One way to take a great restaurant up a notch is to put it by the sea. Dining can be more than just gaining sustenance, it can be a curated sensory experience. Menus and chefs can be changed, lighting adjusted, and music carefully selected, but a seaside location drastically increases its desirability. With upwards of 600 km of coastline, Phuket restaurateurs have ample opportunities to create seaside dining experiences, which they have.  Here are a few notable ones around the island with food that tastes as good as the view.

The Fish Bar and Restaurant

Starting far down south in Phuket, the Fish Bar and Restaurant is a small, open-air spot right on the water a stone’s throw from Rawai Pier. It’s unpretentious with pleasant decor and fairly priced for the location. The menu is predominantly Thai food with a focus on seafood and a handful of Western dishes. The fish is always fresh and you certainly can’t go wrong with the deep-fried version with sweet and sour lemongrass sauce.

Lom Nuea

Located on Cape Panwa’s west coast, this local favorite used to simply be called the Beach Bar and was right on the sand where your feet would get wet at high tide. Sadly, a resort development has since squeezed them out. Happily, they’ve relocated just across the road from the sea. They’ve built several platforms where you dine and the view across Chalong Bay is stunning. 
The food is just as tasty as before with flavourful Thai favorites. They do a fantastic tamarind shrimp, wing bean salad, and shrimp cakes…bet you can’t eat just one.

The Sea Almond Chilled Restaurant and Cafe

The name pretty much nails it – it’s kicked back and relaxed, feet in the sand, with solid food and friendly service. You can find the Sea Almond just south of the airport at Nai Yang Beach, which is one of the most chill west coast beaches in Phuket. 
For seafood lovers, it’s only natural to go that route when ordering. At the Sea Almond, you’ll find fantastic soft-shell crab with black pepper sauce and a tangy and tasty shrimp salad. For those who prefer terrestrial foods, you’ll find burgers, steaks, and pineapple fried rice that’ll knock your socks off, although you probably won’t be wearing any, to begin with.

The Beach Cuisine

In bustling Bang Tao amongst all the new condos, villas, and beach clubs is this classic little salt-kissed bistro. While they are even open for breakfast (which is also pretty darn good), coming for happy hour while time melts away into a perfect Phuket sunset and then trying to choose something off the menu which all sounds so amazing is the right approach. 
When it comes to the eclectic menu you’ll discover some Thai offerings, some pastas, a smattering of Turkish items, a bit of surf, and plenty of turf. In fact, pay special attention to the meat section of the menu as this place smokes its own meats…with coconut. Check out the spare ribs, rack of lamb, or chicken which spent nine hours in the smoker. Oh, and if you don’t like being limited, stop by on a Tuesday when it’s all-you-can-eat.