ENGLISH / IRISH
Clarets Lounge
68 Nanai Road, Patong.
Tel: 076-345 254
Open: 9am-2am.
Situated on a back road of Patong, Clarets serves good pub-style food in a clean and comfortable aircon setting. The Aussie burger at 150 baht, New Zealand lamb steak at 235 baht and chilli pork with rice or spaghetti at 130 baht are just a few of the well presented dishes on offer. A large screen TV is available for all major sporting events.

Expat Hotel Coffee Shop
Soi Sunset, Patong.
Tel: 076-342 143
Open: 24 hours a day. Credit cards accepted, 3% charge.
Patong's only 24 hour coffee shop and a popular hangout for both expats and tourists. Serving large portions of both Thai and European food it is best known for its Sunday roasts and daily specials. A filling meal can be had for less than 200 baht, though the service could be improved. Shows videos from 12noon till the early morning, though if there's something in particular you want to watch on TV you'll find the staff obliging.

Faulty Towers
Soi Sunset, Patong
Tel: 076-344 061
Open: 6pm-midnight.
Since Scud, Arnt and Meow took over both the décor and menu are slowly improving. The recently added Cowboy breakfast, including steak, eggs, chips, beans & fried onions, is a great buy at just 200 baht, while the Faulty burger at 110 baht and Amstel draught at 90 baht a pint are also decent value. Don't be put off by the scruffy interior, this is pub grub at its best. And if you're feeling really brave try a Big Boys Milkshake.

Islander
Soi Patong Resort, Patong.
Tel: 076-0342 685
Open: 9am-midnight.
The Islander has been around for a long time and has a well earned reputation for being one of the best English-style eateries in Patong. Hearty breakfasts are available all day and a different roast is served daily. You'll also find plenty of other favourites on the more than adequate menu.

Molly Malone's
Patong Beach Road, (under KFC).
Tel: 076 292 771
Open: 11am-midnight. Credit cards accepted.
An Irish theme pub with a great atmosphere. Quality food available at very reasonable prices: New Zealand steak and Guinness pie costs 249 baht, and bangers and mash 229 baht. Pints of Kilkenny and Guinness draught are also on offer, but at a price of 349 baht! Draught Carlsberg is a more refreshing option at just 99 baht a pint during happy hours. Polite staff and nightly live Irish music make this a great place to visit.

Tavern on the Hill
21 Hasip Pee Road, Patong Beach.
Tel: 09-874 5159
Open: 12noon-midnight
No credit cards
Situated on a hill overlooking Patong this restaurant/pub boasts incredible views of the town and neighbouring rain forest from its delightful roof garden. Although it has a relatively small menu at the moment plans are afoot for daily specials such as grills, steaks etc. There's also a limited Thai menu. Wine is available at 400 baht for a one-litre jug and a good meal will cost you no more than 500 baht. Tastefully decorated and well laid out, it's well worth a visit.

EXOTIC ASIAN / INTERNATIONAL
Koh Joy (incorporating Katoys 'R' Us)
146 Royal Paradise Complex, Patong.
Tel: 076-294 393
Open: 6pm-2am.
This place is not just a restaurant, it's an experience. Contemporary pictures hang all around the walls of this well laid out eatery and the live cabaret shows every night feature the best looking katoys (ladyboys) you will ever see. Not a large menu but the chef has developed some good variations on popular themes; the prawns on horseback, calamari cecina and karnomm jeap must be tried. A good choice of wines from 590-1,200 baht. Reservations recommended. Closed Tuesdays.

FRENCH
La Mousson
3 Soi Sawatdirak, Patong Beach.
Tel: 076-341 468
Open: 6pm-late.
Credit cards accepted.
If you like French cuisine you'll love La Mousson. Smartly decorated with attentive staff and a nice atmosphere, this is eating out at its best. Prices are a little high, but that's to be expected. The rock lobster salad with cider dressing, for example, is 270 baht, while the most expensive item on the menu is the chateaubriand at 480 baht. Complementing the fine food is one of the best wine lists outside France.

ITALIAN
Casanova
Just off the beach road in the plaza in front of Patong Tower,
108 Thaveewong Road, Patong, Phuket
Tel: 076-340 417
Open: 3pm-11pm
Credit cards accepted
A pleasant, comfortable restaurant well located in central Patong. The menu is a typically Italian with all the usual dishes, including pasta and pizzas. In the starter section there is an interesting aubergine-based dish - Melanzane alla Parmigiano - that I found particularly good and different. Boss Tony, from southern Italy, is usually prowling the restaurant to see all is in order.

INDIAN
Naurang Mahal
58/11 Bangla Road, Soi Patong Resort.
Tel: 076-292 280
Open: 11am-midnight. Credit cards accepted.
Family-run, with an Indian chef, this is one of the better Indian restaurants in Patong in terms of both quality & quantity. The menu has all the regulars - korma, vindaloo, tikka masala etc etc - with a meal for two costing around 400 baht. The house wine is 90 baht a glass and you can choose to drink it either outside or in. The restaurant also offers a free pick-up for anyone in Patong and a free delivery service. With no taxes or service charges, this place offers good value for your baht.

INTERNATIONAL
Blue Lagoon
239/5 Ratutit 200 Pee Road, Patong.
Tel: 076-344 542
Open: 7am-1am. Credit cards accepted.
The Blue Lagoon, which only opened in November 2001, is best known for its 'all you can eat' buffet at 150 baht. Available every night except Saturdays, it includes a good range of Thai dishes plus barbecue ribs, fish sticks and chicken wings cooked in cola and honey. From the main menu you can choose anything from seafood to pasta (110-160 baht), or even filet mignon at 320 baht. The restaurant is air conditioned, clean and well appointed. There's a pool table and satellite TV in the adjoining bar.

JAPANESE
Sushi Tabeta
210/1Ratutit 200 Pee Road, Patong.
Tel: 076-345 286
Open 11am-11pm. Credit cards accepted.
Some of the best Japanese in Phuket can be found here. And right now you can tuck into as much sushi as you can eat for a mere 300 baht. The service is quick and friendly and the house specialties - sakesama robata barbecue, torikushi and ebi tempura - are well worth a try. If you like Japanese food you will like this place.

THAI
Baan Rim Pa
100/7 Kalim Beach Road, Patong.
Tel: 076-340 789
Open: 12noon-midnight. Credit cards accepted.
A first-class restaurant in a great setting overlooking Patong bay. The menu is superb and the entertainment, provided by Tommy Doyle on the grand piano, adds to the romantic atmosphere. However, all this does not come cheap: expect to pay upwards of 2,500 baht for a meal for two and around 900-1,000 more for a bottle of house wine. For the price the portions are not huge, but the service and quality of the food are excellent.

Chez-La-Thailandaise
Soi Patong Resort, off Bangla Road, Patong.
Open: 6pm-midnight. Credit cards accepted.
Classic Thai dishes with a French twist is the order of the day here. The setting is very pleasant, with an impressive entrance, attractive, shaded outdoor area and a stylish air conditioned interior. The bar area features pictures of its sister restaurant in St Tropez. Thankfully the food here doesn't come at Riviera prices, with all starters 90 baht and most main courses 190 baht. While the idea for this place is good, the food we had there lacked a certain je ne c'est quoi so judgement is reserved for the time being.

KAMALA BEACH
Rythum & Beach
17/17 Layi Kamala Beach.
Tel: 076-279 527
Open: 12noon-2am.
One of the few places on Phuket serving good Tex-Mex food, with burritos, tachos and enchiladas all on the menu at reasonable prices. Full moon parties are held every month and feature live music, a Polynesian dance show and competitions. Margaritas are 120 baht a glass or 500 baht for a jug. This place should be busier than it is.

White Orchid
Just west of Kamala Terrace Resort, Follow the signs from Patong to Kamala Road.
Open: 12noon-10pm.
The main attraction of this place is its location. Few people get up this road and once past the Kamala resort it goes nowhere, so you really feel like you've found a piece of Phuket that's still unspoilt. The restaurant itself is actually little more than a shack surrounded by jungle but don't let that fool you. The food is very good - most of it coming from the sea across the road - the staff are friendly, and the Mai Tai, which I thought I'd have to get me in the mood, was wonderful.

KARON BEACH
Beefeater Tavern
33/106 Patak Road, Karon Beach.
Tel: 076-286 352
Open: 9am-late.
Not only do the big all-day breakfasts make this a popular place to eat but Maurice makes an excellent pork pie. In addition there are sandwiches at 70 baht, fillet steak Rossini at 380 baht and a decent children's menu. Well presented food and pleasant staff make this a place to return to.

RAWAI BEACH
Don's Cafe
53/5 Soi Saiyuan Moo 7, Rawai.
Tel: 076-288 229
Open: 8am-11pm. Credit cards accepted.
With more than 300 dishes and 100 cheaper wines to choose from, this place offers something for everyone. As a result, even though it's a little out of the way, it never fails to attract plenty of expats and visitors. Don's ribs are renowned, as are the imported steaks. There's also Swiss, Italian, Mexican, German and Thai cuisine on a fat menu. A good meal will cost around 450 baht including wine, or slightly less if you drink draught beer - from 35 baht a glass - instead. A friendly environment and a must try.

The Green Man
Patak Road, Rawai, Phuket
Tel: 076-280757
Website: http://www.the-green-man.net
Open: 11am-1am
Credit cards accepted
From the outside this is a truly impressive copy of a 1930's half-timbered roadhouse whose gardens, car park and children's playground are all very much as you'd find back in the UK. Inside the actual bar is surprisingly small, though the décor of the sitting areas is good with some impressive chairs. There is stage for live music, mainly jazz, and for some obscure reason lots of different floor levels. Upstairs is an "elegant" (their word) restaurant.
The bar menu is extensive with almost every kind of pub food one can think of. Then there is a separate menu for the elegant upstairs bit, which is open only in the evenings. The pub food comes in massive portions and with some nice touches, unfortunately the final result, on the plate, is not that impressive and the term 'pub grub' springs readily to mind. I didn't try the upstairs restaurant but the menu looks interesting.

PHUKET TOWN
Je t'aime
183/93 Pha Na Road, Phuket Town.
Tel: 076-219 103
Open: 11.00am-midnight.
Credit cards accepted.
Not an easy place to find but well worth the effort. One of Phuket's few Vietnamese restaurants, this place can get very busy in the early evening particularly with local people who enjoy the pleasant ambience. Vegetarian spring rolls at 50 baht, Vietnamese sukiyaki at 160 baht and Vietnamese dumplings with minced pork at 80 baht are just a few of the items on the menu. A meal for two people with wine will cost on average 900 baht.