When Baba Dining Lounge burst onto the scene a couple of years ago, people were flocking to Phuket’s new “it” venue. At last there was somewhere that managed to find a balance between being a great Phuket restaurant and hosting some wild parties as well. The guys at Baba have been working hard to give the island more of the good stuff and there have been a couple of additions to the Baba family.

Baba-Q is barbeque central with a fine selection of meats from around the world, including fresh seafood. Baba-Q is also home to a cooking school on the second floor, where there are six cooking stations that can be used for lessons or else converted into private hotpots for dining out. There’s a huge swimming pool and Baba-Q is as great a place to eat as it is to work on your tan. There are also parties held at Baba-Q, including NYE 2008 with music legend Arthur Baker. More big names to come for 2009.

Set to open in April is Baba 88 might well become Phuket premier clubbing venue. Baba 88 will be underneath Baba Q and will play host to top international DJs. The guys from Baba usually come good on their promises, so expect some exciting developments. There will definitely be a lot more parties at Baba and Baba 88 will likely be picking up the slack in the Phuket nightlife scene for a long time to come.

Chilled, stylish, quite expensive and out of the way of Phuket’s busy tourist spots. 360 is a cool hangout that attracts mostly the island’s property businessmen and their sales girls. It’s not a bad place to hangout, but it’s definitely aimed more at rich locals, as opposed to tourists in flip flops.

The bar is well stocked and has a decent range of spirits. Being a trendy Phuket bar, 360 has the music to match, with cool club tunes often being the order of the night. Occasionally they have guest DJs at 360, although these nights are rare.

The real bonus about this Phuket bar is its location and the ambience of the whole place. It’s definitely a class act in the Phuket bar scene, making it ideal if you’re out with a hot date or looking for a romantic evening out.

Watermark seems to have done a good job as cementing its reputation as the place to party for expats in Phuket. Compared to other bars and clubs in Phuket, it can feel a bit like you’re hanging out in a Western bar, but for drinks and good times, Watermark does the job.

Located at the Boat Lagoon marina, Watermark attracts its fair share of the island’s movers and shakers. The ambience is cool, overlooking the marina and some very expensive boats, which most bars in Phuket can’t offer.

The cocktail menu is pretty good and the wine list is worth checking out. Happy hour, every Friday from 5 pm to 7 pm, is when Watermark is at its busiest. There’s usually a live band or some form of music playing in the background. One for the active socialites in Phuket.

Baba Dining Lounge is located in the magnificent Sri Panwa resort, so you can be assured that you’re in a for a refined evening at this bar on the southernmost tip of Phuket. Cape Panwa serves up great views from Baba Dining Lougne.

The bar is huge, with several floors to explore and wander around, or else enjoy the outdoor seating. The décor is fab, too. This Phuket bar is one of the hipper places to party in Phuket, so expect to pay a little over the odds for drinks.

When these guys throw a party, however, it’s always a heck of a lot of fun with a decent crowd of Phuket’s busy socialites. Music varies. Sometimes you’ll hear chill out, while at other times, a DJ might be bashing out house beats or there may be a live vocalist. Worth making the trip for, even if you aren’t actually staying at Cape Panwa.

The Reggae Bar at Nai Harn is about the most chilled and laid-back bar in Phuket. There are a few decent bars and clubs in Nai Harn, but the Reggae Bar is by far the coolest. As you’d expect, the bar is run by a bunch of blissed-out Rasta dudes, led by Bow, a friendly chap who has a few good stories to tell.

If you want somewhere to watch the sun set in Phuket, Reggae Bar’s location next to Nai Harn lake makes it just about the best bar in Phuket to do so. If you’re thinking about where to go out in Phuket, Reggae Bar in Nai Harn is suitable for pre-club drinks or after-hours drinks. The place usually stays open later than most clubs.

After-hours clubs in Phuket are few and far between, but there are a handful of reggae bars, for some reason. On some nights, a live band brocks out or a DJ plays. There have even been drum ’n’ bass parties at Reggae Bar.