Phuket Food Guide: 12 Best seafood restaurants in Phuket

If you happen to be travelling in search of unforgettable local experiences in Thailand, Phuket seafood is a genuine highlight you will not want to miss. From spicy rice and fried fish to crab curry and fresh salads, a Phuket tour will often take in one of the following restaurants but either way, you must absolutely check them out when you get there.

Here are the 12 best seafood restaurants in Phuket

1. Palai Seafood, Chalong Bay

Although most seafood restaurants in Phuket are famous for their delightful and fresh seafood; still, only a handful of these are accessible without a Phuket transfer but thankfully Palai Seafood is one of those. Accompanied by two dining areas and an indoor hall which looks more like a garden, the general arrangement of this eatery is very impressive and the outdoor areas offer sweeping panoramas of the ocean front.

Renowned for specializing in traditional dishes, Palai offers a sublime variety including lemon seabass, succulent squid and tom yam pla which is a delightful seafood soup. Although wine is not served at Palai Seafood, beer is available and there is always the option to take your own. The food is usually spicy but if you prefer something with a little less bite, just mention it while ordering your meal.

2. Kan Eang 2 Seafood Restaurant ,Chalong Bay

Kan Eang 2 is a large restaurant on the ocean front toward the east coast of Phuket and on the north side of Chalong. This restaurant has “2” as part of the name because there is actually another Kan Eang restaurant in Chalong with a similar name, Kan Eang @ Pier.

Consisting of many types of seafood as well as other popular Thai dishes, the menu offers a great variety and is often the recipient of star reviews. This menu includes chicken, rice and tangy salads even though Kan Eang 2 has more traditional Thai food in its menu. This restaurant was established in 1973 and employs more than 100 serving-staff members. It has an expansive garden and presents a panoramic view of Chalong Bay. Meanwhile, the wine collection is quite ordinary so having beer with some tangy and spicy Thai food is recommended.

3. Kan Eang@Pier, Chalong Bay

This decades-old restaurant is famous for a marina view, house wines and tasty seafood as well as local delicacies. No wonder it is considered to be the best seafood restaurant in Phuket and is a priority for most tourists when they organize their Phuket transfer.

Kan Eang@Pier is located adjacent to Chalong Bay and offers a sweeping view of the bay and nearby islands. It is a large restaurant, predominantly made of wood and glass and exudes a relaxed atmosphere. Food is a combination of classic Chinese and Thai dishes made of seafood mixed with herbs and local vegetables. Shrimps with deep-fried seaweed or chicken with coconut milk is a common dish served here.

And then there is the restaurant itself which offers both indoor and outdoor dining experiences with three air-conditioned rooms and two open-sided, dining areas covered with thatched roofs. For casual food, there is also a breakfast café but the restaurant is most popular and it also has a nice selection of house wines, beer, juice and smoothies. After an enjoyable meal, the air-conditioned bar is a perfect place to sip some wine and cool your eyes on the port and pier-view.

4. Bang Pae Seafood, Phuket East Coast

This is one of the most popular restaurants offering Phuket seafood and it is located near Bangpae Waterfall, close to Thalang. Most dishes are tasty combinations of seafood and local herbs. This is another seaside restaurant complete with an enchanting background of mangroves and although the restaurant’s decor is quite simple, its dishes are outstanding and prepared by excellent chefs. Prices are reasonable and services prompt while the Thai- seafood soups, deep fried shrimps or stir fried vegetables are mouth-watering to say the least. As if this was not enough, the restaurant also serves boiled and steamed seafood dishes flavored with Thai herbs.

Across from Bang Pae Seafood restaurant there is also a small beach which is excellent for a stroll after hearty meals.

5. Floating Restaurants , Phuket East Coast

“Krachang” is a floating seafood restaurant which provides a novel dining experience in Phuket. A short boat-trip or Phuket tour from Laem Hin Pier can take you to these restaurants, floating along the east coast of the city. These restaurants keep live seafood such as crabs, fish and prawns in submerged enclosures made from wood and net. Visitors can then walk on planks and choose whatever Phuket seafood they would like to eat. Huge oysters served in Thai sauce, stir-fired crabs, roasted shrimp with hot, fiery soup, or expensive mantis shrimps- all are available here to tickle one’s taste-buds. Many such floating restaurants are open every day and evenings are the best time to visit these eateries but just be aware that some of these do not serve alcohol.

6.Pak Nam ,Phuket Town

A busy and popular restaurant for Phuket seafood, Pak Nam happens to be a favorite spot for local diners. The restaurant is situated in Phuket Town’s northern point and has a large area and unmistakable orange painted façade. The Phuket seafood here is mostly traditional Thai food. Lunch and dinner times are very busy in Pak Nam, but afternoons are quite tranquil which makes it easy to enjoy some seafood undisturbed.

The restaurant has two dining arrangements; two indoor, air-conditioned spots and a central restaurant which has air of an active, communal dining place. Or, one can choose a dining place on the balconies, overlooking the bustling town’s activities. The central dining hall of Pak Nam is also full of old world charm with wooden furniture surrounded by wall fans.

In terms of the food, each dish is made of fresh seafood, cooked with traditional Thai herbs and vegetable and you can choose from large or small portion sizes. Also, servings do not have any fixed price but are billed according to the weight. The restaurant’s popular dishes include baked mussels, stir-fried fish and crab curry- all cooked and served with traditional Thai vegetables and sauces. Wine is not served but a wide variety of beers, Thai whiskies and blended liquors are all available.

7. Mor Mu Dong Restaurant, Phuket

If you are searching for a secluded, rustic, and out-of-the-way restaurant that serves seafood dishes bursting with flavors, then Mor Mu Dong in east Phuket will be the best choice. This unusual restaurant is surrounded by a mangrove swamp consisting of many bamboo huts and is easily reached on a Phuket transfer. Some of these are big enough for a party of people, and some cozy and cute for just two lovebirds- all providing a serene river-view.

In Mor Mu Dong, visitors can also enjoy sitting on mats and enjoy their food served on low tables or, they can choose to park themselves at standard sized chairs and tables. Although the restaurant is known for having some of the best Phuket seafood, chicken and pork dishes are also served here. Wine is absent from its menu but ice-cold beer, some local as well as foreign liquors are also available. Chilled iced tea and hot coffee are other choices to enjoy with delicious seafood at Mor Mu Dong.

8. Thanoon Seafood, Phang Nga

Surrounded by the natural beauty of Phang Nga Province, Thanoon Seafood provides a combination of sea view and some of the most memorable Phuket seafood. In a peaceful environment, far from busy Phuket, one can travel to this beautiful restaurant with a Phuket transfer and enjoy some truly local cuisine. The nearby Sarasin Bridge has also been declared a traffic-free area so you can rest assured there will be many hawkers and vendors lining it up to sell local items. Thanoon offers various types of fish, crabs, lobsters and other varieties of seafood which you can choose from a tank. Seating arrangements consist of several dining areas, complete with thatched roof and tables along the beachside. Its most popular dishes include Phuket oysters cooked with garlic and chili, Geng som or orange curry, which is a traditional Thai dish- simple but enough to roil one’s taste buds. Tasty food, delicious aroma of cooking and sea surf and tranquil atmosphere make this restaurant a perfect place to relax and eat.

9. Sea Gypsies Fish Market, Rawai Beach

The Sea Gypsies Fish Market is a string of seafood markets and small restaurants on Rawai Beach. One can buy live seafood from the market and take it across to any of the restaurants that will cook those items to your order right there.

It has a bustling environment like any other market and this unusual sight make Sea Gypsies Fish Market a popular eating place for locals and tourists alike. Being a highly popular tourist attraction, shops here carry sign boards in many languages which will help if you are not on a Phuket tour, including Chinese and Russian too. Enticingly, most dishes prepared in this particular restaurant have traditional Thai flavors; spicy, hot and very tasty.

10. Chaiyo Seafood, Chalong

“Chaiyo” is located near Chalong on Phuket’s east coast and has wooden verandahs as well as dining rooms. It also has an air-conditioned room but outside is best and this restaurant, like many others, keeps seafood in underwater boxes in the mangrove stream where visitors can choose what they want to eat in a live environment.

Caiyo is a simple restaurant, close to Phuket town with comfortable seating in open air rooms along the riverside. Visitors can access the restaurant by crossing a wooden bridge and for those who prefer closed–door seating; the air conditioned dining hall is a perfect setting for a relaxed meal of traditional Thai seafood.

11. Ang Seafood, Phuket

This is a popular local restaurant serving some of the best Phuket seafood right in the heart of town. Do not expect any fancy cutlery or ornamental decoration, but of course, do expect excellent, mouth-watering dishes. One can find some unusual dishes too, namely, razor clams or even ant's eggs which are specialties of Ang Seafood.

Despite being a basic restaurant, this establishment is packed with diners every evening who turn out in large numbers to relish the signature dishes. This is more akin to a small local eatery, with plastic chair and tables and a genuine encounter with the famous Phuket seafood.

12. Savoey Seafood Restaurant, Patong Beach

Located in the heart of Patong Beach, the neon lights of Savoey Restaurant are a prelude for the bright décor and exuberant atmosphere inside. In fact, the owners of Savoey are no less extravagant with their claims their restaurant is leading the way for the best Phuket Seafood on the island.

Aside from the breakfast menu, there is a huge variety on offer in Savoey with shrimp cocktail, chicken satay and French onion soup adorning the lunch menu and an endless number of unique options on the evening menu. Raw oysters and crab meat salad are two fine examples in terms of appetizers but online reviews are all about the mains and both Tiger prawns and Phuket lobster are thought to be some of the very best Phuket seafood you are likely to find.

With an extensive wine list and more than 19 years of experience, Savoey restaurant really sets itself apart from the competition with their Thai culture and dancing performances which take place every night.