Luxury Restaurants in Phuket
Since I stay in
Phuket I recommend you the best restaurant where I use to try before. The
longest and most expensive page we ever wrote is now ready, we give you the '10
Great Romantic Restaurants in Phuket.' We tried them all, paid our bill like
you would, never informed in advance, and never got any special treatment. The
ten restaurants listed were among the best dining experiences we had in
Phuket. To get ten, we had to try a lot more than ten. Some renown ones were
a disappointment (we won't mention their names), some others almost made, it
but a little something was just missing.
Other disclaimer: this is our selection, we know have more
amazing restaurants to try and worry not, we will try them and add as we
discover more gems. You need to understand too that two experiences my differ,
you might not enjoy a place as much as we did if your choice of food is
different or if something in the air isn't quite right :). However, we are
pretty confident that these ten restaurants are great places for a teeth Enjoy!
1.
Paresa Resort - Diavolo Restaurant
Ranking high on our
'Top 10 Most luxury Restaurants in Phuket', Paresa Resort 'Diavolo' was one
of the nicest experiences we had lately. Location and setting help a lot in the
ranking, but if you happen to also have great food and excellent service, it is
so perfect, you won't forget this night for long time. On a friend's
recommendation, we actually had our wedding party at Paresa not so long ago,
and we even were the first couple to have such party. It was just perfect and
unforgettable.
 |
| Paresa Resort is luxury Restaurant in Phuket |
This time again we
arrived early as we knew the sunset over the ocean was fantastic from this high point. The terrace
over the restaurant where we had out wedding cocktail party is a great place to
walk and take stunning photos before dinner. No two sunsets are the same.
Once the sun had
gone, you can move to the restaurant on the lower floor and continue sipping
your drinks in one of these nice sofas and giant bean bags, or you can sit at
your table to appreciate the many colors of dawn. Light is changing over the
sea by the minute and a nice breeze is keeping the balcony cool.
 |
| Luxury Restaurant in Phuket |
Three menus were
brought to us: Italian, Thai and Chef specialties. We had several dinners at
Paresa, and all were excellent, so we picked all from the Chef's specialty. And
it was as perfect as we expected. Foie Gras with a well balanced papaya sauce,
and raw tuna salad as appetizers, followed by a delicious snow fish in risotto
and Australian steak with porcini...
We ended with a
local fruit salad served with vanilla ice cream. A bit of white wine to go with
all this was just right and a lemoncello was offered to us at the end of the
meal. Until the last minute, the service was friendly, attentive and never
intrusive.
Despite being out
of the way, I definitely recommend Diavolo at Paresa Resort for a special
dinner with your loved one. Sure, the price tag might appear a bit high. It was
5,000 baht for two and we didn't order a full bottle of wine, but I don't feel
it was expensive for the experience and memory we brought back that night.
2.
The Boathouse Kata Beach
The
boathouse in Kata
Beach has been a culinary
landmark in Phuket for more than two decades. The location is fantastic, the
food and wine exceptional, but the time had come to bring this restaurant to
new fresh trendy life.
The
Boathouse hotel was acquired by the well known luxury resort Trisara and the
restaurant was entirely redone in a white bright design. Serving French and Thai Cuisine, the place
feels trendy with a sober elegance and does retain a bit of the 'sailing' mood.
The
beach front dining hasn't change that much... you are still siting just by the
powdery white sand of Kata
Beach. What makes a
romantic diner perfect is in the quality, originality and creativity of food,
accompanied by a sunset view on the Kata bay and a smooth and discreet service.
The excellent wines just add the final touch... I'm not a connoisseur, but the
Boathouse has a well established reputation.
So
they certainly got all the elements right. Our dinner was perfect! The table
right above the beach and the view just as you see it on the top photo!
I
went for the boathouse special degustation menu which comes with the right
glass of wine with each course. Not cheap, but a chance to try wines you might
never have a chance to drink. Luckily Faa doesn't drink so the ride back home
was safe. She ordered a la carte.
Here
I will list the courses as thy came, so if you know about wines, you will get a
better picture. 'Pan seared duck foie gras poele with chanterelle mushrooms'
accompanied by a sweet 'Jurançon Famille Castel 2009' French wine, followed by
a 'Open raviole with rock lobster, shellfish and morel sauce' served with a
'Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre, Domaine Droin' also French. Then a
"Lamb loin with Cepes mushroons" with a red 'Château Ferrande, Graves
2007' and to wrap the experience, a
"Crispy almond Napoleon cake
with green apple sherbet" with a sweet 'Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, Domaine des
Bernardins, 2005' (I took notes! No way I would remember all this). You also can
try their Thai menu.
Faa
had a delicious 'Gaspacho' as entree, then a tender 'Rack of lamb' cooked to
perfection. Looks like I had all the food and she had nothing, but we usually
share everything ;)
If
you feel like a drink before or after your meal, you can also sit down at the
beautiful bar or enjoy a sunset from the second floor terrace.
Price
wise, the four course menu with selected wines was 3,400 Baht and Faa's
selection 3,000 baht. Lady and gentlemen, it was definitely worth it, but we
are now officially broke! :D Therefore I hope you enjoy the next story: '10
Great Romantic Restaurants in Phuket'!
3. Da Maurizio Italian Restaurant
Da Maurizio and its well known 'Italian
dinner over the beach with a sunset' is not your everyday Italian restaurant,
far from that. It is rather expensive, so keep it for a special occasion, but
if like us you enjoy quality food in a great atmosphere, you should dine there
at least once.
The setting is right on a small beach
between Patong and Kalim and if you make it on time you should get an amazing
sunset. As the light slowly declines on the sea, you'll have plenty of time to
enjoy some cocktail while ordering from the many appetizing dishes on the menu.
Wine list is impressive, but I just ordered Sauvignon Blanc wine by the glass
and it was more than perfect.
Cozy with soft lights, lively without being
noisy, it is a great place for a tete a tete. But you should really call early
to book a beach front table. The restaurant can also accommodate small groups.
The background music is just right, they thankfully avoided the latest 'smooth
female' remakes of all the old 80's rock songs you can now hear from trendy
restaurants... to supermarkets. Service is fast, efficient and friendly.
We ordered beef Carpaccio with Truffle,
Caprese 'Revisited' as it was called, Lamb and Fusili Bolognese... All this
sounds pretty simple, but it is often in simple dishes you can recognize great
ingredients. And a chocolate mousse for dessert. Each portion was quite well
served, but we had no problem eating it all.
This long awaited dinner was as great as we
expected it, and despite the bill being a bit tough, we were very satisfied and
there is no doubt we will go again, and list 'Da Maurizio' on our '10 Most
Romantic Restaurants in Phuket'.
Address: 223/2 Prabaramee Road Patong (Just next
to Novotel Patong)
4. La Gritta at Amari Coral
Beach Resort Phuket
Who said there were no romantic good restaurants
in Patong
Beach? With a unique view on the entire Patong Bay, La
Gritta, the Italian restaurant of Amari Coral
Beach Resort, is one of our 10
Most Romantic Restaurants in Phuket. There should be no need to
write about La Gritta, photos say it all.
Food is good (without being really exceptional) service is smooth and
efficient, but it is all about the atmosphere... As soon as you set foot in the
restaurant, you will get into a sweet mood. A gentle breeze flows freely across
the wooden terraces on the edge of the sea, and swaying tall coconut trees add
an irresistible tropical touch.
We strongly recommend you to book in advance if you really want to sit by the
edge of the balcony, everyone is obviously running for these few privileged
tables overlooking the sea. However, the terraces being built on multiple
levels everyone can enjoy stunning views from any table.
As we are small eaters, we just had a beef
carpaccio, clam chowder soup, black ravioli lobster (made with squid ink) and a
risotto with mushrooms. Everything was lovely, but the apple tart for dessert
was not as good as we anticipated, more apples and less tart would have been welcome.
Overall it was a lovely dinner in a beautiful
location and setting. Make sure you arrive around 6pm or earlier to enjoy
the last minutes of light with the colors of the sunset fading away in the bay.
How to get to La Gritta:
If you come from Kata or Karon beach, drive
to the beach when reaching Patong, then turn left toward south, cross the
unmistakable large bridge at the end of the road and Amari Coral
Beach is right there.
Usually there is no parking problem, right next to the lobby. If you come from Kamala or Phuket
Town you'll have to cross the whole of Patong
through the middle street (Rat
U Thit Road) to catch that same way to the
beach. Most of Patong beach road in one way.
5. 360 Restaurant at Phuket Pavilions
With so many restaurants in Phuket, picking
a new romantic dining venue we haven't yet tried was going to be challenging.
But once again, Phuket hides little gems you need to take the time to discover,
and Phuket Pavilions is one of them. Of course we heard of it before... but it
is so 'out of the way', you almost have to deserve it.
The wooden gate opening on the property is
rather massive and intimidating, like approaching some celebrity's private
villa. The road then climbs under an beautiful double arch of bamboo trees
leaning over the way. Once parked, a buggy will take you all the way up to the
360 bar... a lovely hill top terrace with striking views... it's not really a
360 view but it's such a lovely place to have a cocktail before dinner.
A nice breeze was sweeping through the
terrace, clouds were gliding fast and low over our heads and sunset colors were
basking the horizon... blah, blah, blah... I'm getting carried away. Back to
the practical side: it was happy hour when we arrived... 50% on all drinks!
This means same price as any bar, but in a luxurious and romantic setting? I am
so going back just for the happy hour!
The light was fast declining so we moved to
the restaurant itself, located lower in the resort but with an equally
beautiful view on the far ocean.
The building lobby is beautifully decorated
in a old Sino-Portuguese house style, while the restaurant itself is more 'Thai
contemporary'. Large bays open on the sea and despite being a bit quiet at
first, we felt very cozy. Food is essentially Thai with the some international
dishes... and we really enjoyed each dish. I had pan-seared foie gras followed
by a perfect sirloin, while she has a delicious tuna Carpaccio with a white
snapper as main dish. It was very well presented and served, not too copious,
just right! But we couldn't make it to the dessert... what a shame! Well, now
we do have even more excuses to go back there, and so should you!
360 definitely comes high on our upcoming
'10 Most Romantic Restaurants in Phuket'!
6.Mom Tri's Villa Royale in Phuket
Mom Tri's Villa Royale is not just your
regular hotel, it was the private house of Mom Luang Tridhosyuth Devakul, a
famous artist and architect better known in Thailand as 'Mom Tri', a descendant
of a King Mongkut Rama IV. Almost two decade ago, Mom Tri converted his summer
house into this surprising boutique hotel built on a rocky hillside overlooking
the beautiful waters of Kata
Noi Beach.
Mom Tri Villa Royale consists of two wings.
In the original house, each room has a different design, shape, size and
decoration and flower name such as 'Dao-A-Dung', 'Fueng Fa' and 'Toey Talay'.
We stayed several times at Villa Royale and each time was a different room and
a totally different experience. One of the suites even comes with its own
en-suite wine cellar built inside the rocky cliff and was originally filled
with a large selection of excellent crus. I guess it was a bit too complicated
to keep track of what guests were drinking and only a small wine selection is
now stored in the wine cellar. Each suite still has a homey decoration and it
feels a bit like being a guest invited in the house distinguished host.
The new wing is more traditional in design
but no less luxurious with 26 suites, all sea facing while the original wing
not always offers sea views. The resort has also a very cosy spa with the usual
large range of treatments so enjoyable while on holiday in Thailand. Three
small pools are available, including a beautiful one with sea water, but these
are just good for relaxing more than swimming. The gardens are superbly
decorated and even has a real temple front gate making a perfect background for
weddings and special events.
The hotel is very famous for having one of
the best restaurants on the island 'Mom Tri's Kitchen', which has won several
Wine Spectator Awards and is in our 10 Most Romantic Restaurants in Phuket. It
is expensive but definitely great for a special occasion, and if you are a wine
lover, you will be able to enjoy a great selection of 700 wines, and 15 wines
served by the glass.
A small staircase leads to the beautiful
Kata Noi beach where beach chairs are complimentary for the guests of the hotel
and you are just a short drive from Kata
Beach, another great
beach with plenty of shopping and dining venues.
7.Tunk Ka Cafe - Phuket Restaurants
Tunk Ka Cafe (Tung Ka Cafe) is one of
our favourite luxury restaurants in phuket, a long established venue beautifully built on
top of Khao Rang Hill in Phuket
Town. And as a
photographer, it is hard to resist the urge of climbing every possible hill to
get a nice panorama of the city lights.
Tunk Ka Cafe is certainly a romantic place,
with three separate terraces framed with foliage and large trees, and a nice
breeze running through always keeps the place cool. A shady wooden walkway
leads from the top of the hill to the restaurant through bushes of bamboos. It
was renovated and improved several times in the past years, and obviously they
know how to make best use of the surrounding natural elements and lights.
Tunk Ka offers almost a 180 degrees view, so
everyone can enjoy a good panorama all the way to Cape
Panwa and Chalong over Phuket Town.
You can even see the Big Buddha if you know where to look.
But the main reason to come is dining of
course, or lunch if you prefer. Their Thai food is really nice, the menu
extensive and original and all written in English. It's not really cheap but
still affordable. Service is very good, fast and polite.
Now what did we have? That was not an easy
decision since the menu is so tempting:
Tom Yam Goong Maphrao (the well known spicy sour soup with prawns,
but this version has coconut in it)
Kaeng Som (some very local smelly dish)
Pla Sumlee Tod (fried cotton Fish with Mango
salad)
Pak Liang (fried leaves that look like the
tree next our table, mixed with dried shrimps.)
How to get to Tunk Ka Cafe:
You might need the map below, but once you
found 'Mae Luang street',
the sign at the bottom of the hill is visible enough, drive all the way up from
the traffic light. Parking up there is large and easy, and several new shops
sell dry fruits and fruit shakes.
8.Catch Beach Club in Surin Beach
Catch Beach Club in Surin is one of the most
trendy beach bars in Phuket, if not the only one on the island! We love to go
there on weekend afternoons to unwind, or even get some work done in a relaxing
tropical ambiance… Who wouldn’t? (Catch
Beach Club also ranks
high on our '10 Most luxury Restaurants in Phuket')
The mood is soft and cool with a stylish
design blending harmoniously into the tropical background of palm tress and
white sands. Furthermore, Surin has one of the nicest beach in Phuket. At night,
the smart use of lights and colors on a sunset background creates a warm
ambiance that makes your dinner even more special.
Catch is busy all day, open as a restaurant,
a beach bar and now even as a boutique. It’s a great place to spend the day in
the shade of trees. Guests from the Twinpalms Resort located nearby can use
beach loungers during the day for free, but outside guests would have to pay a
fee, higher than the usual beach chairs. Everything comes with a price.
You can choose to sit in one of the three
areas. Two large restaurants open to the beachfront and a very large and very
popular shaded wooden terrace stepping directly onto the sandy beach. If you
plan to have dinner in this area, you should come early or book. The restaurant
serves a nice Mediterranean selection, pizzas, great choice of salads and
tapas, perfect for a lazy afternoon. On Tuesdays and Fridays, try their all
inclusive beach barbecue. For 1,200 baht, oysters, salmon, lambs ribs and the
evil chocolate fountain to dip your strawberries are all yours. Better skip
lunch that day!
So depending on your mood, come for a
romantic dinner in a place so far unmatched in Phuket, or spend the afternoon
in one of these oversized sofas, sipping cocktails for hours, feeling the
breeze while listening to a nice music selection. We do this once in a while,
and still manage to have our work done… life is a beach.
9. Gaetana
Italian Restaurant
Phuket Town
One of the best and longest established
Italian restaurants in Phuket, well known and recommended by all long time
residents and Thais, Gaetana ranks very high in our Top 10 romantic
restaurants.
It's not about the view, it is not about the
location, but all about Gaetana's excellent cuisine and very cozy atmosphere.
Gianni and his wife Ake came long ago and transformed an anonymous building in
a beautiful restaurant with a warm atmosphere, and lots of personal attention
to details. Designed with an artistic but simple hand made paintwork, it is not
pretentious and yet, feels sophisticated.
And of course, at the end of the day, it is
all about the food. Lamb, fish, Osso Buco are just delicious and even simple
things such as pasta are just great. The menu is long enough to please
everyone, but don't miss the specials of the day. Whatever you choose from the
menu or from the blackboard on the wall, you are in for a treat and if you
still can't decide, do as I do: ask Gianni to suggest something, he always get
it right, and the same goes for the wine!
The restaurant is divided in two rooms, the main
room with air con, and the second room without air con, usually kept for the
ones who forgot to book, like me.
So space being limited and popularity rather
high, it comes with a price... But if you save this for a special occasion, you
certainly won't regret it.
A little advice about the parking: It is
almost impossible to find a place near the restaurant as it is located on the
very busy 'Phuket Road',
but it is perfectly fine to park at the 'Bang Neow Chinese Shrine' across the
street (number 23 blue on the map below).
Gaetana is closed on Wednesday,
Located on 352 Phuket Road, opposite Bang Neow
Shrine, not far from Robinson Shopping Mall.
10. Blue
Elephant Phuket
Phuket Town
Blue
Elephant is certainly not your usual casual Thai dining place, but contrary to
what most people think, it is not outrageously expensive (I didn't say cheap
though). Keep this for a one time special dinner and consider it as an entire
experience. I wrote somewhere in this blog about this amazing old mansion
which was long time abandoned, and seen from the street, had the majesty and
the grandeur of a house with a long and mysterious history.
You can now drive up the park alley, leave your car under the trees and proudly
climb the stairs like a celebrity to enter the bar where most guests start with
a cocktail.
Dining in a hundred years old governor's house, now run by Blue Elephant, a
long established cooking school from Bangkok,
adds a brand new dimension to your experience. You didn't come to eat, you came
to dine. It's a great place to invite your guests or even for a romantic
occasion.
Take the time to walk around the park with your glass in hand to appreciate the
majesty of the Sino Portuguese architecture, shaded by immense trees that have
witnessed each and every moment of it... Somehow it becomes easy to imagine how
many parties where held within these walls. Then climb the stairs to the second
floor and walk through the several large rooms with their dark wooden floors
and the many windows so typical of this era.
Then of course it's dinner time, you will be taken through the 'Blue Elephant
Gallery' to the air conditioned indoor, or the outdoor dining area. Service is
impeccable, a you would expect, and room and table setting are beautifully
decorated.
I could give you the full menu, but what would be the point since the menu is
large and original. To help your discovery, the Blue Elephant favourites
are indicated on the menu by.... Red Elephants. Anyway, I'm always tempted by
the most unusual dishes: what you be the point to order a something you could
have next door. And even though it certainly would be different, but name like
'Buffalo Satays' and 'Steamed fish in Bamboo' never fail to triggered my
curiosity. The Lamb Curry Masaman and duck were also great. None of the dishes
we tried on three occasions were spicy.
11. The White Box Restaurant Patong Beach
of
Phuket, is the quintessentially elegant, white-washed beach restaurant in Phuket,
attracting both tourists and locals alike. This Phuket restaurant offers an experience which
blends the best of both worlds, introducing the concept of East meets West,
through their stunning decor and exotic cuisine.
Once a famous Kalim beach-front house, this stunning venue was redesigned as an
elegant Phuket restaurant,
decorated in white and blue, boasting a mediterranean ambiance, while keeping a
minimalist style. This Phuket
restaurant boasts a location which is nothing short of
breathtaking. With unobstructed views of Patong Bay,
and waves almost crashing at your feet, this restaurant in Phuket is paradise.
Aside from the spectacular views, this Phuket
restaurant holds the true key to success... delicious food. The
gastronomic menu of this Phuket
restaurant is a true culinary display of creativity and a
detailed care for quality. The talented chef incorporates some of the most
fresh and tasty ingredients of Phuket
and from around the globe, creating succulent asian specialties and
mediterranean delights.
The White Box restaurant in
Phuket boasts an unbeatable combination of minimalist ambiance
along with exquisite food to create a truly pleasant aesthetic experience.
12. Joe's Downstairs - Patong Beach Restaurants
& Dining
It’s a humble-sounding name, for sure, but
in point of fact Joe’s Downstairs is one of Phuket’s leading restaurants.
The ‘downstairs’ lead to an idyllically
located all-white restaurant perched on granite boulders overlooking the Andaman Sea.
The ideal place for sunset cocktails, Joe’s
is a regular watering hole for the young and affluent Phuket set.
Where Is It?
Situated in Kalim, just north of Patong,
Joe’s is just a few minute’s drive from the centre of town.Cresting the first
hill coming out of town, you’ll find Joe’s Downstairs in the illustrious
company of Da Maurizio and Baan Rim Pa opposite the entrance to Diamond Cliff Resort.
Décor
The first impression one gets of Joe’s is
the way the all-white theme dovetails neatly with the immediate by-the-sea feel
of the place; the sea is in fact a firm part of the décor here.
It all seems so spotless yet far from
clinical and with the recent addition of a large deck terrace it’s never
cramped. A tastefully lit bar lines the descent into the restaurant. Cool
stuff.
Food
American-born Chef Aaron Hooper makes the
art of good food seem effortless. Dishes are all pieces de resistance with the
emphasis on great taste matchings along with top priority accorded to
freshness.
Fois gras shu mei with toasted pistachios
and tamarind/plum sauce is a worthy starter; the flavours complementing and
blending in a master creation. Premium jumbo crab cake simply cannot be
bettered – and this on an island world-famous as a seafood destination.
400-day aged Wagyu beef tenderloin with leek
and potato hash is a filling and tasty main course. All in all, Joe’s is a
class act and, given the setting and the talent involved it is seriously worth
a visit – at sunset, of course.
Service
With food and setting this good it’d be a
crime if the service didn’t match. But it does.
sorece: www.phuket.com
