The Best Thai Food in Patong Beach – Phuket, Thailand
One of the many reasons Thailand is such a popular destination is due to it’s amazing food, so here are our favourite places to eat for the best Thai food in Patong Beach after staying in Patong in Phuket for two months!
Located in Southeast Asia, Thailand is world famous for being a popular (and affordable) tourist destination showcasing some amazing natural sights, famous Thailand landmarks, and delectable food.
Phuket, in particular, is a great place to visit on a holiday and offer lots of things to see and do including many beautiful beaches such as Patong and Kata beach, exploring Phi Phi Island or taking a one day boat trip snorkelling and sightseeing, or eating your way around the island at one of the many amazing Thai food restaurants.
We have been travelling to Thailand for more than 20 years and we love Thai food. As such, we spent the last 2 months based in Patong seeking out new restaurants to satisfy our Thai food cravings, and while some were underwhelming at best, we found some great cheap and cheerful restaurants, as well as more upmarket restaurants, serving delicious Thai food, and also other restaurants serving international cuisine we really enjoyed.
So here is our list of the best Thai food Patong, however, we have also included some of our favourite international restaurants, as well as some ‘must-try’ restaurants in other locations in Phuket.
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Did You Know?
- Thai food is all about ‘balancing’ salty, sweet, sour, spicy and bitter ingredients. Many Thai dishes use fish sauce or shrimp paste for their saltiness, palm sugar and fruits for their sweetness, chillies and fresh herbs to spice things up, and lime juice or tamarind for their tangy flavour.
- Thai food uses a wide range of fresh herbs and spices, vegetables and fruits rather than using dried or preserved ingredients. This is why we love Thai food so much as it always tastes so vibrant and is packed full of nutritious ingredients.
- Rice is an essential part of many Thai dishes and is an important part of the local culture. A popular greeting in Thailand is “Gin kôw rĕu yang?” which means “Have you consumed rice yet?”.
“Food makes travel so exceptional, because you get to taste what it’s actually supposed to taste like. To eat the real Pad Thai or finally have a proper curry is something pretty amazing.”
– Meghan Markle –
Thai Food in Patong Beach
On a personal note, we are sorry we have not included photos of the dishes we were served from all of the restaurants below. We have never really taken photos of our food before, and as a result, it was only once we had hungrily consumed our meals that we realised, once again, we had forgotten to take photos as they arrived at the table. Our apologies and we hope to get better at this in the future when we write any blog posts about food…..
P.S Hotel
P.S Hotel is very centrally located at the top end of Bangla Road opposite the very well-known and popular No.6 Restaurant.
We ate here very regularly over our 2 months stay and managed to work our way through most of the menu over this period of time. The meals were incredibly well priced with quite large portions. When ordering dishes with seafood and prawns, they were generous which we did not find in other restaurants with the same prices. In addition, they served a lot of the dishes with a generous serve of really fresh vegetables which is also something most other restaurants didn’t offer.
We enjoyed every meal we had there, but some of our favourites were the Red Curry, Penang curry, Pad Thai and Sukiyaki. They also did great fish and chips, and their pizzas were simple but really cheap and the tuna pizza had a lot of tuna on it.
Another favourite was the fried bananas and ice-cream which was enough to comfortably serve 2 people. As previously mentioned, the meals were exceptionally priced at 70 THB up to 120 THB, especially considering how generous they were with your chosen protein and vegetables.
They also have a wide variety of fresh fruit for sale at great prices which were always sitting on ice. This is the perfect place to pick up a cold plate of cut up fruit as a snack or try one of their tasty shakes (mango was our favourite).
P.S Hotel doesn’t look much from the outside, but the food is exceptional!
Tom Nua No.1
Tom Nua No.1 was very close to our hotel so it was the perfect cheap and cheerful restaurant on those days when it was just too hot or too rainy to walk to far. We ate here many times during the first 3 weeks of our 6 weeks stay and really enjoyed it initially. The food was very reasonable (60 THB) for a huge variety of rice and noodle dishes with your choice of chicken, pork or seafood.
Sadly, the staff that served us changed and the young girls serving wouldn’t write down our orders, instead trying to remember then. The result was we stopped eating there as we kept getting the wrong food orders, forgotten meals, and the quality of food deteriorated. We would still recommend trying out their Thai food as we might have just been extremely unlucky.
No.6 Restaurant
No.6 Restaurant is an incredibly popular restaurant and has been feeding locals and hungry budget conscious tourists for more than 20 years. It is located about 200 metres from the end of Bangla Road (the end away from the beach) on the left-hand side.
Due to its popularity, mainly because of the fantastic reviews it receives on Trip Advisor, it is not uncommon to have to line up and wait for a seat to become available. There are not really any individual tables as such, so expect to sit on a bench seat and share your table with others.
No.6 specialises in Thai food but also has a few Western dishes on offer. We have eaten here on several occasions over the past 20 years, but this year we found the portion sizes to be quite small and the prices have risen significantly compared to other Thai restaurants very close by with a far nicer atmosphere (see P.S Hotel).
Overall, the food was good, but there are better options very close by for less cost, a better atmosphere and more generous portion sizes.
There is also another No.6 Restaurant in Patong further out of the city centre and this restaurant is also very popular, but far less crowded.
Patong Sunset View Restaurant
The Patong Sunset View Restaurant is a little out of the way set high in the hills above Patong, but the extra effort is well worth it! The views over Patong and the Andaman Sea are epic and if you get there early enough, you will witness the best sunset views anywhere on the island.
The restaurant is quite small with limited tables, but the food and drinks are well priced. When we arrived, there were many tables along the front of the balcony that had been reserved, so if you want to ensure a front row seat to enjoy the sunset, we recommend booking in advance.
Admittedly, we did not eat at this restaurant when we there, but instead chose to enjoy some drinks while enjoying a famous Phuket sunset. Local beers were only 79 THB and cocktails 160 THB which is incredibly reasonable considering the location.
Whilst we didn’t have dinner here, we saw many dishes being brought out to other customers and the food looked great! There was a mix of Thai and Western dishes and the prices started at about 110 THB for Thai food and the Western dishes were priced at around 300 THB.
We think it is well worth visiting even if only to enjoy a couple of drinks watching the sunset!
Savoey Seafood
Savoey Seafood has been in the same location for more than 40 years and is popular with both locals and tourists alike. This large open-aired restaurant is easily located directly opposite Patong Beach.
It is particularly known for its fresh seafood and Thai food. Select your own seafood from the tanks and ice filled trays out the front of the restaurant, and then choose how you would like it cooked – BBQ’d, grilled, fried etc. Popular dishes include lobster, Tom-Yam Koong and Stir-Fried Crab. We ordered a steamed red snapper with lime juice and chilli sauce. We also ordered a Mixed Seafood Basket and shared it which was also delicious!
Best Restaurants in Patong Phuket Which Serve International and Thai Food
Roma Restaurant
Roma Restaurant is an Italian restaurant and pizzeria directly opposite Patong Beach. It is located to the left side of Bangla Road upstairs above Starbucks. The location is great as it had elevated views over Patong Beach and was very quiet.
There are tables both outside on the veranda and also inside in air-conditioning. As you enter the restaurant, you will smell the amazing scent of smoked meat which sold us immediately.
The restaurant was created by Chef Mauro in 1985 and has been one of the very popular restaurants ever since. They specialise in wood fired pizza (and they are exceptional), pasta, steak, seafood and Thai food.
We love this restaurant for their pizzas and as such, we haven’t ventured beyond this. They are just too good! The pizzas range from 270 THB to 325 THB which are a little on the pricey side, but they are huge and can easily be shared between two people.
Our favourite pizzas are the Al Prosciutto for 325 THB which is loaded with ham, salami, black olives, tomato and mozzarella. Frutti di Mare is one for the seafood lovers and also costs 325 THB and has squid, shrimp, mussels, tomato and mozzarella.
The pastas range from 280 – 300 THB and the portions were very generous (enough to share between 2). The beverage list was extensive and beers were 140 THB for a small bottle and 200 THB for a large bottle of beer. Wine by the glass is 195 THB and bottles of imported wines went up to 1500 THB. They also served a wide variety of cocktails for 190 THB.
If you are looking for a break from Thai food and craving pizza, look no further than Roma Restaurant!
The Place
The Place restaurant is located along the beach road in Patong. Downstairs is the bar area which was a favourite of ours as they served fantastic cocktails for only 100 THB. Our personal favourites included their signature cocktail ‘The Place’, Pina Colada, Mojito and their Passionfruit Mojito (not on the menu but just ask the staff).
Upstairs is the formal restaurant where the magic happens! They serve a variety of different meals here from Thai food, to French food (the owners are French and the Thai chef has been trained in French cuisine). The food is a little n the pricey side but the food is of an exceptional quality. Their reviews and awards on Trip Advisor as Best Restaurant in Phuket and Best Food in Patong are a testament to this.
You can’t go wrong with anything you choose, but particularly enjoyed the pizzas, Pad Thai (although you can’t go wrong ordering any of the Thai dishes), and Lamb Shanks with Mash and Vegetables.
Super friendly staff, amazing location and delicious food. What more can you ask for?
Molly’s Tavern Irish Bar and Restaurant
Molly’s Tavern is located directly opposite Patong Beach on the main beach road, and is the best Irish Bar in Phuket. There is both inside (A/C) and outside seating, and the interior décor retains the characteristics of an Irish tavern.
They serve both traditional Thai food and also western / Irish style pub food, so no matter what your heart desires, you will find something to enjoy. Some of our favourites were the Penang Curry, Fish and Chips and Irish Beef Stew. The prices are a little on the expensive side but the meals are huge and we could easily share a meal between us.
They have quite a variety of local and international beers, and ciders and they are served nice and cold! You will find Irish favourites such as Guinness, Kilkenny and Magners, and local beers such as Chang and Singha.
Molly’s is well known for its live music and the band starts at 8:30pm each evening and play a variety of music t suit everyone. The band is great and one of the favourites we found during our time in Patong.
Other Thai Food Restaurants in Phuket
Mor Mu Dong – Chalong
Mor Mu Dong is a unique restaurant located in Chalong which is popular with locals and expats. It is a little hard to get to but soooo worth it!
Don’t expect anything fancy at this restaurant as it is very much a back-to-basics style of eating establishment. Seating is either out in the open under the trees or you can choose to sit on a mat around a low table in your own ‘sala’ (a little wooden pavilion with no walls and a thatched roof) floating over the mangroves.
They offer an extensive menu specialising in Thai food and seafood dishes. We initially were drawn to eating at this restaurant due to an article we read about their signature dish at the time, Pla Pao or Salt Baked Fish. The fish is coated in a thick layer / crust of salt and then cooked on an open grill. After cracking and removing the salt crust, the flesh of the fish is extremely tender and moist.
Some of our other favourites include the Curry Fried Eggplant served topped with crunchy garlic and shredded kaffir lime leaves. Delicious! Another must-try is the Stuffed Mackerel or Pla Yat Sai. The bones are removed from the mackerel, flesh scraped out and mixed with a red curry paste, and then stuffed back into the skin. It is then fried until crispy and you eat everything – the head, skin and stuffing.
The prices vary depending on the dish ordered but prices are approximately 100 THB to 200 THB per dish. The portion sizes are on the smaller size so you may need to order a few dishes to satisfy your hunger!
Baan Rim Pa – Kalim
Baan Rim Pa restaurant in Kalim is a just a short tuk-tuk or taxi ride north of Patong Beach, but the effort is worth it if you are looking at eating somewhere special. Not only is the food served here amazing, but the views of the Andaman Sea from this cliff-side restaurant are simply spectacular!
Once inside the restaurant, the Thai style décor is evident with lots of teak furniture and features, and Thai silk. The atmosphere is welcoming, as are the staff.
The menu offers a large variety of regional Thai cuisine from the north to south, local Phuket and some famous recipes most likely known over the world. We ordered the squid from the recommendation’s menu, the rolled prawns and the pork chilli selection of starters. We also ordered the deep-fried fish with spicy sauce which was delicious.
We could not find fault with a thing about Bann Rim Pa. The venue, service, speed, drink selection, quality of food and the view is exceptional
This is a very popular restaurant with locals, expats and tourists, so we highly recommend booking a table in advance.
If you are looking for an extra special experience, arrive just before sunset for simply breathtaking views!
FAQs About Thai Restaurants in Patong Beach
In Summary – The Best Thai Food in Patong Beach
The one thing that is visibly obvious upon arrival in Patong Beach is the sheer number of restaurants. Everywhere you look you will see places to eat in Patong and restaurants advertising they serve ‘the best Thai food’. However, you will soon find out some restaurants serve amazing Thai food and others simple imitations designed to suit the Western palate.
Price is not indicative of the quality of food served. In actual fact, some of our favourite restaurants serving Thai food in Patong Beach were actual little cheap and cheerful places with simple plastic furniture but simply amazing food.
We have listed our favourites of the best Patong restaurants close to where we stayed within an easy walking distance, but we have by no means tried them all. Try out some from our list of favourites and then branch out yourselves and see what you can find! Feel free to add your additional recommendations in the comments so we can eat there next time we are in Phuket!
Are you planning a holiday to Patong in Phuket? Have you eaten at any of the restaurants in Patong Beach listed above, or have we missed any places where to eat in Patong Beach we should add to this list? Post your tips and questions below.
TRIP PLANNERS FOR THAILAND: RELATED BLOG POSTS
Want more info to help you plan your Thailand holiday? Check out all the articles we’ve written on travel in Thailand below and continue planning your trip.
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