Newcastle’s Thai restaurant scene covers more ground than most people realise — from a rooftop fine-dining room with panoramic views over Grey’s Monument to a no-frills Clayton Street café run on family recipes, and a street food kitchen that’s been packing out queues on Ridley Place since the day it opened. Whether you’re after the theatre of a special occasion dinner, the warmth of an intimate neighbourhood restaurant, or an authentic bowl of something bold and spicy at a sensible price, there’s a Thai restaurant in Newcastle worth knowing about. Here are the eight best in 2026.

Chaophraya Newcastle sits on the top floor of the Eldon Square shopping centre, with views out to Grey’s Monument and a covered rooftop terrace that becomes one of the best outdoor dining spots in the city when the weather obliges. The restaurant was opened by owner Kim, who leads a team of expert chefs bringing together classic Thai and distinct signature dishes alongside a fantastic range of cocktails, wines and beers. The Massaman Lamb Curry — slow-cooked, deeply spiced, served with soft potatoes in a rich nutty sauce — is one of the kitchen’s most celebrated dishes.

They offer sharing set menus, three-course lunches, and a Thai tapas small plates option that makes the menu unusually flexible for groups with different appetites. For a landmark special occasion meal, a pre-theatre dinner, or a long weekend brunch with bottomless drinks on the terrace, Chaophraya is the most impressive Thai restaurant in Newcastle — and the view across the city alone makes the booking worthwhile.

Chaophraya — 15 Upper Level, Grey’s Quarter, Eldon Square, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7AP | chaophraya.co.uk/thai-restaurant/newcastle

Mantra Thai is one of the most authentic Thai restaurants Newcastle has to offer, promising a high-end approach to traditional cooking techniques with a huge menu of signature dishes. Located on Forth Banks just around the corner from Newcastle Central Station, the restaurant occupies a distinctive building with an elegant dining room full of plants, warm colours and carefully chosen décor that creates a calm, welcoming atmosphere before you’ve even looked at the menu.

The restaurant offers a delightful array of options including crispy fried squid, tender duck salad and the signature Mantra green curry, alongside a Panang Beef Curry that has become one of its most talked-about dishes — slow-cooked tender beef in a rich red curry sauce with coconut milk and kaffir lime leaf. A set lunch menu and a dedicated gluten-free menu make Mantra one of the most accommodating Thai restaurants in the city. Mantra Thai Dining is rated 4.6 out of 5 on Tripadvisor and ranked among the top 65 restaurants in Newcastle — exceptional for a competitive and well-reviewed city dining scene.

Mantra Thai Dining — 29 Forth Banks, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3SG | mantra-thai.co.uk

Zaap Thai Street Food brings a fabulously authentic Thai street market experience to Newcastle, with amazing decor, neon lights, Thai artwork and site dressing — the closest experience of Bangkok you’ll get without actually going to Thailand. The menu spans more than 80 authentic Thai street food dishes, from wok-fried rice noodle Pad Thai to aromatic green curry and crispy pork with chilli and basil — and the tuk-tuk dining pods and vintage bus seating give the room a playful energy that no other Thai restaurant in Newcastle can match.

Zaap is a walk-in only restaurant — no reservations — which keeps it lively, democratic, and always buzzing. The Pad Thai is a must-eat, perfectly balancing sweet, sour, and savoury flavours with wok-fried rice noodles, prawns and a tamarind-based sauce. Cocktails, Thai teas and house drinks round out a menu that’s as comprehensive as any Thai restaurant in the city. For a fun group evening that doesn’t require planning, or a lively solo lunch that’s quick and brilliant, Zaap is one of the most reliably enjoyable Thai restaurants in Newcastle.

Zaap Thai Street Food — 117 Newgate Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 5RZ | zaapthai.co.uk/locations/newcastle

Thai House Café is the kind of small, personal restaurant that Newcastle’s dining scene is quietly built on — a compact, family-run kitchen on Clayton Street where the food is made to traditional recipes and the warmth of the welcome is genuine rather than performed. The café focuses on traditional family recipes, offering a small but carefully curated menu filled with the comfort of authentic home-cooked Thai food. The Tom Yum Soup — hot and sour, tangy and spicy, packed with fresh seafood — is a long-standing customer favourite and a reliable indicator of how seriously the kitchen takes the fundamentals.

The café has accumulated a devoted following among Newcastle food lovers who value substance over style, and the prices are some of the most reasonable of any Thai restaurant in the city centre. It’s been described as just about as good as Mantra Thai, with a cracking lunch deal that offers exceptional value for those keen on a proper Thai curry in the city centre.

Thai House Café — 93 Clayton Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 5PZ | thaihousecafe.co.uk

Nadon Thai is run by a family from Chiang Mai in Thailand, who pride themselves on providing bold, authentic flavours at an affordable price — and the restaurant delivers on both counts. The pretty interior features rustic wooden furniture, lush greenery and warm lighting that gives the room a relaxed, neighbourhood feel despite its central city location on Mosley Street. The extensive menu offers everything you’d want from a Thai restaurant — tofu green curry, beef stir-fry in oyster sauce and prawn drunken noodles, with most main courses coming in at less than £15 each.

The green chicken curry is the dish regulars return for most often — tender chicken in a fragrant coconut and green chilli sauce that strikes a balance between rich and aromatic without tipping into sweet. For a reliable, well-priced Thai dinner in the city centre that delivers authentic Northern Thai flavours, Nadon Thai is one of the safest and most satisfying choices on the list.

Nadon Thai — 32–34 Mosley Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1DF | nadonthai.co.uk

Now formally known as Parichat at Sohe, chef Parichat Somsri-Kirby — of 21 Hospitality Group and previously Ko Sai — is the real deal, running the kitchen at Jesmond cocktail bar Sohe on Osborne Road. The setting is sleek and contemporary — plush booth seating, dark tones, atmospheric lighting — making it one of the most stylish dining rooms of any Thai restaurant near Newcastle city centre. The menu brings a chef-led, modern sensibility to Thai cooking: king prawn tempura bao buns, Thai red curry with duck, and a chicken massaman rich with peanuts and aromatic spice that has become a signature dish.

While the menu might well pander to British tastes, it’s all done with a deft touch — so while you won’t get maximum heat, you will always get something that tastes genuinely good. Sohe also operates as a cocktail bar, and the drinks list — including a mango and chilli martini — is worth exploring alongside the food.

Parichat at Sohe — 97 Osborne Road, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 2TJ | sohe.co.uk

Jack Thai has been serving regional Thai classics from its city centre kitchen since 2017, and the Leazes Lane location — tucked just behind St James’ Park — makes it one of the more characterful spots on this list. The menu focuses on what the kitchen describes as bold, authentic noodle and curry dishes: expect laksa, pad see ew, massaman curry, and a rotating selection of Thai street food specials alongside the well-executed classics.

Open every day from noon until 10pm, Jack Thai is one of the more flexible Thai restaurants in Newcastle for timing — whether you want an early lunch before a match at St James’ or a relaxed dinner after a few drinks in the area. The pricing is sensible and the portions generous, making it a strong option for solo diners and small groups who want a genuinely satisfying Thai meal without a reservation or a long wait. For anyone heading to the Gallowgate end of the city, it’s the obvious first call for Thai food.

Jack Thai — 3 Leazes Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4QT | jackthainewcastle.co.uk

Named after Bangkok’s most ancient district — where a mixture of cultures established Thailand’s exotic tastes — Bangrak Thai brings a tapas-style approach to Thai dining, with a menu of street-sized portions designed to be shared across the table. Located just a stone’s throw from Newcastle’s Quayside, Bangrak offers an intimate atmosphere, soft music and elegant décor — more of a peaceful, unhurried escape than a high-energy street food operation, making it a particularly strong choice for a date night or a relaxed dinner with friends.

The kitchen prides itself on preparing each dish to order — no pre-sliced herbs, no pre-cooked meats, and a commitment to frying in sunflower oil — with spice levels adjusted to your preference. Standout dishes include a Pla sam-rod sea bass in a punchy three-taste sauce, Green Curry Fried Rice that has become a signature favourite with regulars, and a Tom Kha Soup rich with coconut milk and vegetables.

Bangrak Thai — 1–3 Side, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3JE | bangraknewcastle.com