These top NYC Thai restaurants provide flavor, culture, and an unforgettable dining experience – from savory glass noodles to spicy pad Thai! Thai hot spots offer it all if you search for an intimate environment or cozy patio seating space.
Woodside neighborhood eatery Thai on Woodside serves up authentic yet quirky Thai fare from every region in Thailand, making this spot a true delight.
Ayada Thai
Ayada Thai brings the heat to Chelsea Market, an otherwise subpar food hall. Inspired by generations-old recipes passed down through their family-run Queens restaurant, Ayada Thai serves traditional Thai fare such as duck panang curry and fried catfish salad without sugar addition or spice reduction.
Ayada serves spicy but not overwhelming food, perfect for gathering with friends to share the savory omelets and zesty papaya salads, along with traditional favorites like pad thai and drunken noodles. Chive dumplings may look unassuming, but they will make your mouth water once on your table!
Many Thai restaurants tone down the heat in their dishes, but Ayada stands out. Led by Chef Duangjai “Kitty” Thammasat of this Queens staple, she serves some of the most uncompromising Thai cuisine around – now offering it at Chelsea Market through the former Thai Wholesale location!
At Ayada, it’s hard to choose just one dish as your favorite, but if forced, I suggest savory omelets, fried catfish salad, and mango sticky rice dishes as my top recommendations. Don’t forget to leave room for dessert too!
Thai Market
With an expansive menu featuring Thai classics like fried rice and papaya salad, this restaurant is an excellent option for experiencing authentic Thai food. The colorful interior makes this cozy restaurant the ideal place to share its flavor without breaking the bank; additionally, the staff speaks fluent English, making communication simple for travelers.
This Thai spot combines diner ambiance with authentic cuisine, forming one of NYC’s premier Thai restaurants. All menu items and desserts are delightful and worth trying, from black sticky rice drenched in sweetened coconut milk to silky pandan tapioca noodles in curry to delicious taro balls topped off with perfectly poached eggs – and service is fast and friendly; all your wait will be over soon enough.
At one of Brooklyn’s trendy Williamsburg neighborhoods lies this Thai eatery that has quickly earned locals’ appreciation with its flavorful dishes and inventive cocktails. Dim lighting, jars of spirits lining a bar in the back, and small plates like crispy banana blossom fritters or Isan-style beef tartare are available at the front counter and will satisfy your Thai food cravings.
As an essential stop in NYC, SriPraPhai Thai Restaurant is an institution in Queens and a must-visit spot for both residents and visitors alike. Since opening in 1990, this Queens eatery has introduced diners to undiscovered Thai dishes – from pad Thai and drunken noodles to Isan cuisine (like Krapow Kai Daow, a tall mound “mountain” of spicy fermented pork) which has grown increasingly popular here in the US. While other American-style Thai restaurants allow customers to customize each dish according to individual taste, SriPraPhai only offers words they know will sell out.
SriPraPhai
At SriPraPhai in Woodside, New York City’s best Thai restaurant offers comforting meals without pretensions – authentic noodles, roasted duck, fresh spring rolls, and traditional Thai iced tea are available for under $15! A perfect pitstop before visiting Citi Field or Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and taking a respite from downtown Manhattan heat!
Queens locale first opened as a small bakery and Thai dessert counter. Since then, however, it has expanded into a full-blown Thai restaurant, often drawing long lines outside its door. There is now an elegant dining room and an exotic patio complete with an extensive menu across Thailand – so good that serious Thai fans travel out of town just for its food! This neighborhood favorite remains popular today.
Sripraphai Tipmanee, owner and chef extraordinaire, is self-taught in the kitchen and an adept recipe creator. One of her signature orders, crispy Chinese watercress salad, came about after one of her customers told her it was the only dish they’d experienced while traveling around Thailand that wasn’t on the menu; after writing down its ingredients, she added it to the restaurant’s roster.
SriPraPhai was among the first restaurants in New York to introduce diners to more than just green curry and continues that legacy with an expansive menu. Their Queens location serves dishes from around the country; their encyclopedic book of ingredients and recipes online indicates what to expect. Furthermore, SriPraPhai introduced many New Yorkers to Thailand’s spicy side; friendly servers will warn about anything too spicy for them!
Mitr in Brooklyn provides an elegant Thai experience without breaking the bank. Though its interior may appear luxurious, Mitr is a comfortable and welcoming space that doesn’t shy away from authentic spice. Their menu boasts classic Bangkok fare and Isaan dishes like Naem Khluk, an irresistibly crunchy rice salad featuring fermented pork. In contrast, Tulip Pla Tai features funky anchovy paste and delicious crabmeat!
Khao Kang
Khao Kang stands out among NYC’s many excellent Thai restaurants with its assertive food and moderate pricing – you can get lunch for less than $15 and choose three side dishes! But be warned: it may make you sweat.
Mitr Thai, a relatively recent addition to Elmhurst’s restaurant scene, provides an authentic rendition of cuisine from four different regions of Thailand. Their menu offers hearty bites such as their popular Short Rib Prik Kang dish, which includes braised beef short ribs paired with curry paste, kaffir lime leaves, asparagus, and coconut milk; spicy grilled chicken skewers and sticky rice also deserve special mention.
Noods n’ Chill is another outpost from Plant Love House’s family of restaurants that provides an intimate counter-serve experience ideal for quick meals and casual dates. Here, classic Thai fare, such as pad Thai and drunken noodles, is available alongside more adventurous food like Isan cuisine from northeast Thailand’s delicious salads and meat dishes.
Queens hotspot Chusak Srithongsul and Wirot Sirimatrasit’s restaurant offers some of the city’s finest Thai fare at reasonable prices. Two chefs – Chusak Srithongsul and Wirot Sirimatrasit – draw inspiration from their grandmother’s recipes and street food in Bangkok to craft an extensive menu of Thai dishes.
Uncle Boons subverts the stereotype that Asian cuisine is limited to cheap, low-quality fare. Instead, this restaurant provides beautifully executed versions of beloved Thai dishes with an eye-catching wow factor twist – not for timid visitors, as some unique items, including pig ears and snails, may debut at Uncle Boons! Don’t be put off if spicy food isn’t your cup of tea; nevertheless, it is an experience not to be missed! It should make the list.
