Rice Paddy Restaurant

It is so rare, as a budget traveler, that I come across a restaurant like Rice Paddy. There is something both so humble and classy about this place. The owner, was once a French cuisine chef, clearly has a vision of superb service, ambience and quality of ingredients while also having an ethic of keeping it affordable. You can meet him every evening where he will passionately tell you about the food. We came here 3 times and loved it. The madsaman curry was so good I had it every single time — the vegetarian lamb is made from stringy mushrooms and is so delicious. They have plenty of vegetarian options. This is THE place to eat on the entire island. You might want to reserve a table especially if the weather isn’t great. Enjoy!

Checks all the boxes. Amazing views. Service was great. And food was so delicious. Besides the amazing food, the best part about this place was the passion the owner has for Thai cuisine. I loved how he explained the dishes we ordered and gave us background into the rich flavors of Thai dishes. Get the Madsaman curry and the Sate's!

Amazing food cooked and presented with a lot of passion by Mr. Frank and the rest of the staff, great hospitality and awesome Mai Tais. Easily the best Tom Kha Gai we tried in Thailand (and we tried many) - cooked with chicken thigh, a legendary beef Massaman curry, super tasty pineapple fried rice and a refreshing fried banana with homemade ice cream. Portions are also very generous and the only regret I have is that I don't have another stomach to try out more tasty treats, including the mango sticky rice. Strongly recommend and looking forward to visiting again when back on Koh Yao Noi. In Mr. Frank's words, "come to Rice Paddy with an open mind" and I promise you will not be disappointed.

Best Restaurant on Koh Yao Noi! If you are a foodie and looking for an experience, you can't miss this place. The food has Michelin-star quality for a reasonable price. For my understanding it was even the best price- performance ratio in Thailand. Absolutly loved it!

Our dining experience at Rice Paddy Restaurant on Koh Yao Noi Island was nothing short of exceptional. The food surpassed all expectations, easily ranking as the best we encountered throughout our journey in Thailand. Each dish was expertly prepared, bursting with flavor, and showcased the richness of Thai cuisine.

The staff at Rice Paddy Restaurant were incredibly friendly and welcoming, adding to the overall enjoyment of our meal. Their attentive service made us feel right at home and enhanced the dining experience.

A delightful surprise came in the form of an amuse-gueule from Myanmar, which was a flavorful addition to our meal and demonstrated the restaurant's commitment to offering unique and memorable culinary experiences.

Without a doubt, Rice Paddy Restaurant stands out as the best dining establishment on Koh Yao Noi Island, and perhaps even ranks among the top restaurants in all of Thailand. If you're seeking exceptional food, friendly service, and an unforgettable dining experience, look no further than Rice Paddy Restaurant.

An absolute must visit when on Koh Yao Noi - my partner said it was the best meal he’s had in our entire Thailand holiday. We went during lunch and there was ample seating, however I hear it’s very busy in the evening - I can imagine with the fairy lights, it would be just a wonderful view. If we were staying any longer, we’d definitely be returning.

Loved the food. Loved the atmosphere. Loved the service. My wife and I showed up both nights without a reservation (although I would recommend you try to get one, I’m just lazy). Owner is blunt so be prepared. We’re frankly tired of the poor service in America so we really loved how he treated us. It was my wife’s birthday and he brought out desert with candles and sang to her. She felt so special. He cares about his restaurant enough to work alongside his people and we couldn’t appreciate that more.

We’re staying in the area for 7 days and plan to go back at least 1 more time before we leave.

The perfect place to have an incredible dinner. Staff is 10/10, food is 10/10 and the sunset atmosphere was just amazing. I strongly recommend getting their Madsaman curry with chicken, it is going to become your favorite dish in Thailand. The coconut soup with chicken is also very very good! This restaurant was so good that we had to go back one more time before leaving Koh Yao Noi. Absolutely a recommendation from us!

I had a fantastic experience at this restaurant! The service was absolutely top-notch, and the staff went above and beyond to make me feel welcomed and taken care of. The atmosphere was also great - stylishly decorated with a fantastic vibe.

But the real star of the show was the food. Everything I tried was extremely tasty and well-prepared. The menu had a great variety of options to choose from, and I appreciated the attention to detail in each dish. And let's not forget about the cocktails - they were expertly crafted and absolutely delicious.

Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant. With its great service, stylish atmosphere, and delicious food and drinks, it's definitely worth a visit. I've been here multiple times now and each time has been better than the last. Don't hesitate to check it out!

An excellent, relaxed environment to dine in. Frank (owner) oozes passion and love for the restaurant and the island in equal measure. Great selection of cuisines. I had the rib eye steak and it was perfect. Thanks

Excellent service they explain everything and give you some insight about the food. I was surprised to be honest because from the outside I didn't predict it would be this good. Portions are big. Many vegetarian possibilities. Awesome.

HANDS DOWN the best (chicken) Massaman curry I've ever had. The Duck curry was also amazing.

When we arrived, they gave us a complimentary entree of tomato with pickled tea leaves. That was packed full of flavour.

The chicken Massaman curry is served with a piece of crispy chicken skin. Um YUMM! Perfect flavours! The duck curry was so tasty and spicy as they say. Note, the restaurant menu says they cannot reduce the spice-level without compromising flavour, I totally understand this.

If you're after cocktails, we had the awarding winning Siam Sunset. It was so good we had 3!
The restaurant also provided us a small serving of complimentary fruit at the end of our meal. Service and food is 10/10!

All up we spent 1800baht on two mains, three cocktails and a beer. Trust me, it's worth it.

Note, BOOK A TABLE for peak times. We came around 3pm for a late lunch and we noticed that nearly ALL the tables had reserved signs!

Delicious authentic Thai food, with amazing hospitality and service.
Everything we had over our three visits was really delicious. The homemade mango and coconut ice cream is so good, make sure you leave room!

Wow ! Incredible food and beautiful setting and service
The German owner is clearly proud of the food that he serve s here and quite rightly so.
He gave us gentle guidance on our choice and his recommendations were just right .
Black pepper fish and Penang prawns with red rice and garlic rice
Highly recommend

Incredible food, atmosphere and service - I went for lunch and then back two days later for dinner.

There’s a hint of fine dining experience, and the cooking is creative and skilled. When we visited for dinner, the owner was on hand to introduce every dish - his love and knowledge of Thai cuisine really elevates the experience. Different tolerance to spice is catered for, and there’s a plethora of vegetarian and vegan options. There’s a good selection of wines and cocktails too.

I thoroughly recommend the tempura papaya salad, tom yum, pineapple fried rice and red curry.

This place is awesomeness. One of the best meals I've had in Thailand! Holding true to their Thai cuisine, they have a hilarious menu that often encourages you to try it spicy (certain dishes they even refuse to make "not spicy"). Do not be afraid--the dishes aren't offensively spicy so as long as you can tolerate a little flavor spice you are good to go!

This place is next level. While taking our order, we believe it was the owner, his expertise of the menu as well as recommendations were very impressive. Food is awesome, service is great. Service like this is hard to come by stateside. Let alone on a small island off a Thailand, that up until today, I had never even heard of....

We had delicious meals at Rice Paddy and are really glad we were recommended this restaurant by fellow travellers.
The portions are generous, the attention to detail is brilliant and the food is super tasty.
The owner took the time to educate us on the finer details of Thai cooking and it made the whole experience next-level.
There is a huge variety of options- both Thai and Western….Truly something for everyone.
And the real test after eating- our kids asked if we could return for dinner that night! They loved it THAT much 😁.
Dinner, it is!

Nice small restaurant from a German 🇩🇪 owner, his name is Frank, with very good food and very good service & explaining of the food❣👍🏻. We went back here for four times 😋😁

Came in for dinner expecting a nice meal, came out extremely satisfied after having some of the best dishes we had in Thailand.
Frank the owner was very nice, patiently guided us through the carefully chosen menu. overall a great experience. highly recommended for anyone visiting koh yao noi.