Restaurants in Thailand: Where You Should Eat

Ask our travellers what they remember most about Thailand, and most of them talk about a meal.

Sometimes it's a 20-course tasting menu that took three months to book. Sometimes it's a bowl of khao soi eaten on a plastic stool at 11 in the morning. Usually it's both, and that mix is what makes Thailand fun to plan for. Very few countries do fine dining and simple local food this well, side by side.

It's also why we get so many questions about restaurants in Thailand. When guests book our Thailand tour packages, they usually ask about the food before they ask about the places to visit in Thailand. Which places are worth the price? Which ones need booking months ahead? Where can you find regional cooking that hasn't been toned down for visitors?

We've put this guide together from the restaurants we book for guests most often and the places our team keeps going back to. It's grouped by the kind of meal you're after, so you can mix and match based on your budget and your mood.

The quick takeaway

This is what we tell every traveller before they go:

• Book fine dining early. Sorn, Potong and Gaggan Anand fill up weeks or months ahead, so we lock these in first when we plan a trip.

• Make room for heritage restaurants. Places like Methavalai Sorndaeng, Yim Yim and Somboon Seafood were cooking long before anyone handed out stars.

• Eat regionally. Northern curry noodles, Isan salads and live coastal seafood taste nothing alike.

• Carry some cash. Cards work at high-end spots, but many local restaurants only take cash or PromptPay QR payments.

• Pack one smart outfit. Rooftop restaurants turn away shorts, tank tops and flip-flops.

• Learn "nit noi." It means "a little," and it's how you ask for less spice.

Fine dining and Michelin-starred restaurants

Most of Thailand's top restaurants look inward. They revive regional recipes and old family dishes and serve them with the kind of precision you'd expect in Tokyo or Paris. These are the tables our guests ask us to secure most.

Tasting menus worth planning a trip around

Sorn

If a guest can only fit one big dinner into their trip, we usually point them here. Sorn holds three Michelin stars and cooks only Southern Thai food, some of the spiciest in the country. Expect traditional recipes, claypot rice and heat the kitchen won't tone down. It's also the hardest booking on this list, so we start trying the moment reservations open.

Potong

Chef Pam runs Potong from a five-storey building, around 120 years old, that used to be her family's herbal medicine shop. The 20-course menu is progressive Thai-Chinese, and the old shop's history shows up throughout the meal. Our guests often call this the most memorable dinner of their trip.

Gaggan Anand

Gaggan Anand serves around 22 courses of progressive Indian food at a counter that seats just 14 people a night, with music and plenty of theatre between courses. We recommend it to guests who want a loud, playful night out. Anyone hoping for a quiet dinner should book somewhere else.

Baan Tepa

Chef Tam's two-Michelin-starred restaurant sits in a garden where much of the produce is grown on site, and the menu uses ingredients sourced from across Thailand. It's calmer than most fine dining, which our guests appreciate after a long day of sightseeing.

Sühring

Twin chefs Thomas and Mathias Sühring serve modern German food in a converted house with a leafy garden. Our repeat travellers ask for it often, usually after ten days of eating Thai food every meal.

Saawaan and Clara

When guests want fine dining without the top-tier price, we suggest these two. Multi-course menus run roughly 2,790 THB to 4,880 THB, and both are much easier to book. Saawaan cooks with Thai ingredients and flavours, while Clara leans Italian.

Fine dining at a glance

Restaurant	Cuisine	Courses	Approx. Price (THB)	How Early We Book
Sorn	Southern Thai	Multi-course	7,000+	1 to 3 months
Potong	Progressive Thai-Chinese	~20	5,500+	1 to 2 months
Gaggan Anand	Progressive Indian	~22	7,800+	1 to 3 months
Baan Tepa	Seasonal Thai	Multi-course	6,000+	3 to 6 weeks
Sühring	Modern German	Multi-course	6,000+	2 to 4 weeks
Saawaan	Modern Thai	Multi-course	2,790 to 4,880	1 to 3 weeks
Clara	Modern Italian	Multi-course	2,790 to 4,880	1 to 2 weeks

Prices change often and usually exclude service charge and VAT. We confirm current rates at the time of booking.

Historic, royal and heritage restaurants

Some of the meals our team loves most are at places that were cooking long before the Michelin Guide arrived. These are the restaurants Thai families take their parents to.

Royal Thai cuisine and classic institutions

Ruen Mallika

Ruen Mallika serves Royal Thai cuisine in a traditional teak house, and guests can wear Thai attire during the meal. Families and couples book it when they want one special, slightly dressed-up evening, and the cooking is good enough to justify the fuss.

Thanying

Thanying's recipes trace back to the royal palace kitchens, so the food is refined and gentle on spice. If you're travelling in the hot season, ask for khao chae: rice served in chilled, jasmine-scented water with small side dishes. Few menus carry it, and our guests always ask us about it afterwards.

Methavalai Sorndaeng

This restaurant has been open for over 60 years and holds a Michelin star. The dining room looks like it hasn't changed in decades, and a live band plays old Thai and Western songs while you eat. We tell guests to stick to the classic dishes.

Nusara

Chef Ton's Nusara is a small dining room overlooking Wat Pho. The menu brings back historic Thai recipes, many from the chef's own family. When we book here, we always request a table with the temple view.

Thai-Chinese heritage restaurants and shophouses

Yim Yim

Yim Yim is a Teochew Chinese-Thai restaurant that has been around for about a century, and it gets loud and crowded at dinner. Go with a group so you can order more dishes and share.

Ruay Mitr

Ruay Mitr serves khao tom, a rice porridge that comes with lots of small sharing plates. It's cheap and good for a late-night meal. Point at whatever looks good and pass the plates around.

Regional and specialty restaurants

The North, the Northeast (Isan), the Centre and the South of Thailand all cook very differently. When we build food-focused itineraries, eating across regions is always the part guests talk about later.

Northern (Lanna) restaurants

Northern food is milder and more herbal than most visitors expect, which makes it a welcome break after a few days of heavy spice.

Khao Soi Khun Yai and Baibua

Khao soi is the signature Northern dish: egg noodles in coconut curry broth, topped with crispy noodles, pickled mustard greens and shallots. Khun Yai is a small, morning-only spot that often sells out before lunch, so we tell guests to go early. Baibua is a good backup.

Tong Tem Toh

Tong Tem Toh is busy most evenings. The menu covers Lanna classics like grilled pork, sai oua (Northern sausage) and nam prik dips served with fresh vegetables. Expect to wait a little for a table, though the queue usually moves quickly.

SP Chicken

SP Chicken does whole roast chicken with som tam and sticky rice, and it's cheap. Plenty of our guests go once and end up going back a second time on the same trip.

Isan (Northeastern) specialists

Isan food is sour, salty and very spicy. These are the places we send guests who want it cooked the way locals eat it.

100 Mahaseth

100 Mahaseth does nose-to-tail cooking with Isan and Northern influences. Order the bone marrow, grilled meats and larb. It's casual and sits somewhere between street food and fine dining.

Phed Phed and Zao

Both are known for papaya salads with real heat and the deep, funky flavour of pla ra (fermented fish sauce). If you've only had the mild som tam served in tourist areas, expect something much stronger. Order sticky rice to cool your mouth down.

Coastal seafood restaurants

SIAM

SIAM keeps live catch tanks and is known for garlic butter lobster. We often book it for anniversaries and celebration dinners.

Da No.1 Seafood and First Seafood

We send guests here for fresh Andaman oysters, whole grilled fish and seafood soups. The setting is plain, and the seafood is the reason to go.

517 Fisherman Seafood

We like 517 Fisherman for its clear pricing. Lobster is sold by weight, around 350 THB per 100g, and the rate is displayed upfront, so you know the bill before you order.

Kungthong Seafood

Kungthong serves traditional Thai coastal dishes in a simple setting. It works well for a relaxed seafood lunch.

Somboon Seafood

Somboon is widely credited with creating curry crab (poo pad pong karee), and it's still the place people go to eat it. Order the crab, some prawns and fried rice. There are several branches, so we pick the one closest to your hotel.

Our planning tip: we map every restaurant in a guest's itinerary against their hotel and sightseeing stops. It saves hours in traffic and keeps meals from feeling rushed.

Restaurants with a view

A sunset dinner above the skyline or a meal facing a lit-up temple is easily one of the best things to do in Thailand. These are the places we book when guests want a view, or simply a cool room on a hot afternoon.

Rooftop and riverside restaurants

Sirocco and Sky Bar (Lebua State Tower)

Sirocco is an open-air restaurant on the 63rd floor, and Sky Bar is the bar on its famous domed terrace. It's pricey, and part of what you pay for is the skyline. We always book sunset slots.

Vertigo and Moon Bar (Banyan Tree)

On the 61st floor, Vertigo serves grilled meats and seafood under open sky. Moon Bar next door is good for a drink before dinner. We remind guests to bring a light layer, since it gets windy up there.

Red Sky (Centara Grand) and Octave

These two rooftops cost less and are easy to reach by public transport. Red Sky has a polished dining room, while Octave is a relaxed bar with views in every direction.

Mall food courts and quick-service spots

Siam Paragon and MBK food courts

We always tell guests not to skip mall food courts. Siam Paragon and MBK bring well-known food stalls together under one roof, and the air conditioning helps on a hot afternoon. Buy a food court card or pay by QR, then pick from dozens of stalls.

Thong Smith

Thong Smith serves a more polished version of boat noodles, a Thai classic. The bowls are small and the broth is rich, so most people order several.

Rooftop dress code and tips

• Smart casual is required. No shorts, sleeveless tops, sportswear or flip-flops.

• Arrive about 30 minutes before sunset for the best spot.

• Rooftops can close at short notice for rain or wind, so we always keep a backup booking for our guests.

• Drinks are expensive, and one cocktail with a view is often enough. Putting your food plan together

The food trips our guests enjoy most combine one or two serious tasting menus, a heritage restaurant or two, and plenty of simple local meals in between. A simple plan we share with guests looks like this:

• One fine dining night at Sorn, Potong, Gaggan Anand or Baan Tepa

• One heritage dinner at Methavalai Sorndaeng, Thanying or Yim Yim

• One sunset meal on a rooftop or by the river

• Regional food the rest of the time: khao soi, Isan salads and live seafood

Our team can secure the tough reservations, plan meals around your sightseeing, and build an itinerary that fits your budget. If you're travelling as a couple, our Thailand honeymoon packages come with a few of the romantic dinners from this guide already booked. Get in touch and we'll take it from there.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to book restaurants in Thailand far in advance? For Michelin-starred places like Sorn, Potong and Gaggan Anand, yes. Book weeks or months ahead. Most casual and regional restaurants take walk-ins.

How much does fine dining cost in Thailand? Tasting menus range from about 1,990 THB for a bistro-style lunch to 7,800 THB or more for flagship dinners. Service charge and VAT are usually added on top.

How does seafood pricing work at coastal restaurants? At places with live tanks, seafood is usually priced per 100g. Confirm the weight and price before it goes to the kitchen.

What should I wear to rooftop restaurants? Smart casual. Skip shorts, sleeveless tops, sportswear and flip-flops, or you may be turned away at the door.

Is it safe to eat at casual local restaurants? Generally, yes. Choose places that are busy with locals, since high turnover means fresher food.