Thailand has been poetically nicknamed Food Heaven because of its enormous gastronomic diversity: from the world-famous street food culture to the leading Michelin-starred restaurants and rooftop bars.
We are happy to share our seven favorites with you.
The hippest new hotspots, most unique culinary experiences and hidden gems. Where the world can’t find you…
1.‘OPENING OF THE YEAR’
Nawa Thai Cuisine has been awarded a Michelin star for “The Opening of the Year” in 2024.
Nawa is Thai for innovation.
Chefs and power-couple Joe and Saki Hoshino embrace this concept, using modern techniques to produce the authentic yet bold flavors of Central Thai cuisine with a seasonal tasting menu featuring finger food and modern interpretations of traditional dishes.
The dark walls and high ceilings with colorful details create a somewhat mysterious but extravagant atmosphere, centered on the large, bright open kitchen where the team works in perfect synchrony. 
2. YOUNG CHEF AWARD
Chef Chudaree ‘Tam’ Debhakam of Baan Tepa restaurant is the world’s first female Thai chef to head a restaurant with two Michelin stars. At the age of 31, she also received the Michelin Young Chef Award in 2024. The dining experience at Baan Tepa is highly interactive. Guests are welcomed into the beautiful historic house and given a tour of the garden, where they learn more about the ingredients of the culinary journey they are about to embark on. The kitchen is a learning space where guests are greeted by the chefs and can have a conversation about new ingredients and cooking methods. The menu is inspired by the culinary journeys of Chef Tam and her team through the different regions of Thailand.
They deliberately choose dishes and ingredients unique to each region and create their own story within each dish, focusing on the stories of the food producers and their crafts: from the farmers raising free-range chickens to the rice growers in Isaan province who want to revive this ancient craft for the next generation.
3. ICONIC ROOFTOP BARS
In addition to street food, rooftop bars have become staples of Bangkok’s culinary scene.
Perhaps the most iconic rooftop is Vertigo and Moon Bar on the 61st floor of the Banyan Tree Hotel.
Enjoy delicious seafood and premium steaks complemented by exquisite cocktails from Moon Bar.
Lebua’s Sirocco & Sky Bar with its golden dome also remains a favorite with one of Bangkok’s best views.
New hotspots are also added every year such as Pastel Rooftop with an elegant Mediterranean atmosphere or the very latest must-go rooftop bar Akara Sky Hanuman where Thai mythology is intertwined with modern luxury. 
4.THAI WITH A DUTCH TWIST
Dutch Rick Dingen from Eindhoven is the head chef of the Jampa restaurant opened in 2021 on the island of Phuket, awarded a green Michelin star for their philosophy of sustainability and zero waste.
Rick Dingen wants to make sustainability accessible to everyone: “We only serve vegetables and seafood sourced from the island’s fishermen and the chefs visit our organic farm twice a day by bike to harvest herbs and vegetables. We use ingredients that are nutritious and balanced and we try to educate our guests about the benefits of fresh and local food.”
The Jampa Experience four-course lunch is especially recommended with complex natural flavors that change with the seasons.
For an even more unique farm-to-table experience, there is also the Hideaway where cooking is done over a wood fire and guests are educated about sustainable agriculture. 
5. MICHELIN FOOD TOUR BANGKOK
The first stop is the world-famous Jay Fai restaurant, which received a Michelin star in 2018.
This made it the first street food restaurant to receive that honor.
The restaurant serves mainly wok fish dishes and has been a favorite of foodies for many years.
It also features numerous lesser-known local gems such as Ann Guay Tiew Kua Gai, Nai Mong Hoi Tod and Pa Tong Go Savoey.
You will also get the chance to enjoy fresh fruit and local cocktails while overlooking the Chao Phraya River and the beautifully lit temples of old Bangkok.
6. THE CHEF’S SECRETS
A cooking workshop is a must when you are in Thailand.
Make the experience even more unique by first going to the market with the chef and picking out the finest ingredients.
Then prepare a four-course dinner together, with the chef teaching you how to make classics such as Tom Kha Gai, Pad Thai, Massaman curry and Mango sticky rice.
Depending on the region where the cooking workshop takes place, regional dishes are also sure to be on the menu, such as Som Tum and Laab in Northeast Thailand or Gaeng Som in Southern Thailand.
Want to delve even further into the secrets of Thai cuisine?
Then consider a culinary course of several days at one of Thailand’s best cooking schools. 
7. COFFEE CULTURE
When it comes to coffee, you probably immediately think of a country like Brazil.
It wasn’t until the past decade, when coffee culture began to flourish, that pioneers like Akha Ama Coffee appeared on the world stage in Thailand.
Akha Ama’s award-winning beans come from a remote village in northern Thailand, home to one of Thailand’s most colorful mountain peoples, the Akha.
Founder Lee Ayu Chuepa was born and raised in Akha: “I chose coffee not because I liked drinking it, but because of the value it brings to the community.”
At a time when most of Thailand’s coffee consumption still consisted largely of instant coffee, Lee seized his opportunity and entered the world of coffee.
After some negotiation, he was given 2,000 kilograms to start with, and from that, Akha Ama was born.
In 2010, he sent his coffee to the World Cup Tasters Championship event and won.
You can visit Akha’s coffee plantations and see how the coffee beans are picked and processed.
Enjoy the breathtaking views during a coffee tasting. 
This is just a small selection from all the delicious things Thailand has to offer: from culinary festivals to hotels with world-class restaurants, from chef’s tables to food trucks.
Thailand is truly a foodie’s paradise.
Also be inspired by our Culinary Journey through Thailand.
