The Best Thai Restaurants in Sydney for Your Noodle Fix
Broaden your horizons and start your own foodie adventure with this edit of the best Thai restaurants in Sydney.
Thai food is a serious business in Sydney and everyone has a local favourite they swear by. But by sticking to just one restaurant, you're missing out on an array of flavour sensations. From modern fusion restaurants to old-school institutions from Newtown to the Sutherland Shire, we have sampled our way around town hunting for the best Thai restaurants in Sydney.
Ready to broaden your horizons and try something other than your go-to? Read on.
Spice I Am
With a slew of awards to their name, you know the food at Spice I Am is bound to be good. Bringing the flavours of Bangkok to the Surry Hills foodie scene, all the dishes here are bursting with flavour and as their name suggests, they like their dishes with a bit of spice. The restaurant runs its own micro-farm that provides the ingredients for their homemade curry paste and more. A hidden gem!
90 Wentworth Avenue, Surry Hills
Alphabet St
Set in a pared-back, contemporary space, Alphabet St delivers delicious Thai food in a modern venue. Open for lunch and dinner, patrons can expect minimal decor and food bursting with flavour, presented impeccably and served promptly.
The traditional Thai dishes we all know and love make an appearance on the menu, but so too do Peking Duck Pancakes, Salt-and-Pepper Squid and Betal Leaf-wrapped Prawns and Peanuts. Positioned just off the sand, this is the perfect place to watch the sunset.
Sitchu Tip: Order the Apple Martini, you won't regret it.
5/8 Kingsway, Cronulla
Porkfat
With a chef hat from the Good Food Guide to its name, this traditional Thai eatery is on everyone's lips when it comes to the best Thai restaurants in Sydney. The incredible menu champions flavours from Saraburi and goes well beyond your standard Thai items. Porkfat's larb (pork fat, smoked chilli, roasted rice, sawtooth, mint, cabbage and cucumber), tamarind wings and papaya salad with salted duck egg are just a few standouts.
33 Ultimo Road, Haymarket
Viand
There's Thai, then there's Viand. Named after the archaic English word for “an unlimited assortment of foods,” Viand offers a dining experience akin to a theatrical performance. The mosaic-wrapped kitchen serves as a stage where ingredients come together in a sensory feast with epic music, fabulous drinks and an unmatched atmosphere.
Award-winning chef Annita Potter, recently named Good Food’s 2023 Oceania Cruises Chef of the Year, curates dishes that celebrate the joy of dining. While the menu is ever-changing, expect dishes like palm sugar peppered shallots with crispy soft-shell crab, braised spatchcock with sweet salted radish, a lemongrass salad with baby squid, Gregory Island tiger prawns, Hokkaido scallops, and southern turmeric curry of market fish.
41 Crown Street, Woolloomooloo
Khao Pla
Translating to rice and fish, Khao Pla is home to mouthwateringly authentic dishes, served with Notorious B.I.G. playing in the background and an illustrative collage of Thailand’s street culture across the walls.
This vibrant restaurant sets itself apart with slow-cooked portions that are all fragrant and melt-in-the-mouth, and the desserts add that touch of sweetness to the end of the meal.
Shop 7 370-374 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood
Chin Chin
With a hat to its name, Chin Chin provides the ultimate destination for lively group dinners. Everything in this trendy Asian fusion palace is intoxicating, and their inventive take on Thai cuisine is the icing on the cake.
The menu is extensive and full of hero dishes, making the decision process a tough one. Save time and money by ordering the ‘Feed Me’ banquet to indulge in all of Chin Chin’s favourites, including the massaman curry of braised brisket, which, in our books, is absolutely essential. In true Chin Chin fashion, it can all be enjoyed with a range of cool cocktails and disco tunes playing on a loop.
69 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills
Thai Pothong
The glass-fronted restaurant filled with traditional Thai décor, Thai Pothong, is one of our go-tos in Newtown. The staff are efficient and friendly; no group is too large to seat and the more you spend the more special ‘Thai Pothong dollars’ you will receive to spend in their eclectic gift shop.
The food is consistently delicious, covering all the traditional crowd favourites and served generously. Expect great customer service, comfortable seating, and constant rice refills to keep the banquet going all night.
294 King Street, Newtown
Chat Thai
A Sydney institution, Chat Thai is a much-loved, family-owned eatery that serves up zingy, tasty meals inspired by the streets and markets of Thailand. With multiple locations throughout Sydney, a meal here never disappoints. Smaller and larger plates are on offer, and there are plenty of vegetarian options.
Our top picks would be the fresh spring rolls, the Panang curry of beef with kaffir lime and leaves and basil and the grapao gai sup with stir-fried minced chicken, fresh chilli and holy basil.
Manly, Randwick, Haymarket
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