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Thai Orchid

4.1 (81 reviews)
ModerateThai
Closed • 12:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

Thai Orchid Photos

THAI ORCHID ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for kids
Good for groups

Recommended Reviews - Thai Orchid

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Orchid Banana Fritters
Karin W.

After a long day of touring around Edinburgh, and what seemed like an even longer time trying to find a restaurant with decent reviews, good prices, and without a line out the door, we wound up at the Thai Orchid in Old Town. This restaurant did not disappoint. We were very pleased with our selections of wine, entrees, and even more so with our choice of dessert. The flavors in the Pad King Tow-Hu and the Pad Thai were on-point. The taste of the banana fritters dessert was delectable. Getting the food as a rake-out order would have also been a nice option (given how exhausted we were from the day); though, we likely would not have ordered the dessert and would have missed out on something really special.

Penang Chicken
Manoj B.

We came in here on a cold rainy day longing for some soup. The restaurant is located close to the Edinburgh Castle and the service was good. We had the Tom Yum Soup, Chicken Satay and Penang Chicken. The food came out great.

Kelly B.

It was nice to see a Thai restaurant in the Old Town tourist area near the castle in Edinburgh. The restaurant is tiny, but the prices are reasonable and the food is good. We had some service issues, but overall an enjoyable experience. Nice Decour.

Emma C.

The Thai Orchid is the best Thai restaurant in Edinburgh and don't let anyone try to persuade you otherwise! I have been coming here for years and the food has always been consistently good. The restaurant sits on Johnston Terrace just beneath Edinburgh Castle, so it's perfectly located for tourists who've been trawling the tartan tat shops on the Royal Mile. It is not a large restaurant, but they have put mirrors round the walls to create an illusion of space. The decor feels modern and Eastern, there is a large Buddha to greet you at the door, and the staff dress in traditional clothes which all adds to the authenticity of the place. The food is fresh and flavoursome and they never use MSG. I judge a good Thai on the quality of the Som Tum (papaya salad) and they know how to make a good one here - it's fresh, crunchy and with just enough of a chilli kick to pack a punch. My only complaint is that they don't do home delivery!

Angelo E.

Thai food for dinner time please! I was excited to go to this place cause I was craving for Thai food and I live near it but never tried their food. Their menu is pretty lengthy and can be overwhelming but it's great that they offer many different choices. My friend and I chose two dishes...gaeng massaman neua which is a traditional mild curry with beef and chicken with cashews. The dishes were solid, nothing extraordinary not terrible... Solid Thai dish that has the Classic Thai flavours I love. I'd say the portions here are smaller than other their restaurants I've been to considering the price is a bit higher. The staff were all welcoming and nice. There was always someone checking up on us and making sure the food was good... If you like being left alone and not get asked how the food is every 5 minutes than you might get annoyed here. The decor is lovely and the place is small which makes it intimate. Make sure you make reservations since it's a small place. Overall this place is a solid Thai restaurant and you won't be disappointed with the food.

Tom Yum Soup with Chicken. It was heavenly!
Gouthaman K.

This restaurant is conveniently located near a touristy part of Edinburgh which usually means overpriced mediocre food. Fortunately, that wasn't the case and I quite enjoyed my meal here. I ordered the Tom Yum Soup and the Red Curry and they were both delicious and flavourful. The soup in particular was way better than was you get in most Thai restaurants. If you're getting a curry, I would recommend trying it with coconut rice as they seem to make it really well here. The service is prompt and the presentation of the food is very appetising. I'll definitely come back when I get the chance.

Lauren G.

If you are in the mood for a good Thai meal, look no further than the Thai Orchid. Situated just around the corner from the Royal Mile, the Thai Orchid is right behind Edinburgh Castle and so it is an ideal place for tourists to stop off for a meal. The inside of the restaurant is really modern, contemporary and spacious with plenty of tables and chairs and so it would be a great place to bring a large party. I came here for the first time several weeks ago and I had the most beautiful meal, and I can't wait to go back. Thai Orchid's menu offers a vast choice of authentic Thai dishes. I had the tempura prawns for a starter with a chili sauce which really amazing - it wasn't too heavy for a starter and the prawns were perfectly cooked. i then had the Thai prawn salad for my main course which was scrummy! The prawns were really tasty and was mixed with lots of Thai herbs and spices giving it lots of flavour. Each dish on the menu has a warning next to it showing how spicy it is which is very welcome as it means you won't get your head blown off with an unexpected chili and ruin your meal. The prices at Thai Orchid are really reasonable, with most starters priced at about £5 and the majority of the main courses costing less than £10. This is a really fantastic Thai restaurant which is definitely worth a visit.

Appetizers-combo skewers, ribs, curry bites and veg spring  rolls. Yummy sauces.
Jen C.

Visited twice on our 5 day trip to Edinburgh. Amazing attentive service, delicious food, service with extensive menu knowledge- I am gluten free/vegan and had an entire page of items I could choose from. My husband had the spicy beef w veg, I had green curry w tofu. Had red curry 2nd visit- just as good!!

This is the panang curry with steamed rice.
Jax T.

Great service, really friendly staff, tasty food and a beautiful authentic feel to the place. Would highly recommend.

Goong teet hae
Heather R.

Tried here as thai is usually a good shout for gluten free options. We arrived at 4.45pm and didn't have a booking. The waitress said yes I can give you a table as long as you can be done by 8.30pm. Not a problem! She told anyone with no booking the time that they needed the table back by. Some people may find this rude but I think it's better than being half way through your meal and being told to hurry up! I asked about the gluten free options and I nearly hugged her when she told me what I could have...every main course with the exception of 3, just wow! There were six out of the 13 starters that I could have so we were on a roll before we even ordered. To drink my boyfriend ordered the thai iced tea with milk which may sound dodgy but far from it the flavours were perfect with what was ordered. For starters we had the number 7 and number 8 (don't think these match the website exactly). His was a marinated pork dish that was beautiful. I'm not a big fan of pork but it was melt in the mouth tender. Mine was a mince and peanut mixture wrapped in an egg net. The egg net looked like batter almost so you expected a crunch but that didn't come until you reached the peanut. Such an odd mixture that worked so well. For mains he ordered the Larb Issan dish with beef. The only downside was that the spice was not quite as expected (it wasn't really spicy at all) but it was full of flavour and a very filling dish. I had the Pedt orchid for mains which was verrry spicy and I loved it. The mango mixed with the spicy duck was the perfect combination. This dish managed to have lip numbing spice but yet have fantastic flavour which some places do struggle with. At the end of this feast we were both stuffed and had no room for anything else. When I'm back I will visit here again but will book a table to be sure! I would like to add from a non food point of view that the toilets were spotless! This says a lot about a place. Also while we were there a young couple came in with their teething baby and the staff cooed over the baby and distracted the baby as much as possible to let the couple eat their food. I was amazed and so happy to have picked here.

Thai Orchid Business Card
Xavier C.

Greater by the warm and friendly staff by their signature "Thai smile" and subsequently served promptly two of the tastiest dishes you will find on the Royal Mile, pineapple fried rice with chicken and pad thai with prawns and chicken. Wonderful experience I would recommend to any and all looking for a comfortable and enjoyable culinary experience.

Pad Thai noodles!

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14 years ago

Enjoyed a Lovely meal here with friends. Can recommend the pad thai, it was fab.

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16 years ago

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11 years ago

I had massaman curry with fried rice and egg - delicious! Spring rolls were fantastic as well.

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8 years ago

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11 years ago

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10 years ago

Had lunch here before the Fringe and the food was delicious. Service was great and I would definitely come again whenever I'm in the area.

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11 years ago

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15 years ago

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9 years ago

Good food worth a visit again for authentic thai food made just right with excellent service....

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16 years ago

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8 years ago

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16 years ago

A hidden gem. Great food. Beautiful decor. Very clean and tidy. Good selection of wines. Good service, too.

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12 years ago

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12 years ago

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11 years ago

Great dinner. Stopped in our first night in Edinburgh. Husband's sea bass was excellent. I had a spicy beef & peppers. Delicious!

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16 years ago

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14 years ago

I went to this restaurant with my son and It was a really good restaurant compared to other Thai restaurants and I used to live in Thailand.

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12 years ago

Great food in the shadow of Edinburgh. Look out for the Birdseye chillies in the Som Tam!

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8 years ago

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14 years ago

Awesome authentic Thai food to go with fair prices and a great atmosphere.

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10 years ago

Great Thai food! Make sure to make a reservation though- it's very popular, and for good reason

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9 years ago

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19 years ago

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Page 2 of 3

Thai Orchid Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - Thai Orchid

“It used to be down on Grindley Street but moved up to Johnston Terrace a few years ago.”

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Phuket Pavilion - Mango sticky rice  Tom yum hed hang  Red curry

Phuket Pavilion

4.3(75 reviews)
0.7 mi•New Town
•££

I am sure I have written a review for this place before but think it's worth updating it…read more This is by far one of my favourite restaurants in Edinburgh. And anywhere really. I'll tell you why... Firstly, the food is always outstanding. I typically go chicken or prawn panang. It's gorgeous. And sometimes gaeng massaman. Also gorgeous. I've tried a few of their stir-frys which are equally as lovely and I think once Pad Thai...always yummy. But in a thai restaurant like this I tend to steer clear of Pad Thai as there's so many gorgeous dishes. I like to try a different starter each time I go and I have never been disappointed. Secondly, Everything always tastes fresh and flavourful. I find the portions to be slightly large unless I'm sharing with someone. Between a starter and main you're stuffed. Thirdly, I tend to eat here once a month, sometimes twice because of the above (and I love Thai food) but mainly for the fact that the owner and staff are just absolutely lovely. They always greet us warmly and the ones that recognise us always ask how we are. I have been bringing my son (7 now) here since he was 4 and they are as happy to receive him now as they were then. And they often give him a free kids ice-cream because they are just awesome like that. Not once have I ever been uncomfortable eating there with my son. They never made me feel awkward or badly for when he was messier and louder. They have always been brilliant. Fourthly, to expand on my previous point they so obviously love their local repeat customers. I just recently went for dinner here for my birthday. The owner who had come over to chat with us asked what we were celebrating and when I told him he graciously offered is desserts on the house :) who would mind that?! (Just to point out it there was only 2 of us) Fifthly, I don't love their dessert selection and I LOVE dessert. But I don't care as I'm too full from the amazing starter and mains. However I had the lemon sorbet and that was really nice. Came in a real frozen lemon as well! So that's my love of Phuket Pavillion in 5 crucial points I suppose. I could talk about their prices but let's be realistic...Thai food in Edinburgh is pricey. And there's a few better known places that have the worst service and average food that charge the same or more (chaopraya for one).

Ordered take-away after a long touristy day. Everything was delicious! All the veggie dishes were…read moretop notch, the curries are tasty.

Photos
Phuket Pavilion - Shrimp and chicken

Shrimp and chicken

Phuket Pavilion - Thai iced tea

Thai iced tea

Phuket Pavilion

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Krua Khun Mae - Bar and service area

Krua Khun Mae

4.4(18 reviews)
0.2 mi•Old Town, Royal Mile
•££

Vegan approved. As a vegan dining in Thai restaurants, I typically go for the vegetarian dishes and…read moreensure that no egg or dairy is added (of course). This restaurant presents as very sensitive to allergies and dietary requirements, with statements on its menu speaking to the care that is taken in ingredient selection and food preparation. I got the green curry, spicy ("Thai spicy" explained the waiter) and holy moly it was so good. It did not feel at all like I got a white girl version of a Thai spicy dish, it was nice and warm and balanced and delicious. My co-diners got pad Thai and a duck dish, and both were super happy with their meals. I highly recommend this place.

Outstanding food - probably one of the best Thai meals I have had in Edinburgh, hence the 5 stars…read more The restaurant is located in Old Town, in one of the closes just off Cockburn Street. Given the location, it's a bit of a hidden gem but definitely worth the visit if you're after some tasty Thai food. They have a good selection of starters, main courses and chef's specials. Also some fusion type dishes are featured, e.g. Khua Khun Mae Special in the starters section, which is traditional Scottish haggis with Thai style seasoning. Sounds interesting, but I went for the deep fried king prawns with Thai beer batter served with a homemade mango sweet sauce. They were lovely - three large morsels with a tasty dipping sauce which wasn't too sweet. For main course I had a duck stir fry. Again, absolutely delicious - tender and very tasty duck with vegetables. Note that they do ask you how hot you would like your food. The waitress was very friendly and polite.

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Krua Khun Mae - Interior dining

Interior dining

Krua Khun Mae - Som tum (green papaya) salad

Som tum (green papaya) salad

Krua Khun Mae - Pad thai

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Pad thai

Ting Thai Caravan II - Pad Thai with chicken

Ting Thai Caravan II

5.0(3 reviews)
0.4 mi•Old Town

I could not be more excited about this new addition on Lothian Road, especially with a cheap Thai…read morefood spot! The restaurant is clean, modern, spacious with deep blues and wooden interior. I usually come in before noon as the first customer, but the space fills up within minutes as lunch time rolls around. I have tried a variety of items from their menu from rice & noodles, curry, soups, sides, and more; all have been delicious, heartwarming, and affordable. Some things I have tried thus far are the Ped Nam Pueng (£6.80) with Garlic Noodles (£1.60). These were the perfect pair as the ped nam pueng was flavored with a sweet and savory marinade in slices of duck meat and chopped vegetables. I mixed the garlic noodles into the sauce, which brought out even more texture and flavor into the dish --definitely recommend. Another visit on a rainy day (per usual) had me craving some warm soup, so ordered the Tom Yam Goong (£5) with Noodles (+£1). The hot and sour spicy soup was refreshing and flavorful. There was plenty of noodles, prawns, and mushrooms for a fulfilling meal. I also decided to add a side of Peng Gai Kao Prik (£3.40), which came with a bowl of spicy chicken wings. Although the pieces were small, there were 10 of them which was quite the value for the price. The spices and seasoning packed heat into the crispy wings; and make sure to soak in the juices at the bottom for extra flavor too --yum! This place has easily become a weekly lunch ritual for me. So thankful an affordable and delicious Thai spot opened up nearby!

The pad Thai was delicious and the Thai iced tea is the best I've ever had! We had a lovely server…read moreand the music playing was such a vibe. Definitely a must go when in Edinburgh!

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Ting Thai Caravan II - Entrance

Entrance

Ting Thai Caravan II - Pad Thai with chicken and a Thai iced tea

Pad Thai with chicken and a Thai iced tea

Ting Thai Caravan II - Foyer

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Foyer

Port of Siam - Seafood laksa

Port of Siam

4.3(6 reviews)
0.7 mi•New Town

This place has newly opened on Broughton street and is the sister restaurant of The Port of Siam in…read moreNewhaven. For those familiar with original place, you'll know the food is top notch quality and yummy! They've also opened up an adjoining bar called The Bangkok bar which serves Thai street food. V handy if you're down that end of town for drinks and fancy a tasty small bite alternative. Sometimes Thai food just hits the boozing spot like nothing else!! I've not tried the cocktails but I'm assured by a friend they're worth a trip. I tried the main restaurant on Saturday night as part of a big group celebrating a friends birthday. They were more than happy to accommodate large groups, balloons and birthday cake. Nothing was an issue at all. Wine wasn't overpriced. Instead of my normal go-to Thai options I mixed it up a bit with a starter of Marinated quail and a main of Osso Bucco Massaman. The quail was delish! Crispy, salty, tasty. I would have sucked the bones dry if I wasn't trying to be a lady in front of the group! Ha ha. A really nice alternative to chicken. I'm not sure i was entirely sold on the main though which is probably my aversion to hunks of meat and bone, not a reflection of the quality of the dish. The meat was slow cooked and tender, but I was put off a bit with the sliced bit of bone marrow in the centre. I guess I'm not an Osso Bucco kinda gal really. Its definitely in a "man food" category. The sauce was amaaaaazing though! I had a few spoons waved my way for a taste. This place is well worth a visit!!!

My lovely boyfriend to me to dinner here in December for my birthday and it was amazing!…read more For years I had been meaning to go to Port of Siam in Newhaven but just never got around to it. So now there is one on Broughton Road that is much more convenient. The food is just divine. The portions are pretty big and worth every penny. It is all beautifully presented and full of flavour authentic Thai food. I tried their seafood dumpling green curry and it was huge but so tasty. The attached Bangkok Bar is also lovely. They have a delicious cocktail menu and are always keen to make bespoke cocktails depending on what you like. I can't wait to go back!

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Port of Siam - Work of art!

Work of art!

Port of Siam - Siam Winter Fruit Salad - deliciously spiced.  The best way of getting two of your five a day!

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Siam Winter Fruit Salad - deliciously spiced. The best way of getting two of your five a day!

Thai Orchid - thai - Updated October 2026

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