The Best Restaurants in Thailand that are worth checking out
What are the best restaurants in Thailand that are guaranteed to provide a unique dining experience? I will have you know that Thailand is loaded with restaurants that deliver incredible experiences that many visitors will never forget. From fine dining to local cuisines to street food, you’ll be mesmerized by the meals and the great service that is provided. It’s normal to hear visitors shocked at how little they paid for well-prepared meals. As for spots where you can spend lavishly, you are assured to get value for your money.
Read on and discover some of the restaurants within Thailand that will deliver an experience unrivaled anywhere else on Earth.
Places to eat in Phuket
Blue Elephant
Found in the center of Phuket is the Blue Elephant specializing in Royal Thai cuisine. If you want to be treated like Thai royalty, eat here. It is an actual mansion of the old Chinese colony offering fine dining in retrospect. It takes you back in time with its lavish surroundings that reminds you of a more genteel era. It also has an epic underlit bar.
Blue Elephant offers an amazing blend of traditional royal dishes which may been forgotten by many. They also refine some to appeal to those customers who prefer more modern tastes. Chef Nooror ensures that many uncommon, “forgotten”, and traditional Thai dishes that are no longer served in most Thai restaurants, are available here. You can start with a foie gras in a rich tamarind sauce often accompanied by fresh eggplant salad along with grilled scallops. Then we’d suggest moving on to the delicious chicken and cashew mix with steamed bass in lemon sauce combined with a green curry soup served with red or white organic rice of your choice.
The Blue Elephant is an excellent place to dine.
Panveree the Greenery
Not only providing great traditional Thai dishes but in a setting that is to die for, Panveree the Greenery is a magnificent choice for a dining experience you’ll never forget. The appeal of this venue is that it is in the heart of Khao Sok amidst a floating resort. Of course, this makes it exceptionally hard to get to unless staying at the resort itself but there is another option for those looking to experience this unique dining experience… That option is to arrive via boat!
Acqua
The Acqua is a trendy, award-winning Italian restaurant that offers fine dining experiences in Phuket. Diners have the chance to enjoy a wide range of dishes from around Thailand and internationally. For starters, you can get grilled eggplant rolls stuffed with truffled ricotta cheese and asparagus on a roasted eggplant mash. You can also go for the paccheri pasta with lamb ragout cooked in Chianti wine. Brown lentil soup with pork guanciale and rosemary is another great choice. Or why not try South Italian style seafood soup with fresh tomato and Italian pepperoncino. To crown your dining experience, a vanilla flan with Moka caramel is available for dessert. You won’t be disappointed.
Suay Restaurant
Top notch meals at a reasonably affordable price is what you get at Suay. Found in downtown Phuket, chef Tammasak is the driving force behind this outstanding venue. Providing diners with a lovely ambience, this white and green, well-lit restaurant provides grilled sea scallops to braised beef served in tasty green curry. What makes this onto the list of the best restaurants in Thailand is that Suay has an ever-changing menu, as is common to many local restaurants, but its meals are well-cooked and it’s environment is neat and welcoming making it one of the best Thailand restaurants.
Ka Jok See Restaurant
Not a world-renowned restaurant but amazingly famous to those around Phuket. Hotels.com describes it as “unusual, yet successful.” On a fun night out, you can walk into Ka Jok See with its beautiful Thai-European look and low lighting to eat local Thai food while you meet and socialize with the locals. Be ready to party hard once it’s past nine. You find some people standing on the tables dancing their hearts out! These tables are covered with newspapers to be replaced often. So, don’t worry about eating and dancing on the same table. Just make sure you don’t have to be anywhere to be early the following day. Their dishes are served in large portions and are extremely affordable.
Restaurants in Thailand with Great Views
Bo.lan
Found in Sukhumvit, Bangkok, the wonder couple Duangporn Songvisava and Dylan Jones promote the Thai heritage by creatively cooking tasty and delectable meals from fresh produce. The Bo.lan is well known for its Chao Pra Ya, a Thai spirit made from ginger, mandarin vodkas, sticky rice, and bitters. This is often taken alongside crisp chicken skin or pickles.
Other exciting, topnotch, fun foods include pork ribs in a little peppery curry soup or chicken prepared in spicy turmeric soup. Meals at Bo.lan are not only adventurous but do tell a story about the Thai tradition in an exceptionally chic interior. It is easy to locate and the food is affordable. The restaurant obviously cares a lot about people’s different dietary needs as evidenced by their menus.
Le Du Restaurant
This culinary wonder is located in Silom, Bangkok, away from the hustle and bustle of busy roads. It allows you to have a meal in peace, quiet, and a stylish setting. Though it sounds French, it isn’t a French restaurant at all. It offers excellent Thai dishes in the most creative manner. Be ready to take your taste buds on a road trip with the restaurant’s innovative variations of traditional Thai dishes. You will also find a variety of intercontinental dishes prepared by chef Ton and his team. You need not worry about quality as chef Ton is an astounding chef with many years of experience working with several Michelin-starred restaurants in the US including The Modern and Eleven Madison.
What makes this one of the best restaurants in Thailand is that the meals are relatively affordable given their amazing quality. Their intriguing menu not only lists the dishes but also the ingredients used so you know exactly what you are about to eat. The restaurant’s Conpoy Congee and Allium soup is well-recommended. Do not forget to indulge in their finely selected wine collection. You can always find something to perfectly complement your chosen meal. Be it a business lunch or romantic dinner, Le Du will never let you down as one of the best Thailand restaurants.
Suhring
The Suhring is an exceptional restaurant focusing on German cuisine owned by Thomas and Mathias Suhring in Sathorn, Bangkok. If fine dining is your pick, then this is the place to be. It has sets of 9- course and 12-course menus for you to explore. It is quite expensive but definitely worth it. There is always the anticipation of what to expect next, from the appetizers which include smoked eels, horseradish, avocado, and Frankfurt green sauce to an in-house baked bread course.
Enjoy the main courses such as tenderly cooked lamb, egg noodle with toasted garlic and truffle, smoked wild trout in white asparagus before a usually light dessert like strawberry cheesecake or tonic sorbet.
There is a sommelier who can pair your meals with the right bottle of wine. You’ll be delighted at the sheer sumptuousness served in the most delightful setting. You get to choose whether you want to dine in the kitchen, living room or glass conservatory. This place will definitely meet if not surpass, your expectations. Suhring is definitely one of the good places to eat in Bangkok.
Gaggan
Want a sample of Indian dishes in a quiet part of town? If yes, Gaggan is the spot you’re looking for. Chef Gaggan Anand prepares and serves delightful Indian meals. You’ll get an Anand raita, which gives the appearance of a flattened egg before dinner. Oh, it’s so delicious with amazing flavors that will give your taste buds a treat.
Chef Gaggan is very creative with meals he prepares. He always delivers a well-blended mix of a wide range of flavors in ways you’ve never imagined. His chicken tikka kebab is incredibly juicy. It is marinated in green peppercorns and topped with fresh coriander chutney foam. This can be served alongside baked baby potatoes.
Main meals include different types of bread served with rich curry soups made using tomatoes or onions and mutton. You won’t be able to resist their sweet dessert varieties. I have never had Indian food that is so flavor-packed like that of Gaggan. The ambiance at Gaggan is rather chic and casual.
L’atelier de Joel Robuchon
This prestigious French restaurant owned by Joel Robuchon graces Bangkok with its unique style and haute cuisine. As much as it delivers a formal dining experience, the L’atelier exudes a livelier and vibrant aura. Dishes served by head chef, Olivier Limousin and his team, are richly flavored with local ingredients though some delicacies come from other locations around the globe. Their menu comprises a set lunch, a la carte menu, and a tasting portion. They also serve a degustation menu of 5 or 7 courses that allows you to discover the best of Robuchon’s cuisine.
For a set lunch, you will get apple beetroot tartare with guacamole and green mustard sherbet with glazed pork loin served with tarragon-flavored sauce. For dessert, you can have grape-black currant jelly, coconut Chantilly or light pineapple Espuma. Its glossy interior of scarlet, black and dark wood provides the perfect setting for a romantic dinner.
Best Street Food in Phuket
If you would like to enjoy the local lifestyle or experience the Thai culture at community level instead of one of the upscale Thailand restaurants, you should take a walk down one local street, enjoying the scenery and street food. Some street food you must try includes:
Grilled pork and sticky rice – Commonly called Moo Ping and Khao Niao. Using fish sauce, garlic, palm sugar, and coconut milk, pork is marinated before being tenderly grilled on a charcoal grill. The aroma will keep you wanting and wanting more. It’s available at all times of the day and well into the night. Some people have called this the best street food in Thailand, do you agree?
Ice cream sandwich – A snack as old as Phuket. Ice cream of your choice is filled into a bun with extra fillings of sweet corn or taro, banana, peanuts, or raisins. It’s the local equivalent of a hot dog and oh, so sweet!
Roti – Warm roti is a must-try. It is a sweet, crisp bread rolled in white sugar, butter, and condensed milk with extra fillings like strawberry jam or banana, depending on your request. It is cheap but very tasty.
Papaya salad – Locally called Som Tom, it usually consists of papaya, green beans, tomatoes, and different chillis in small quantities depending on how spicy a meal you can handle. The vendor can usually tell just by looking at you how much spice you can handle. He might even decide to add no chili. You can eat Som Tom along with grilled chicken or catfish.
Grilled chicken – Kai Yang (grilled chicken) can be found almost anywhere on any street or in the local market. It is grilled on a small cart with its aroma invading your senses from far away. It is very tasty and cheap. You get it wrapped up in a takeaway pack as there is often nowhere to sit to enjoy it around the cart.
Kuey Teow – This is a popular dish. When translated, it’s called noodle soup; it is arguably the best food in Phuket. It could be a combination of yellow noodles and either seafood, chicken beef, or pork. You get to pick what should be included. If you don’t fancy entrails, be sure to tell the vendor. So he doesn’t add any.
Where to eat street food
Well it’s obvious, isn’t it? The street! On almost every corner, roadside, beachfront, and the local market, you’ll find delicious street food. Be sure to choose a clean spot. You can determine how good a street food spot is by the number of people present there. Those who serve the best often have their carts crowded. So, be on the lookout.
Conclusion
This list of great places to eat in Thailand is a must-keep. The best restaurants in Thailand cater to the needs of visitors irrespective of where they come from. From French to Indian to German cuisine, expectations are met and exceeded. Each of these restaurants have their unique décor offering you a wide range to pick from depending on what you are after.