The grand-dame of Phuket fine dining, perched on a cliffside at the northern end of Patong with the bay laid out below. Open since 1989, Baan Rim Pa serves Royal Thai cuisine — a refined court tradition heavy on curries, herb-fragrant grilled fish, and intricate carved vegetables — in a series of teak-floored salas with no walls between you and the sea.
The setting at sunset is genuinely special. Tables on the lowest terrace are perched over the water and need to be booked weeks ahead. Live piano in the bar adds a faintly absurd lounge atmosphere; the cocktails are good. Smart-casual dress; expect to spend serious money.