10 Restaurants That Serve The Best Thai Food In San Francisco

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Photograph: Marnee ThaiThe 10 best Thai restaurants in San Francisco

The best Thai food in SF runs the gamut from casual to trendy to Michelin-starred restaurant

Monday April 15 2024ShareCopy LinkFacebookTwitterPinterestEmailWhatsAppWritten by Clara HoganContributing writer, ItalyAdvertising

One of the best things about San Francisco is the diversity of its food scene. Here you’ll find everything from dim sum restaurants to classic steakhouses, with fantastic world cuisine on every corner. So it should come as no surprise that SF has the bold flavors and intricate spices of Thai food in abundance too.

In fact, Nearly every neighborhood in the 7x7 has a Thai restaurant (or three) worth visiting. And they all offer up something different, from the family-run Lers Ros to the modernized takes by Farmhouse Kitchen and the Michelin-starred magic of Kin Khao. Whatever you’re looking for, SF has got it. Here are the best Thai restaurants in the city.

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Clara Hogan is a US correspondent for Time Out based in the Bay Area, California. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

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Best Thai food in San Francisco

1. Nari Thai

This spot by the team behind Kin Khao is one of the most exciting Thai dining experiences in SF. While Kin Khao is more of a relaxed, party vibe, Nari leans toward the more sophisticated side of the spectrum. Located in Japantown's Hotel Kabuki, the large and elegant dining room features greenery, large windows and banquettes with Thai-inspired fabrics. The menu at Nari—which translates to 'woman'—is vibrant and varied, with appetizers like a spicy mango salad and seafood curry grilled in a banana leaf. Main entrees range from a wok-tossed chicken in a bright curry paste to a tender lamb shank in massaman curry.

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2. Kin Khao

• Thai
• Tenderloin
• price 2 of 4
• Recommended

From the decor to the bold curries, everything is colorful and informal at this Michelin-starred Thai restaurant. Kin Khao—which translates to 'eat rice'—is the passion project of chef Pim Techamuanvivit, who was born and raised in Bangkok. (Her stated mission: 'To liberate her beloved Thai cuisine from the tyranny of peanut sauce.') Techamuanvivit’s produce, meat and seafood are sourced from local Northern California purveyors. The dishes are shareable and generously spiced, from the 'pretty hot wings' glazed with fish sauce, garlic marinade, tamarind, and Sriracha to the dry-fried Duroc pork ribs in a turmeric curry paste. Don’t miss Kin Khao’s modern spin on curries, like the rabbit green curry or the mackerel gaeng som sour curry.

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3. Farmhouse Kitchen

• Thai
• Mission
• price 2 of 4

This inviting Mission restaurant has a festive vibe, from the glinting penny tiles to the upbeat soundtrack. The food is vivid: The popular fried chicken is served alongside blue rice (colored by the blue pea flower) and yellow potato curry. Co-owners Ling Chatterjee and husband Kasem 'Pop' Saengsawang are the same duo behind Kitchen Story in the Castro and Blackwood in the Marina. Of the three, this spot serves the most authentic Thai fare. The pair focuses on high-quality ingredients and locally sourced produce. The beef short rib, braised until it falls off the bone, then slathered in Panang curry, is a stand-out.

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4. Marnee Thai

• Thai
• Outer Sunset
• price 2 of 4
• Recommended

Chef Chai Siriyarn opened the first Marnee Thai in 1986, well before Thai food became the takeout staple it is today. Siriyam grew up in Bangkok and learned how to cook from his mother; her influence is evident in the traditional flavors and bold spices of his dishes. Today, Siryam’s two restaurants—one in the Inner Sunset, the other in the Outer Sunset—specialize in aromatic, tongue-tingling dishes from central Thailand. Specialties include the kao soi chicken and mussamun chicken curry.

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5. Prik Hom

Prik Hom opened in 2023 and quickly turned heads, landing on the Michelin Guide and New York Times "Best Restaurants in San Francisco" list in its first year. The restaurant is owned by siblings Tanya and Jim Suwanpanya—the latter of the two is the head chef and brings culinary chops from fine dining establishments in Bangkok. Located along Geary in Laurel Heights, Prik Hom offers an upscale dining experience in a relaxed, neighborhood setting. Take note, however—it may feel low-key, but reservations are incredibly hard to snag. Plan ahead.

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6. Lers Ros

• Thai
• Tenderloin
• price 2 of 4

Lers Ros has been a Thai food mainstay since chef-owner Tom Narupon Silargorn opened his original location in the Tenderloin in 2008. He’s since expanded his scope to oversee three modern, stylishly appointed outposts in the city. A native of Thailand, Silagorn is known for serving authentic, unapologetically spicy dishes. (You won’t find sugary-sweet curries or limp pad thai here; even the chile paste is made in-house.) Opt for hearty, flavorful dishes like pork ribs, nuer tod (fried, dried beef), and bone-in fried eel.

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7. Thai Idea Vegetarian

• Thai
• Tenderloin
• price 2 of 4

Vegetarians and vegans rejoice: This popular Thai restaurant is entirely meat- (and fish sauce) free. The space is casual but comfortable, with dark wooden booths and dim lighting. Though the menu focuses on vegetables, there are plenty of meatless substitutes for chicken, shrimp, catfish, lamb and beef. The faux-meat skewers, samosas, and 'wing bombs' (deep-fried veggie-chicken wings) are popular appetizers, while the curries—ranging from pumpkin to fish-free–'seafood'—are recommended mains.

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8. House of Thai

• Thai
• Civic Center
• price 2 of 4

House of Thai has been serving classic, unpretentious food for nearly two decades. Shunning Americanized Thai fare, the menu is spicy and wide-ranging, from curries and noodle dishes to rice plates. Start with specialties like the ka moo (a fiery pork-leg stew), the moo grob gra praw (sauteed pork belly flavored with chili, onion, peppers, and basil), or the deep-fried catfish. The latter comes topped with shiitake mushrooms, carrots, onions, peppers, and ginger and is doused in a house-made plum sauce.

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9. Ben Thai Cafe

• Thai
• Lower Nob Hill
• price 2 of 4

The food at this Nob Hill cafe seamlessly melds traditional Thai, Chinese and Indonesian influences in inventive flavor combinations. (The brother-sister co-owners borrowed many of the complex recipes from their Thai parents.) The menu spans sauteed dishes, seafood, wok-tossed noodles and curries from all over the map. There’s an American-Thai-inspired oxtail soup stewed with carrot, tomato, and cabbage; a Northern Thai khao soi (egg noodles, chicken, and crispy pork skin in a red and yellow coconut curry), and a Chinese-Thai–influenced roasted duck soup packed with hearty, fatty strips of meat and thick, chewy noodles. Start with the crispy crab pancake, served alongside a pungent vinegar dipping sauce.

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10. Blackwood

• Marina District

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Authentic, it is not. But Blackwood does serve some seriously delicious fusion fare. The vibe is stylish and upscale, from the pillow-laden banquettes to the fireside tables out front. The menu offers traditional favorites, like pad thai, fried rice, and egg rolls with a modern twist. It also delivers some unexpected options, like the fried chick, a crackly fried chicken breast served with yellow curry, and a Thai-inspired burger topped with asparagus, bell peppers, heart of palm, basil, khao jee, and green curry sauce. Wash it down with a selection from the impressive beer and sake list.

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