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Spice Up Your Life: 23 of Thailand’s Best Restaurants
Written by Nate Robinson
From the banks of Chao Phraya, the River of Kings, to Koh Samui’s balmy waters, Thailand has no shortage of world-class eats.
There’s endless innovation and elevation in Thailand, with traditional flavours – spicy, salty, sour and sweet – being remixed in kitchens from frenetic Bangkok to jungled Chiang Mai. While Thailand’s culinary masters bring the heat, a booming restaurant scene draws high concepts – and hungry chefs – from Mexico, India and the Mediterranean, meaning there’s never been a better time to dine in the Land of Smiles.
Read on to discover our pick of Thailand’s best restaurants.
Bangkok’s best restaurants
Le Du
Celebrating extraordinary local ingredients, this award-winning fine modern Thai eatery pushes boundaries with an organic-focused menu – Le Du means ‘season’ in Thai – and a sommelier-picked wine list.
#15 The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 – Asia
One Michelin star
Aksorn
Drawing inspiration from the mid-century cookbooks that charted Thailand’s emergence from old Siam, executive chef David Thompson’s Aksorn playfully offers guests an invitation to dine back in time.
One Michelin star
Hong Sieng Kong
Located in a heritage teahouse on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, Hong Sieng Kong’s laidback café ambience and adjoining antique-come-gallery space offer the perfect way to while away an afternoon.
Praya Dining
Bangkok’s riverside mansions don’t get more spectacular than the Praya Palazzo, andthe hotel’s signature restaurant, Praya Dining, similarly dazzles with a menu showcasing the complex flavours behind centuries of Thai royal cuisine.
Supanniga Eating Room
Watch life drift by on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in this beloved casual dining eatery, featuring flavourful homestyle Thai cookery at its fieriest.
NUSARA
Named after Chef Thitid ‘Ton’ Tassanakajohn’s grandmother, NUSARA puts the ‘fine’ in ‘genre-defining’ as it effortlessly blends tradition and modernity into something uniquely, and unquestionably, Thai.
#6 The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 – Asia
#3 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023
OJO Bangkok at The Standard
Golden, glittering and offering glorious 76th-floor views over Thailand’s bustling capital, OJO Bangkok enchants with a nouveau Mexican menu and a ‘futuristic glitz’ unlike anywhere else.
Khao Tom Bawon
Relaxed Chinese-inspired Thai in a casual setting: Khao Tom Bowon offers the perfect late-night oasis, with stir-fried crab dishes and traditional rice soup, or khao tom, a particular speciality.
Gaggan Anand
Boundary-pushing chef Gaggan Anand reopened his legendary Bangkok restaurant in 2019, reimagining Indian cuisine a pinch of molecular gastronomy and a heaping dose of high-velocity creativity.
#3 The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 – Asia
Phuket’s best restaurants
SAMUT
SAMUT (‘ocean’ in Thai) serves a 10-course tasting menu that ambles along the country’s coast, with Phuket lobsters, tiger prawns and locally caught fish elevated with Thailand’s signature sour-spicy flavours and a matchless presentation.
Tambu Phuket at Avista Hideaawy Phuket Patong
Located within an open-air tent atop the island’s mountain forests, Tambu Phuket’s contemporary take on Indian cuisine – with traditional tandoors and modern charcoal ovens lending smoke and char in abundance – harks back to the Mughal dynasties of old.
LAAD Phuket
LAAD Phuket’s small menu heroes Southern Thailand’s spice-rich stir-fries and ultra-fresh salads, backed with a curveball cocktail menu that’s one of the best in the island.
Restaurant ROYD
Seating a maximum of 12 diners, this cosy restaurant serves high-concept takes on Southern Thailand
PRU at Trisara
The only Michelin-starred restaurant in Phuket, this intimate community-to-fork restaurant offers a one-of-a-kind gastronomic experience, with hard-to-find Thai ingredients taking centre stage.
One Michelin star
Cielo at Trisara
Mediterranean dining right by the sea: eating al fresco on Cielo’s sun-soaked terrace is a great joy, and the restaurant’s commitment to locally sourced ingredients means dishes are fresh, bright and packed with flavour.
Roti Taew Nam
Michelin-rated roti, scraped off a massive charcoal griddle and served with fried eggs and curry. What could be better than that?
Chiang Mai’s best restaurants
The Service at 1921 House at Anantara Chiang Mai Resort
River views, balconies of carved teak and a menu of roast bone marrow, beef tartare and Australian ribeye: The Service at 1921 House spellbinds diners with a dining experience unlike anything else in Chiang Mai.
Lung Khajohn Wat Ket
Specialising solely in khao kriab pak moh (steamed rice-skin and coconut dumplings), this venerable Chiang Mai institution makes the perfect post-temple pit-stop.
Koh Samui’s best restaurants
Saffron at Banyan Tree Koh Samui
Classic Thai dishes with a contemporary twist are Saffron’s specialty – think roast red duck curries, softshell crab salad and tuna tartare larb on a bed of fresh vermicelli.
Jahn at Conrad Koh Samui
Positioned high above Phang Ka Bay, contemporary Thai steakhouse Jahn offers some of the best views in Koh Samui – and a candlelit atmosphere that makes for the perfect romantic evening out.
The Height at Silavadee Resort
Panoramic views over Koh Samui’s jaw-dropping coastline and a contemporary Thai menu with a sustainable twist – there’s a lot to love at The Height.
Krabi’s best restaurants
The Grotto at Rayavadee
Dine beneath an ancient limestone cliff and become spellbound by the brilliantly blue Andaman Sea at The Grotto, serving a luxurious set menu in an unbeatable setting.
Khao Lak’s best restaurants
Qcumber
Cool as a Qcumber: great coffee, organic Thai food and a brilliant salad bar await at this hip Khao Lak eatery.
Juumpo
A spectacular melange of Chinese, Thai and Portuguese culinary influences are preserved at Juumpo, with favourites including coconut milk soup topped with fresh herbs and pork belly stewed in sweet brown sauce.
Hungry for more Thailand travel inspiration? Explore our Guide to Thailand’s Best Islands.
