Rose Espresso, Old Phuket Town

A breakfast cafe with English cottage vibes.

Step into Rose Espresso to be transported to a place that looks distinctly un-Phuket. This charming cafe bursting with roses in Phuket’s old town specialises in coffee and breakfast. If it weren’t for the blazing temperatures outside and the Thai man behind the counter, you might believe that you’re in a quaint English bed and breakfast.

Ambience & Amenities

Rose Espresso Cafe looks like an English grandmother’s house. Pink roses are everywhere. There are a bunch of cute, random wall hangings and bric-a-brac scattered around the cafe. The cupboard near the back especially looks like something you’d find in an old lady’s cottage. The food is served on fancy floral china that I was terrified of ruining.

There aren’t that many tables at Rose Espresso. At the back, there are wicker couches and counter seating. Two high tables are set up next to the window with two more outside on the patio.

The toilet is upstairs, behind the further door. The door to the washroom is strangely locked with a hook on the outside, and the cafe asks that you lock it again when you’re finished. Inside, the toilet room was quite shabby. There was a sitting toilet with toilet paper. The sink didn’t have liquid soap, only hand sanitizer. There is a white curtain pulled across the room that conceals a shower tub, and there was body wash here that we used to properly wash our hands. It really felt like this was someone’s private bathroom that I wasn’t supposed to be using. I would try to avoid using the washroom at Rose Espresso if possible.

Menu

Click on any menu picture to enlarge

The Rose Espresso menu is a small clipboard with mostly breakfast dishes like eggs benedict and waffles. Some of the options can be ordered as a combo that will include a drink of either any tea, espresso or an americano. If you stop in here for lunch, there’s a small selection of pasta and sandwiches too. On each table, there should be a stand where coffee drinks are listed on one side and iced beverages on the other. Don’t miss the chalkboard behind the counter, which will have a few items not listed anywhere else.

Across the street, you might see a woman with an orange juice cart. This is the owner’s older sister and her juice is also sold at Rose Espresso. I think it’s the juices under “Slooow Juice” on the chalkboard menu. We were watching her during our breakfast – the juice is clearly fresh squeezed and made in a very precise manner, hence the name. We picked up a bottle, and it was nice, pulpy OJ. It was pleasantly sweet, which was surprising since we didn’t see her add any sugar.

Food

I asked for a Caramel Cappuccino (80 Baht). I think it’s what I received, but we only got charged for a regular cappuccino which was 10 baht less. The sweetness of this cappuccino was just to my liking, masking all of the bitterness of the espresso.

I was disappointed with the Croque Madame (150 Baht). The croissant was pre-wrapped and being taken from the cabinet so who knows how fresh it was, but the texture was flaky and pretty good. I was expecting real shredded chicken in the middle, but it was chicken slices. The menu claims that this is toasted but nothing except the egg felt warm and the mozzarella slice was not melted at all.

The Spinach and Bacon Eggs Benedict Florentine (269 Baht with drink) was topped with enough bacon to hide the eggs underneath. It was a letdown that the base was merely a slice of thick toast, and not English muffins as advertised and the asparagus was also missing. We enjoyed that the Hollandaise was not overwhelming, as it usually is with other eggs bennies. Sometimes the bread and eggs are absolutely swimming in Hollandaise. This, however, was balanced, tasty and easy to eat. The salad that came on the side of both dishes was red coral lettuce topped with a light splash of balsamic vinaigrette.

Saturday Worthy?

The owner of the cafe (and his orange juicing sister!) are very nice people, but we did not return here during our time in Phuket. Breakfast joints are severely limited in this area, but I think there are better places to go for breakfast. Siam Bakery nearby has the same kind of food for cheaper and in bigger portions. Rose Espresso is open earlier than most places, so this cafe is a passable option if you need to get an early start to your day. I wouldn’t come here for lunch though when there are so many other restaurants around.

Price for 2 Pax: 489 Baht

Croque Madame (without drink): 150 Baht
Spinach and Bacon Eggs Benedict Florentine (with Americano): 269 Baht
Caramel Cappucino: 70 Baht (accounting error)

Rose Espresso Cafe

Address: 13 Krabi, Tambon Talat Nuea, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000, Thailand
Opening Hours: Daily, 8am – 6pm
Alcohol Served: No