The best Thai restaurants in Melbourne

Hungry for spicy som tam, bbq straight off the mookata grill and slurpy boat noodles? Transport yourself to Thailand without leaving Melbourne at these number one restaurants.

Teow Teow, Heng Thai and Pik Prik 

A huge multi-venue food hall has made its home on Bourke Street, and the queues are a sign that you should pay a visit. Each venue in this lantern-lit space offers something different. Grab a table at Pick Prik for Isan-style street food like soy marinated crab with fermented fish dressing. Get the gang together around the mookata grill for a Thai-style barbeque hot pot feast at Heng Thai. For authentic boat noodles, chicken wings and and deep fried skewers, make your way to Teow Teow.

Thai Town

Thai Town looks like a hawker market with different food stations and a mini Thai grocer at the entrance. The menu is huge and boasts some of those hard-to-find dishes. Start with the fresh crab salad with chilli, lime and Thai herbs. Then move onto larger dishes like chilli basil stir fry with century egg, jumbo king prawn pad Thai or roasted duck curry with tropical fruit.

Khaosan Lane

Thai BBQ joint Khaosan Lane is named after a popular street in Bangkok. It's the place to go for steaming seafood hot pots, sizzling cook-your-own meat and giant fruity cocktails served in jugs. Stretching down a hidden laneway and lined with rainbow-coloured string lights, the atmosphere is more South East Asia than it is Melbourne. To add to the party vibes, live music kicks off at 8.30pm every night. 

Dodee Paidang 

There are two Dodee Paidangs: one in the basement beneath Causeway 353 Hotel and another on Swanston Street. Both specialise in tom yum noodle soups. Featuring more than 20 varieties on the menu and different levels of spice, this bustling restaurant has something for everyone. The menu features other authentic Thai dishes, too. Think pork neck skewers, crispy morning glory salad and deep fried whole fish served with tamarind sauce.

Soi 38

Soi 38 is one of Melbourne's most hidden Thai restaurants. It's also its worst-kept secret. You'll find it down McIlwraith Place inside the multi-level car park, right beside the elevators. The lunch crowds slurps $10 bowls of boat noodles featuring a rich broth, slowly simmered meat and springy noodles. While the evening menu expands into Thai-style ceviche, spicy larb salads and moo ping grilled pork skewers.

Me Dee

Tucked away inside The Paramount Centre food court, Me Dee is an unassuming takeaway shop serving some of Melbourne’s most authentic Thai food. The prices are stupefying. Where else can you order boat noodles for $6? Have a huge feast of steamed barramundi with hot and sour soup, massaman curry or crab meat fried rice. There are also hard-to-find dishes here, like oyster omelettes and house-made fish balls in green curry.

Thai Baan

The menu at Thai Baan is easy on the wallet, with most items coming in at under $16. Pull up a stool and order warming dishes like pok pok noodles with sliced bbq pork, tofu and meatballs. For something a little lighter, try the refreshing lotus root salad with chilli, lime and tomatoes. Dining with your mates? Don’t go past the sharable tom yum hot pot loaded with tofu, noodles, veggies, meat and seafood. All simmered in a spicy sour broth.

BKK

Head to level 3 of the multi-storey HER bar and you'll find a turbocharged canteen, serving Bangkok-inspired street food. BKK offers a fresh take on Thai BBQ, with open flames grilling juicy meat, seafood, crispy pork belly and more. Weekday lunch-goers can't go past the noodles specials. For dinner, opt for a set mention option featuring highlights like bbq T-bone, Chiang Mai pork sausage and fish cakes with red curry and cucumber ajat.