Thai restaurants in Melbourne that you have to try

Rin Sura offers diners modern Thai dishes in a venue that is decked out in all shades of gorgeous green.

For 55 dollars per person, you can enjoy the Chef’s Selection of dishes. If this doesn’t appeal, then the menu at Rin Sura has shared plates, mains, side dishes, and sweets.

Try the crispy soft shell crab bao (2 pieces), followed by the wok fried chicken and cashews. Or order some fried vegetable dumplings (4 pieces) then move onto the tofu Pad Thai.

No Thai meal would be complete without a side serve of roti bread with peanut satay; the satay sauce at Rin Sura is homemade.

What’s a favourite at Rin Sura, you ask? Dish Cult recommends the $24 Green Curry with BBQ Chicken.

Dodee Paidang has two venues in the CBD; the Little Collins outlet has a specific lunch, dinner, noodle, and rice menu, whereas the Swanston venue has an All Day menu, a noodle and rice menu, and a drinks/desserts menu.

At Little Collins, the lunch menu has plenty of cheap eats that come with soup – pork and rice or noodles, chicken and rice or noodles, and loads of curry and stir-fry options. We like the Massaman beef curry which has sweet potato and pineapple.

If you happen to be in Swanston Street, the grilled chicken is a popular pick amongst regulars.

Wondering what to order off the Dodee Paidang menu? All the dishes are amazing if pushed, Dish Cult recommends the $13.90 Crispy Pork Belly with Noodles.

Fat Boy Thai Kitchen creates authentic Thai dishes using fresh ingredients that are sourced locally. Do check this place out if attention to detail matters to you when you are dining out.

Fat Boy does all of the usual Thai classics (green curry and Pad Thai) plus they have a good choice of vegetarian dishes on their menu too (many of their curries and stir-fries have vego options.)

Otherwise, try the fried soft shell crab curry or the ginger barramundi, if you’re in the mood for a spicy seafood fix.

Wondering what to order at Fatboy Thai Kitchen? Dish Cult recommends the $17 Grilled Beef Salad.

Soi38 specialises in Thai-style street food. DIners can choose from BBQ, deep fried, and grilled dishes as well as soups.

Grab a bowl of the nourishing Gang Hed, a vegan soup dish featuring mushroom and vegetables, or the ‘Ultimate Bowl’, a dish of pork, prawns and scallops floating in spicy, soupy goodness

Another highlight at Soi38 is the selection of ceviche. Choose from black tiger prawns, Coffin Bay oysters, Japanese scallops, or Kingfish.

You can also score a decent bottle of natural wine here too, to accompany your food.

What should you order at Soi38? Dish Cult recommends the $15 Deep Fried Chicken.

Colonel Tan’s dishes up Thai eats in Chapel Street’s Revolver Upstairs. The decor here is all vintage lamps and velvet couches, and the food is inventive, thanks to chef Karen Batson – Bangkok Bolognaise, anyone? Or how about some kaffir lime chicken nuggets with a chilli dipping sauce?

The food at Colonel Tan’s is affordable, and the drinks list is – not surprisingly for a nightclub – rather long.

What to try at Colonel Tan’s? Did we mention the Bangkok Bolognaise, yet?

Ask any Melbourne local and they’ll tell you that Cookie is one of Melbourne’s iconic culinary institutions. Karen Baston is the Executive Chef here at Cookie, which is a fusion of restaurant and beer hall, with a bit of buzzy disco thrown in for good measure.

The food here is a mix of Thai and Australian, with an emphasis on an informal dining experience.

There’s loads to choose from on Cookie’s main menu – dishes are conveniently divided into small, medium and large (plus salads, roti, rice, plus dessert.)

The Betel Bliss Bombs will have you assembling your dish, as wil the ‘roll your own’ rice pancakes. The dumplings have a Western twist – garlic and chive, or tapioca. The Whizz Fizz chicken sticks are guaranteed to shake up your tastebuds.

If you’re in the mood to lash out, tuck into the Choo Chee seafood platter ($55), which is snapper, calamari and prawns in red curry.

What should you order at Cookie? Dish Cult recommends the $28 Spicy Jungle Curry with Tofu, Baby Corn, and Pumpkin.

Longrain is set in a turn of the century horse stable, and serves contemporary Thai food that is the brainchild of chef-restaurateur Scott Pickett.
If a communal vibe and shared banquet-style dishes eaten on long tables appeals to you, then look no further than Longrain for your Thai fix.

Longrain also does a good selection of cocktails with the fresh and fragrant flavours you’d expect from any Thai eating and drinking experience. The cheeky Phuket Pash is lemon-infused vodka, lime, passionfruit and lychee; the Bangkok Bird combines rum, lime and coconut for a refreshing tipple.

What should you order at Longrain? Dish Cult recommends the Market Price Crisp Whole Fish with Tamarind, Roasted Rice and Lime.