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    Holy Basil

    4.1 (27 reviews)
    ModerateThai, Laotian
    Closed 12:00 pm - 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM

    Holy Basil Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Holy Basil

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    Deano P.

    In a city where Thai (in this case Thai/Laos) restaurants are a dime a dozen Holy Basil is a stand out. I've had quite a few dishes here over the years and have come to expect rich flavours, good sized meals, great value and a lively atmosphere without any pretentiousness. The menu has so many dishes it may be hard to decide what to try however my favourites are the delicious soft shell crab and the green curry which is generous and thick. After reading other reviews I'll be trying the fried ice cream next time! Unassumingly located at the back of the Shark Bar the restaurant area is spacious and tastefully decorated. We had to wait for a table on a Friday night which was fine (I'm not surprised the word has gotten out about this place). I did notice that most people in the actual Shark Bar area were also eating.

    Richard H.

    Nice Thai restaurant at the Shark hotel. Despite some reviews saying this place is a little tricky to find, it's actually pretty visible once you're actually in the Shark hotel - located just next to the bar area. When in doubt, follow the smell. The food is quite nice, better than average and comes in generous portions for a decent price. You can often judge a Thai place by their basic Thai fried rice, and Holy Basil does the job quite well. The penang curry was a little too sweet for my taste, especially compared to most other places, but it was still good. The service was prompt, if a little perfunctory. Dishes were just put on the other side of the table without care for where they go. Given that it was just a few minutes after opening and that the waitresses were happily chatting away, a little more care and attention would've been welcome. All things aside, Holy Basil is a nice place that can also cater for large groups with its enormous centre benches, while having plenty of comfy booth seating too. If you ever get bored, just count the Buddhas - it'll keep you occupied for quite some time. ;)

    Panang curry
    Tayler S.

    Excellent!! Went out for a celebratory dinner while in Sydney and loved Holy Basil. The entrance off Liverpool wasn't obvious (it's up a flight of stairs and past another lounge), but was worth the extra effort to find. Service was fast and attentive. Prices were very reasonable given the downtown location and quality of the food! Spring rolls, chicken skewers, and panang curry were all delicious - wish I had room for more!

    Adam M.

    The staff here are super friendly! The food is amazing and such a wide range of selection all at a very competitive price. The laksa is amazing. Will defiantly be returning!

    Holy Mutha of Basil
    Andrew O.

    Holy ........basil. Laotian food was on Food Safari and I saw a restaurant that is fully twenty seconds from work that I had never even heard of. Had to go. Its in the Shark Hotel, last time I went there was years ago - when there was actually a shark in the middle of the place. Pretty cruel I thought, especially when I heard it was about the third one cos they kept dying. Sorry, got distracted again. This place is good, I had a seafood Vermicelli salad. Not knock your socks off but good. Pretty straightforward herbs and leaves, and no holy basil? Shortgrain, Phamish and Spice I Am could teach these guys about finding Herbs and flavours that kick a dish up a notch. But its well worth trying and its good value.

    Jay S.

    Waited an extra 20 mins for our table, but considering it's a Friday and we had a booking for 20 people, it was understandable. Spring rolls - pretty average, the main flavour we found was cabbage. I'd avoid it in the future. Satay chicken sticks - were really juicy and tender with a great amount of satay sauce. Pork belly in garlic sauce - crunchy, crispy yet soft. Beans were really crunchy. One of our favourites of the night Soft shell crab - crunchy, salty, light batter. It was a generous serve and probably our favourite dish of the night. Duck curry - succulent & tender duck, creamy sauce, pretty nice overall.

    Holy basil rice

    The holy basil rice was delish and my friend got egg rolls and chicken which she said were good too..now the fried ice cream was the absolute final highlight of the meal...it was absolutely delicious. Service and price both were good!

    Deep Fried Ice Cream

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    12 years ago

    The fried ice cream is unbelievable delicious!!!

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    8 years ago

    Lovely food. Highly recommended. The only knock against Holy Basil is that it's a bit expensive for what it is, but that's Sydney for you!

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    Review Highlights - Holy Basil

    I live in the USA now but every time I visit home, this is one spot I come to, especially for their fried ice cream !!

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    Prik Thai - Menu, Prik Thai

    Prik Thai

    4.0(7 reviews)
    0.2 kmSydney
    $

    Good grub food to get the Thai zest food on!…read more I like their flavorful Tom Yum Goong, extremely. One can tell with the ingredients used and the strong flavor used in the soup. Chicken noodle soup was spot on. I think I ate too much two hours before, so my stomach wasn't feeling well at all when I over ordered here! I got excited on their 5 dollar grubs and Tom Yum soup. It's like a hole in the wall kind of place. Service was great and I like the down to earth vibes here. My eyes are bigger than my stomach, as usual. Got my yummy Thai craving on!

    This place is all about the efficiency. The young guy running around serving everyone is pleasant,…read morespeedy and ensures you get a bottle of water. You're gonna need it, this is authentic Thai, they don't scrimp on the spice. This used to be a very regular lunchtime haunt for me because it wasn't very busy and @ $7.90 for my favourite dish (which is a generous serve), it was almost impossible to avoid at least once a week. However it seems that word has gotten around because it can be very busy at lunch times. I usually opt for pork pad krapao cos it's a great serve but have tried other dishes too. The pork two ways (belly and bbq) is a bigger dish but is also outside their $8 lunch sweetspot! The only real gripe I have with the place is that the seating outside attracts smokers. Most people hate smokers whilst they are eating, and it's probably illegal but you know what inconsiderate ign'ant peeps are like, they just don't care.

    Photos
    Prik Thai
    Prik Thai - Call the Fire Department, Prik Thai

    Call the Fire Department, Prik Thai

    Prik Thai - Pad thai on left and fry rice, beef with some ingredients that I forgot. And longan fruit juice.

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    Pad thai on left and fry rice, beef with some ingredients that I forgot. And longan fruit juice.

    Khao Thai Haymarket - Chicken Pad Thai

    Khao Thai Haymarket

    5.0(1 review)
    0.6 kmHaymarket

    It's surprising what you can find when exploring your own city. I decided to take a different…read morestreet in Chinatown Sydney and stumbled upon this restaurant. From the outside it looked very clean and inviting with walls decorated with vibrant Thai street art. There were many patrons inside eating which is also a good sign that the food must be good. I decided to give it a try and I'm so pleased I did! The place has a Bain-Marie setup on entry for takeaway. You can order from here to dine in also but the price will differ. It is cheaper to takeaway. The menu is very extensive listing more than 100 Thai regional specialties. The menu has several different styles of noodle soups 'Boat Noodle Soup' and 'Tom Yum Sukhothai Noodle Soup' ranging from the spicy-sour tom yum soup to tom luad moo (soup made with a clear broth as well as pork and vegetables). Under the heading 'Hot Pot Set' you can order the Thai Southeast street food 'Chim Chum', a spicy sour broth with different meats, seafood and fresh herbs such as galangal, sweet basil, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves all cooked together and served in a small clay pot. There are refreshing papaya and vermicelli noodle salads, stir-fries, fried fish, hotpots and for the ultimate sweet ending, sweet doughnuts served with delicious Pandan sauce (Pa-Tong-Go) or deep-fried banana. I chose two of my all time favourites- Chicken Pad Thai and a Chicken Cashew Nut stir fry. The portion size was huge and worth every cent! The taste was simply amazing and better than what I have received at my other favourite, more expensive Thai restaurants in Sydney. Wow I now have found a new favourite Thai restaurant.

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    Khao Thai Haymarket
    Khao Thai Haymarket
    Khao Thai Haymarket

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    Holy Basil - thai - Updated May 2026

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