Water Court Restaurant at Banyan Tree Phuket

Having had quite a few Thai meals since our arrival at Phuket, we decided to take a break from Thai food and try something else. It was also raining cats and dogs at dinner time so the most convenient restaurant at Banyan Tree Phuket would be the Water Court restaurant which is just next to the lobby where we can easily catch the golf buggies that take us to and from our villa. The buggy service is essential at night as the paths connecting the various parts of the resort are winding and dimly lit. When it is raining, the buggy service is placed under great pressure as even those residing at the villas near the lobby will need a ride. A twenty-minute wait is not unusual, but to their credit, the staff handles the peak periods coolly and with a smile.

The Water Court restaurant serves Western cuisine with a seafood theme. It occupies a large squarish space next to the main lobby. Tightly focussed spotlights installed on the high ceiling project narrow beams of light down to each table. It looks beautiful at night as the mostly dark wood decor is illuminated by only a spot of light on each table. This will also explain the weird shadows and colours of the photos of the food. For starters we ordered the fried calamari and seafood broth. They turned out to be larger portions than expected. They were well prepared and most important of all the seafood was fresh. The broth was rich and tasty. The calamari and the fries were crisp on the outside and plump on the inside. No oiliness at all !

For the main course we had the fish and chips (520 Baht) and seafood linguine (380 Baht). These are common dishes you can find everywhere. Maybe because our expectation was low as a result of our earlier experience at another hotel restaurant (Tre French and Vietnamese Restaurant), we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of these dishes. The flavouring was well-coordinated and ingredients were fresh. The fish was very lightly battered so you can still taste the natural flavours of the fish. The restaurant is also highly skilled in making fries which are crisp and light. The pasta had huge juicy prawns in the tomato based sauce. The portions were also generous and we struggled to clean up the plate. It seems strange to be eating such dishes on a Thai holiday but we would certainly recommend this place.