Good Restaurants and Eating Places for Children in Phuket

Published: 5th September 2008Author: Know Phuket

In our final article about places that are good to take children in Phuket, we look at a few child friendly restaurants and eating-places. You can find so much great food in Phuket but it just doesn't taste so good when you have to spend half the meal scolding and beseeching your children to behave. The best solution is to find eating-places where they will be happy.

Thais love children and most restaurants will be very pleased to see guests with kids. Still you should also try to be considerate of your fellow diners, especially if your little ones are as energetic as mine. Some restaurants are good for kids and some are not. A late evening at a romantic candlelit restaurant is probably not an ideal choice for a meal with the kids. There are plenty of good restaurants around Phuket where the kids have some space to play.

Beach Restaurants

Any restaurant that is directly on a beach is a great place to bring kids. They can play in the sand or have a paddle while you enjoy a drink and wait for your food. Remember to tell them not to throw sand around because it is surprising how far the breeze can carry it and nothing spoils a meal like a sprinkling of sand on the main course.

There are plenty of beach side restaurants in Phuket. A few suggestions, the south end of Nai Yang Beach, Banana Beach, Laem Sing Beach, the center of Patong Beach, Kata Beach, Yanui Beach and Rawai Beach.

Oishi Japanese Buffet at Index Living Mall

There are a few restaurants around with play areas for children. The Oishi Japanese Buffet in Index Living Mall is one of them. They have a play-pen great for kids up to age 10. This restaurant serves a fantastic all-you-can-eat Japanese buffet. If you enjoy sushi and other Japanese food then it is wonderful value. Just one word of warning, we have heard reports that this restaurant practices two tier pricing. The price advertised in Thai is 370 baht. However, foreign groups are charged around 600 baht per person. If there is even one Thai person in your group, you will all be charged the Thai price so it is worth inviting a Thai friend.

Index Shopping Mall is on Chalermprakiat Road (Bypass Road) just north of Big C

Texas Suki at Tesco Lotus

This sukiyaki restaurant has a small play-pen good for children up to 7 or 8 years old. Sukiyaki is a Japanese eating style where you select plates of sliced meat and vegetable and cook them by boiling them in a cooking dish on your table. It is a very healthy eating style.

Tesco Lotus is on Chalermprakiat Road (Bypass Road) at the Sam Kong junction.

Greene Man, Chalong

The Greene Man is a British style pub. They have an outdoor children's play area with a slide and swings. They serve a good range of classic British dishes such as curry and you can get some proper draught beer.

The Greene Man is in Chalong on the road to Kata.

Friendship Beach Resort

The Friendship Beach Resort has a great swimming pool for the kids. It is also right next to Friendship Beach so the kids can have a play in the sand or you can go for a nice after-meal walk. They serve a good range of Thai and western food in a relaxed atmosphere. It is a good place to while an afternoon away, eating and swimming.

Friendship Beach Resort is on Friendship Beach between Chalong and Rawai

Shopping Mall Food Halls

The food halls at Jung Ceylon, Big C and Tesco Lotus all have a children's play area. There are play-pens, arcade games and little rides. The food halls might not be the most lavish eating option but there is a good range of food and you can get a decent little meal for 30 baht. You need to buy a cash-card at the counter before ordering your food, you can reclaim the unused money once you have finished. Let your kids burn up some energy in the play-pen while you enjoy your food.

Jung Ceylon is in Patong. Big C and Tesco Lotus are both on Chalermprakiat Road (Bypass Road).

Ga Ta Restaurants

This Korean eating style is becoming increasingly popular in Thailand. There are several of these restaurants around Phuket and a couple of them have good play areas for kids. These restaurants are a do-it-yourself barbeque on your table. You get a cooking dish on your table with burning coals and there is an all-you-can-eat buffet for a bargain price, usually around 100 baht a person.

The Chernlong Ga Ta Restaurant is on Wichitsongkram Road, next door to Big C. It has an open-air play area with slides, swings and a sand pit.

There is a new Moo Ga Ta Restaurant in Sam Kong not far from Tesco Lotus. From Tesco Lotus, go towards Sam Kong and the restaurant is after the first set of lights on the right. They have a good open-air sandpit with slides.

Is Phuket a Good Holiday Destination for Children - We consider whether Phuket is a good place to bring the kids and look at a few of the best hotels for children.

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