Phytoplankton are key components of ecosystems. Their growth is deeply influenced by temperature. In a context of global change, it is important to precisely estimate the impact of temperature on these organisms at different spatial and temporal scales. Here, we review the existing deterministic models used to represent the effect of temperature on microbial growth that can be applied to phytoplankton. We first describe and provide a brief mathematical analysis of the models used in constant conditions to reproduce the thermal growth curve. We present the mechanistic assumptions concerning the effect of temperature on the cell growth and mortality, and discuss their limits. The coupling effect of temperature and other environmental factors such as light are then shown. Finally, we introduce the models taking into account the acclimation needed to thrive with temperature variations. The need for new thermal models, coupled with experimental validation, is argued.