251 Best Restaurants in Thailand

The name of this attractive open-sided restaurant signifies the strongly perfumed frangipani trees that frame its riverside setting. The gargantuan menu embraces Chinese, Thai, and Japanese cuisine, but the specialty is northern Thai food, including fresh fish from the Kok and Mae Kong rivers.

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. 

The emphasis at this traditional Thai restaurant in a century-old house is on fresh seasonal ingredients and hard-to-find regional delicacies, with a regular menu but also a smaller one of specials that is consistently changing. The Local's decor, outdoor terrace, wood floors, antiques, and old photos make for a pleasant setting.

After 10 years in Britain, a Pai entrepreneur named Ping returned to her hometown and opened this highly successful burger restaurant. The modest establishment is also the place to share tips with the travelers who gather here nightly.

This two Michelin-starred blockbuster restaurant has dramatic views of Bangkok from the soaring State Tower and a truly magical degustation menu from the French-trained Japanese chef Ryuki Kawasaki. The seven-course menu features organic ingredients and deeply personal touches, such as the mind-blowing signature dish—buttery-soft Murakami beef from the chef's home town in Niigata Prefecture, paired with madako (octopus), Colinky squash, and Kanzuri sake. Tasting menus start at B8,000, more with wine and sake pairing. Mezzaluna enforces a dress code that prohibits athletic wear, swimwear, sleeveless shirts for men, flip flops, and beach slippers.

This Middle Eastern and Mediterranean 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. Owned and operated by a farmers' collective, 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.

Husband-wife duo Carlo and Supaporn man this perfectly situated indoor-outdoor bar, bistro, and guesthouse at one of the busiest intersections in Pai, just at the end of the walking street. The menu is expansive, with Thai-fusion tapas, all-day breakfast, large pizzas, and Thai staples. Cocktails are top-notch and desserts—freshly baked daily by Supaporn—are not to be missed. 

The Michelin-award-winning Paste, an upscale intimate eatery run by Chef Bongkoch ”Bee“ Satongun, elevates traditional Thai food and flavors to a whole new level with fresh produce and technical flair. The name is a reference to curry paste, one of Thai cuisine's most technically challenging basics. It's on the top floor of the high-end Gaysorn Centre shopping mall and open for lunch and dinner, with à la carte and multiple tasting menus available.

This neighborhood restaurant has little in the way of atmosphere, but seafood aficionados still brave the traffic 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 3-hour wait. It's worth it for the unparalleled crab omelet, seafood drunken noodles, and dry tom yam.

A meal at the Rachamankha hotel's elegant restaurant is a must whether you're a guest or not. The menu focuses on Lanna, Burmese, and Shan cuisine, a sensible approach given the entwined history of these northern neighbors. The formal dining room inside, decorated with tasteful antiques, is best during the day, but reserve a table in the softly lit, brick-lined courtyard if you'll be here after dark. The servers are discreetly attentive, and the prices are reasonable for such impeccably prepared food.

In the heart of Phuket's Old Town, this beloved restaurant is in a historical Sino-Thai mansion, built in the early 20th century by a rich tin-mining family. Authentic Phuket dishes are the specialty here; try the yellow crab curry with rice noodles or the whole red snapper with roasted garlic. The charming decor is traditional Thai, with a nod to Phuket's multicultural influences, and the atmosphere is as much part of the experience as the outstanding food. 

This simple Thai restaurant sits on the banks of the Wang River, 2 km (1 mile) down the main 1034 highway in the village of Ko Kha. Fresh fish is a daily specialty, but try the plump fish cakes or a crispy version of larb, a popular minced-pork dish.

Widely acknowledged as Pai's best restaurant, Silhouette serves outstanding Thai-inspired European cuisine, made with fresh, mostly organic, local produce. Panoramic mountain views, the quirky house sense of style, and live jazz music from November to April all add to the pleasure of having a meal here.

Launched by food critic Jarrett Wrisley, this gem of a restaurant and bar is in a converted Chinese shophouse in trendy Thong Lor and is usually packed to the rafters. It's no surprise, as the place serves some of the city's best Thai food, with double-pour drinks that are every bit as good as the food.

Luxurious and utterly unique, this restaurant upends conventional wisdom about Thai cuisine and technique. Chef Henrik Yde-Andersen's tasting menus, priced at B4,400 for dinner, represent a veritable catalog of Thai flavors and dishes, though through the iterations of foams, emulsions, powders, and plenty of smoky liquid nitrogen.

This two Michelin-starred restaurant from twin chefs Thomas and Matthew Sühring has evolved German cuisine past the stereotypes of schnitzel and sauerkraut. The brothers, who can be seen working together in a sleek open kitchen most nights, serve tasting menus inspired by their childhood in East Berlin—it's no wonder Sühring is one of Bangkok's trendiest restaurants. The setting is a 1970s Thai villa with several dining rooms, each with its own ambience. Tasting menus (there is no à la carte) start at B7,800 without wine.

Thanaruek Laoraowirodge, a successful restaurateur in New York City and Bangkok, has earned high praise for this cozy shophouse venue that specializes in regional dishes based on the recipes of his grandmother. The au courant cocktails go well with the eclectic menu, and Supanniga now has two other locations in Sathorn and Tha Thien.

Proudly displaying the freshest catches on ice out front, this enormous and popular seafood restaurant opens daily at 4 pm and serves until as late as 1:30 am. Make your way through the evening crowds and take a number to secure your table—either on the sidewalk or inside.

At the top of the cape, overlooking the isolated bay, Taste is one of Phuket’s finest restaurants, with a romantic al fresco setting. Chef Martin and his team pride themselves on preparing classic international dishes with a local twist, like the soft-shell crab burger, lamb tenderloin, and Thai twice-cooked pork cheek.

This airy shophouse-turned-café, art gallery, and boutique is the kind of warm homey space that makes you want to linger. The selection of pastries and cake are enticing, and the barista makes excellent coffee. The boutique carries coffee, honey, chocolate, local textiles, and ceramics with an emphasis on local community enterprises. Exhibitions in the upstairs gallery, featuring the works of contemporary Thai artists, change every few months.

On the second floor of an attractive old house, this longtime favorite serves delicious and healthy foods. It's mostly vegetarian fare, but there are a few meat dishes for the carnivorous, such as gai tahkhrai (fried chicken with lemon and garlic). Many of the favorites here, including the tasty eggplant masala, are Indian dishes. The dining room is air-conditioned, and the garden terrace that surrounds it takes full advantage of any breezes. The service is sometimes slow. Reservations are recommended for groups of four or more.

My Choice might be located a bit far off the main Sukhumvit drag, but it’s very popular among Thais with a taste for their grandmothers' traditional recipes. Natural light, modern wood furniture, and leafy plants create a warm and inviting atmosphere, but when the weather is cool, diners prefer to sit outside.

You wouldn't expect much by looking at this nondescript restaurant on Sukhumvit Road from the outside, but locals have been packing it night after night for years. The place, which started out as a late night khao tom rice soup eatery, has expanded to having one of the most extensive and tastiest Thai-Chinese menus in town.

Founded by young chefs in a minimally restored old shophouse in Bang Rak, 80/20 earned its first Michelin star in record time. The kitchen team brings together rare Thai ingredients and European cooking techniques to produce a 14-bite tasting menu. Signature dishes include gaeng hoy shell bai chaplu (Hokkaido scallop, southern yellow curry, betel leaves), ped nam prik nam liap (dry-aged Muscovy duck, Chinese black olive relish, black pepper, and garlic rice) and naem phad phak fak meaw (stir-fried fermented pork and chayote).

For a change of pace from Thai food, head to this Italian restaurant specializing in seafood. Dishes are presented with flair and the busy black-and-white dining room is a lively backdrop. Features include an extensive à la carte menu, outstanding wines, and a signature degustation menu. For a simpler meal, pick one of the homemade pastas or a wood-fired pizza.

This beachfront diner serves salads and sandwiches, both traditional and inventive. Among the latter are tasty vegetarian sandwiches baked inside a bread bowl.