Brian Nagele
Atlanta is Georgia’s capital city and a major historical player in the civil rights movement. Apart from memorials and museums, Atlanta continues to honor civil rights by taking pride in cultural and ethnic inclusivity.
Atlanta grows more diverse every year, and the greatest byproduct of cultural diversity is an equally diverse culinary scene.
Atlanta’s restaurants include a wide variety of ethnic cuisines worth trying. During my most recent trip to Atlanta, I focused on finding the best Thai food in town. I found a wealth of great options.
Read on to discover my list of the best Thai restaurants in Atlanta.
Nan Thai Fine Dining
1350 Spring St NW #1, Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: 404-870-9933
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From acclaimed female Chef and Bangkok-native Nan Niyomkul, Nan Thai Fine Dining is one of four award-winning Thai restaurants in her restaurant group – three of which are on my list! Nan Thai Fine Dining is a stunning and elegant fine dining restaurant in Midtown offering traditional and modern Thai food.
The cocktail menu at Nan Thai offers tropical takes on classic drinks along with inventive Thai cocktails.
I started my wonderful meal with a Lychee Martini. My favorite dish was the Geah Yang, Thai barbecued lamb chops served with spicy green papaya salad and honey-glazed coconut sticky rice.
Little Bangkok
2225 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30324
Phone: 404-315-1530
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Located north of Morningside Nature Reserve in Lindridge-Martin Manor, Little Bangkok is a casual Thai and Pan Asian eatery with colorful and authentic Thai décor.
Each little dining room is brightly colored and decked out in imported Thai artwork, golden figurines, and bamboo awnings. Their quick and friendly service makes them a favorite business lunch spot.
They have a full Thai menu and a full Chinese menu along with a lunch menu that offers the best dishes from both countries at a lower price.
I recommend getting a Chinese dish and a Thai dish. My favorites were the sweet and sour chicken and the Thai garlic shrimp.
26 Thai Kitchen & Bar (Buckhead)
541 Main St NE F170, Atlanta, GA 30324
Phone: 404-400-5995
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Winner of Diner’s Choice and Critic’s Choice Awards from OpenTable, Insite Magazine, and Best of FoodA, 26 Thai Kitchen and Bar is a hip and fashionable modern Thai restaurant and bar with four locations around Atlanta.
Female owner and Executive Chef Niki Pattharakositkul opened 26 Thai Kitchen and Bar when she was 26, hence the name.
I went to the flagship Buckhead location to enjoy an authentic Thai meal in a modern, industrial-chic dining space.
I loved the wealth of vegan options. My favorite vegan dish was Grandma’s Curry, a yellow curry with broccoli, green beans, tofu, shiitake, and carrot over jasmine rice.
Bangkok Station
ste110, 550 Pharr Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30305
Phone: 404-343-4665
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Bangkok Station is a classy, yet welcoming traditional Thai and Japanese sushi restaurant in a beautifully designed wooden space in Buckhead a few blocks from Frankie Allen Park.
Owner and Executive Chef Nithidol Nithitanawut opened a popular Thai restaurant in his native Thailand before immigrating to Atlanta to open Bangkok Station.
Bangkok Station serves artisanal Thai cuisine as well as authentic Japanese sushi using locally sourced produce.
They have a full cocktail and beverage program to accompany a long list of curries, noodles, appetizers, and fried rice.
I had never tasted a more delicious variety of fried rice as their crab meat fried rice with a special sauce, egg, green onion, and butter.
Surin of Thailand
810 North Highland Avenue Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30306
Phone: 404-892-7789
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Surin of Thailand is a successful chain of restaurants with multiple locations across the Southeastern United States, including Atlanta’s Atkins Park neighborhood.
Surin of Thailand has a polished and modern atmosphere with a cocktail and sushi bar in addition to an authentic menu of Thai dishes.
Surin of Thailand combines locally sourced produce, meat, and fish with imported Thai spices and specialty ingredients.
The Pan Asian menu fuses dishes from different countries like pot stickers in Thai red curry sauce. I went for a more traditional Thai dish and ordered the delicious Pad See U with flat rice noodles sauteed with egg, broccoli, garlic, and soy sauce.
Top Spice Thai & Malaysian Cuisine
Multiple locations
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Top Spice Thai and Malaysian Cuisine is a Pan Asian eatery with two locations in Toco Hills and Akers Mill.
Both locations have large, high-ceilinged dining rooms with wooden tables and glass bottles full of colorful grains, spices, and beans decorating the walls.
Top Spice offers a unique blend of Southeast Asian flavors that fuse the aromatic traditions of Thailand and Malaysia.
The two neighboring countries share flavors and ingredients, but Malaysian food also shares culinary traditions with India. I recommend trying the Panang Curry with shrimp and coconut milk.
Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft
1745 Peachtree Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: 678-539-6181
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Another award-winning restaurant from Chef Nan Niyomkul, Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft is a gorgeous modern Thai restaurant on the third story of a Brookwood Hills building.
Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft is a part of Chef Nan’s dynasty, but her daughter DeeDee is the head chef and co-owner.
Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft was listed as Travel and Leisure Magazine’s top 100 Thai Restaurants in the Nation, proving that culinary genius is passed down from generation to generation. The menu focuses more on playful takes on Thai street food.
I’ve never loved a dish more than the Mieng Kham spinach leaf wraps stuffed with lime, ginger, onion, roasted peanut, shrimp paste, and caramelized palm sugared coconut.
CHAI YO MODERN THAI
3050 Peachtree Rd NW Suite 8, Atlanta, GA 30305
Phone: 404-464-7980
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The final restaurant in the Niyomkul family restaurant dynasty, Chai Yo Modern Thai is a fancy, avant garde Modern Thai bistro run by DeeDee Niyomkul.
Chef DeeDee brings a creative and innovative take on her mother’s traditional Thai dishes. The Buckhead restaurant’s beautiful design creates a high-end atmosphere.
Chai Yo has my favorite menu selection, with dishes that dazzle your tastebuds. Chef DeeDee uses modern cooking techniques to elaborate traditional Thai dishes.
It was hard not to order everything on the menu. The highlight of my meal was the Kra Pow Talay, a pan-seared scallops and crispy shrimp dish with a melee of vegetables in basil, garlic, and Thai chili sauce.
Mali Restaurant
961 Amsterdam Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306
Phone: 404-874-1411
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Located a few minutes east of the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Piedmont Park, Mali Restaurant is a lovely Thai and Sushi restaurant, offering authentic dishes from both cuisines for reasonable prices.
Mali Restaurant has a grassy outdoor patio that serves as a delightful setting for lunch dates and dimly lit romantic dinners.
I recommend going for the lunch service to get high-quality dishes for under $10 a plate. I started with a wonderfully spicy Tom Yum Soup with lemongrass, chili, lime, cilantro, mushrooms, and chicken.
For the main dish, I went with Mali’s signature seafood Pad Thai with shrimp, scallops, ground peanuts, and fresh bean sprouts.
Spoon Eastside
749 Moreland Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30316
Phone: 404-333-9606
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Spoon Eastside is the sister restaurant to Spoon Westside, a family-owned and operated, traditional Thai food restaurant.
Located in the Ormewood Shipping Center, Spoon Eastside’s kitchen, bar, and dining room is led by a different member of the Suteeluxnaporn family.
The laid-back and homey atmosphere is a great place to unwind with a cocktail or enjoy a family dinner.
They have a long list of local artisanal beers, and tropical cocktails to accompany a family-style meal of traditional dishes from every region of Thailand.
For a unique dish that combines curry and noodles, try the Northern Thai Khao Soi rice noodle in chicken curry broth.
Talat Market
112 Ormond St SE, Atlanta, GA 30315
Phone: 404-257-6255
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From energetic chef duo Parnass Savang and Rod Lassiter, Talat Market started as a pop-up eatery offering farm-to-table Thai food using local Georgia produce.
Talat Market was an instant success, leading to a brick-and-mortar restaurant in a vibrant and trendy dining space in the Summerhill neighborhood.
Talat Market has received wide acclaim from Atlanta Magazine and Eater to name a few. Chef Lassiter’s native Georgia know-how and Chef Savang’s knowledge of Thai cuisine fuse to create a creative menu of cocktails and food.
I loved the whole fish dish, Three Flavor Flounder, with basil, oyster sauce, tamarind, chili, garlic, and fish sauce.
Atlanta’s Thai restaurants span the culinary and dining experience spectrum, from traditional to modern and casual to fancy.
Whether you’re looking for a four-star fine dining restaurant or a budget-friendly Asian fusion eatery, every option on my list of the Best Thai restaurants in Atlanta offers a unique and delicious dining experience.
Did I leave a restaurant out of this list? Make sure you leave a comment and I’ll check it out!
