6 places in Phuket for chill vibes and good food
With its beautiful beaches, lively night markets and affordable, vibrant cuisine, Phuket is the ideal destination for a getaway.
Aside from street food such as grilled corn and coconut ice cream, there’s plenty more to try. Whether you’re looking for new dining experiences or authentic Phuket flavours, our food guide is your best companion.
1. A Blanket and A Pillow
10/1 Laemsai Road Tumbon, Karon, Muang, Phuket 83100, Thailand
Open: Tuesday to Thursday, Sunday (10.30am to 7.30pm), Friday and Saturday (10.30am to 12am)
To escape from the bustle of city life and fully immerse yourself in the peaceful island life, consider A Blanket and A Pillow, a cafe and campground located near Kata beach.
It’s a hidden spot in a remote location so we recommend getting a cab up there. Once there, you’ll get breathtaking views of the ocean and, if you’re feeling adventurous, a chance to dip your toes in as well. Fair warning: The latter requires some careful manoeuvring down stairs and over large rocks.
This quiet sanctuary is decked with cushion pillows, beanbags and hammocks. Coffee and drinks such as an iced latte (฿70, or S$2.70) and a yuzu and honey soda (฿80) are available. Plant milk alternatives are also available for an additional ฿20.
If you’re headed there for a lunch, try its garlic fried rice with grilled beef, marinate egg yolk and dipping sauce (฿180) lunch box. It’s essentially a beef rice bowl for a fraction of the price to those found in Singapore.
Spice-lovers can also opt for the more affordable rice, stir-fried pork with thai basil tofu and fried egg combo (฿80).
2. Tu Kab Khao
8 Phangnga Road, Tambon Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000, Thailand
Open: Monday to Sunday (11am to 9pm)
Looking for some authentic Phuket cuisine? You can’t do better than Michelin Plate restaurant, Tu Kab Khao Restaurant Phuket.
The restaurant is housed in an elegant Chino-Portuguese shophouse that’s packed to the brim with diners. It’s a homely, air-conditioned space with a beautiful rear room you can lounge at.
While the crab curry with chapu leaves served with white noodles (฿360) is a crowd favourite, we also recommend the underrated fried fish with thai lemongrass sauce (฿550) for sharing.
Other impressive dishes include chicken in coconut milk soup (฿175), a fragrant and nutty dish, and the stir fried morning glory (฿110), a simple vegetable dish with origins from Thailand.
3. Campus Coffee Roasters
ตําบล, 6 Krabi, Tambon Talat Nuea, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000, Thailand
Open: Monday to Sunday (8am to 6pm)
With its wide windows and retro interior, Campus Coffee Roasters has a laidback atmosphere that’s great if you’re looking to just chill.
The coffee bar is conveniently located in Phuket Old Town, providing respite from the sun after a whole day of exploring and shopping in the area.
If you’re hoping to learn more about the local coffee scene in Phuket, Campus Coffee Roasters is a must-visit. The team here sources its coffee beans from local coffee farms and are familiar with various specialty coffee breaking techniques, from V60 to aeropress.
You can’t go wrong with the iced Americano (฿85 or S$3.28) made with its house blend or a hot latte (฿85).
Those who prefer their coffee sweet can opt for the jelly coffee (฿85), a coffee milkshake topped with brown sugar and coffee jelly, or a honey espresso on the rock (฿100), a double espresso shaken with honey, topped with lime and brown sugar on the rim.
4. Torry’s Ice Cream
16 Soi Rommani, Tumbon Talad Yai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000, Thailand
Open: Monday to Sunday (10am to 6pm)
Round off your bout of feasting in Old Phuket Town with a trip to Torry’s Ice Cream.
With its Instagrammable pink exterior, this dessert cafe is the best spot for your Phuket trip photo dump.
Torry’s Ice Cream is famed for its homemade ice cream, croissants and its bi co moi (฿120), a black glutinous rice dessert with coconut milk and blue pea ice cream.
While it tends to draw long queues in part due to its limited seating capacity, it has a queueing system that won’t require you to stand physically in line.
Ice-cream lovers will be delighted by Torry’s Ice Cream’s range of unique Thai-inspired ice-cream flavours, such as the Phuket pineapple and passionfruit mojito sorbet or the a-pong (฿85 for each scoop), a coconut crepe-flavoured ice cream that is inspired by Phuket’s most famous dessert.
5. Kaab Gluay
58/3 Phrabaramee Road, Pa Tong, Kathu District, Phuket 83150, Thailand
Open: Monday to Sunday (11am to 10.30pm)
Located in the infamous Patong district, Kaab Gluay is one of the places frequented by locals and tourists alike. The restaurant serves authentic Phuketan dishes that are just a little milder than local Thai foods.
If you’re a spice lover, don’t be disappointed as there are still tons of fiery dishes, such as the Southern stir fried pork or chicken with yellow curry paste (฿170).
The menu features a similar variety of Southern Thai dishes, including curries, stir-fried dishes and soups. Its deep-fried honeyed chicken in pandan leaves (฿150) is a popular dish even in Singapore, but the stir-fried chicken with garlic (฿150) is a lighter option that’s equally fragrant.
Since you’re in Phuket, opt for seafood-based dishes, which are affordable and fresh. Kaab Gluay’s spicy prawn or seafood soup (from ฿150) is a perfect option – you get the staple Thai tom yum soup and a taste of the island’s fresh seafood.
6. Big Boy’s Burger Club
98, 19 Pa Chak Road, Kamala, Kathu District, Phuket 83150, Thailand
Open: Monday to Sunday (12pm to 11pm)
If you’ve got a big appetite, Big Boy’s Burger Club is a must-visit.
As its name suggests, the eatery serves huge, double patty burgers — the kind you can’t take a whole bite of if you tried.
The restaurant uses dry-aged Australian beef in most of its burgers, but also has chicken, fish and vegan options that use Impossible meat. Fans of seafood should opt for the fresh calamari (฿165) or the perfectly fried sweet potato fries (฿105) as sides for sharing.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with choices, the signature Big Boy burger (฿295) is a luscious combination of patty, melted cheddar cheese and crispy streaky bacon sandwiched between soft sesame buns.
It’s an open-air restaurant surrounded by small bars, so you can grab a burger before heading nearby for a drink. With friendly staff who speak English, Big Boy’s Burger Club has a welcoming atmosphere that’s great for a relaxing dinner.
For other recommendations on what to eat on your trips, check out our Tokyo food guide or Kuala Lumpur food guide.
If you’re planning a short trip during the March holidays, travel insurance is a must.
Get 10% off when you buy Travel Cover via the Grab app (minimum spending of S$50), with the promo code NEW10OFF. The offer is for new users only, and is limited to one redemption per person and available for the first 1,000 redemptions.
Travel Cover is underwritten by Chubb Insurance Singapore Limited Co. (Regn. No. 199702449H) and distributed by GrabInsure Insurance Agency (S) Pte Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Grab Group of Companies.
If you’re planning a short trip during the March holidays, travel insurance is a must.
Get 10% off when you buy Travel Cover via the Grab app (minimum spending of S$50), with the promo code NEW10OFF. The offer is for new users only, and is limited to one redemption per person and available for the first 1,000 redemptions.
Travel Cover is underwritten by Chubb Insurance Singapore Limited Co. (Regn. No. 199702449H) and distributed by GrabInsure Insurance Agency (S) Pte Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Grab Group of Companies.
Gaelmaine Hoong
Author
Gael comes from a family of picky eaters and she also likes to talk a lot. So, writing about food seems like a reasonable pastime for her.
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