The 16 Best Thai Restaurants in Montreal

From the team behind Pumpui, Pichai is a northern Thai restaurant that exchanges familiar curries and mango desserts for dishes from Thailand’s Isaan region. With Chef Jesse Grasso in the kitchen, bold, fermented, heat-driven flavours built from local ingredients come to the forefront. Staples like duck heart laab and fried fish balls in sweet chilli sauce anchor the menu. But it’s the rotating specials that push expectations further, presenting dishes like a tartare of British Columbia-sourced albacore tuna, fresh herbs, lemongrass, and toasted sticky rice powder, or a Quebec whole lobster, stir-fried and topped with chilli jam and Thai basil.

“Sep” is a Lao and Thai word meaning delicious—part of this restaurant’s name that just about sums it up. Owner Anouxath Siyavong opened Thaï Sep’s 24-seat Jean-Talon spot to bring both cuisines to the neighbourhood, with Laotian food—a rarer cuisine in Montreal than Thai—as a particular draw. Despite this dual focus, there are plenty of traditional Thai dishes to choose from, with papaya salad, Thai sausage, laab, and the familiar curries and soups. Keep in mind: it’s BYOW and cash-only.

Part restaurant, part specialty grocer stocking Thai pantry staples, Pumpui is the casual counterpart to its sister restaurant Pichai. Chef Jesse Mulder, who trained at Bangkok’s award-winning Nahm, opened Pumpui in 2017 as a simple curry counter in Little Italy. Though the name means “chubby” in Thai, the menu remains small with rotating specials. Pad krapao, stir-fried pork and chillies finished with a fried egg, a Thipsamai-inspired pad thai, and a green curry with fish balls are what to order.

In Thai, “thammada” means ordinary—everyday food, the kind cooked in the streets of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket. Chef-owner Chita Phommavongxay spent time in Thailand learning techniques and recipes before bringing that spirit to Outremont in 2019. The khao soi, a bowl of northern Thai egg noodles in a coconut curry broth, is a favourite that’s worth the visit, though its shareable, family-style menu also lets you try mango salad, chicken satay, and steamed sea bass filet.

The third project from Chita and Nim, the couple behind Thammada and Pichai, Bangluck opened in 2024 as a straightforward tribute to the Thai noodle shop—named after a Bangkok neighbourhood and designed to mimic traditional establishments like it. Light wood, 24 seats, and a counter where you order make the space casual yet intimate. The menu is tight: noodle soups, rice plates, fried snacks, and desserts, with condiments like chilli jam and garlic oil made in-house.

A warm, wood-panelled room near Vendôme metro, Pick Thai has built a loyal following in Westmount and NDG on the strength of a wide-ranging Thai menu and consistent culinary execution. Chef-owner Vilay Douangpanya runs a kitchen that covers the classics well: mango salad, panang curry, pad thai, and satay are recurring highlights.

Siam occupies a sophisticated, two-floor space inside the Hôtel Le Crystal, steps from the Bell Centre, decorated with a giant Buddha and tropical-coloured staircases. It holds a Thai Select Premium certification, the Thai government’s designation for restaurants that meet standards of culinary authenticity abroad, and offers a menu of classics. Its pad thai, panang curry, satay, and mango sticky rice are all executed with care and presented for sharing.

ChuChai is a vegan Thai restaurant in the Plateau where, since 1997, Chef Lily Sirikittikul has crafted an innovative plant-based menu inspired by traditional Thai cuisine and family recipes. The restaurant specializes in creative mock meats and fresh vegetables that replicate authentic Thai flavours and textures. Set within a sleek, contemporary space, ChuChai presents a casual yet refined dining experience that elevates plant-based Thai cuisine to a higher standing.

Krapow is a Southeast Asian counter in the Plateau that specializes in authentic Thai, Indonesian, and Malaysian street food. Founded by Kevin Larken, who spent over 20 years in Southeast Asia, the restaurant centres around its signature beef krapow—a traditional Thai dish featuring minced beef and Thai basil, served with a fried egg and coconut rice. The entire menu is 100% gluten-free, and its focused selection emphasizes quality and flavour over quantity.

Dek Sen is a Rue Saint-Denis Thai restaurant—the first halal Thai establishment in Montreal—that draws inspiration from age-old Thai recipes and traditional cooking techniques. The menu showcases classics like pad thai, tom yum, and papaya salad, alongside lesser-known specialties such as khao soi, with vegetarian and vegan options available.

Tissy’s Bistro is a Beaconsfield Thai restaurant owned and operated by Chef Tissy, originally from Chomphon in Southern Thailand. She learned to cook traditional Thai cuisine growing up while cooking with her auntie, and later formalized her expertise through cooking courses in Thailand. Tissy’s intimate bistro serves homemade Thai dishes with fresh ingredients, including classics like pad thai, khao soi, tom yum, and massaman curry.

Boonlaï runs a tight menu of curries, pad thai, tom yum, papaya salad, and a pork leg stew (served with fried rice) from its Hochelaga restaurant on Sainte-Catherine Est. The room is bright and plant-filled, with bold green wainscoting, paper lanterns, and a chalkboard detailing the menu above the counter. Portions are generous, and prices are low.

TiBum is a family-run Thai fusion restaurant and cocktail lounge in Little Italy, where the chef-owner (who goes by Bum) runs the kitchen. The menu spans pad thai, papaya salad, and imperial rolls alongside fusion touches like a General Thai poutine, creative cocktails with names like “Mango Sticky Rice” and “Mighty DJ Dragon,” and mocktails like the “Kali Refresher,” made with hibiscus, cucumber, lime, and mint sparkling water. The kitchen works without MSG, leaning on organic ingredients and adjusting heat levels to order.

Siwalee is a family-run Thai restaurant in the Plateau, where the menu embraces street food and the dining room follows suit, with basic fixtures and tiled floors. During warmer months, its front terrasse opens up, while its cozy interior holds down the fort year-round. Dumplings with peanut sauce and crispy chicken with mango salad are among the standouts, as are classic street food dishes like boiled chicken rice and pad krapao.

Opened in 2013 by the Yip family, whose culinary background comes from Battambang, a Cambodian province bordering Thailand, Tuk Tuk brings the flavours of Cambodia and Thailand to Côte-des-Neiges. Its menu, rooted in home-style cooking, emphasizes fresh ingredients, with signature dishes including fish amok, fragrant curries, pad thai, and comforting soups, all served in a relaxed BYOB atmosphere.

Named after the beloved northern Thai noodle curry that serves as its signature dish, Khao Soi brings the flavours of Chiang Mai to Mile End. Specializing in cuisine from the region, the restaurant’s menu is built around rich coconut curries, fragrant broths, stir-fried noodles, and more. The bright, casual dining room, with exposed brick, hanging lanterns, and paper tablecloths, lends a relaxed atmosphere where the food remains the primary focus.