Swinging from a hammock with a coconut in hand, watching the long tail boats bob in the clear aqua-coloured waters whilst listening to the soothing sounds of waves lightly crashing onto powdery white sand is not yet a thing of the past at Phuket’s southernmost tip.
However, things are starting to slowly change around here and one building at a time. We are getting a little busier around these parts and the influx of so many fantastic coffee shops around mean the rise of a beautiful cafe culture in Nai Harn. Coffee and beaches, it’s every person’s dream right? (Unless you like snow better or something but that seems like something you might want to get checked out. Good thing medical is cheap here, right?)
Nai Harn is one of the coolest places to come and chill out in Phuket. It is slow moving, spacious and utterly beautiful. Its windy roads through hills and palm trees overlooking the beaches are an Instagrammers dream (or idk, TikTok if you’re GenAlpha or you really keep up with the trends – hey, good for you!).
In the past few years as more and more people have started to move to this wonderful place, the number of cafes have massively increased. You have expat meet-ups, digital nomads and tourists packing out cafes down here on the island, creating a brand new cafe culture in Nai Harn. There’s not many other places that you can go for a morning meet-up in a cafe and then spend the rest of the day on a tropical island beach tanning it up.
So the big question awaits, where is the best place to go for a tasty coffee and maybe a cheeky bit of brunch too?
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Poached Breakfast Cafe Rawai
Set a few minutes way from the soft sands of Nai Harn beach is the island’s favourite cafe, Poached Breakfast Cafe Rawai, which adds an Aussie twist to the thriving cafe culture in Nai Harn. With our minimalist style decor and relaxing natural lighting, you can be sure that you will leave feeling lighter in mood (although maybe a bit heavier in actual body mass depending on how much you order)!
Poached Breakfast Cafe Rawai sits right on the beachfront of Rawai, which is unique amongst the many beaches across the island. It’s not busy, has extremely calm turquoise waters with shady trees hanging over the sand. You can watch the traditional long tail boats bobbing quietly on the gently waves and admire the dense, jungle island in the near distance. The huge windows in front of the cafe give you a beautiful view to take in with a refreshing coffee or juice in hand.
What good is cafe culture without quality coffee though? Don’t worry, we’ve got both in spades. Our baristas are extensively trained to consistently deliver you coffees that hopefully, will change your life! The coffee beans are sourced from the best roasters on Phuket, ground to perfection and brewed into the perfect cup to kick off your day. From a cosy, frothy cappuccino to a tasty, refreshing iced macchiato, we have it all! Oh and don’t forget about our special, the After Eight Iced Cappuccino. Yes you heard me right! The beautiful peppermint classic chocolate flavour mixed into a cooling iced coffee and served in a tall glass. It is as impressive-looking as it is delicious.
Don’t forget to check out our spectacular Melbourne-inspired menu that will transport you right back to a cafe in the gorgeous streets of sunny Australia. For those of you who have noticed, we really do what our name says – we love our poached eggs! And we serve lots of incredible breakfast dishes that feature these rich and creamy eggs. For those of you who love an Aussie breakfast fry up, then Big Als Brekkie Eggs should certainly satisfy you – eggs your way, served up with homemade sourdough, flavourful chorizo, lean crispy bacon, sautéed mushrooms, perfect hash browns, sweet roasted tomato & tomato bush relish. Whew, that sounds like a dish out of this stratosphere!
Of course you’ll want to try our island-famous banana bread that is soft, moist and smothered in melty butter. Or tuck into our pulled pork eggs benny topped with apple slaw, cider hollandaise and 2 perfect eggs. We’ve got all your favourite eggy breakfast classics from scrambles, to omelettes, to fritters and more. Eggs-cellent!
If you’ve overdone the eggs a little this week, we’ve still got your back. We are aware that not everybody is an egg lover too, so there are a massive variety of other choices, from juicy burgers, zingy wraps and fresh sandwiches all the way to refreshing salad and fruit bowls.
Whatever you’re in the mood for, we’ve got it all right here. You can begin to see that the cafe culture in Nai Harn is no joke, Poached Breakfast Cafe Rawai is an absolute game changer of a cafe!
Cannelle Nai Harn
Cannelle Nai Harn is the epitome of digital nomad cafe culture in Nai Harn. Packed to the brim from start till finish with digital nomads (so stay away if you’re not a fan of lots of phone calls, zoom meetings and laptops all around you), great lighting, simplistic yet stylish decor in a fantastic location. It is located just a 10 minute walk from the beach and is always bustling with people if you’re looking to make a new bestie or work connection.
This spot has an on-site bakery and it shows. The pastries here steal the show. You have a choice of your cafe regulars such as pain au chocolate and carrot cake, but there’s also some pastries that are really different and still great quality, like the red velvet cinnamon roll and raspberry croissant roll. Get them early doors though because they are always sold out by lunchtime!
For the healthy eaters, there are also some pretty cool options on their food menu too, such as the Power Bowl packed with organic quinoa, char-grilled vegetables, chickpeas, guacamole. That one’s a little too healthy for me but it’s really good for you!
And, of course, there are a vast range of different coffee choices on the menu at Cannelle. It’s really handy and popular to takeaway their iced coffee options to keep you cool and refreshed for a day at the beach. If you are looking for something very typical of cafe culture in Nai Harn that is geared towards digital nomads, then Cannelle might be right for you.
Cocos Nai Harn
Cocos Nai Harn is a very new cafe with a tropical vibe. Steeped in greenery, with bamboo decor that brings you back to nature, you will really feel like you are sipping coffee on the edge of a jungle. This last cafe selection is something a little different compared to the usual cafe culture in Nai Harn.
Cocos sits on the edge of Nai Harn in land, which means it may not be a winner if you want to be near the beach. However, with its outdoor seating and interior which makes it feel you are in the wilds of Phuket, it might well be worth a little trek.
They pride themselves on their healthy drinks. There are some really cool juice options like the ‘More Beet’ which is beetroot, pineapple, apple, cucumber and mint all mixed together and ’The Veggie’, which is a blend of apple, lemon, ginger and carrot juice. Plus lots more for you to try if you’re into all the juicy stuff!
There are also a great selection of foods on their menu. A favourite has to be the Vegemite & egg smashed avo on sourdough toast. If you haven’t tried Vegemite then honestly, you are missing out big time. There are also a couple of salmon dishes on offer too if you’re feeling a little fishy. Cafe culture in Nai Harn is pretty healthy but Cocos takes it to a new level. You health fanatics out there will find comfort in the fresh food you can grab at this spot.
So, Where Has the Best Cafe Culture in Nai Harn?
So the big question beckons, which of Nai Harn’s myriad cafes have the best cafe culture? Out of a great bunch, Poached Breakfast Cafe Rawai has to take the title of the best cafe culture in Nai Harn. With the stunning beach right outside our front door, paired with the incredible food quality, variety and ingredients, plus the huge range of spectacular drinks, you can’t get much better than our humble cafe. Don’t believe us? Get yourself down here to test it out for yourselves!
If you liked this article, check out some of our other recommendations such as Best Breakfast in Nai Harn: It’s Systematic. It’s Hydromatic. Why, it’s Poached Breakfast Cafe Rawai!
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