Pasta, pizza, a proper evening / September 2026
5 Italian restaurants in Phuket: Acqua, Five Olives and three more to save
“Let’s have Italian” is an excellent proposal. It leaves just one small question: are we discussing a serious tasting menu, a sea-view dinner or the sort of pizza that makes sharing feel negotiable?
Choose Acqua for Italian fine dining, Five Olives for pizza in Cherngtalay, La Gritta for a Patong Bay setting, La Gaetana for a small family-run restaurant in Phuket Town and Don Vito for a Cherngtalay trattoria option. Save the exact branch and address along with the name.
The five, by mood and location
| Restaurant | Area | My starting point |
|---|---|---|
| Acqua | Kalim / Patong | Contemporary Italian fine dining. source ↗ |
| Five Olives | Cherngtalay | Canotto-style pizza. source ↗ |
| La Gritta | Amari Phuket, Patong | Italian food with a bay view. source ↗ |
| La Gaetana | Bang Niao, Phuket Town | A small family-run dining room. source ↗ |
| Don Vito Trattoria | Cherngtalay; confirm current pin | A trattoria meal on the north-west side. source ↗ |
This is a shortlist of different formats, not a contest between pizza and fine dining. I compared the published menus, settings and locations. “Best” here means best matched to the evening — and to the amount of travelling you want dinner to involve.
1. Acqua — for the evening you dress for
Acqua Phuket is Alessandro Frau’s Kalim restaurant, with a contemporary Italian menu informed by his Sardinian background. Use the Phuket website when checking menus and reservations; the brand also has a Bangkok presence. source ↗ source ↗
I would choose this when the meal itself is the reason to go out. Decide whether you want the chef to lead the sequence or prefer to build your own dinner, then request the current options. There is pleasure in being precise about what you want from an occasion. “Something nice” can cover a rather wide stretch of the bill.
2. Five Olives — make room for the crust
Five Olives in Cherngtalay highlights contemporary Neapolitan Canotto-style pizza, with its airy raised rim, alongside pasta and other Italian dishes. The restaurant publishes daily opening from 11:00 to 23:00. source ↗
This would be my pizza-led choice for an easy lunch or a casual evening near Bang Tao. I would order one familiar pizza and one that makes the table curious, then decide whether pasta still sounds necessary. It probably will. Leave the answer open until you have seen the size of everyone’s enthusiasm.
For a group, ask the restaurant to help pace the order. A good pizza deserves a little attention while it is hot; five arriving during a long speech about your day may be less efficient.
3. La Gritta — when the bay is part of dinner
La Gritta is at Amari Phuket, overlooking Patong Bay. Its September 2026 special advertises truffle tagliolini from THB 990. That is the starting price of a dish, not a complete dinner budget; confirm the final charges when ordering. source ↗
I would choose it for an unhurried evening and ask specifically about a table with a view. “At a restaurant with a view” and “at a table with a view” are related ideas, but they are not identical bookings. If weather threatens your terrace plan, a comfortable covered alternative matters more than a brave commitment to the photograph.
4. La Gaetana — a smaller, more personal scale
La Gaetana is a family-run Italian restaurant at 352 Phuket Road in the Bang Niao area of Phuket Town. The directory describes homemade pasta and a compact dining room. It is outside the central Old Town streets, so save its own pin. source ↗
This is the format I would consider for a couple or a small group who want to settle into a conversation. Call ahead rather than treating a small restaurant as an unlimited walk-in resource. Ask what the kitchen is making that day and choose a few things well. Intimacy is one of the attractions of a small room; it is also why bringing twelve extra friends needs a discussion.
5. Don Vito Trattoria — first, save the current address
Don Vito’s claimed listing describes a move and provides updated Cherngtalay contact details. That is worth paying attention to: older reviews and photographs may describe a previous setting. I would confirm the current map pin directly before reserving. source ↗
Keep it on the list for a straightforward trattoria evening when you are staying in the north-west. Ask for the present menu, choose according to the kitchen’s current strengths and book the restaurant that exists today. A beloved old review is a useful introduction; it should not be in charge of your navigation.
My quick decision
- For a fine-dining occasion: Acqua.
- For pizza near Bang Tao: Five Olives.
- For a Patong Bay view: La Gritta.
- For a small Phuket Town dinner: La Gaetana.
- For another Cherngtalay trattoria option: Don Vito, after confirming its location.
Choose the kind of Italian evening first. The menu becomes much easier to read.
Useful to know
Frequently asked questions
Is the restaurant called Aqua or Acqua?
The Italian fine-dining restaurant in Kalim is Acqua, with two c’s. Use the Phuket branch when reserving. source ↗
Where would you start for pizza near Bang Tao?
Five Olives in Cherngtalay is the pizza-focused choice in this selection. source ↗
Which restaurant has a Patong Bay setting?
La Gritta at Amari Phuket. Ask which table is being offered and whether the preferred seating depends on the weather. source ↗
Behind the story
Data and sources
Restaurant selections reflect editorial judgement. Venue facts link to original sources; guest-review scores are dated snapshots, not live rankings. Calculations and individual guest opinions are identified separately.
- Acqua Phuket · Official menu ↗
Phuket restaurant menu and contact details. Use this branch when enquiring; Acqua also operates in Bangkok.
- MICHELIN Guide · Acqua, Phuket ↗
Independent restaurant description, Alessandro Frau and the Kalim address. A guide listing is not a Michelin star.
- Acqua Phuket · Gallery ↗
Selected the photograph specifically identified as Acqua Phuket lobster salad; excluded Bangkok-labelled images in the mixed gallery.
- Five Olives · Official restaurant website ↗
Cherngtalay restaurant, Canotto-style pizza and daily 11:00–23:00 hours, checked 8 September 2026. No award rank or live table availability inferred.
- La Gritta · Amari Phuket ↗
Official restaurant, Patong Bay terrace and September 2026 truffle tagliolini advertised from THB 990. Final price and charges require confirmation.
- Phuket.net · La Gaetana ↗
Restaurant directory: family-run Italian restaurant at 352 Phuket Road, Bang Niao. Checked against the named venue, not an Old Town centre address.
- Tripadvisor · Don Vito Trattoria ↗
Claimed listing with a relocation notice and current contact details. Confirm the restaurant’s map pin; older descriptions can refer to its previous setting.
Prepared on 8 September 2026. Prices, schedules and rules can change; check the original source before paying or travelling.
