The 8 Best Restaurants in Phuket Old Town (Local-Approved!)

The 8 Best Local Restaurants in Phuket Old Town

“The Best”, by my definition, means authentic; cooked by the owner of each place’s respective culture, owned by the locals, and made for the locals.

I’ve personally tried and approved, with my 34 years’ worth of Thai cultural insights, the food at every single place on this list.

We will start with the purely Thai places, moving on to international flavors from neighboring countries, and wrapping it up with the grand finale, a luxury option that rounds up your options.

The Best Traditional Thai Restaurants

Nothing but Thai flavors first, here we go!

Go Benz Dry Porridge

A Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand establishment, this street-side open-air restaurant is inconspicuous on its own. What may draw attention to it is the number of customers, 99% locals, who constantly pack the place.

Don’t confuse the Thai rice porridge with the western-style porridge! What we have here is basically “seasoned boiled rice.” Rice in boiled water.

What makes the “Dry Porridge” special is instead of serving soggy boiled rice soaked in soup, it’s served nice and fresh with all ingredients ready to go, with soup on the side.

So when you pour the soup onto your dry porridge, the texture is just *chef’s kiss.* And let me tell you, the soup is the protagonist.

• Opening Hours: 5:30 PM – 1:00 AM, closed on Mondays
• Location: 7.8849666, 98.382497

One Chun Cafe & Restaurant

Another Bib Gourmand option, stepping into this place feels like entering a traditional Thai home. The wooden walls, the vintage decor, and the vibe just scream good food. But wait until you try the actual food.

You’ll find more standard central region Thai dishes, like Morning Glory Stir-fried and Green Curry, as well as more local Peranakan options like Moo Hong and Pak Mieng Stir-fried.

• Opening Hours: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM daily
• Location: 7.8856897, 98.3906214

The Best Chinese-Thai Restaurants

Walking along the main Thalang Street in Phuket Old Town, you can definitely feel the presence of the Chinese-Thais the most, compared to other ethnicities of the Peranakan heritage.

Understandably so, given how ingrained the Chinese cuisine itself has become on the Thai culinary stage. Any noodle dish you see anywhere in the country came from China in the 1850s.

Ding Li Ji Fan (Moved to Talat Yai)

But ironically, my favorite Chinese spot isn’t serving noodles… This is another place where you might feel a bit out of place walking in. It’s all locals here. Good sign, wouldn’t you say?

Here, you will taste the best Hainan Chicken Rice out of ANYWHERE. Apart from Northeastern Thai dishes, I have a soft spot for the Chicken Rice, so I’ve tried it everywhere I’ve been.

So far, this was an obsession. So much so that I never took a single photo of my food… I just straight-up devoured them.

UPDATE: As of July 2025, Ding Li Ji Fan has moved slightly south to Talat Yai, but it’s too delicious to take it off the list. Take a Grab Bike or walk 20 minutes from Old Town to get there!

• Opening Hours: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, closed on Mondays
• Location: 14 Ongsimphai Rd, Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000, Thailand

Lock Tien

Not so much a restaurant, but more like an open-air cafeteria. In Lock Tien, you’ll find 5-6 vendors serving different cuisines from traditional Thai to Chinese.

The Holy Basil Stir-fried with Crispy Pork (Pad Ka Prao Moo Grob) was to die for, and so was their Chinese cuisine option’s Fresh Spring Rolls.

• Opening Hours: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily
• Location: 7.8861624, 98.3849391

Kopitiam by Wilai

Kopitiam is a Chinese word for “Coffee House.” A Kopitiam today refers to an establishment that serves traditional coffee under Chinese and Malay cultures.

This particular one made especially good “Chafae,” a popular drink in the area that blends Thai red tea with coffee. They also have a great selection of Southern dishes.

• Opening Hours: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM, closed on Sundays
• Location: 7.8846861, 98.3831038

The Best Neighboring Cuisine Spots

Moving on to the neighbors of Thailand. This was my first time trying either cuisine and they blew the roof clean off. 10/10 Would definitely eat again.

Mingalar Coffee Shop

This is a Burmese breakfast spot, and by that I mean, really a Burmese spot. The majority of the staff only spoke Burmese, so we could only communicate with the owner, who was so sweet.

The patrons were all Burmese as well… and that was how I learned there are about 400,000 Burmese people in Phuket. Their coffee was very similar to the traditional Thai coffee, served in a small cup with sweetened condensed milk, and was very delicious.

The Tea Leaf Salad (Laphet Thoke) is to die for. It officially became my favorite Burmese dish

• Opening Hours: 6:00 AM – 2:00 PM daily
• Location: 7.8824561, 98.3837153

Aroon Pochana

Moving to Malaysia! This restaurant is Malaysian-run, for Malaysians, but Thais and tourists are welcome! A family-run restaurant, you’ll feel like you’re part of the home as soon as you walk in.

You can choose from their selection of Malay dishes, from the Massaman Curry to the Herbed Rice Salad (Nasi Ulam).

• Opening Hours: 6:00 AM – 5:00 PM, closed on Sundays
• Location: 7.8846068, 98.3876068

Another missed photo opportunity here… I loved the Herbed Rice Salad, but I was halfway between enjoying it too much and trying not to die from overeating on our epic food tour.

The Best Luxury Restaurant

Now that I’ve gone through all the “neighborhoods” of Phuket Old Town, let’s put it all together in one luxurious grand finale.

Blue Elephant

I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve seen this name on grocery packages in your hometown. Now a global Thai food brand, Blue Elephant first opened in 1980 in Brussels by the Thai chef Nooror.

She then returned home and opened the first Blue Elephant Cooking School in Bangkok in 2002.

The Phuket branch came to life in 2010, and boy, am I glad it did. Putting a Phuket spin on their signature 3-course menu, this place will leave you dreaming of Peranakan food for days.

• Opening Hours: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM daily. I recommend getting a reservation.
• Location: 7.8860301, 98.3821692

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