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BEST RESTAURANTS IN RAILAY
Railay is a paradise hidden behind limestone rock formations near the coastal town of Ao Nang and Krabi Town. If you are traveling in or through Krabi Province, be sure to make a stop of at least two nights in Railay. No not a day trip, but really stay here overnight. The real magic of Railay only begins when the people from the many tours here have left again.
Once you’ve arrived in Railay, we have listed below, especially for you, the very best restaurants in Railay. From Indian cuisine to delicious Thai and from luxurious and special to a simple but tasty roti pancake, Railay has it all.
- Railay Family Restaurant
- Avatar Railay Bistrobar
- Kohinoor Indian Restaurant
- The Grotto
- Tinidee Hideaway Tonsai Beach
- Crepe & Waffle Homemade
- Govinda’s at the Beach
- Abdul Food Corner – UPDATE 2021 = Moved
- Sunrise Tropical Restaurant – UPDATE 2020 = Closed
- The snack boats at Phra Nang Beach – UPDATE 2021 = Gone
- More Railay
Railay Family Restaurant
Every time we are back in Railay we visit this incredibly friendly and close knit family. By now we are warmly welcomed and this place really feels like home. Since 2019, this always busy and cozy restaurant has been completely remodeled making even more room for everyone who loves good food. Try the Massaman Curry or fried rice, you won’t regret it, and at a great price! But also for a fruit shake or another refreshing drink you can come here. You will find Railay Family Restaurant in the middle of the Railay Walking Street, not to be missed! Give them our best regards from Thailand Magazine, we miss them!
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Avatar Railay Bistrobar
The Avatar Railay Bistrobar is part of the resort we have slept at many times, namely the Avatar Railay Resort. Even if you don’t sleep here, we still recommend you to have some food and/or drinks here. You can choose from a variety of western and Thai dishes, in the form of starter, main, and dessert. Try the fusion pizzas such as a pizza pad krapow (with spicy minced meat and Thai basil), surprisingly delicious!
Already eaten, just chill in the attractive garden of the resort with a cocktail (or other drink) in hand. The garden is decorated with thousands of colored lights and stands out anyway when you walk along the path of Railay East, where this resort is located. During Christmas 2021 we also made a contribution and gave a laser lamp with green lights as a gift, a nice addition we must confess haha.
TIP!
After dinner Avatar is a great place to chill! Almost every night there is live music and you can sink into the beanbags in the beautifully lit garden of the resort!
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ALSO READ
Our Avatar Railay Resort review.
Kohinoor Indian Restaurant
Craving something different from the Thai or Western kitchen? Then be sure to visit Kohinoor Indian Restaurant! Here you will find delicious Indian dishes that you will long to talk about. For years Kohinoor scored high marks on TripAdvisor and other review sites. Not for nothing because this is the deserved result of passion, craftsmanship and hard work, and you can taste that! The restaurant was renovated in the summer of 2019 and now offers even more seats, try to get a table on Walking Street, nice people while you are tasting. We definitely recommend the naan bread, pakora and the tikka masala or butter chicken, so incredibly delicious!
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The Grotto
The Grotto is a chic restaurant in a very special location. You dine under a gigantic overhanging limestone rock, which is why the name Grotto means cave. With a little luck you’ll get a table with a phenomenal view over the beautiful Phra Nang Beach and Happy Island! The Grotto offers both Thai and Western dishes and if you make a reservation before 15:00 you can also choose from the Sunset Barbeque option. This can be ordered in three different set menus.
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By Thai standards, The Grotto is not cheap, but say what you will, especially in the West we are used to these prices. The difference with The Grotto is that you then sit at a table “just” inside or somewhere outside. In any case not in a unique location like this. If you want to splurge during your stay in Railay, you now know where to go! The Grotto is part of the excellent resort Rayavadee, in our opinion the best resort in southern Thailand.
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Tinidee Hideaway Tonsai Beach
We are cheating a bit with this restaurant as it is not located in Railay, but on the adjacent Tonsai Beach. Despite that, we just think this beach belongs to Railay. If you are in Railay for a few days, this is also a really nice beach to visit and to have lunch at the restaurant of the beautiful Tinidee Hideaway Tonsai Beach, for example. We visited this place in December 2021 and were immediately sold when we saw this beautiful resort. The staff is very friendly and the food and drinks are very tasty. A legitimate reason to mention the restaurant in our list of best restaurants in Railay.
The restaurant overlooks Tonsai beach with some small islands belonging to the Krabi Marine National Park in the distance. To the left and right the resort is surrounded by immense cliffs, what a cool place this is! We ordered the Tonsai Club Sandwich and a Thai Southern specialty that goes by the name Gaeng Ka-ti Poo Bai Cha Plu. This is a delicious creamy coconut curry with crab and betel leaves, served with nests of rice noodles. To top it all off, we ordered two rocktails, which are special Tinidee cocktails that rock, and they certainly did. Especially The Crux with vodka, lime, orange, butterfly pea, soda and the special Tinidee syrup we found very tasty. Compliments!
You can find the menu and drink list here.
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Crepe & Waffle Homemade
In the middle of Railay Walking Street, right between Railay West and Railay East, lies the cute Crepe & Waffle Homemade. Of course, we don’t have to tell you what they sell here… What we do tell you is that the products sold here are quite popular with visitors to Railay. Perhaps also because they make real works of art here. Take the Bubble Waffle, a bubble waffle decorated with an array of colored sweets and whipped cream. The ideal snack for your Instagram feed! If you do not like (too) sweet, you can also go here for a savory or even spicy pancake / waffle.
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Govinda’s at the Beach
Even though there are no seats, Govinda’s at the Beach still belongs in our list of best restaurants in Railay. Govinda’s serves vegetarian dishes and you don’t see many of those on Railay. The sandwiches and dishes can be picked up and eaten on the beach of Railay West. You can find Govinda’s just a few minutes walk from this beach. Govinda’s has many vegan delicacies such as the vegan burger, vegan hot dog or vegan chicken sandwich. They also prepare Winnie the Pooh here, a sandwich topped with peanut butter, honey and banana. Funny name huh?
WE VALUE YOUR OPINION!
Although the locations we selected in Railay are very well regarded, it’s possible that, due to new management for example, the quality has become less good. Or the location (unfortunately) had to close its doors because of the Covid-19 pandemic. If you have useful information, or even a favorite restaurant or other tip for Railay, please let us know. You can do so via our Thailand Magazine Facebook Group, our special Krabi Facebook Group or via a message Instagram- and Facebook Page. Of course you can also just email us. THANKS!
Abdul Food Corner
UPDATE 2021 = MOVED (at least we think so)
Across from where Abdul Food Corner used to be is now a small business that is said to have the same owners. We must honestly confess that we didn’t like the food as much last time we visited 2021 and the little restaurant didn’t strike us as too hygienic. Who knows, maybe it’s a snapshot and this place still belongs in our list. Your opinion is (always) welcome.
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If you walk from Railay West beach through the Railay Walking Street you will certainly pass the Abdul Food Corner. This unmissable little joint in the middle of Walking Street serves a particularly wide variety of dishes (where do they put it?). Personally we love the roti pancakes that they prepare here in front of your eyes! Roti pancakes are a kind of folded crispy pancake and taste delicious! You can choose from many different toppings, both savory and sweet. The Roti with Nutella is one you must try! And even though Abdul Food Corner is not a real restaurant (there are no seats) we did not want to deprive you of this place because it would be a shame if you would just pass by all the goodies!
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Sunrise Tropical Restaurant
UPDATE 2020 = CLOSED (perhaps the restaurant and associated resort will reopen in the future).
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Another top-notch restaurant that we visit at least once when we are in Railay. The manager (2018 / 2019) here is so incredibly welcoming and friendly! The Sunrise Tropical Restaurant is part of the Sunrise Tropical Resort located on Railay East. By the way, you can read more about this resort in our article “best hotels in Railay Beach”. You will pass here anyway if you walk to Phra Nang Beach, the famous beach of Railay! You can sit outside at the Sunrise Tropical Resort overlooking Railay East bay or under the canopy with a fan. The restaurant serves both Thai and Western food and there is plenty of choice! After dinner a good and strong cup of coffee? Well they serve that here too! So whether you are looking for a nice drink or snack on Railay East, at Sunrise Tropical, one of the best restaurants in Railay you can do it all!
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The snack boats of Phra Nang Beach
UPDATE 2021 = NO MORE BOATS AT PHRA NANG BEACH
Due to new rules, motorized boats are no longer allowed to dock at Phra Nang Beach. This means that no more speedboats can be found on this beach, which is actually quite nice. Unfortunately this also means that the snack boats have had to make way, we found this so typical and fun, but we also understand that it is better for nature in that area to have everything moored via a beach (Railay West). Until now we haven’t seen a snack boat on Railay West, but that could also be because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Perhaps you as readers know more? If so, please let us know.
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From the most expensive to perhaps the cheapest in our list of best restaurants in Railay! Despite the fact that these boats are not really restaurants, eating here is very fun and special! Isn’t it great to order your food and/or drink from a boat while standing with your feet in the sea? Then you can see how the cook prepares your order while dancing on the waves! You can find these boats at Phra Nang Beach in the middle of the long stretch of beach just opposite the big rocks in the water, not to be missed. Nice for a photo by the way! At these boats you can order complete meals but also sandwiches or other snacks. You can also just quench your thirst by buying a shake or a soda here. These boats provide a nice contribution to a carefree and relaxing afternoon at our favorite beach Phra Nang Beach!
TIP!
Buy some ice-cold beers or other cool drinks at the end of the day and enjoy the incredibly beautiful sunset at the very end of this beach.
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