The best Thai restaurants in Sydney

A staple on the King Street strip, Thai Pathong has been around for as long as we can remember. The menu spans traditional and modern Thai offerings and is well known for its massive dining area which seats up to 450 people, making it a great option for big groups and functions.

Omelette in a sour Thai soup does not sound like it should work, but, goddamn, if it isn’t a delicious revelation at number 79 on Spice I Am’s famously lengthy menu. At 82 items long, those A3, double-sided, laminated menus have been keeping flavour fossickers on their toes for nearly two decades. Spice I Am are legends of Sydney’s Thai food scene, and may they keep us full for many years to come. 

Chef Narin 'Jack' Kulasai and Tanya Boon opened Porkfat on Ultimo Road in Haymarket in late 2022. As the name suggests, Kulasai chooses to use pork fat to cook with, as opposed to other commercial cooking oils, and there’s only one item on the menu that doesn’t use it (sorry, veggos). We love everything about this place. From the fiery and authentic flavours that result in deeply comforting dishes, to the fact that it's BYO, and the outstanding service. There's no doubt about it: Porkfat may very well be Sydney’s best Thai restaurant. Do yourself a favour and make a booking. 

One of Sydney's most talented chefs, Annita Potter (Long Chim) has taken her wealth of knowledge and knack for Thai flavour and opened up Viand, an exhilarating restaurant in Woolloomooloo. Roughly translated to "an assortment of dishes" in Thai, Potter has gone to great lengths to ensure the fit-out reflects the vibrant, ecclectic and welcoming spirit of Thai cuisine and culture. 

Boon Café in Haymarket is from the folks behind Sydney's indefatigable (and consistently excellent) food chain, Chat Thai, and is one-third styled-up city café, one-third restaurant and one-third Thai supermarket. The menu is overwhelmingly long, but thankfully there are lots of pictures, which make it easier to choose.

Found on the corner of Elizabeth Street in Zetland, Mon Thai doesn’t look like much from the outside, but this ten-table joint is home to excellent Thai street food. The dishes are inspired by owner and chef Mon Bongkunkham's childhood growing up in mountainous Chiang Rai and learning to cook from her father. Be sure to try the standout numbers: khao soi kai (a curry noodle soup); laab (a fiery meat salad); and kaeng om nua (a herbal beef curry soup). Mon even sources special spices direct from Chiang Rai, so rest assured you’re tasting the real deal. 

A meal at Long Chim is a symphony of flavours and textures and Thompson is your culinary conductor. You get those bright, high notes from a red curry skate wings and proper sweet chilli fish with crisp, dried skin, but more soothing tempered tones from dishes like the stir-fried tangle of watercress that is savoury, salty and complex, or the duck fried rice that is rich and comforting.

Chat Thai is as much a part of Sydney’s food scene as Bills’ and his pancakes are. With an empire spanning five restaurants including two in the CBD, Circular Quay, Manly, Neutral Bay and Chatswood, Chat Thai has gained legions of fans for its authentic and tasty Thai food – (that, albeit does play on the sweet side of things). But we don’t care. With those prices, and the fact that service is consistent and swift, we’ll keep coming back for more.

Chin Chin may no longer be the new hot thing on the scene, but when you’re after flavour-packed Southeast Asian food and a fun time, this Surry Hills joint is still a strong contender. Not sure what to order? The set menu is always reliable, and comes with all the hits. The restaurant is fast-paced and at times frantic, so it’s not the place to go if you’re looking for a low-key spot. Though, the fact that this stalwart still heaves proves that for the right occasion, Chin Chin still slaps.

This Thai restaurant looks like a European wine bar. Elegant restraint is the design brief here, in the former Onde building opposite the original Darlo Bills, but the bar sends the clearest message about the intentions of this upscale riff on Thai dining. Come for innovative, generous and importantly, delicious food. 

This ever popular Haymarket eatery has become legendary with chefs and Thai locals alike for for its lava hot noodles and soups. It's the original hot spot from Somporn Phosri, who's gone on to expand the chain to Chatswood, Melbourne and Bondi Junction. The main event is the signature tom yum noodle, coming in a clean, sweetly porky, hot-and-sour broth hit with generous spoonfuls of fried garlic and topped with crispy wonton strips.

The menu here is easy to penetrate: start with crisp hunks of pork belly with greens, or super hot-and-sour prawn soup. Move on to some soft, glutenous dumplings filled with fine shreds of garlic chives, or some grilled Isaan-style sausage, packed with chilli and served with peanuts, raw ginger and dried chillies.

Caysorn specialises in southern Thai cuisine – a part of the world known for its heat. Kanom jeen – a vermicelli-like noodle traditionally made with pounded fermented rice – is offered in several versions. But the house special is kanom jeen tai pla: noodles sauced with a dark, complex salted fish curry that seethes with chilli.

Among the selection of snacky-type things at Yok Yor, there's not merely salt-and-pepper squid, but a whole S-and-P menu covering tofu, squid, prawns and soft-shell crab. Among the more interesting smaller things are the tod mun, the traditional fish cakes leavened with a healthy addition of minced pork.

When you walk into this Hall Street staple you can instantly smell fragrant Thai basil and hear the sounds of woks clanging. They do seriously big serves (one serve will satisfy two) of grilled meats, super rich curries and wok-fried favourites. You'll also find a whole page of the menu devoted to duck (try the boneless roasted 'Lucky' duck) and lamb (the massaman uses whole lamb shanks) alongside plenty of vego dishes.