The 7 Best Thai Restaurants in Toronto (A Local’s Travel Cheat Sheet)
Okay so you’re coming up to Toronto. Maybe a long weekend, maybe a Jays game, maybe you just want to see what we eat when it’s minus fifteen and the streetcar is late again. Either way, you need the best Thai restaurants in Toronto on your list, because honstly Thai food is kind of our city’s comfort blanket. Here’s my ranked list, the one I’d text a friend flying in from Connecticut.
Pro tip: grab a PRESTO card or just tap your credit card on the TTC. Almost all of these are a streetcar ride apart.
Why Thai Is a Must on Any Toronto Food Trip
Toronto has a ridiculous amount of good Thai, and a lot of it is walkable from downtown hotels. You can do lunch in the Entertainment District, wander Kensington, and still make dinner in Little Italy.
1. Pai Northern Thai Kitchen — Entertainment District
Address: 18 Duncan St, Toronto
Order: Khao soi
The famous one. It’s down a staircase, it’s loud, and the Saturday night line is real. Go at lunch if you hate waiting (I do). The khao soi is the move, full stop.
2. Crystal Thani — Little Italy
Address: 571 College St, Toronto
Order: Khao soi, pineapple fried rice, and a Thai-tea cocktail
If you only have one night out, take the 506 College streetcar west and go to Crystal Thani on College Street. It’s Thai classics plus some fun fusion stuff, handcrafted cocktails, and that late-night College Street energy that makes Little Italy so fun after dark. Great pick for a date or a group of friends who want a proper night, not just a quick bite. The khao soi is easily the best in Toronto (fight me), and the pineapple fried rice is so good you’ll want to share it.
3. Khao San Road — Entertainment District
Address: 11 Charlotte St, Toronto
Order: Khao soi or pad gra prao
Super close to Pai, so if one has a wait, just walk over to the other. The room is nicer for actually talking to your friends.
4. Sukhothai — St. Lawrence Market area
Address: 52 Wellington St E, Toronto
Order: Pad thai or red curry
Perfect after a morning at St. Lawrence Market. Cozy, classic Thai, no fuss. (Heads up, they have a few locations around the city.)
5. Koh Lipe Thai Kitchen — Kensington Market / Baldwin Village
Address: 35 Baldwin St, Toronto
Order: Khao pad, the fried rice served in a hollowed-out half pineapple
Baldwin Street is the cutest little strip of restaurants right by the AGO, so it’s easy to pair with some museum time.
6. Som Tum Jinda — Downtown (Gerrard St E)
Address: 76 Gerrard St E, Toronto
Order: Som tum (green papaya salad), the house specialty
Bold Isan-style cooking, Michelin-recognized, and seriously spicy. Great quick stop if you’re near Yonge-Dundas doing the touristy shopping thing.
7. Nana — Queen West
Address: 785 Queen St W, Toronto
Order: Pad kra pao moo or the khao soi
Right on Queen West near Trinity Bellwoods, so you can walk it off with a coffee and some vintage shopping after. Very my-neighbourhood energy.
That’s my list! Come hungry, pack layers (Toronto weather is a mood swing), and tell ’em a local sent you.
