Cafe De Lard

Set behind Lemongrass CAFE DE LARD is a small but stylish coffee shop. Pop in here for a coffee or even better a refreshing fruit juice and you'll feel better instantly.

Stylishly decorated with air-con seating inside (a welcome relief from the morning sun,) the clientele is 100% Thai and so the drinks are mixed and priced accordingly. Most older Thais didn't grow up consuming the level of dairy products Westerns do and as such 'Coffee Mate' is regularly used as an inferior substitute. Thankfully here is a Thai coffee shop that serves a decent Cappuccino but at a price that leaves you feeling you got value for money (Take note Starbucks 180 baht for a Coffee is extortion in a part of the world where the average daily wage is 254 baht.)

Well run they also sell small homemade knick-knacks (postcards, key chains, notebooks etc ...) that make great gifts and tie in this modern building to the history of old Phuket  town.

Suay

Suay is the new kid on the block in terms of Phuket Town dining. It has been winning rave reviews ever since opening and it's 'Thai fusion' is very successfully done. Suay has tried to place itself as a fine dining restaurant but at 'Thai' prices and this is where it lets itself down. Excellent concept in most dishes but not always executed to the highest level.

Set off the road in a tranquil garden Suay a pleasant dining experience, it's nearly quiet enough to be disturbing. Don't come here expecting to hear the clatter of plates, the clink of glasses and the laughter from the crowd (head down to Kra-Jok-See for that atmosphere).

The prices are not as cheap as they would like you to believe and as such Suay finds itself stuck somewhere in the middle between a fabulous dining destination and an easy evening restaurant. Too expensive for locals and too out of the way for Mr and Mrs beach holiday.

I visit  here once a month for the food, and what it gets right it does superbly.  Highly recommended are the Shanghai noodles (159 baht)  and the fresh spring rolls

(89 baht) below. Both are exceptional dishes. Avoid the salmon curry (very bottom) it bland with no spice and a strange aftertaste.

I sometimes get the feeling that the original chef, who implemented the menu, has handed over the reigns to some younger, less enthusiastic cooks who lack the required skill to pull off such a delicate balance required for their menu.

 The deserts are fab, although the crepe in the crepe suzette (99 baht right) wasn't made to order, but very tasty nevertheless. The fruit juices and non-alcoholic cocktails are great but the  alcoholic cocktails are a little weak and seem overpriced. The extended wine menu is a bonus.

The decor is minimalist and to my taste but there is just something missing from Suay. I shouldn't want to leave a restaurant after my meal. When eating here I just can't find any reason to sit around. Noticeably lacking in Thai clientele and seemingly catering for the 'trip adviser' crowd Suay restaurant remains a worthy dining destination but one with limitations.

The Cook

Before

Welcome to The Cook restaurant in Phuket town. Overrated, Overpriced and Underwhelmed. Seriously people marvel at the fusion food served here by 'the master chef' ..... I don't because he doesn't seem to know about SEASONING

After

On second thoughts maybe I'm being harsh. No I'm not, my pasta and my pizza had NO seasoning at all. really bland and runny. Worse, the pizza was made from a frozen base! A cardinal sin. On a road (Phang-nga) with serious competition (Roxy and Lotus) The cook doesn't cut the mustard in fact the mustard doesn't even come out of the bottle. To make matters worse 375 of my hard earned baht is wasted on small portions and mediocre service. YOU CAN FIND BETTER much better. ( For a better pizza search out Spaghetti and C, for better pasta Farang restaurant is hard to beat.)

A lazy restaurant who has refused to move with the times and is living off dubious glowing reviews from the local newspapers. Priced to rip off unsuspecting tourists and portioned so small that even a pizza and a pasta barely fills me up The Cook is one to avoid.

Po-Cha-Na

A fantastic dim-sum restaurant on the edge of town is Po-Cha-Na. Set in a traditional building this looks great and oozes class matched with old world charm. The food here is quick, clean and cheap and as such it makes for an ideal breakfast/lunch venue. Packed nearly everyday with discerning Thai's this little restaurant is a real gem. Priced at about 240 baht for lunch for two people, be warned though, the menu is completely in Thai, even the prices, however it is cheap enough to be adventurous.

Ordering can be difficult, but the menu has pictures so just keep pointing patiently or even better take a Thai national to guide you through the exotic cuisine on offer.

Dim sum refers to a style of Chinese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates. As such it's better to order 3 or 4 dishes for you table and share. They also do fried rice or noodle dishes for those searching for familiar ground. 

The 'Gyoza' come highly recommended as does the'Cafe Boran' (right 20 baht) a traditional Thai coffee that is offered, and copied poorly, in most chain coffee shops but served here with lashings of authenticity. Sitting in this teak structure sipping one really transports you back as to how coffee used to be drunk. I feel transported back to the world of Somerset Maugham every time I visit here making Po Cha Na a worthy addition to any culinary tour of Phuket Town.

S & P

Located upstairs in Central Festival are quite a few 'fast food' chains. S & P claim to be Thailand's leading bakery and restaurant chain. After trying a few of their bakery products (the brownie is delicious, ) I was persuaded to sit down and eat. I wish I hadn't. The food is plastic and far inferior to Cafe Nero located almost exactly opposite. Avoid it, One visit in five years is one too many.

The service is terrible, with about 15 minutes between mine and my girlfriend's dishes arriving. The price is however pretty standard for this type of place. 300 baht for 2 people, but with the competition in the market place being so superior I can't see any reason for you to visit here and therefore find out just how bad it is.

Sea U

An interesting choice in the center of town is  Sea U , a small restaurant serving modern Thai cuisine. The prices are great, the food is tasty but the service is terrible! It's lucky it's always empty because a 30 minute wait for your meal is a standard and god help you if there are a couple of other tables. I have seen people ignored here for 10 minutes while the one waitress literally hides in the kitchen.

 Located next to the backpacker hostel on Ranong Road I'm not quite sure who their target market is, I just know that it can't be the 'no-one' they currently appear to be aiming for. It's cheap but with quality ingredients ... surely a winning combination but it doesn't seem to have caught on.

The roti with curry (69 baht, top right) is a highlight as is the chicken with pepper (79 baht, above) but the rest of the menu is pretty appealing and at around 350 baht including a drink for 2 people the value for money of this place can't be questioned.

It is something of a running joke between me and by better half that they must be going out of business soon, seriously the prices are that cheap for the quality you get and my only advice is to visit it now, while you still can !!!!

Drinks and Snacks

A great late night drinking spot located on Mae Luan Road right next to the Sino Inn Phuket is this place, a no name (ตำนัว to give it it's Thai name) shack with rustic decor. Frequented mainly by Thai's but with the occasional westerner dropping by, this is the place to experience the real Thailand. Too many westerners in this country never really understand local culture and this place just acts as a metaphor ! The thumping pubs and clubs of the seaside resorts are not local style, here is where regular Thais hang out and so should you.

With outdoor seating, an extensive cocktail menu plus great live acoustic music this place ticks all my boxes. For a meal I don't recommend it but if you want to unwind in Phuket town you can't go far wrong. The staff here are really friendly and accommodating with a decent grasp of English, the Table service is refreshingly decent without being pushy. The snacks are quick, tasty and a nice mix of western and Thai (french fries to 'Moo-Manao'). By all accounts the cocktails are some of the best in town with an extensive menu and the beers are cold and cheap. It gets busy after 9 pm so you'll need to get there before if you want your choice of where to sit. This is the sort of place I'll miss the most whenever I'm back in England, go with a couple of friends and talk, drink then talk some more.