14 Best Thai Food Restaurants in Kandy

If you are searching for the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy, you are not alone, though Kandy is not a city people usually associate with Thai food. Ask anyone here what to eat, and you will hear rice and curry, kottu, or maybe pizza if they know the newer spots around town.

But Thai food has quietly found a place in Kandy, and this guide rounds up the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy, mostly a handful of restaurants run by actual Thai chefs, plus a few kitchens that take it seriously alongside everything else on their menu.

I went looking for every place in Kandy that genuinely serves Thai food, not just a token pad thai buried in an “Asian fusion” menu next to fried rice and noodles, to put together a proper list of the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy.

Kandy’s Thai scene has thinned out a bit in the last couple of years too. Sala Thai on Peradeniya Road, which used to be the city’s go-to dedicated Thai restaurant, is now permanently closed, and a couple of other names that used to show up on older lists have either shut down or rebranded into something else.

So this list of the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy only includes places that are actually open and running right now.

Here is my honest, currently-open list of the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy.

Lemon Grass Thai Restaurant – The Grand Kandyan Hotel

Lemon Grass is the Thai restaurant inside The Grand Kandyan, a five-star hotel with views over the Kandyan hills, and it is widely considered one of the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy for a proper sit-down meal. This is the fine dining option on this list.

The restaurant has its own Thai chef, the setting is refined with soft music and greenery in the background, and the whole experience is built around a proper sit-down Thai dinner rather than a quick meal.

This is not a place for a casual weeknight kottu-and-go dinner. It is where you go for a special occasion, a date night, or when you have guests visiting and want to show them something a little more elevated than the average Kandy restaurant.

Reviews describe the food and setting as close to a royal dining experience, though it is worth knowing that hotel dining here comes with hotel dining prices.

Being inside the hotel also means it is a good option if you are already staying at The Grand Kandyan or nearby and do not want to travel far for a proper Thai meal in the evening. For hotel guests, it is probably the single best Thai restaurant in Kandy to walk to.

Location: 10 Lady Gordon’s Drive, The Grand Kandyan Hotel, Kandy
Opening Hours: 12.00 PM – 10.30 PM
Price Range: Upper mid-range to high
Favourite Dish: Ask for the Thai Chef’s daily specials; the menu rotates

WorldSpice – Thai Kitchen Counter, Kandy City Centre Mall

WorldSpice is a food court on the top floor of the Kandy City Centre Mall, and while it is not a Thai restaurant on its own, its Thai Kitchen counter is one of the best Thai food options in Kandy if you want something quick.

It is a shared space with several kitchen counters, one of which is a dedicated Thai Kitchen serving soups, curries, and pad thai alongside the Indian, Chinese, and Western counters in the same hall.

What makes this worth including is that the Thai counter is genuinely run separately with its own cooking, not just a few Thai-named dishes tacked onto a generic Asian menu. You get a card when you walk in, order from whichever counters you like, and pay for everything together on your way out.

It is a good option if you are eating with a group where not everyone wants Thai food, since everyone can order from a different counter and still sit together.

Prices are reasonable for a mall food court, and the environment is clean and comfortable, if a little more functional than atmospheric. Good for a quick, affordable Thai fix without committing to a full sit-down restaurant, and one of the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy for a fast weekday lunch.

Location: Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe Mawatha, Kandy City Centre, Level 4, Kandy
Opening Hours: 10:00 AM – 9:30 PM
Price Range: Budget to mid-range
Favourite Dish: Pad Thai or a Thai curry from the Thai Kitchen counter

AimBoon Thai Restaurant – Small and Run by an Actual Thai Chef

AimBoon is a small, no-frills Thai restaurant on the second floor of the Townhouse building, right in front of Trinity College in the city centre, and it regularly comes up on any list of the best Thai restaurants in Kandy.

It is easy to miss if you are not looking for it, there is not much signage, but it is genuinely run by Thai chefs cooking Thai food, which is rarer in Kandy than you would expect, especially now that Sala Thai has closed down.

Reviews here are mixed; some people describe it as the most authentic Thai food they found in Kandy, others have had inconsistent experiences with service and food quality. This tends to happen with small, newer places run by a tiny staff.

Given the location, right in the middle of the city near Trinity College and a short walk from Kandy Lake, it is worth trying if you are already in the area and want something different from the usual tourist spots.

Go in with reasonable expectations for a small, simple setup rather than a polished restaurant experience, and you are more likely to leave happy. For a no-frills, chef-run option, it holds its own among the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy.

Location: Townhouse Building, 2nd Floor, in front of Trinity College, Kandy
Opening Hours: 10:00 AM – 10.00 PM
Price Range: Budget
Favourite Dish: Ask for whatever the Thai chef recommends that day

Roobinzz Cafe and Restaurant – Casual Local Favourite With a Proper Thai Section

Roobinzz is a cosy, popular cafe and restaurant on Anagarika Dharmapala Mawatha that has built a loyal local following, and unlike a lot of casual Kandy spots, it actually runs a proper Thai section on its menu rather than one stray dish, which is why locals often name it among the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy for an everyday meal.

Thai rice, Thai noodles, and Thai chicken noodles all show up regularly in reviews, alongside their kottu, biryani, and mojitos.

This is not fine dining, and it is not trying to be. It is the kind of place you go for a relaxed meal with friends or family, where the food is fresh, the portions are generous, and the prices are easy on the wallet. The owner, Mr Harsha, and the team are often mentioned for friendly, attentive service, and the atmosphere leans cosy and rustic rather than polished.

If you want a Thai-leaning meal without the fuss or the hotel prices, and you are happy to have it alongside a wider comfort-food menu, Roobinzz is a solid, reliable choice, and a strong pick if you are after the best Thai food in Kandy on a budget.

Location: 164/A Anagarika Dharmapala Mawatha, Kandy
Opening Hours: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Price Range: Budget
Favourite Dish: Thai Chicken Noodles or Thai Rice

Cafe Purple King – A Well-Loved Cafe With Standout Thai Dishes

Cafe Purple King is a busy, highly rated cafe on DS Senanayake Veediya that has built a strong local and tourist following, mostly for its kottu and cakes, but its Thai dishes get called out just as often in reviews, enough that it belongs on any serious list of the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy.

Thai chicken rice, green curry, and tom yum seafood rice are the ones people mention by name, and they show up again and again in the reviews as genuine standouts rather than an afterthought on the menu.

The interior leans Instagrammable, with a chess-themed decor that makes it a popular stop for photos as well as food, and portions are generous enough that a large serving can comfortably feed two or three people.

Expect a short wait during busy periods; fifteen to twenty minutes is common, but reviewers consistently say the food and the friendly service make it worth it.

This is a good pick if you want a Thai dish alongside a wider cafe menu, in a lively, photogenic setting rather than a formal restaurant one, and it is a regular mention on local lists of the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy.

Location: 175 DS Senanayake Veediya, Kandy
Opening Hours: 6:30 AM – 9:00 PM on weekdays, 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM on weekends
Price Range: Budget
Favourite Dish: Tom Yum Seafood Rice or Thai Green Curry

June Bistros – A Cosy Cafe Where Thai Rice Is the Signature Dish

June Bistros is a small, family-run cafe on DS Senanayake Veediya with a relaxed, game-room feel, think chess, Scrabble, and books on the shelf while you wait for food, and it has quietly become one of the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy for a laid-back lunch.

The fusion-inspired menu covers Thai-style Fried Rice, Mongolian-style Kottu, and Sri Lankan rice and curry, and reviewers specifically single out the Thai rice as the restaurant’s signature dish rather than a side option.

Ratings are consistently high, with guests praising the generous portions, reasonable prices, and the warmth of the owners. It is a good pick for a relaxed lunch away from the busier tourist strip.

Location: 174 DS Senanayake Veediya, Kandy
Opening Hours: 08:30 AM – 10:00 PM
Price Range: Budget
Favourite Dish: Thai Style Fried Rice

Cafe Nuwara – Colonial-Style Cafe With a Broad Thai Selection

Cafe Nuwara is a striking, colonial-themed cafe in the heart of Kandy known for its elegant interior, nightly Kandyan dance performances, and a menu that blends Sri Lankan classics with international dishes, including several genuine Thai options: Thai Fried Rice, Thai Chicken Rice, Thai Seafood Rice, and Thai-style stir-fried noodles all appear on the menu, enough to place it among the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy for a fuller evening out.

It is one of the more highly rated restaurants in the city centre, with well over a hundred reviews.

The atmosphere leans toward a full night out rather than a quick meal, so it suits a group dinner or a special evening more than a fast lunch stop.

Location: 146 DS Senanayake Veediya, Kandy
Opening Hours: 10.00 AM – 10:00 PM daily
Price Range: Mid-range
Favourite Dish: Thai Chicken Rice or Thai Seafood Rice

Fab Ceylon Grand – Lively Fusion Restaurant With Thai Curries

Fab Ceylon Grand is a stylish, artistic restaurant opposite Dialog Arcade in the city centre, well known locally for its huge sharable “Shovel Rice” and seafood boats, and its Thai section earns it a spot on any list of the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy worth taking seriously.

Alongside its Sri Lankan, Chinese, and Italian dishes, the menu includes Thai Green Curry, Thai Red Curry, Pad Thai, and Thai Fried Rice as named options rather than a generic Asian catch-all.

It gets consistently strong reviews for its food and hospitality, and it works well for a group outing since it has a dedicated area for larger gatherings. Prices run a little higher for individual meals, but sharing dishes offers better value.

Location: No 3/163, 3rd Floor, DS Senanayake Veediya, Kandy
Opening Hours: 10.00 AM – 11:00 PM
Price Range: Mid-range
Favourite Dish: Pad Thai or Thai Red Curry

Scooby’s Hideaway – Rooftop Favourite With Thai Options on the Menu

Scooby’s Hideaway is one of Kandy’s most highly rated restaurants, a rooftop spot on DS Senanayake Veediya known primarily for burgers, wraps, and comfort food, but with Thai Chicken Rice, Thai Fried Rice, and Thai Basil Chicken also on offer, making it a worthwhile stop on any tour of the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy.

The vibrant, funky decor and music make it a popular hangout spot as much as a place to eat.

Reviews are excellent across the board, and it is a solid choice if your group wants a casual rooftop meal where Thai food is one of several cuisines on the table.

Location: 160 DS Senanayake Veediya, Kandy
Opening Hours: 07.00 AM – 11:00 PM
Price Range: Mid-range
Favourite Dish: Thai Basil Chicken

La Pangea Cafe & Restaurant – Rooftop Cafe With Thai Dishes on a Wider Menu

La Pangea is a rooftop cafe tucked above a building on Kotugodella Street, reachable by climbing a couple of flights of stairs, and one of the highest-rated restaurants in Kandy overall, which is enough on its own to earn it a mention among the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy even though Thai is only part of the picture here.

The Sri Lankan dishes get the most praise in reviews, but Thai Fried Rice, Thai Chicken Curry, and Thai-style noodles are also on the menu for those after something different.

The setting, a peaceful terrace with views over the city and a nearby Buddha statue, makes it worth the climb even without factoring in the food.

Location: 196/01/02 Kotugodella Street, Kandy
Opening Hours: 09.00 AM – 11:00 PM
Price Range: Mid-range
Favourite Dish: Thai Chicken Curry

Ramen Hotpot Restaurant – Newer Spot With Thai-Style Dishes Alongside Ramen

Ramen Hotpot is one of Kandy’s newest restaurants, opened in late 2025 on Cross Street, and it has quickly built a strong reputation for its ramen and hotpot options alongside Thai Fried Rice, Thai Basil Chicken, and Thai Seafood Rice, already earning it a spot among the newer names on the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy list.

The interior is modern and elegant, a step up from what the plain exterior suggests.

Given how new it is, reviews are still limited, but early feedback has been strongly positive on both food and service.

Location: No 53, Cross Street, Kandy
Price Range: Mid-range
Favourite Dish: Thai Basil Chicken

Salgado Restaurant (Cafe 1886 by Salgado Bakers) – A Kandy Institution With Thai Fried Rice on the Menu

Salgado is one of the best-known names in Kandy dining, a bakery-restaurant combo right in the city centre that has been popular with both locals and tourists for years, and it earns its place on this list of the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy through one dish rather than a whole menu.

It is not a Thai restaurant by any stretch, the menu leans heavily Sri Lankan and Western, but Thai Chicken Fried Rice sits on the rice section of the menu as a proper, named dish rather than a vague “Asian style” catch-all.

The restaurant sits above the bakery, with a balcony that looks out over one of Kandy’s busiest streets, and it is known for classic dishes like Salgado Noodles and their fish and chips as much as anything else.

Reviews consistently praise the food, the reasonable prices, and the friendly staff, and it is a reliable, no-fuss option if you want a Thai-style dish without leaving the city centre or planning a special trip.

Location: 68 Kotugodella Veediya, Kandy
Opening Hours: 11:00 AM – 9.00 PM
Price Range: Budget to mid-range
Favourite Dish: Thai Chicken Fried Rice

Fire Plate Restaurant, Kundasale – A Wider Asian Menu With Genuine Thai Dishes

Fire Plate is a family-friendly restaurant chain with branches in Peradeniya and Kundasale, just outside central Kandy, serving a broad mix of modern Chinese, Thai, Mongolian, Indian, Western, and Sri Lankan dishes.

It is not a Thai restaurant in the way Lemon Grass or AimBoon are, and it is more of an honourable mention on a list of the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy than a core entry, but Tom Yum Seafood Soup and other Thai-style seafood and rice dishes are genuinely on the menu rather than a token gesture.

The Kundasale branch has built a small but glowing set of reviews, with guests specifically calling out the warm service and the quality of the food. It is a good option if you are out toward Kundasale or Pallekele and want a Thai dish as part of a bigger group meal where not everyone wants the same cuisine.

Location: Rajapola Premises, Pallekele
Opening Hours: 11:00 AM – 10:30 PM
Price Range: Mid-range
Favourite Dish: Tom Yum Seafood Soup

Slightly Chilled Lounge – Thai Bites with the Best Sunset View in Kandy

Slightly Chilled is primarily known as Kandy’s best rooftop sunset spot, and I have written about it before for its wood-fired pizza, but its dinner menu also has a solid run of Thai dishes sitting alongside the Chinese and Western options, including a pad thai that regularly gets called out by name in reviews, enough that it deserves a place among the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy.

Thai spring rolls are another regular order here, and the kitchen handles them well.

This is not the place to go if you want a full, dedicated Thai meal. It is the place to go if you want good Thai bites while watching the sun go down over Kandy with a drink in hand. The setting does a lot of the work: an open rooftop, the city and lake spread out below, and the temple lights coming on right around the time you are finishing your first round.

Happy hour runs in the early evening, which lines up nicely with sunset, and it is closed on poya days, so check before heading up.

Location: No. 29A Anagarika Dharmapala Mawatha, Kandy
Opening Hours: 11:30 AM – 11:55 PM (closed on Poya days)
Price Range: Mid-range
Favourite Dish: Pad Thai or Thai Spring Rolls + a drink at sunset

Quick Summary

That covers the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy as they stand right now, and the scene is genuinely small, having actually shrunk since Sala Thai closed. If you want a proper sit-down Thai meal, Lemon Grass at The Grand Kandyan is the most reliable bet, even if it comes at hotel prices.

If you are after something quick and affordable, the Thai Kitchen counter at WorldSpice is worth knowing about, and Roobinzz is a great everyday option if you want Thai flavours without planning a special outing. For a casual evening with good Thai bites and a view, Slightly Chilled at sunset is hard to beat.

If you know of a Thai spot in Kandy that is currently open and I have missed, let me know in the comments so I can keep this guide to the best Thai food restaurants in Kandy up to date. Places here open and close often enough that I would rather keep this list accurate than long.

If pizza is more your thing, I have also put together a guide to the best pizza places in Kandy, from wood-fired classics to hidden rooftop gems.