Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [570]
Bars
Despite Patong’s reputation, not all of the area’s bars are of the gogo-girl variety.
Port ( Map; Th Thawiwong, Baan Thai Resort) An outdoor bar smack in the heart of the action, the Port features glowing blue-and-green lounge chairs that match the designer cocktails and pulsates all evening long. Complimentary bar snacks are served throughout the night.
Two Black Sheep ( Map; 08 9872 2645; 172 Th Rat Uthit) Owned by a fun Aussie couple, this old-school pub is a great find. It has good grub and live music nightly. From 8pm to 10pm there’s an acoustic set, then Chilli Jam, the house band, gets up and rocks till last call. Towards the wee hours local musicians, fresh off their gigs, filter in and spontaneous jams ensue. And bar girls are banned, which keeps everything rated PG.
Molly Malone’s ( Map; 0 7629 2771; Th Thawiwong) Wildly popular with tourists, this pub rocks with Irish gigs every night at 9.45pm. There’s a good atmosphere, great pub food and some excellent outdoor tables perfect for people-watching. Guinness is available for a mere 349B per pint.
Scruffy Murphy’s ( Map; 0 7629 2590; 5 Th Bangla) A Molly Malone’s facsimile, Scruffy’s offers live acts and sports on the big screen. If you’re keen to escape the girly-bar scene, this is one of the better bets.
JP’s ( Map; 0 7634 3024; 5/28 Th Rat Uthit) This hipster indoor-outdoor lounge at BYD Lofts ( Click here) definitely brings a touch of style and panache to Patong. There’s a low-slung bar, outdoor sofa booths, happy hours (with free tapas) from 10pm and weekly DJ parties.
SOUTHERN BEACHES
From Karon to Rawai, each beach caters to all budget types with heaps of hidden Thai gems and tons of expat-owned joints.
Karon
When compared to Patong or Kata next door, Karon loses the culinary contest. As usual, almost every place to stay has a restaurant but you’ll have to look hard to find memorable eats.
Pad Thai Shop ( Map; Th Patak East; noodles from 40B; lunch) On the busy main road behind Karon, just north of the tacky Ping Pong Bar, is this glorified food stand that spills from the owners’ home onto a dirt lot. It’s only open for lunch, when you can find chicken-feet stew, beef-bone soup and the best pàt tai on earth. Spicy and sweet, packed with prawns, tofu, egg and peanuts, and wrapped in a fresh banana leaf – you’ll be back for seconds, we promise.
Mama Noi’s ( Map; 0 7628 6272; Karon Plaza, 291/1-2 Moo 3, Th Patak East; dishes 50-190B; breakfast, lunch & dinner) Repeat visitors adore this place, which churns out fantastic Thai and Italian pasta dishes. It does a superb gaeng som (southern Thai curry with fish and prawns), bakes its own baguettes every morning and has the best banana shake on the island.
Red Onion ( Map; 0 7639 6827; dishes 80-160B; 4-11pm) High on tasty food, low on atmosphere, this slap-shut eatery, housed in a garage, is a bona fide expat magnet. Cocktail selections complement the international meals – or an extra one to blur the bad music humming in the background. It’s about 300m east of the roundabout – look for the coloured lights.
Little Mermaid ( Map; 0 7639 6580; 643 Th Patak East; dishes 80-300B; breakfast, lunch & dinner) The UN of speedy grub, Little Mermaid features menus in six languages, free wi-fi, hearty Western breakfasts and evening barbecues – you’re likely to have at least one meal here if you’re sleeping in Karon. There are lamb chops on Monday, ribs on Wednesday and Phuket lobster on Saturday night.
Kata
Although nearby Karon is a culinary snooze-fest, Kata cooks up several decent places to tempt the taste buds. All of the following options are a safe bet for satisfaction.
Kwong Shop Seafood ( Map; 08 1273 3707; Th Thai Na; dishes 40-130B; lunch & dinner) Kwong,