Restaurants on Phi Phi Island

It's a real headache to choose a restaurant in Ton Sai village in the evening... there are so many! It's crazy to think that in this tiny tangle of alleys you can find Scandinavian, Greek, Indian, French, Italian, Chinese and American specialties... not forgetting Thai specialties of course!

In Phi Phi you can eat very well for 80 to 100 baht: Thai noodles with chicken or pork, doughnuts, kebabs, pizzas, pasta, hamburgers, sandwiches...

Below you'll find 3 budget friendly addresses that we particularly like. They're all good value and have been around for years. These restaurants are concentrated in the liveliest areas of Phi Phi, in the village of Ton Sai.

Thai food and snack bar. In the center of Tonsai village.

This small snack bar on one of the busiest streets in the village doesn't look like much. But it's one of the best places to eat in the center of Tonsai village.

Salads from 60 baht, sandwiches and Thai noodles from 70 baht, hamburgers from 100 baht. Chang beer costs 50 baht, Singha 60 baht (during special offers, Singha at 40 baht is unbeatable all over the island!)

• 125/56 Moo 7, Ao Nang, Phi Phi

Thai Cuisine. In the heart of Tonsai village.

Two addresses in Phi Phi. Cool decor, efficient kitchen and great value. Almost no dish costs more than 80 baht. And at the end of the meal, what a pleasure to enjoy a "real" coffee: espresso, cappuccino or cafe latte.

• 125/109 M.7, Phi Phi

Italian and Thai cuisine. In the center of Tonsai village.

Two restaurants in Tonsai village. Pasta at 130 baht, pizza (highly recommended) at 150 baht. In fact, nothing on this menu exceeds 150 baht. And at that price, the ravioli, cannelloni, pizza, lasagna, fettuccine and gnocchi are homemade, every day!

The menu also includes some Thai specialties. We liked the chicken soup with coconut milk, vegetables and jasmine rice for 80 baht.

Super friendly service.

• 125, 106, Ao Nang, Phi Phi

Southern Thailand is, of course, the ideal place to sample new seafood flavors. On Koh Phi Phi, seaside restaurants proudly display long, ice-filled tails of the day's catch. The chef usually prepares it just a few feet from the customer.

Thrown into a wok, just about anything can be stir-fried. Meat, vegetables, rice, fish and seafood. The nutritional benefits of this low-fat cooking method are well known. To try some original stir-fry recipes, try :

Minced chicken with cashew nuts and dried chili (kai phat met mamuang himaphaan).
Stir-fried beef with oyster sauce (nua phat naam man hawy).

Made from rice flour, noodles can be prepared in a variety of ways:

In soup, with chicken or beef, vegetables and a few coriander leaves (kuaytiaw naam).

Fried, with minced meat (kuaytiaw phat), Chinese cabbage (phak kha naa) or shrimp (phat thai).

In salads, flavored with lemon and chili (yam wun sen).

There are thin noodles (sen lek) and thicker noodles (sen yai). Very thin noodles, like translucent vermicelli, are called wun sen. They are made from mungo bean starch.

Fresh and light, Thai curry can be a formidable dish. The Thais are not always aware of our sensitivities. They've been eating it for so long! Make it clear that you don't want a spicy dish. If the curry is already prepared, you'll have to choose another dish. Tourist restaurants usually indicate the spiciest dishes.

Red curry is made from a paste of red chiles.
Green curry, made with green chiles, is milder than red curry.

It is usually prepared with coconut cream, which gives it a creamy texture.

Street vendors specialize in these savory snacks - for example, chicken doughnuts, kai thawat - or sweet ones - for example, fried bananas, kluay thawat.

In the south, as in the rest of the country, rice graces most dishes. Long grain rice with jasmine (khao hawm mali) is a must.

Dishes served with rice are labeled "kap khao" (on rice).