Their gleaming bows and polished woodwork make for an exotic backdrop to an evening's dining and the best thing about it is that this is a moveable visual feast in that these boats come and go, subtly altering Watermark's ambience in the process.

Where is it?

In the Boat Lagoon Marina

In the Boat Lagoon on Thepkasattri Road. This is the main road that leads from Phuket Town north, to the airport and Sarasin Bridge that joins Phuket to the mainland.

The Boat Lagoon is just north of Phuket Town. Look for the large PTT sign and turn down the side road.

View Watermark Restaurant location map.

Décor

Sofa space and deck-floored dining area

There are three distinct areas to Watermark; an open-sided, deck-floored dining section flanking the motor yachts; a sofa space in the central part with glass-topped low tables and plenty of cushions, and the bar area itself.

The bar and sofa space is also regularly used for tasteful photographic and art exhibitions. If there is one word to describe this restaurant, 'spacious' springs to mind and the polished wooden floors and well appointed steel and glass fittings augment this impression.

Well ventilated and tasteful with an open kitchen by the entrance, Watermark is modern chic.

Atmosphere

"Light, breezy and attractive"

There is usually a sprinkling of the well-off yachtie element at Watermark and the restaurant regularly hosts popular theme parties with live music and DJ's.

It's certainly a fashionable place to see and be seen in but it doesn't have the pretentious atmosphere of a Bangkok über-trendy posing venue and it's all the better for it.

Light, breezy and attractive, Watermark wears its chicness well.

Wine

House red: Spanish Terra Calida

You can order labels priced from 1,100 baht to a Chateau Haut Brion for a cool 23,995 baht from the 91-label wine list. In between, however, there is a whole gamut of whites, reds and sparkling wines to sample.

There are five wines served by the glass and the house red – a Spanish Terra Calida – goes for 220 baht with an alternative red – an Australian Beverford Cabernet Sauvignon Victoria – selling for 395 baht a glass.

This is a well-thought-out list presenting a robust balance between three wine-producing continents.

Food

'Mezze' platter

The wine list is designed to go hand-in-hand with Watermark's menu, which favors light, nutritional and fresh food.

A trio of Vietnamese spring rolls comes with surprising and exotic sauces (a piquant mustard-based sauce replacing a wasabi, and a sweet chili backbean sauce, for example) and is a success.

A 'mezze' platter of olives, sweet tomato chutney, Parma ham-wrapped cantaloupe, thyme-cured beef carpaccio, roast tomato jus and an absolutely out-of-this-world roast tomato tart proves this cuisine's mettle.

Lime cheesecake

You certainly know what you're eating here as the menu contains nutritional information on each of its dishes. For seafood lovers, the barbecued king prawns on young papaya, pumpkin and green mango is a must-try and for mains the pan-roasted golden chicken breast on creamy parmesan risotto is remarkable in that each individual flavour stands out handsomely.

In short, this is sensational stuff and the desserts of lime cheesecake served with a passion fruit coulis and margarita jelly wedges on a pistachio biscotti crunch, along with chocolate cappuccino mousse are just as impressive.

Service

Watermark has a healthy reputation for good service and the evening we spent there was no exception, in that we were well taken care of by the attentive and well-presented wait staff.

Watermark: 22/1 Moo 2 Thepkasattri Road. Tel: 076-239078
Email: info@watermarkphuket.com www.watermarkphuket.com