217 Best Restaurants in Thailand

One of the most creative restaurants on Samui fuses culinary sophistication with a welcoming, casual atmosphere in keeping with its surroundings. Chefs perform alchemy from the venue's open-counter kitchen, providing dishes such as linguine with prawns, clams, mussels, and chilies in a white wine and tomato sauce; and king prawns with garlic, chili, and lemon. 

Founder Lee Ayu Chuepa studied the art of roasting and brewing coffee in Italy, then brought his know-how back to his home village on the outskirts of Chiang Mai, where he grows organic coffee. The vibe is casual, with a few seats to hang out and enjoy your beverage.

Jarrett Wrisley, a food critic turned restaurateur, and Paolo Vitaletti, a five-star chef whose dad toiled in a storied Roman meat market, run this small cozy space for which reservations are highly advisable. The Italian menu is mostly devoted to Rome specialties. 

Mere feet from lapping waves, this perennial favorite serves the freshest seafood at reasonable prices. The purple baby-octopus soup and the sour curry with local turmeric and fish are two great options.

A charming courtyard garden leads to the cozy dining room of this predominantly Indian restaurant, where you'll be welcomed as if you were at a friend's home. The menu focuses on Indian selections, with a few Thai and Western options, but everything is delicious.

Lampang native, Achareeya Chapin, studied baking and pastry at the Culinary Institute of America, and worked at a highly acclaimed restaurant in Napa Valley before returning home to set up shop. The restaurant, on a sleepy little river evoking the feeling of times gone by, has a selection of Thai and Western dishes, all prepared to perfection. Leave room for dessert.

Belying Pattaya's slightly unsophisticated reputation, this fine dining haven oozes Gallic class. Tucked away in a residential district between Pattaya and Jomtien, it's something of a romantic refuge. And the food helps to elevate proceedings with choice offerings including premium steaks and showstoppers such as Japanese scallops with black pudding and cauliflower puree and lamb shank spiced with paprika, chili, and cumin.

Looking for delicious local food at a low price: This strip of street-side food stalls serves everything from simple fried rice and papaya salad to more sophisticated southern delicacies such as kanom jeen (rice noodles topped with whatever sauces and vegetables you want). Open from nightfall until midnight, the stalls provide an excellent opportunity to discover some exotic and enjoyable Thai foods. Walk along the street and enjoy the carnival atmosphere—the local stall holders are more than happy to let you try the assorted delicacies before deciding what to buy. This is one of the highlights of Krabi Town, and the street enjoys a nationwide reputation.

From the outside, this restaurant looks like a standard, wooden Thai beach restaurant, but the creative cooking elevates it from the ordinary. Sizzling "hot pan" dishes of seafood in coconut cream, stir-fried morning glory, and sweet-and-sour shrimp are delicious. Specials, such as duck curry served in a hollowed-out pineapple, change daily and augment the already extensive menu.

Guests are invited to make themselves comfortable on plump, plush armchairs and sofas and even on large cushions scattered over the polished teak floor at this colorful restaurant, decorated like the home of your kooky bohemian cousin. The cuisine is eclectic, with plenty of Thai offerings as well as mixed Western fare like fish-and-chips. Nothing is too spicy, and everything, including rich curries, refreshing salads, and vegetable-packed summer rolls, is served in pretty ceramic bowls and plates.

The cuisine is eclectic Thai, with ingredients sourced from Ginger's own farm on the outskirts of Chiang Mai, at this vibrant Thai bistro decorated with vintage furniture, large patterned cushions, and hanging plants. Nothing is too-too spicy, and everything, including rich curries, refreshing salads, and vegetable-packed summer rolls, is served in pretty ceramic bowls and plates.

Bangkok has hundreds of Japanese restaurants, but only Isao has a line out the door almost every night, thanks to the most creative sushi rolls west of California. The owner studied under the chef at the revered Green Tea in Chicago, and the repeat clientele attests to the widespread enthusiasm for his culinary flights of fancy in sleek modern surrounds.

A longtime local favorite for Thai-style seafood, Koti has a no-nonsense decor and a packed dining room that attests to the flavor of dishes like hor mok talay (steamed seafood curry). The large menu includes such crowd-pleasers as fried fish with garlic and pepper.

Atop the Mandarin Oriental, this legendary French restaurant excites with impressive views of the Chao Phraya and remarkable food. Chef Arnaud Dunand regularly imports high-quality ingredients from his home region of Savoy for dishes that taste classically of the old country yet with a haute personal touch—tasting menus are of good value compared to à la carte, with the five-course lunch priced at B2,450. The restaurant has been awarded two stars in Michelin Thailand.

This unassuming storefront beneath an overpass is the sort of establishment that brings international foodies flocking to Bangkok. The interior here is nothing special, with poor lighting and bluish walls, but you'll barely notice or care with the lively buzz of the local Thai clientele, expert preparations with balanced flavors, and reasonable prices compared to many other seafood joints. 

This long-standing restaurant (it opened in 2011) is in a picturesque marina on the banks of Krabi River and specializes in thoughtfully presented Thai seafood dishes. The space itself is modern and dimly lighted with blues and greens, but weather permitting, tables by the river are the way to go. Signature dishes include the spicy green curry with crab, grilled white snapper stuffed with lemongrass and pandan leaves, and the large, juicy mussels with garlic and chili. It's a favorite for well-to-do Krabi locals. 

Mezzaluna is a blockbuster restaurant for a couple of reasons: dramatic views of Bangkok from the soaring State Tower and a truly magical degustation menu from the French-trained chef Ryuki Kawasaki. The seven-course menu features organic ingredients and deeply personal touches, such as the mind-blowing signature dish—buttery-soft Wagyu beef paired with sake, both from the chef's home in Japan. Current tasting menus with New World wine pairings start at B6,500.

This Israeli-run joint brings a mouthwatering taste of the Levant to Thailand's most venerable beach enclave. While the smoky aroma of meat, fish, and kebabs grilling over charcoal make this a heaven for carnivores, vegans are equally well-fed with a selection of salads, dips, and righteous falafel and hummus plates. 

Inundated with colors, sounds, and smells, this is where Bangkok's top Thai chefs shop for quality produce, herbs, and cooking gear. The market's food court is a legendary spot where spicy Thai fare is scooped onto plastic plates; you pick up the cutlery from trays, and grab a seat at one of the tables in the center.

This is one of the most popular beach bar/restaurants in Koh Lanta, mostly owing to its vibrant owner, Otto, a been-there, done-that, rocker-hippie-type with an infectious joie de vivre. It's open all day, serving delicious, fruity cocktails and a variety of barbecued meats (burgers have a following) and salads. Otto also has few basic bungalows backed away from the beach.

The Michelin-award-winning Paste, an upscale, intimate eatery run by the experienced Australian-Thai husband-and-wife team, Bee Satongun and Jason Bailey, elevates traditional Thai food and flavors to a whole new level with fresh produce and technical flair. It's on the top floor of the high-end Gaysorn Village shopping mall, and open for lunch and dinner, with à la carte and multiple tasting menus available.

This restaurant has little in the way of atmosphere, but seafood aficionados still brave the traffic up to Yannawa in order to splurge. Pen is expensive by Thai restaurant standards, but it's still a bargain compared to most hotel restaurants for charcoal-grilled seafood and a range of classic Thai fare.

A top contender as Bangkok's best pizzeria, the warmly industrial-looking Peppina is booked solid most nights (although there are other locations). The attention to detail includes wood firing, pizza dough that's left to rise overnight, and fresh buffalo mozzarella and other ingredients imported from Italy.

To enjoy chef Jay Fai’s Michelin-award-winning dishes at her small open-air eatery, plan in advance or be prepared for upwards of a three-hour wait. Reservations via email or phone are possible, although response may be slow; you can also try showing up when the restaurant opens at 10 am, and put your name on a waiting list.