The Best Thai Food in Los Angeles
From the Sherman Oaks room that became one of LA's hardest tables to the Thai Town institution that broke the "Thai food is just pad thai" myth.
Los Angeles is the best Thai food city in America — home to the country's only officially designated Thai Town, in East Hollywood — and the cooking here goes far past pad thai into the regional Southern and Northern Thai canon. The picks below are the canonical answers to "where's the best Thai food in LA," each scored and verified by Dim Hour, led by Anajak Thai Cuisine, the Sherman Oaks room on Eater LA's 38 that became one of the hardest reservations in the city.
A note on the regions: Southern Thai cooking (Jitlada, Luv2eat) is the spiciest — turmeric, dried chili, seafood curries from the Andaman coast. Central and Northern dishes run from the funky and herbal to the deeply savory. Thai Town in East Hollywood is the historic heart, but the best rooms now stretch from the Valley to Santa Monica.
Anajak Thai Cuisine
Justin Pichetrungsi took over the Sherman Oaks Thai room his father opened and turned it into one of LA's most exciting tables without changing the address or the sign — now on Eater LA's 38. The pad kee mao and fried chicken keep the regulars happy; the Dungeness crab fried rice and the wine list are why it's a hard reservation. Book on Resy.
Jitlada Restaurant
LA's most famous Southern Thai kitchen and the address that broke the "Thai food is just pad thai" myth for a generation. Jazz Singsanong's crab curries, fried morning-glory salad, and dynamite fried chicken carry serious chili heat. A Thai Town institution; walk-in.
Holy Basil Santa Monica
A Westside Thai kitchen (Eater LA's Best New, April 2026) that doesn't dial the heat or funk down for Santa Monica. The cooking pulls from central and northern traditions — chile chicken, tom yum risotto, wagyu gra pow. Book on Resy.
Night+Market Song
Kris Yenbamroong's Silver Lake Thai street-food room runs loud, funky, and unapologetically spicy, with a natural-wine list that somehow fits perfectly. The crispy rice salad and pork toro keep it packed on weeknights. Book on Resy.
Luv2eat Thai Bistro
Phuket-born chefs spotlight the rarely-exported Southern Thai canon in this Hollywood room — a James Beard Outstanding Hospitality semifinalist (2024). Hat Yai fried chicken with a shallot-sweet marinade and a spicy crab curry the regulars anticipate for weeks. Walk-in, loud, worth the heat.
The Goldfish
A Highland Park Thai street-food spot and cocktail bar on York Boulevard, tied to the Sticky Rice kitchen. Arcades, pool tables, and live events lean it toward a late-night neighborhood crowd — the casual, after-hours end of the list.
What is the best Thai food in Los Angeles?
Where is Thai Town in Los Angeles?
What is Southern Thai food and where is the best in LA?
What is the hardest Thai reservation in LA?
Which LA Thai restaurants are walk-in vs. reservation?
How spicy is the food at these restaurants?
How expensive is Thai food in Los Angeles?
How many restaurants does Dim Hour cover in Los Angeles?
Dim Hour scores every restaurant on food, service, ambiance, and value, and verifies every listing. This guide is updated as the catalog changes. Explore all Los Angeles restaurants →