The 4 Best Thai Restaurants in Budapest

In 2018, three Thai ladies, two of whom had been working in Thai kitchens in Budapest, decided to strike out on their own. Their restaurant, Rim Thanonh, is a pocket-sized space on the edge of the city's party district, near the Grand Boulevard. With a bare-bones, undecorated interior, Rim Thanonh isn’t the type of place where you'd go for birthday celebrations or business dinners, but if tasty and reasonably priced home-style Thai food is what you’re after, I can’t think of a better place in Budapest.

Budapest's Thai restaurants can be grouped into two categories: there are a few formal establishments with a service staff and a comprehensive drinks menu, while most others comprise mom-and-pop takeouts operating out of small, undecorated spaces. Parázs represents the former genre, so if a proper sit-down Thai meal is what you're after, head to District 6, not far from downtown. Know before you go that Parázs isn't cheap by local standards, with main ranging €15-20.

Kao Niaw Ping Kai Restaurant is located on one of the least inviting stretches of Budapest, the multi-lane Rákóczi Road, where the constant stream of car traffic has all but cleared the area of pedestrians. But don't despair. A downtown bus (take #5, #7, #110, #112, or #178) will drop you right outside the restaurant so you won't need to inhale any exhaust fumes.

Bangkok Étterem is one of Budapest's oldest Thai restaurants, occupying a below-ground space near the Grand Market Hall and the tourist-heavy Váci Street. Golden Buddha statues and fading celebrity photos line the walls — hello Matt Damon and Yoko Ono — and lend an adorably dated feel to the inside. The food is a bit hit-or-miss. I've had disappointingly tired papaya salad (som tam) but also bright and silky green curry here. A highlight is the whole roasted trout, served with a crispy skin and blanketed in a chili-laced sauce. The stir-fried noodles feature the usual suspects: pad see ew, pad thai, drunken noodles, and pad woon sen (glass noodles).