15 Best Beachfront Restaurants in Kamala

Coconut Garden is a popular Kamala restaurant with several bungalows for rent. The simple beachfront eatery serves a wide choice of Thai and international dishes, with its menu presented in Thai, English, Russian, Chinese and German. Prices range between 120 baht and 200 baht for most dishes, though expect to pay more for steaks. Its bar only opens during the high season, usually from late-October to April.

Deng’s Restaurant & Guesthouse is a beachfront restaurant offering Thai and European dishes with views of Kamala Beach. It gets quite busy during the high season, with BBQ parties taking place on Wednesday evenings. Ffor around 500 baht per adult, you can enjoy all-you-can-eat seafood, meat, mixed salad, and fruit from 7pm to 9pm. Menus are available in English, Thai, Swedish and Russian.

Freedom Restaurant & Bar serves affordable international and Thai dishes on Kamala Beach. You can recognise this beachfront eatery with its quaint checkered tablecloths on wooden furniture. Note that its western options – like pizzas and fish 'n' chips – are almost better valued than the local cuisine. The staff are friendly and take food allergies very seriously. 

Hey Ha is a modest but fairly classy restaurant in Kamala, with elegant white furniture and purple tablecloths. One of its standout dishes is the seafood basket, which includes a 400-g lobster, 3 prawns, 1 squid, 1 large fish and green salad, along with French fries or rice. There is also an extensive selection of a la carte options, including goong sarong (deep-fried shrimps wrapped in noodles), chicken massaman curry, and tuna steak with tartar sauce. 

Lillo Island is one of the few restaurants in Kamala that display fresh seafood out front. Its breakfast menu includes Thai and American sets, freshly brewed coffee, and fresh fruit juices. Later in the day, you can enjoy grilled Phuket lobster, pad Thai, beef salad, and pizzas. Prices range around 150 baht to 250 baht for main dishes. Drinks-wise, Lillo Island offers cocktails, draft Singha,  and bottled local beers. 

Lucky 13 Sandwich has several outlets in Phuket, including Kamala, Rawai and Patong. You can find this fast-casual restaurant right at the southern end of Kamala Beach. It offers a wide range of reasonably-priced sandwiches, burgers and wraps, as well as fruit sodas, coffee, fruit juices, and milkshakes. Must-tries include the roast beef with avocado sandwich, falafel wrap, and Copenhagen hotdog. 

Moon Rock Bar & Cocktail occupies part of Kamala's beachfront, where you can enjoy live sports and rock music until late. The menu – neatly displayed atop an old tree stump in front of the restaurant – includes typical Thai favourites like sweet-and-sour chicken and stir-fried beef in oyster sauce. The bartender can whip up impressive cocktails, like the Singapore Gin Sling, but bottled beers are available as well. 

Nanork Seafood on Kamala Beach has an excellent bar on the 3rd floor, which opens every day from 3pm to 11pm. The restaurant specialises in Thai seafood, with prices around 100 baht to 200 baht per dish. Standouts include the massaman curry, veggie tempura and green curry. Nanork Seafood also serves excellent banana split for dessert. 

Pavillion Seafood is a family-friendly restaurant right on Kamala Beach, opposite Kamala School. This open-air dining venue offers local and international dishes, including burgers, spaghetti and Thai favourites. The best time to visit Pavillion Seafood is in the evening when you get to enjoy sunset views of Kamala Beach. Free Wi-Fi is available.

Pond Restaurant and Bar is one of the most affordable beachfront restaurants along Kamala Beach. It's particularly popular with European travellers, to the extent that you'll often find a number of tables displaying “reserved” signs – quite a rare sight in the area.

The menu consists of Thai and western dishes, with prices averaging at around 150 baht per dish. Drinks are quite inexpensive as well – Chang beer costs around 50 baht at Pond Restaurant and Bar.

Royal India is a simple beachfront restaurant located at the end of Jar Market on Kamala Beach. The well-spoken owner – Babar – is friendly and welcoming, while dishes are excellent and attractively priced. Highly recommended is the naan bread, which you should pair with Royal India's spicy curries. Biriyani dishes range between 150 baht and 360 baht. 

Seaside Bar & Restaurant is one of the larger and more firmly established of the "toes-in-the-sand" restaurants along Kamala Beach. Its friendly owner, Jack, serves up a good choice of western and Thai dishes. Pizzas, burgers and Thai curries range around 140 baht to 200 baht, making Seaside Bar pricier than most Kamala beachfront restaurants. 

Smile Bar 1 is an excellent Kamala beach bar, with a much less rough-and-ready appearance than its sister-venue (at the southern end of the beach). It specialises in barbecued dishes, including an impressive range of seafood. Drinks are very affordable here, with mojitos priced at around 90 baht.

Smile Snack Bar 2 is a humble-looking bar at the southern end of Kamala Beach. It has dozens of large beach umbrellas close enough together to form a roof. Dishes are prepared barbecue-style, with standouts like its roasted half-chicken with potatoes. Drinks are particularly cheap at Smile Snack Bar 2, starting from 40 baht for a Thai rum with soda or Coke.