirely different: Mee Ton Poh serves their Hokkien noodles in gravy, while Som Chit mostly serves them as soup. Huge difference.

Location: Phuket Town, near the Clock Circle
Address: 214/6 Phuket Road, Tambon Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
Open: 8 am – 5 pm
Phone: 081 693 7705
Price: Cheap
Speciality: Hokkien noodle soup

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13. O Cha Rot

O Cha Rot Noodle Soup Restaurant ij Phuket Town

O Cha Rot is a small local restaurant located in Phuket Town, known for serving some of the finest noodle soups in the area, earning recognition from the Phuket Michelin Guide. Despite its simple appearance, with plain white walls and stainless steel cooking stations and tables, this restaurant attracts regular customers. Despite its lack of decorative flair, many travellers overlook the restaurant but those who have tried it often return for its delicious noodle soups.

Location: Phuket Town
Address: 72/1 Yaowarat Road, Tambon Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
Open: 7 am – 3.30 pm
Phone: 076 213 347
Price: cheap
Speciality: clear beef noodle soup

14. Ko Yoon Hokkien Noodles

Ko Yoon Hokkien Noodles

Ko Yoon Restaurant is a tiny and discreet place serving amazing Hokkien Noodles. If you happen to visit Phuket Town, chances are you walked past it without noticing; it looks like any other anonymous local hole-in-the-wall restaurant. But Ko Yoon has prepared those delicious big yellow noodles for decades, and locals know how good they are. Yes, there is much hype about Mee Ton Poh, another restaurant serving the same dish, but Ko Yoon has this little extra that makes his noodle dish a bit better.

Location: : Phuket Town
Address: Suriyadet Fountain Circle, Phuket Town (near the local bus station)
Tel: 084 189 5432
Open: 9 am – 4 pm
Price: Cheap
Speciality: Hokkien Noodles

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15. Ketho Coffee and Kitchen

ketho dim sum kathu

Ketho is a roadside restaurant very popular with locals, mostly at breakfast time, for their dim sums and soups. The price is, and of course, the place is busy. You select the dim sums you like from the fridge, and they will steam them for you. Easy going and very satisfying for breakfast! Read more

Bak Kut Teh: pork rib dish cooked in broth
Ha-Gao: Prawn dumpling
Hai Shu Mai: Crab meat dumpling
Zhu Shu Mai: Pork dumpling
Ha Wonton: Prawn dumpling

Location: Kathu
Address: 48/2 Vichitsongkram Rd, Kathu, Kathu District, Phuket 83120
Open: 7.30 am – 5.30 pm
Phone: 081 536 4555
Price: Cheap
Speciality: Dim Sum and Kanom Jeen

Read More!

16. Lock Tien Food Court

Lock Tien Foodcourt Phuket

This very local food court was renovated not long ago and didn’t appear as old and rundown as it used to be. But they still serve their great food. ‘Mee Hoon Baa Chaang’ is a local dish – a simple stir-fried noodle with soya sauce topped with spring onion, served with pork ribs soup and here too ‘Mee Hokkien Pad’. Also, don’t miss ‘Moo Satay’ and ‘Poh Pia’: Phuket-style spring rolls with grated turnips, pork, greens and sweet sauce. Also, ‘O-Eaw’ is a famous Phuket dessert: shaved ice and banana jelly.

Location: Phuket Town – Intersection of Dibuk and Yaowarat roads
Address
: 173 Yaowarat Rd, Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
Open
: 9 am – 5 pm
Phone: 087 387 3703
Price: Cheap

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17. Mee Ton Poe

mee ton poh

Mee Ton Poe is a famous old Hokkien shop at Phuket Clock Circle. It’s hot, smokey and crowded, but their yellow Hokkien noodles dishes are worth a stop, don’t hesitate to order some Satay while waiting. ‘Mee Hokkien Pad’ is their famous stir-fried noodle with seafood. Say ‘Pi-Set’ for a larger bowl and ‘Sai Khai’ to top the noodles with an egg. ‘Laad Naa’ is fried noodles in a slimy sauce. You can buy a single stick of ‘Moo Satay’ (Pork Satay), but people usually order by 10 (‘Sib Mai’ is ten sticks).

Location: Phuket Town
Address: 214, 7-8 Phuket Rd, Tambon Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
Open: 9 am – 6.30 pm
Phone: 076 216 293
Price: Cheap
Speciality: Hokkien noodles

Read More!

18. Pa Mai Kanom Jeen

Kanom Jeen in Phuket

Small and crowded, Pa Mai is an all-time breakfast favourite. However, it is always full, and you may have to wait for someone to finish breakfast to jump on their table, or you’ll miss it. How kanom jeen works: Pick a plate of plain rice noodles and select your curry sauce from large pots: yellow or red, with beef, chicken or fish. Then add all kinds of fresh veggies and herbs, without which you would be missing half the taste and texture pleasure.

Location: : Phuket Town
Address: 35, Satun Road, Talat Nuea, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
Open: 6 am – 12 pm
Price: Cheap
Speciality: Kanom Jeen (Rice noodles with sauce)

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19. Boonrat Dim Sum

phuket-dim-sum

This popular place gets crowded in the early morning, serving some excellent Dim Sum from 6 am to 11 am, but there won’t be much choice left if you come late.

Location: : Phuket Town
Address: 5/2 Tilok Uthit 2 Road, Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
Open: 6 am – 10 am
Phone: 076 210 897
Price: Cheap

20. Mee Jirayuwat

Mee Jirayuwat Phuket

This local restaurant appeared in a famous Korean Magazine, and many customers are now Korean. Their speciality is a Seafood Hokkien noodle soup. Order two; you won’t regret it. Choose between ‘Hokkien Mee’, a fat round yellow noodle, or ‘Ba Mee’, a thin egg noodle. The noodle can be served dry or ‘Hang’ (soup on the side). They are located next to the ‘Phuket Trickeye Museum‘ in Phuket Town on Phang Nga Road.

Location: : Phuket Town
Address: 128 130 Phangnga Rd, Tambon Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
Open: 8.30 am – 4.30 pm
Phone: 081 891 4336
Price: Cheap

21. Siang Khaen

Siang Khaeng Local Restaurant Phuket

Siang Khaeng is as big and basic as a warehouse but always full for dinner! The best dishes we know are Som Tam (Papaya Salad), Laab Het (Mushroom spicy hot salad) Kai, Namtok Nua (Beef Salad) and Pladook Foo (Grilled Cat Fish). But the list is extensive. Therefore, this place serves Esarn Food which can be quite spicy (northern Thailand). They are located on On Mae Luan Road, almost opposite the Mitsubishi Showroom.

Location: Phuket Town
Address: 26/1 Mae Luan Road, Phuket Town, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
Open: 11 am – 10:30 pm
Price: Cheap
Specialities: Esarn northern food

22. Brake Taek

Brake Taek Noodle Soup in Phuket Town

Brake Taek serves a delicious and renowned ‘Tom Yam Noodle Soup’. Getting a table for lunch can also be hard, and you might have to wait quite a bit. So while waiting, order their excellent meatball skewers to keep you busy; you won’t regret it.

How to order a noodle soup:
Choose your noodles from Sen Yai (flat white noodles), Sen Lek (thin white noodles), Mee Hoon (white vermicelli), Woonsen (glass vermicelli), and Ba-mee (egg noodles).
Next is the soup – Tom Yam (ordinary) or hang (no soup).
Then the meat: Moo (pork), Gai (Chicken) or Talay (Seafood). When you order pork, say ‘Mai Nai’ to ensure they won’t add entrails to the soup.

Location: Phuket Town
Address: Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
Open: 8 am – 5 pm (Tuesday closed)
Phone: 076 217 030
Price: Cheap

23. Krua La Poon Lam Lam

Krua La Poon Lam Lam

This hard-to-find restaurant moved several times, but its customers kept following them. A good sign is that the new Sam Kong location is more beautiful by the lake and finally has enough parking and northern woven tablecloths!

But all that matters is their delicious ‘Nam Prik Ong’ spicy mashed eggplant, ‘Nam Prik Nam’ pork with a tomato sauce, crispy pork ribs, northern sausage and the famously hard-to-find in Phuket ‘Chiang Mai Khao Soi.’

24. Boon Restaurant (Kour Maikhao)

Boon's Local Thai Restaurant in Phuket Town

Boon, known as Kour Maikhao, is an underrated local Thai restaurant outside Phuket Town. It’s not fancy, the menu is minimal, and lunch at Boon only costs a few baht, but the taste is unique. The restaurant is tiny and hard to spot, but the few dishes they cook make it worth finding. Boon’s special dish is Khao Pad Nam Prik Moo Tod, fried rice with chilli relish topped with fried pork.

Recommended dishes

1. Pad Kra Pao Moo Khai Dao (Stir-Fried Pork with Basil and Egg)
2. Khao Pad Kai (Fried rice with chicken)
3. Khao Pad Nam Prik Moo Tod (Fried Rice with Pork and Chili Sauce)

Location: Phuket Town outskirt
Address: 4/223 Thepkrasatree Rd, Ratsada, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
Open: 10 am – 3 pm
Price: very cheap!

Read More!

25. Pak Nam Seafood

Paknam Seafood Restaurant in Phuket

Pak Nam Seafood in Phuket Town is a great Thai restaurant away from tourist areas. It’s very well-known for locals and residents who like bringing friends for a casual lunch or dinner if you are in the mood for good seafood. You can sit in the open-air room, on the terrace or in one of the air-con rooms. The menu is surprisingly long, decently illustrated and in English. Staff can also speak enough English to take your order.

Location: Phuket Town
Address
: 52/220 Ratsadanuson Rd, Phuket Town
Tel: 076 240240
Open: 10.30 am – 10.30 pm
Price: Reasonable

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26. Nom Jeen Phuket

Nom Jeen Phuket

Nom Jeen Phuket is a beautiful restaurant in a garden serving Kanom Jeen, a much-loved dish to enjoy as breakfast or lunch. Kanom Jeen consists of cold rice thin noodles served with your choice of curry, on top of which you add the vegetables, condiments and herbs of your choice. Nom Jeen Phuket is beautiful, clean and relaxing; they also select better ingredients than similar restaurants in Phuket.

Location: Phuket Town
Address: 63/14 Village No. 3, Ruam Pattana Rd., Ratsada, Phuket City 83000
Phone: 081 895 9430
Price: Cheap

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Local restaurants more inland

1. Kin-Kub-Ei

Local popularity: 9/10 – Atmosphere: 6/10 – Reachability: 7/10 – Affordability: 5/10

Kin Kub Ei Restaurant Phuket

Kin-Kub-Ei Restaurant is a hidden gem serving delicious southern dishes cooked by Khun Tubtim (the lady in the photos) with her family recipes and served in a beautiful garden hidden from the main road. The place is unique, only open three days a week and only with reservations, making it a little challenging to plan. The food served is so good and affordable that Kin-Kub-Ei received a ‘Michelin Bib Gourmand’, which stands for quality food and good value cooking. Read more

Location: Cherngtalay (near Bang Tao Beach)
Address: 81/9 Moo 7, Si Sunthon Road, Si Sunthon, Phuket, 83110, Thailand
Open: Fri, Sat, Sun – 11 am – 6.30 pm
Phone: 095 428 7195
Price: Affordable
Specialities: Home-style local Thai cuisine
Distances from Patong: 19 km, from Phuket Town: 17 km, from Kata: 31 km, from Bang Tao: 6 km

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2. Piang Prai

Piang Prai Restaurant


Local popularity: 9/10 – Atmosphere: 7/10 – Reachability: 6/10 – Affordability: 7/10


Piang Prai (Krua Piang Prai) is a great hidden local restaurant in a green nest next to Bang Pae waterfall. Mostly unknown to tourists because of its remote location, Piang Prai is one of the two great places to have lunch if you happen to be in the area (the other restaurant being Bang Pae Seafood.) The food at Piang Prai is so good that it’s worth travelling to enjoy their excellent Thai food.

Location: Bang Pae Waterfall
Address: Namtok Bang Toei, Pa Klok, Thalang District, Phuket 83110
Hours: 9 am – 8 pm
Tel: 085 832 7439
Price: Affordable
Specialities: Thai food and Southern food
Distances from Patong: 30 km, from Phuket Town: 22 km, from Kata: 37 km, from Bang Tao: 20 km

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3. Kha Moo Boran

kha moo boran


Local Popularity: 7/10 – Atmosphere: 3/10 – Reachability: 7/10 – Affordability: 8/10


Kha Mu Boran is a discreet and modest restaurant at a busy intersection of Kathu; very easy to miss and not easy to part with, but it is worth it when you know the place. They serve a unique and delicious stewed pork leg with rice and stewed pork leg noodle with tom yam soup. (Kha Moo’ is a traditional Thai dish consisting of braised or stewed pork leg served with rice and various accompaniments such as pickled vegetables, chilli sauce, and garlic.)

Location: Kathu
Address: 17/11 M.6 T. Kathu, Kathu District, Phuket 83120
Open: 7 am – 5 pm
Phone: 089 972 9438
Price: Cheap
Speciality: Kha Moo (stewed pork leg with rice)
Distances from Patong: 8 km, from Phuket Town: 8 km, from Kata: 18 km, from Bang Tao: 24 km


Map of Phuket’s Best Local Thai Restaurants

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More Restaurants in Phuket

FAQs about Local Restaurants in Phuket

a. There are many local restaurants on the island; here are some old-time favorites:
Kruvit Raft
Nam Yoi Restaurant
Kin-Kub-Ei
Mor Mu Dong
One Chun
Laem Hin Seafood

a. While you can find seafood all around the island, there are some true local gems to discover:
Kruvit Raft
Bang Pae Seafood
Laem Hin Seafood
Chaiyo Seafood
Kan Eang 2

a. Phuket Town has a lot of cheap and good places, including a few listed in the Michelin Guide:
Nam Yoi Restaurant
Ko Ang Seafood
One Chun

a. There are only a couple of good and relatively local restaurants:
Kaab Gluay
Kalim Rim Lay
Pan Yaah

a. If you happen to stay in the northern part of Phuket, you can enjoy these restaurants:
Kin-Kub-Ei
Rim Pan Seafood
Piang Prai Restaurant
Laem Sai Seafood

4.8/5 - (83 votes)