Thai cuisine has been fully embraced by Athenians as a favourite food. Sweet, sour, bitter and savory flavors, above all, spicy, are perfectly combined for a completely balanced result.
The cuisine’s colourful dishes, extremely fulfilling, are also healthy as they contain proteins, carbohydrates and lots of vegetables. Interesting Thai restaurants have surfaced in the city over recent years, offering a complete gastronomic experience hailing from the exotic, faraway Asian country. Whether already a fan of Thai food, or interested in becoming acquainted, the places listed below will surely delight.
Tuk Tuk Thai street food
Tuk Tuk, one of Athens’ most fascinating Thai restaurants is situated in the multi-faceted Koukaki district, on Veikou St. This eatery, pint-sized, takes its name from the famous tricycles seen on Bangkok’s busy and frenetic streets. Tuk Tuk stands out for its comfort-style cuisine, fulfilling portions, and marvellous balance of Thai food flavours. Outside, colourful tables set along the pavement create a fun atmosphere. Inside, fancy colours, including pink-coloured walls, are the spot’s trademark, while various memorabilia such as small lanterns, flags, umbrellas and golden Buddha figurines decorate the space, offering guests a first taste of Thailand. A bench running the length of the open kitchen is the shop highlight. It is worth sitting here to observe the cooks applying their skills to their woks for extremely delicious dishes. The eatery is run by Kostas Lalas and Babis Askeridis, also the chef.
Some of the menu items worth trying:
- Som Tum Thai, a refreshing and, at the same time, spicy salad made with papaya, carrots, green beans, pistachios and cherry tomatoes, all mixed, as customers look on, in a clay bowl and served with tamarind sauce.
- Khanom Jeeb Goong, light and fluffy dumplings with prawns and aromatic herbs, steamed and served with sweet soya sauce.
- Kaeng Dang, rich-flavoured red curry with seasonal vegetables and coconut milk, either as a vegetarian dish or with prawns, chicken, duck, or pork, all served with rice.
- Pad Grapao Muu, pork mince prepared in the wok with aromatic herbs, vegetables, fried egg and rice.
To summarise, Tuk Tuk serves comfort Thai food closely resembling the traditional flavours of Thailand in generous portions at very fair prices. Cost per person (starter, soup, main course, and one beer) €20-25.
40 Veikou, Athens, +30 210 4051 947
Andaman Thai Restaurant
Situated in the quietest section of the Kato Petralona district, Andaman is housed at an elegant two-storey building that stands out courtesy of its terracotta colour. The food here is offered in restaurant style of carefully prepared dishes, while the flavours are milder than classic Thai cuisine. The menu is fashioned with a Mediterranean approach, resulting in refined flavours. The red-coloured dining space at the ground level is decorated with little lanterns, comfortable sofas and features a fireplace. The second floor offers a tropical environment, featuring banana trees and other exotic plants, colourful décor and bamboo furniture. Both levels are equipped with large bars as the spot places particular attention to cocktails that highlight and complement the food. Some of the dishes worth trying are:
- Chicken Sticks with satay sauce, juicy chicken fillet pieces marinated in coconut milk and light peanut butter.
- Spicy Duck Salad, smoked duck fillet with green beans, peppers, cucumber, fresh coriander, onion and lime.
- Green Curry, spicy herb mix cooked in coconut milk with fresh vegetables, bamboo shoots and peas.
- Sweet and Sour, a special combination with fresh vegetables cooked in homemade sweet and sour sauce and fresh pineapple, either as a vegan version or with chicken, pork, beef, prawns or gurbell fish fillet.
If interested in trying Thai food for the first time, Andaman is the perfect place to start. Prices, slightly above local average Thai food prices, are estimated at €45 per person (starter, soup, main course and one cocktail).
65 Alopis and 1 Pyladou, Kato Petralona, +30 211 2104 939
Blue Bamboo
On the other side of the Petralona district’s railway line, at trendier Ano Petralona, Blue Bamboo, a Thai restaurant of distinctive character, stands out for its elegant, dainty dishes and fulfilling portions. Blue Bamboo is Nordic in style with tall front windows and wooden benches around the sides. Wooden tables, leather-covered seats, industrial décor and jazz music create a relaxed, laid-back setting. The bar area is the main attraction, cooks, visible behind the bar, performing their culinary wonders with woks and cooking pots amid clouds of steam. Some of the dishes worth considering are:
- Mango salad, extremely refreshing, with onion, coconut, prawns and fish sauce.
- Tom Kha Gai, spicy soup with coconut milk, galangai and mushrooms, available either as a vegetarian dish or with chicken or prawns.
- Pineapple fried rice, with coconut, fresh pineapple, yellow curry and spring onion, served inside a pineapple.
- Thai Basil, fresh vegetables sautéed in a wok with basil, chili and soya sauce, served either with chicken or prawns, plus rice.
The Thai food at Blue Bamboo is served with very refreshing signature cocktails. Meals per person range from €20-25 (starter, soup, main course and a cocktail or beer).
24 Kydantidon, Ano Petralona, +30 210 3423 124
Rouan Thai Restaurant
Rouan Thai, in the capital’s port district Piraeus, offers extremely delicious cuisine, traditional recipes and places great importance on the use of quality ingredients. The restaurant’s owner, Pavlos, formerly a ship mechanic, met his wife Wanna in Thailand, during one of his trips. They fell in love, married, and a few years after settling in Athens, opened Rouan Thai. Wanna’s daughter, Nok, has since also joined the team and is in charge of the kitchen. The mother and daughter have also taken Greek names – Wanna baptised as Marina and Nok as Maria – but the eatery remains one-hundred percent Thai, with simple furniture and traditional décor, some memorabilia on the walls, and, naturally, frames with the King and Queen of Thailand. Maintaining the standards of renowned Thai hospitality, the restaurant’s extremely friendly team creates a warm and cosy atmosphere. Recommended selections from the extensive and interesting menu include:
- Spring rolls, fresh, handmade, deep-fried rolls with rice and vegetables.
- Fish cakes, immaculately fried fluffy fish fritters made with perch, red curry, beans, and lemon leaves.
- Tom Yum, extremely delicious soup with coconut milk, spicy-bitter pasta, mushrooms, lemon leaves, galangal and lemongrass.
- Beef with Green Curry, unrivalled green curry with beef as a soup including bamboo shoots, peppers, coconut milk and basil.
Rouan Thai offers a real Thai experience of hospitality and authentic flavours. The cost per person is estimated at €20-25 (starter, soup, main course and a beer).
131 Notara, Piraeus, +30 210 4294 494
Buba Bistrot Exotique
Buba Bistrot is situated in leafy Kifisia, northern Athens, at the historic Benakeio kindergarten building. The food here is an Asian-fusion version of Thai cuisine with Chinese and Vietnamese influences. The colours and flavours of dishes prepared by Maria, the eatery’s chef, are the key features of her modern take on Thai food. The restaurant’s décor, taking the imaginations of diners to the Far East, features colourful lanterns and tables, as well as frames depicting all sorts of Asian settings. The old-school disco music played on the stereo offers a party-like element to the atmosphere. The garden space, a true oasis, features climbing plants and hanging plants, which, along with the gorgeous bar, create an exotic setting. Importance is placed on the drinks with interesting cocktails prepared to accompany meals. Recommended dishes include:
- Pok Pok Wings, irresistible chicken wings marinated in honey, lime, rice vinegar and caramelised garlic. Served with homemade pickles and dipping sauce.
- Red Curry, spicy red curry with prawns, coconut milk and vegetables with steamed rice.
- Phad Thai, delicious noodles prepared in the wok with prawns, egg, fresh vegetables and tamarind sauce.
- Kai Yang, a Thai BBQ meal with juicy chicken marinated in soya sauce, lemongrass and herbs. Served with traditional sticky rice, tamarind sauce and mango salad.
The menu and vibe are strong attractions. The cost per person ranges between €35-40 (starter, soup, main course and a drink).
4 Papadiamanti, Kifisia, +30 210 6231 151
(It should be pointed out that diners can choose how spicey they want their food to be at all the aforementioned restaurants).
Read also:
10 budget-friendly traditional eateries in Athens, Greece
