Estrela Rooftop Bar sits on the 17th floor of Novotel Phuket City Phokeethra in Talat Yai, a sky lounge that wraps a 360 degree view around the Old Town and the hills beyond. It opens daily in the late afternoon and runs a happy hour as the sun drops.
Who would love it: visitors staying in or near Old Town who want a high view and a proper cocktail without a drive to the coast. Who would find it less their speed: anyone after a beach club scene, since this is a calmer hotel rooftop built around the skyline and the sunset.
The room takes a classic Hemingway styling, with an indoor lounge and an outdoor deck that opens to the full panorama. The height is the point here, since Old Town is mostly low rise and few rooftops reach this far up.
Doors open at 4:30pm and the bar runs to midnight seven days a week. The daily happy hour falls between 4:30pm and 6:00pm with a buy one get one offer on selected drinks, which lines up neatly with the sunset.
The cocktail list pairs with a fusion tapas menu that crosses Thai and international plates, from small bites to mains. The kitchen is built for grazing across an evening rather than a set dinner, so the bar works for a long sitting.
The view does the heavy lifting after dark, when the Old Town grid lights up below the deck. Reviewers on Tripadvisor through 2026 single out the sunset window and the service, with the usual note to arrive early for an outer rail seat.
The crowd is a mix of hotel guests and local couples marking an evening out, and it stays relaxed rather than loud. Weekends fill the outdoor deck first, so a booking helps for a prime table.
The best time to go is just before sunset, when the happy hour and the light line up and the deck has not yet filled. Phuket 101 lists it among the town rooftops worth the lift, and the Novotel site carries the current hours and offers.
For a first night in Old Town it pairs well with a heritage dinner below, since the bar sits a short ride from the Thalang Road core. Smart casual dress suits the room, and reservations are worth making for weekends and holidays.
The room sits inside a city hotel rather than a beachfront resort, which keeps it open year round and steady through the wet season when coastal decks close early. That reliability is part of why it stays on the Old Town rooftop lists.
Getting there is simple from anywhere in the old quarter, a short tuk tuk or walk to the Novotel tower on Chanacharoen Road. The lift runs straight to the 17th floor, so the climb is quick even on a busy night.
The bar also draws a steady after work set from the city offices nearby, which gives weeknights a calmer feel than the weekend deck. Reviewers note the staff keep the pace easy even when the terrace is full, and the kitchen runs late enough for a proper meal alongside the view.
Estrela suits a date, a quiet sundowner, or a calm start before the Old Town bars get going. For more of the area see our guide to rooftop bars in Phuket, the cliffside tables at Baba Nest, the sky deck at Kee Sky Lounge, and more rooms around Old Town.
Few Old Town rooftops reach this height with a full bar and kitchen behind them, which is what keeps it on the town shortlists. The value lands in the sunset window, so plan the evening around it.