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    Paya Thai

    4.5 (91 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Paya Thai Reservations

    Order Paya Thai Takeout or Delivery

    Paya Thai Photos

    Business Info

    PAYA THAI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Upscale
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Paya Thai

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    Reviews With Photos

    Duck
    Julie N.

    Food 20/10. I've been dreaming of the Thai basil fried rice with seafood for a couple of days now. Duck was fantastic too. It's a little pricey but worth every penny. Service 10/10 Ambience 9/10 Can't wait to go back.

    Shanelle S.

    I've been here twice now and would definitely recommend. Both times I went with a group of people. The first time it was a larger group. The service was really good and so was the food. Plus drinks. The second time I ordered a shrimp dish with veggies. My food was delicious and it was a good portion. It came with a side of rice. I took away one star because we waited for a bit for a host to come greet us. They seemed to be a bit understaffed at the time so the waiting with no greeter was a little annoying. Overall I would recommend and will be back to try other options.

    Cod - our most expensive dish and my least favorite
    Christina C.

    I wanted to try this place after I saw it the other day after a disappointing meal at brown bag seafood and I'm so glad I went back today. Lovely from start to finish. Patio was cool and shaded. Service was excellent-not rushed, friendly and our server had a beautiful smile and way about him. And of course the food!!! Ummmm yes!!!! Come to Paya and bring your folks. We liked everything we had. Everything was beautifully plated, served hot and I would order almost everything that we ordered again. Winner on all fronts!

    Papaya Salad
    Allen W.

    Way more upscale than I thought it'd be - the interior is very pretty. Service was great! The food was plated nicely (though, the papaya salad had a whole quarter wedge of lettuce on the side and I really didn't know what to do with that). My favorite was a braised meat dish - it had mashed potato on the side and avocado and gold flakes on top. I've never seen avocado on top of a mashed potato + meat dish, but it worked! The wings were not bad, and the papaya salad also. The curry was quite good. For the portions (leaning on the smaller side) and the price though, I'm not sure I'd go again.

    Lily S.

    Really enjoyed the visit- in the west midtown provision where ladybird used to be. Spacious and cozy but chic Tyler our server was amazing. Food was authentic and flavorful. The seafood hot pot was yummy and had plenty of seafood. Will def be back.

    Pad Thai chicken
    Julia C.

    Wow! I'm SO excited to be reviewing this fantastic new discovery. Coming into my dining experience here, idk why but I had ZERO expectations because I'd never heard about Paya or seen it or been to it, and I'm very happy to say that it exceeded my expectations and left a VERY positive impression on me! I was looking for a spot in West Midtown that was lively, yummy, and could accommodate a larger party with a reservation in advance and this was IT! Perfect selection. Our service was fantastic: polite, prompt, and not rushed. It allowed up to stretch out our dinner and enjoy the whole evening!!! The food, especially the appetizers were special, great value, and worth it! The entres we also loved, but WARNING, If you're a spice (heat) fan, you can go UP in your spice-level request because unlike most Thai places, I'd say they take it easy on the spice level you order. (Oooof these'll be my famous last words before I get absolutely wrecked ordering "Thai Hot" next time). Any way, I LOVED everything about the experience. I highly recommend coming in with a large group-- they made it SO easy, and I can't wait to come back.

    Pad Cha Branzino
    Amber M.

    Paya Thai Kitchen I've tried a lot of Thai food in Atlanta, and this is one of the few places that actually feels authentic. The flavors are strong, well-seasoned, and not toned down. You get that perfect mix of sweet, spicy, and savory in every bite. The food tastes fresh, the portions are good, and everything came out exactly how it should. If you're searching for the best Thai food in Atlanta or a solid Thai spot in West Midtown, this is definitely one to check out. I'll be coming back for sure.

    Basil duck with sauce
    Andy X.

    TLDR: 4.2/5, pretty good pad Thai and basil duck for take out. Pad Thai was great texture but I wish it was a little saucier. Medium spice was SPICY but I am weak so if you like spicy maybe it's totally fine. Basil duck was really good flavor, just a little bit dry but otherwise very well cooked esp for takeout

    Pad see ew
    Audrey C.

    Had a great first experience at Paya Thai! Walked in on a Tuesday evening and were sat with no wait. Service was quick and food was amazing! Definitely recommend the calamari. Such a cute area and patio!

    Amiee W.

    Everything about Paya Thai was a 5 for us across the board. From the moment we walked in, the customer service was top tier, friendly, attentive, and made us feel valued as a customer. The food? Absolutely incredible. Easily some of the best Thai food I've had in a long time. Every dish was full of flavor, fresh, and just beautifully done. The drinks were just as impressive, perfectly made and a great addition to the whole experience. I also loved how diverse the menu was. There were so many unique options, all with a delicious Thai twist, which made it hard to choose....I wanted to try the whole menu! We went to celebrate our anniversary, and it couldn't have been a better choice. It felt special without being over the top, and we're already talking about when we can go back. Highly recommend, this place is something special.

    Menu (Nov 2025)
    Leyang Z.

    A new Thai food spot in West Midtown. The restaurant serves delicate and creative dishes and has a beautiful vibe, so it has been on my list for months. Recantly I went there twice, once by myself and the other with my friend. Overall the experiences were not bad. For the first time, I ordered the basil fried rice with shrimp and ribeye skewers. I asked the kitchen to put less salt for the fried rice and they did a good job. Plus, the shrimp was tender and the basil -- which was lightly fried, was crispy. Recommended. The ribeye skewer was really of appetizer-size lol. The meat was good but I did not like eating it with something sweet like the peanut sauce served on the side. Then I recommended the restaurant to my friend and we went there for dinner. This time I tried the Nam Tok beef salad, side roti and Tom Yum Soup w/ shrimp, while my friend got the Basil Duck and Tom Kha Soup w/ shrimp. Unlike the ribeye skewers, my beef salad was surprisingly descent in size, and the meat was tender and sauce was refreshing (spicy and sour). It was served with some raw cabbage which had a pleasant juiciness and sweetness. Both soups were good; though my friend enjoyed hisTom Kha Soup more. The Basil Duck was very salty, but not many Thai restaurants nearby feature duck dishes so you may still give it a try:) Plus, I also recommended this restaurant to some of my classmates and they enjoyed it as well. The restaurant seemed to have lunch specials and I may try it next time.

    Yellow curry with chicken
    Rajeev G.

    Very nice atmosphere and presentation of food. I had the yellow curry with chicken, and others at my table had the roti dip and the tri-flavored cod. Everybody enjoyed their food. Minor nitpick on my meal ... the size of the potatoes is too large, like basically half a potato... you would be able to enjoy the flavor of the curry with the potatoes much more if the potatoes were cut smaller. Also, I could have used more rice. Our server was average. Friendly enough, but didn't spend quite enough time with us. It was a busy night for sure.

    Menu of entrees
    Jim F.

    Overall good experience for Thai food on the west side. The server was attentive, and the standard dishes were good. Downsides were the chicken satay skewers were somewhat overcooked and hard, and the restaurant did not want to work with dietary restrictions, requiring that ingredients not be omitted from a dish. It was surprising that no one sat at the bar the entire night we were there and the restaurant was about 50% occupied. But it had a good overall energy otherwise.

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    22 days ago

    Can't wait to return and try the food. Went ifor drinks and it was quite the experience. Bar tender very knowledgeable.

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    Ask the Community - Paya Thai

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    Tyde Tate Kitchen - South Downtown

    Tyde Tate Kitchen - South Downtown

    4.5
    (122 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $$

    This is gonna be a long one because this place took me for a ride. I hate to sound like but this is…read morea restaurant you'd like only if you've never ventured to NE ATL/BuHi/Norcross for the real bangers. It gives... tourist trap? I have never in my life had Americanized Thai food (or at least been conscience of it) but this tasted every bit of that. Not a single Thai national or descendant cooking or dining in here... I should have slid out the door upon noticing this but we were HONGRY and this place was walking distance. I appreciate the big portions to help alleviate the hunger, but the food going down wasn't even close to a real Thai experience. And the general ambience was definitely off. It's unclear whether this is a casual to-go spot or a sit-down spot or a bar. The service here was confusing. You have to order drinks separately from your food, for one. Secondly, it took a solid 10 minutes for a bartender to walk behind the bar and begrudgingly explain to me what they have available. I would have ordered more but her attitude made me close the tab after one beer. We didn't get served water until after we received our food, a solid 15-20 min after being in the restaurant. It generally felt like no one wanted to be there, and the staff were just moving independently to complete tasks instead of creating a dining experience *together*. There was not a smile from a single person I interacted with. I'd most likely not return purely because the dining experience is just plain out uncomfortable. On to the food. Mostly oil and noodles except for the papaya salad, which was... okay. Again, big portions. Nice heat. But just okay. The whole cherry tomatoes on top were a little weird and screamed laziness. The tofu kee mao was... okay. Same for the chicken pad thai. Lots of oil. This food made us feel pretty tired after eating it, which I've rarely experienced eating Thai cuisine. And they were very, very stingy with the protein. My husband counted 4-5 little slivers of chicken and hella noodles. The same was true for my tofu dish. I mean... it's tofu y'all. Cheap. But I can imagine they have to cut these corners because there were about 8 staff members running around in a small space with only a few customers in for happy hour. They do have HH deals on drinks depending on the day, but I found the drinks to be overpriced and not worth it. Especially the beer. And a $10 non-alcoholic cocktail is wild imo, especially for the scanty area this area is in. They are certainly milking the fact that they are in eyeshot of the Mercedes Benz stadium. The inside is beautiful and very ~trendy~ and honestly that tells me exactly where the focus is. I'd rate this a 2, but I'm adding a star for the spotless restrooms.

    This is my favorite Thai restaurant in the city. There is paid street parking on both sides of the…read morestreet and you shouldn't have an issue finding a spot. The restaurant has about three tables that can seat six people each, there is a bar area with a few stools, and also a several stools along the wall in the back. You place your order and pay, you're given a buzzer and when your food is ready you pick up your food. The service was just okay during my recent visit. Everyone appeared to be a little distracted, tired or standoffish. It was much different than past experiences. Everything we ordered was fresh and delicious. I have never had a bad meal here. The only thing was our main entrees were spicier than we thought they would be. We requested medium and this wasn't our first time eating here but it was extremely spicier than expected which leads me to believe they made a mistake. I enjoy spicy but didn't want it last night for personal reasons. 1 PAPAYA SALAD $11.00 1 CRISPY TOFU $8.00 1 SPRING ROLLS $8.00 1 BASIL $15.00 CHICKEN $2.00 WELL DONE EGG 1 BASIL FRIED RICE $14.00 SHRIMP $3.00 1 BASIL FRIED RICE $14.00 MIXED VEGGIES 1 THAI TEA $5.50 1 FISH SAUCE THAI CHILLI $0.75 1 SPARKLING WATER $3.50 1 LAYS CHIPS $3.00 After you finish your meal take time to explore the businesses in the street. There is a vinyl record shop with cool items, a bookstore, pop-up space, and coffee shop.

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    Interior
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    Poor Calvin's

    Poor Calvin's

    4.4
    (5.1k reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$$

    This was absolutely a 10/10 experience. I was staying at the Marriott Downtown for a work trip and…read moredesperately needed to catch up with my friend and eat before heading to bed. I wasn't expecting much from this place but it was the perfect gem. I wasn't expecting much able to make a last minute reservation online and we were seated immediately. The waiter was professional and so friendly--he literally knew every little thing about each dish. He provided some great recommendations and we decided to order the lobster crawfish wontons, the crispy beef, the drunken noodle with scallops and lobster tail, and the sticky ribs. I easily could have eaten all the wontons myself and the drunken noodles came large lobster tails and plenty of scallops. I ate these so fast that I forgot to take a picture. The crispy beef was a little bit on the sweeter side but it was the perfect amount of crunch and sauce that paired well with the vegetables and jasmine rice. I also really enjoyed the ribs--they were very tender and flavorful. It came with collard greens which I didn't enjoy as much but the other dishes were so good and I ate so much that I didn't mind. I also saw plenty of couples celebrating milestones together so it definitely makes for a cute night out if you're in the area looking to have a nice dinner with your partner. I hope to be back to Atlanta soon so that I can indulge again.

    My husband and I were in Atlanta attending a conference and doing some research when we came across…read morePoor Calvin's online. We intentionally avoided reading reviews because we wanted to form our own opinion, and we're so glad we did. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed warmly by the host, which immediately set the tone for a great dining experience. Once seated, our waiter was attentive, personable, knowledgeable, and genuinely seemed to care that we enjoyed our meal. The food was outstanding, the drinks were excellent. Poor Calvin's delivered from start to finish. If you're visiting Atlanta or you're a local looking for a restaurant that combines exceptional food with outstanding hospitality, Poor Calvin's is well worth the visit. We left with absolutely no complaints and look forward to returning the next time we're in Atlanta.

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    Lobster Fried Rice
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    Paya Thai - thai - Updated July 2026

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