Khao Yai has quietly become one of Thailand’s most interesting places to eat outside the big cities. Farms supply fresh produce, the Michelin Guide now covers the region, and the choice runs from roadside Isan cooking to French dining in a railway carriage. This guide covers restaurants we consider worth planning around, grouped by occasion.
We have not reviewed these restaurants and do not publish ratings or prices. Recognitions come from the Michelin Guide Thailand or other sources noted. Opening hours change often, so check the restaurant’s official channels before you go.
Michelin Bib Gourmand picks
The Bib Gourmand recognises good-quality, good-value cooking. These are the region’s best-known Thai kitchens.
Krua Kampan Khao Yai
Cuisine: Thai · Location: 94-94/1 Rural Road NMA.3052, Mu Si, Pak Chong · Michelin Guide listing
A Bib Gourmand Thai kitchen in Mu Si. Dishes highlighted by local guides include minced pork spare ribs with betel leaf, and red curry with rice-field snails in coconut milk.
Yung Khao
Cuisine: Southern Thai · Location: Nong Nam Daeng, Pak Chong
Southern Thai cooking with the region’s characteristic heat. Signatures mentioned include stir-fried petai (stink beans) with shrimp and shrimp paste, and southern-style yellow curry. Listed as a Bib Gourmand.
Banmai Chay Nam
Cuisine: Thai · Location: along the Lam Takhong river, Pak Chong
A riverside Thai restaurant listed as a Bib Gourmand in the 2025 edition. Dishes highlighted include minced beef curry with coconut milk and crispy fried gourami.
Fine dining and special occasions
Poirot at InterContinental Khao Yai
Cuisine: French · Location: InterContinental Khao Yai Resort, Pong Talong · Official website
French dining inside a restored railway carriage, and one of the most atmospheric dinners in Khao Yai. The resort reports that it is included in the Michelin Guide Thailand 2026. Book ahead.
The Gardener Khao Yai
Cuisine: Chef’s-table style fusion with Thai and Nepali influences · Location: Mu Si, Pak Chong
An intimate, garden-set chef’s table. Reservations are required.
sala Hilltop Restaurant
Cuisine: Thai and international · Location: sala khaoyai, Wang Kata · Official website
Panoramic views, a wine collection and cocktails. It makes a natural choice for a sunset dinner if you are staying in the hills.
Romantic and scenic tables
- The Great Hornbill Grill at PB Valley: lunch among the vines after a tasting tour. PB Valley guide.
- Sky Terrace Restaurant (Khlong Muang, Pak Chong): Thai fusion on an open-air terrace with sunset views over the valleys.
- Lucine Khao Yai (Wang Kata): European dishes with a sky deck overlooking the mountains.
Family-friendly restaurants
- Midwinter Khao Yai (Thanarat Road, Nong Nam Daeng): an international and Thai menu in a festive, castle-like setting, with indoor and outdoor seating. Local guides highlight its smoked BBQ pork ribs.
- Somying’s Kitchen at InterContinental Khao Yai: buffet breakfast and dinner, easy with children.
- Tawe Farm Khao Yai: farm-to-table cooking using produce from its own organic farm, in open countryside.
Restaurants near the national park
If you are spending the day in the park, Mu Si and upper Thanarat Road have the most choice for breakfast before the gates and dinner afterwards. Krua Kampan and The Gardener are both in Mu Si. Inside the park, simple food stalls and a cafeteria complex near the visitor centre cover lunch.
Tips for eating out in Khao Yai
- Reserve on weekends. Popular restaurants fill quickly from Friday to Sunday.
- Think about the drive back. Roads are dark at night. Consider dining near your resort, or hire a driver if you plan to drink wine.
- Ask about spice. Southern and Isan dishes can be very hot. Most kitchens will adjust if asked.
Pair your meals with our cafe guide, and see romantic retreats for villas with in-villa dining.