The very best Thai food in Manchester

Right in the centre of Didsbury Village, 2Nakhon is a contemporary (think pink neon and bamboo-clad nooks) Thai restaurant inspired by the Nakhon Ratchasima province in which owner Wole and head chef Ekachai grew up in. Ekachai is from the South of Thailand and has over 25 years’ worth of experience in the kitchen making dishes like these. Alongside the classics you’d expect, you’ll find some more leftfield chef’s specials too like the ‘weeping tiger’ sizzling sirloin steak and a tamarind sea bass. Because it’s Didsbury, there’s also an indulgent brunch menu too, with Thai inflections such as spicy tiger prawns.

A family-run business bringing a taste of Thailand to Reddish, Baan Phad Thai have made a whole lot of hungry locals very happy over the decades. With a head chef who has been cooking Thai food for over 30 years, know you’re in good hands. This place ranks highly on the no frills-scale, with a minimal interior that feels more like a canteen than a restaurant. The menu is full of stir fried dishes and an abundance of interesting starters, as well as lesser-seen curries like chu chee fish. This spot is BYOB too, making it ideal for a casual get together with excellent vibes.

May Wakefield, owner of Chilli B managed to secure a coveted spot in Mackie Mayor back in 2019 and has been absolutely smashing it ever since. Starting life as a street food trader hosting kitchen takeovers and pop-ups around South Manchester, May brought Chilli B to the city’s most prestigious food hall and introduced a range of experimental Thai dishes perfected over the years. There’s drunken noodles, pad krapow topped with a fried egg, and kow soi – a fragrant yellow curry with noodles, chicken and pickled mustard leaves.

Another suburban favourite, this time in Levenshulme. ChangYai-Thai is a cracking takeaway spot that serves up countless portions of pad thai and crispy pork week-in, week-out for hungry locals in M19. It goes without saying that their Thai red curry is sensational, and could easily feature on every single order. Don’t forget their in-house golden triangles (somewhere between a samosa and a spring roll), filled with king prawns and a homemade curry sauce.

Fusing together, unsurprisingly, Thai and Hong Kong cuisine, hearts broke across Manchester when Hong Thai suffered a fire in their original spot in the Arndale Market. Luckily we weren’t without their outstanding poh peer massaman curry and tempura prawns for long, as they came back stronger than ever with their own spot on Oldham Road. Rules be damned, we couldn’t think of anything more delicious for lunch than crispy hoisin bites or a brisket noodle soup.

Inspired by the street food markets of Bangkok, My Thai have managed to nail being both casual and buzzy. The menu is extensive and skews towards street food bites rather than mains. As well as all your spare ribs and crispy prawns, there’s a whole array of pads, noodle soups and curries. Those with more adventurous palettes should direct their eyes to the ‘foodie’s menu’ though, where you can enjoy the likes of yen ta fo (seafood noodle soup in pink broth), gang ped yan (roasted duck curry with pineapple) and ka na moo krob (spicy crispy pork with broccoli). If that sounds good, you’re in luck because there are two branches of My Thai in Manchester, one on John Dalton Street and one in the Northern Quarter on Tib Street.

A Thai offering that’s absolutely adored by the Altrincham locals, the word ‘Nahmprik’ actually refers to a specific type of spicy chilli sauce used in Thai cooking, so you know these guys are meticulous when it comes to details. This is a family friendly joint you’ll often see heaving on a Friday or Saturday night, not least because of their extensive vegan menu including loads of tofu-based dishes, as well as a gluten free menu that pulls no punches – we’re talking noodle soups like tom yam, an array of curries, as well as comforting classics like pad thai and drunken noodles. A real crowd-pleaser on all fronts.

If you want no faff, traditional Thai food, you’ve found your place in Chinatown’s Phetpailin. Of course, they serve all of our favourite dishes: pad thai, gai yang and khoa pad siam, but they also offer dishes that are perhaps less well-known. Ranging from mild to super-hot, their curry selection offers a range of delicious meals that are all infused with the authentic flavours of Thailand. Thrill-seekers should opt for the special gaeng ped yang, a dish made from roast duck, red curry with pineapple and tomatoes and creamy coconut milk.

A firm favourite, Manchester’s iteration of Rosa’s Thai has been a firm favourite ever since they opened their doors in 2020. Unfortunate timing, but they grew a cult following offering deliveries throughout the pandemic and has returned stronger and better than ever. The original Rosa’s was launched back in 2008 on Brick Lane, and since then they’ve built a reputation for bold, punchy flavours with dishes that have been inspired by owner Saiphin’s childhood where she grew up on her family’s farm in Northern Thailand. Curries are fresh and fragrant, and there are loads of interesting sides like stir fried aubergine and okra tempura. 

Now a bonafide Manchester institution, Siam Smiles began their journey to greatness operating out of a basement supermarket in Chinatown. Back then they were about as hidden as a gem could ever be, but they managed to cultivate a loyal customer base down there, so when they were forced to leave there was a huge uproar across the city. Alas, collective prayers were answered, as Siam Smiles have moved to Deansgate Mews, in and amongst some of the city’s most prestigious indie establishments – and the rest is history. Head here for an elevated lunch or casual dinner of soups, salads and Thai street food.

An excellent family-run Thai restaurant that sprung up in the wake of Chaophraya on Chapel Walks just off King Street, Thai Kitchen No.6 has earned itself a number of loyal fans over the last few years, thanks in part to their hidden location, as well as their memorable cooking. You’ll find aunties, brothers, mums and grannies in the kitchen, all preparing dishes to traditional family recipes and this place will provide a very authentic experience for anyone looking to re-create their gap year experiences.

A consistent favourite down in the village of Standish in Wigan, Siam House is the brainchild of Ed Jennings and Kannika Mahanam, who decided to transform an old chippy into a Thai takeaway and restaurant back in 2017. It’s hard to express just how popular this place is amongst locals, with many saying that they’ll order from here at least once a week just to get their hands on their slow-cooked honey ribs, noodles and curry dishes. Fresh, authentic and with tonnes of flavour, and the prices here are very reasonable indeed. If you’re not local, befriend someone nearby so that you can get it ordered in ASAP.

Thaikun is a slick Spinningfields restaurant whose brightly-coloured Tuk Tuk has been enticing diners through its doors for years now. As well as a menu filled with delicious noodle dishes, grilled meat, fish and crunchy stir fries, their curry offering is also pretty irresistible. For those that prefer variety, they also offer a street food sharing stack with a selection of four different dishes all served together. Squint and Deansgate could be the streets of Phuket.

In the most unsuspecting of places, you’ll find probably the city centre’s very best Thai cuisine at That’s Thai. Hidden down the side of a garage at the top of Cheetham Hill Road doesn’t exactly sound very exotic, but once you spy the colourfully painted exterior of this place you know that you’re in for something special. Owner Wan has transformed this former greasy spoon into a Thai food haven, and it’s massively popular with local workers and hi-viz fellas who pop down for a phenomenal pad thai for as little as £7.50. Grab a stool at their counter and enjoy one of the most satisfying lunches around.

This purple-fronted spot in Chinatown is renowned for it’s easy-going atmosphere and menu of familiar and less familiar Thai dishes. Just the starters list alone contains seriously tempting offerings and steamed mussels in Thai herbs. Progressing onto the mains, the seafood specials deserve exploring in their entirety like the mango crispy seabass and king prawn vermicelli casserole. There are also loads of Asian speciality drinks like Thai lime juice and the bubblegum-pink sala milkshake. Even if you tend to stick to your green curries, Try Thai will make you want to expand your culinary horizons.