LION PHUKET CAFE — Restaurant in Talat Nuea

What an incredible place! The lions are clearly well cared for, and the cubs are definitely NOT drugged. I usually don’t leave reviews, but I felt the need to after seeing so many misconceptions.

First of all, these cubs are NOT taken from the wild. They are born in captivity, meaning they have never lived in the wild and are not separated from wild lion prides. They are raised in a safe, controlled environment where they receive proper care from birth. As they grow, they continue to live their lives in Lion Land, not being sold or exploited.

Lions naturally sleep up to 19 hours a day, so it’s no surprise you’ll see them resting. One of the cubs I saw was just a month old—at that age, they’re still wobbly on their feet, which is completely normal!

I had the amazing experience of playing with the cubs for over 20 minutes and even got to watch them being bottle-fed. After their feed, they were full of energy again—playing, running around, and just being little lion cubs. Anyone claiming they are sedated is simply misinformed. This place truly cares for...

It felt amazing playing with the lion cubs. But more than just being a business, you could see that the owners genuinely cared about the lion cubs. The cubs were definitly not sedated, well fed with shiny and fluffy hairs, very active and playful, and if they ever got tired they would let them rest until they wake up again and allow people to approach them. I also appeciated the time limit to interact with the cubs, so as to not overstimulate them. Since they were born in captivity, they unfortunately cannot be released into the wild, but we felt lucky enough to have the chance to interact with them during the short window before they are sent back to a sanctuary. The place itself felt a bit basic, but charming with some nice and tasty drinks. Alltogether a value for money experience with great and kind staff members who help us taking what seems like a million pictures in a minimum time and promptly addressed our concerns. Thank you for this...

Visiting Lion Phuket Cafe was like a dream come true — I got to touch and play with both white and brown baby lion cubs! 🦁 The experience was truly unique and memorable.

The café is located in Old Town and has a cozy vibe. The staff were friendly and helpful throughout the visit. What I really appreciated is that it didn’t feel like a zoo — the cubs were active, not sedated, which made the interaction feel more natural and ethical. Although the brown cub was almost asleep when my turn came. :(

You have the option to either pay to go inside and interact with the cubs or just sip a coffee and watch. However, I do feel that the playtime is quite short for the price charged. It would be great if they could either increase the time or adjust the pricing a bit.

Still, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience — worth visiting if you love animals and want to get up close with lion cubs in a...