I did my homework, checking out all the recommended spots in Sydney while also trying to avoid the tourist traps. Thai Pothong kept popping up and after further research, I decided it was worth the near 30-minute ride from my hotel to check it out. The area where Thai Pothong is located is a bit of ways from downtown. It feels more Australian, if you will. I loved sitting by the window and watching passersby, checking out the architecture and just enjoying the vibe. But you're here to read about the restaurant. One, it's pretty spacious, clean yet felt like home. Decent amount of traffic in there but they move efficiently. And the service was excellent. Friendly, informative and everything with a smile. But the star of the show was the food -- as it should be. It just tasted like home-cooked food done at a very high level. Like grandma's recipes being passed down. The fish cakes to start ( got two orders cuz the first was so good), the chili hot basil fried rice (again, two orders), the prawn pad thai, the ginger stir fry with chicken...all wonderful. I most definitely will be back here, Sydney. read more

We were shopping in Newtown when we decided to grab some lunch. I had not researched the area beforehand so I relied on Google reviews for places nearby and saw Thai Pothong. From the outside, there is nothing remarkable to see. But once inside, I was caught off guard. It was much higher end than I was suspecting, with Thai decorations, statues and artifacts adorning the walls and placed throughout the restaurant. Oddly enough, there are also two huge Transformer replicas at the entrance too. The menu (provided via tablet) was quite extensive but we limited ourselves to the following: - Chicken Satay: Very good. As good as any chicken satay I've ever had. Tender meat, ton of flavour. - Popular Mix/. Very good. Each item was very good. All very distinct, made with precision, and nicely presented. - Steamed Ginger Scallops: Good. I wanted to order them because they looked beautiful. They tasted OK, but maybe a bit overcooked (dry) - Pad Thai: Very good. Authentic. Very generous with the chicken. - Mango Beach Mocktail: Good. The recipe only drink I've seen that included a portion of sticky rice. Service was excellent. Best restaurant service I've ever had over all my visits to Sydney. Incredibly polite and attentive. Very good meal. I'm glad we went. I only wish I was hungrier so I could have tried more! read more

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Superb and authentic Thai restaurant! As good as the best restaurants in Bangkok. The ambiance, food and service are all outstanding. We dined here on our visit to Sydney from California two days ago. We enjoyed the whole experience so much that we returned today before we return to California tomorrow. I would definitely dine at Thai Pothong again on my next visit. Some highlights to rave about: * the warm and gracious welcome you receive * beautiful decor * excellent selection of cocktails and drinks. We enjoyed the "Thai pirinha". Delicious and refreshing * the bettlenut prawn was a lovely blend of flavours * the soft shell crab with pepper was delicately cooked and spiced. * every curry we had was delectable *papaya salad was refreshing * desserts were superb. Leave room for them! *the meal ended with lovely gifts, chocolates and a sincere warm invitation to come back soon! read more

Thai Pothong - Inside decor - Thai Near Me - Newtown, NSW

Ordered the mixed vegetables in oyster sauce with chicken and the pad si ew with chicken. The mixed vegetables lacked a bit of flavour but the pad se ew was the best I've had in Sydney! The service was incredibly quick! We were in and out within 40 minutes! It's a massive restaurant with a lot of tables but be sure to go early or make a reservation as it does get busy! read more

Thai Pothong - Mixed vegetables in oyster sauce with chicken - Thai Near Me - Newtown, NSW

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Delicious food With quick service and wonderfully kind service. Would def go back. ..they did forget to pack up my noodle dish though...very sad when it was left out of bag. It had at least half left too! read more

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This restaurant was recommend by the hotel I was staying at and it did not disappoint. This is by far one of my favorite Thai meals that I've had. I love that they open late since I landed in Sydney fairly late but they still sat me when I came in at 10:30pm. The servers are nice and welcoming. They have me plenty of recommendations. I got: - Jak-ka-jee (10/10 please try!) - Duck panang curry (9.5/10 it's soooo yummy! Since it's curry, it did get heavy towards the end but I still really enjoyed it) - Three flavored tofu (9.5/10 it was so light and the sourness actually balanced out the curry dish that I got) This place is a great place for groups, dates and even dinning alone. Overall, I had a great experience and would love to come back again if I ever come to Sydney again. read more

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The service was great but if you don't book a reservation you have to wait in a long line due of popularity. Although the service was really great and the staff was very respectful and fast. The food was amazing they may take average time due to the amount of people in the restaurant. Although the food taste was amazing. read more

Wonderful Thai hospitality and Amazing Authentic Thai food! We have walked past this restaurant numerous times but not entered as it was always full. It was full for a reason, it is the best Thai Restaurant in Sydney! I have been a few times here and every time the hospitality and service given by the staff is impeccable. The place is so good that I decided to go there and celebrate my recent anniversary. Alan made us feel valued and very welcome. He organized a special balloon table decoration and congratulated us on our celebration. The food and drinks we ordered were wonderful as usual. We ordered cocktails to start of the celebrations. These were amazing! Pina Colada and Espresso Martini, so good we had a few during the course of our visit. For starters we ate the Chicken satay and Fish Cakes. Our main courses included the Chicken Cashew Nut, Red Curry Duck and Pad Prik King Crispy Pork dishes. Unfortunately we also ordered the Chicken Jungle Curry which was too pepper hot and spicy for my personal taste. Because it was a special occasion, Alan also kindly organised the staff to present us with complementary dessert of ice-cream and a pair of cute pottery tea cups which are hand made in Thailand for the restaurant. The waitress also took a photo of us to commemorate the occasion. This was sent to us by email. What a memorable and special dining experience here at Thai Pothong in Newtown, Sydney. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g8572746-d947832-r959564639-Thai_Pothong-Newtown_New_South_Wales.html# read more

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Every time I visit Sydney, my relatives bring me to Thai Pothong, and it is now something I look forward to! It is very decorative inside, it is what I imagine being in Thailand would feel like :D It is huge inside, so you often see big gatherings celebrating something with a great meal. If you have children in your party you can ask the servers for some balloons to bring to the table/tie to their chairs. For a bustling place like Thai Pothong the servers are very kind. I can't even mention each dish I have tried here but literally every dish has been delicious. The curries, the Pad Thai, the meat/veggie dishes have all been very flavorful in the best way possible. There is a massive Transformers figurines at the entrance that seems like it has been on sale for yearsss, I hope someone can take it home someday! Can't wait for my next visit when I come back to Sydney :) read more

4.5/5 Food was tasty and fairly priced. Staff is super nice. Service started off super fast (we got our food within fifteen minutes) but by the end of the meal, we had to wait a long time for the bill. But I'll give them benefit of the doubt because there were a bunch of huge parties that came in. read more

This place is a true gem! The service is incredible (so many smiling faces!). Our food came very fast and was DELICIOUS! I'm vegan and gluten free, and when I told the waiter, he said "No problem!" and directed me to the part of the menu I could eat. The ambiance is lovely. Soft lighting and beautiful art. Very reasonable prices for the portion sizes as well. I can't recommend this place more! read more

The prices almost scared me off, but this place is legit - worth every penny. When you walk thru the doors, you feel like you're entering Thailand, with all the authentic decor. Prompt and friendly service at the door, and fantastic service throughout the meal. Make sure to leave a tip for good service, people! I went with pineapple fried rice and it was heavenly. Generous portion of rice. Fresh pineapple, cashews and chicken/shrimp. The shaved peanuts on top were a nice touch. Really nice flavor profile. Didn't want the meal to end. Thai Pothong is not super fancy high end, but definitely not grungy take out. It's casual yet somewhat classy. if you are craving GOOD, high quality thai food, you can't go wrong here. read more

Thai Pothong - Pineapple fried rice = legit. - Thai Near Me - Newtown, NSW

Best Thai food in all of Sydney. I recommend this place not only for the good food but also because the customer service is incredible. This place is super busy and I went on a Monday night. I can't imagine what the weekend is like. If you are a group more than 4 people I highly suggest booking a reservation. Love the atmosphere of the restaurant very inviting and energetic. read more

Thai Pothong - Chicken rolls - Thai Near Me - Newtown, NSW

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Best place to celebrate with your loved ones any occasion. Food is great, flavors unbelievable, and the environment is exciting. Nick (the owner) has read more

This place is always packed and there is a huge sign on the front that says "Voted the Best Thai Restaurant in Sydney 4 years in a row." Ok, naturally that leads to some expectations... First off, I must say the service is on point. They definitely aim to please. The staff are friendly and super attentive, constantly coming over to scoop more rice on your plate. What we ordered: Massaman lamb: I'd give this a 3/5. While the curry was decent, the lamb was a bit tough and I've had better/more tender Massaman at other places. Pad See Ew: 3/5. Tasty, but it's also hard to go wrong with this dish. Barramundi Curry (fish fillet with coconut milk, kaffir lime leaf, garlic, spices, bettle leaf, turmeric, curry, lemongrass and shallot): Very good and quite spicy! This dish was by far the best and most unique. I'd give it at least a 4/5. The prices are considerably higher than other places but you pay for the decor, service and name. In conclusion, it was a good dining experience but it didn't live up the hype and I don't have any urge to come back. read more

Thai Pothong - Massaman lamb - Thai Near Me - Newtown, NSW

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This place has been around for so long - I think its probably one of the first major Thai restaurants in Sydney. I haven't been for a very long time. Came here last night for a hen's night, so that should tell you a lot about the vibe of the place. Tons of big, loud groups, 'happy birthday' being sung loudly every 20 minutes or so, etc. The food for the most part was pretty good. I ordered a papaya salad with soft shell crab which was delicious, I had some beef salad which was also pretty good and someone at our table ordered this delicious fried rice. A lamb curry I tasted was amazing too. What let the experience down was that over all we waited AGES for our food, I'm talking like... 40 minutes or more... and me personally? I waited another 20 - 30 minutes even after THAT for my main to come out. I was like, bring me my coconut!!! WHERE IS MY COCONUT ALREADY? Seriously, I'm tired of poking around at everyone else's food. This is not cool! I had ordered this seafood coconut thing, its like all this seafood that comes inside a coconut. It was the most visually impressive dish, but the least tasty. Don't get it. Get a curry. The curries here are among the best, in my opinion. I love a good Thai curry. Ironically, other that arriving IN a coconut, there was nothing particularly coconutty about my seafood and the coconut flesh I tore off the side of the coconut tasted... weird. Not coconutty and yummy. The waitress also spilled a drink in my friend's lap! :) It all ended up being about $50 per person. read more

Thai Pothong - Thai Near Me - Newtown, NSW

Largest Thai Restaurant in Sydney, loud, casual, fast, fantastic. I've never been to a Thai restaurant like this in Australia. Its huge! It has been hear 20 years. It has grown over the years to encompass the neighboring shops. Its so large the kitchen is in the basement and they have a food elevator. This is not a quiet romantic date place. There are lots of groups celebrating birthdays. But unlike other restaurants that cater to large groups, the food here is very good. The following were awesome: Betel Leaf Prawns Steamed Scallops Red Duck Curry Well worth a trip to Newtown. read more

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Amazingly good food. Excellent service (constantly have water and rice refilled). Can get busy on weekends, and we had a party booking that took a long time to bring our order (partially my fault for refusing to take the banquet menu). Have been many times, and couldn't recommend it more. One of my favourite Thai restaurants in Sydney. I make a point to visit whenever I am in the area. It's a little more expensive, but great ambience especially for kids. Very large dining area good for larger parties, but be careful, on busy nights you may have to get the banquet (which is still good, but I prefer the variety of ordering my own things). Curries are excellent, noodle dishes are also great. Have not had anything bad from here yet read more

Thai Pothong - Thai Near Me - Newtown, NSW

My boyfriend is addicted to this place haha He literally wants to eat it every day. The actual restaurant it ALWAYS busy, I lived 2 mins away from it so would walk past basically every day and every time I look in it's packed. They have a small stand by the train station where it's a bit smaller portions as take-out for $7 or $10. Great value for money. Quality is always on point. read more

I will give you the quick highlights of what you should and should not order. The green curry is very good, really tasty. The pad Thai is on the sweet side. The flat noodles with beef is also very good. Do not order the jungle curry. Something tastes really off about it. There isn't a big selection of dessert, so walk around the neighborhood for your sweet tooth. Their spice level isn't very spicy so keep this in mind. read more

When I read that this was Sydney's best Thai restaurant I rolled my eyes but was hoping to be impressed. I was. The meals were top notch. Delicious thick green and red curries. The service was friendly and we were served complimentary coconut ice cream and fruit. They even give gift vouchers for their gift shop when paying cash. Winning. Lol I left off a star as it was a tad loud for me as was the interior. read more

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Thai Potong has got the be up there with the most expensive Thai restaurants in King Street. Up there with Thairiffic and the restaurant at The Bank Hotel. But there is a reason for that, it's really bloody good. The quality of the food is exceptional, the service is fantastic and the décor is more formal, lending to special occasions and events. During one dinner sitting don't be surprised to hear happy birthday sung at least five times. As with most Thai dishes portions are big and easily shared There is a little shop/gallery adjoining the restaurant selling all kinds of trinkets and jewellery, as well as those roll up day bed cushions (or traditional thai triangle cushions) perfect for that low coffee table dining experience at home. Their website advertises that it was the winner of the Best Thai Restaurant in Sydney award four years in a row. Also that there is no surcharge for public holidays, and you can BYO wine only with corkage charged. read more

Thai Pothong - Thai Near Me - Newtown, NSW

Slightly over priced for the portion size of the meal. However, really good food, quick service and very attentive waiters/waitresses :) read more

Thai Pothong - Deep fried banana - Thai Near Me - Newtown, NSW

We didn't have a reservation, but they were able to seat us within minutes in this busy, busy restaurant. We ordered a snapper and fish curry, and it was delicious. We shared a bottle of the Sauvignon blanc special, which tasted great given that it was only $20. But that's not why I'm leaving 5 stars. I'm leaving 5 stars because the customer service was amazing. Our water cups were always filled, our wine glasses never reaching half-full and don't even try to serve your own rice. Before you could even execute a scoop, a friendly staff member is rushing towards you to take the spoon from you, serve you and the rest of the people at the table. Before the snapper was served to me, a gentleman, very gracefully, made slits in the fish and removed the large bones within seconds But wait, there's more. The restaurant was wonderfully decorated in shiny, gold and silver lamps, paintings and other trinkets that hung on the walls. They were all for sale, too. I left the place feeling like I was blessed by those decorations. The following morning, I won the lottery, saw a shooting star (in the daytime, I know) and got married. All thanks to Thai Pothung. Will definitely come back, but not too soon. I want to give myself enough time to develop an aching craving for Thai food and lucky dust. read more

Thai Pothong - I started eating before I realized I forgot to take a picture. Sorry bout dat. - Thai Near Me - Newtown, NSW

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I didn't give the Thai Pothong restaurant such a good review, but the gift shop is another story completely. The gift shop is a must see in Newtown and has a duel personality in what they sell. The shop sells an exquisite range of traditional Thai items such as Buddhas, carved elephants, lamps, cushions (the cushions are fantastic with a rippled style and there are square and long ones, all featuring beautiful designs), decorative crockery and paintings. What really got my attention though was the other personality, which are their psychotic collection of metal sculptures. They feature themes such as aliens (from the movie "Aliens") carrying massive weaponry and skeletons riding motorcycles and all kinds of other bizarre violent looking creations. It is very weird seeing these two completely different artistic styles thrown together, but hey there is nothing wrong with a bit of contrast. read more

Thai Pothong - Thai Near Me - Newtown, NSW

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How many restaurants do you know that have a gift shop? Welcome to Thai Pathong, a higher-end Siamese restaurant on King Street in Newtown. Oh yeah, the gift shop I'm talking about. It's basically a store filled with a bunch of trinkets and other products from Thailand that is located adjacent to the restaurant. This venue is huge, decorated in yellow pastels with golden Siamese statues watching over the dining room. It is always bustling with happy customers enjoying their authentic food. Although I personally don't think you should ever pay so much for Thai food, the kitchen here uses high quality ingredients and presents the food beautifully. I ordered a wonderful masaman curry with succulent beef, tender potatoes, and rice. It had the perfect spice level and was very well prepared. Service was friendly and attentive. read more

Thai Pothong - Thai Near Me - Newtown, NSW

Excellent service! A unique ambiance filled with Thai Buddha. The best Pad Thai i have ever had so far. There is a Thai shop inside the restaurant. read more

Thai Pothong - Thai Near Me - Newtown, NSW

This is one of my favourite medium-high end Thai food in Sydney. Great services and amazing food. It is also a popular place for hosting birthday with special service and cake. They know how to make customers happy with occasional surprised gifts. My mate who had a birthday there received a cute souvenir and in another dinner, we got a gift for the restaurant anniversary. One time, we booked a last minute table for 10 pax with only 5 mins to prepare and they were able to make it happen. Amazing! About the food! I remember everything in the menu :P ! read more

Is there anyone on the planet who doesn't like Thai Pothong? If so, please leave. I made a reservation for lunch with my parents and partner after my masters graduation ceremony, and was pleased at having landed on the perfect ambience. This wasn't my first visit but it definitely won't be my last, either! The food was prompt, as were drink refills, and while they do charge for rice, they didn't charge for one of the additional drinks (don't worry, we corrected it), so some might say it all balances out. Given that my parents have a strong preference for quiet dining options, this was perfect, and the delicious food was an added bonus. We had chicken spring rolls, which disappeared, as well as the yellow chicken curry (spicy!) and ginger pork stir fry (there were not leftovers). I've never had a bad experience here and I don't think I ever will. Come find out why this place is consistently voted some of the best Thai in Sydney! read more

Loved the food. Great restaurant. If you like Thai food, this is the best place to go. However, the queue is very long most of the time. I haven't tried their pre booking service though. Would recommend to food lovers. read more

Not authentic Thai in any way... so disappointing. Place was packed and not a single Thai person in the restaurant... we should have seen this and left. We did a curry and pad Thai, and they didn't even know what I meant by the spice wheel authentic Thai places offer to add spice and flavor. Food was very bland and clearly made by non-Thai folk. The pad Thai was with a a spaghetti noodle as an example. Man we miss places like home Thai! read more

Excellent thai with a large menu with all your favorite thai cuisines. I specifically went to the Newtown location, apparently they have others around Sydney. Interest decor and ambiance. Very large space, excellent for groups. Some interesting pop culture sculptures can be found at the entrance which can make for good photo ops, and if so inclined, you can also purchase. All the items and decor you see around the restaurant are available for purchase. read more

Quick recap of one of the worst Thai food experiences I've ever had: 1. Seated and ordered Singha beers for the table and entrees. 15 minutes go by. Two of three entrees appear. No beer (or water, also requested). Then told Singha's weren't available. Really? 2. Third entree finally arrived. Despite asking waiter twice to ensure it was "extra spicy", it was mild at best. Oh, and they delivered the wrong entree to our table and attempted to deliver the correct one to another table. 3. Overcooked, tasteless tofu. Inferior vegetables. 4. Bill arrived. Three Singha beers charged along with the actual beers delivered. 5. Only time anyone asked how meal was when I had my phone out writing this review. read more

Simply put, the food is not worth the cost here. The interior is nicely decorated and could be good for a date or party, but it's so large that it'd get impossibly loud inside. What we ordered and paid $47 for could be had elsewhere, in many places, very nearby, for $7.50 ($15) at lunch. We were also rushed out at the end of lunch hours and they seemed to be running a daycare out of the kitchen, baby monitor and all. read more

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just came home after lunch there. bottom line - 57.50$ (lunch for 2 people, without wine), food tasteless extremely overpriced. They won't see me and my money again. Ordered: 4 spring rolls (11$) snow peas with prawns (i hope the smell of my dish was coming from the fish sauce, and not rotten prawns, since I ate it all, given it was 22$) bbq beef salad - 19$ should be rather called 50/50 beef salad. %50beef 50%untrimmed fat. and rice, 6$. newtown has so many other places to offer. don't waste your money at thai pothong. read more

You cant miss this place on the southern end of King St before the road divides between Enmore and St Peters. Its also the only Thai restaurant that I have seen that has a gift shop attached the the side of the restaurant. Depending on how much you spend, you will get Thai Pothong $$ towards an item in the gift shop! This place massive, especially good for large groups, but with the size comes the noise and it can get quite loud there. The decore is a bit so so, but you're there for the food right, which BTW is great! read more

Thai Pothong is a Newtown institution. The restaurant is always busy with a fun and festive atmosphere. The food is delicious: one of the best Thai in Sydney in my opinion. Its dishes are on the sweeter side of the spectrum (unlike the spicy stuff at Spice I Am, Chat Thai, Home a Thai...). There're plenty of staff on the floor and everyone's really helpful--just don't get caught serving yourself rice as they're more than keen to do that for you! read more

Thai Pothong - Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Newtown, NSW

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Thai Pothong seems to be the most popular thai restaurant in Sydney (amongst everyone I know at least) and it definitely deserves to be. I've always been happy with every visit. The food is great, the atmosphere is nice and the waiters are always lovely and helpful. I love how they give you 10% of your bill back in Thai Pothong dollars to spend at the gift shop. Everyone knows Newtown is over abundant in Thai restaurants. In my opinion, Thai Pothong is the only one worth mentioning to people when they're looking for good Thai food. read more

Thai. It is thai really. I had heard rave reviews about this place from friends (granted they only ate the vegetarian version so it could be it?) so we went here the other day for a quick lunch because we were hungry and it was *there*... I had the chicken panang curry. It was good, but not mind bogglingly good. I guess if you aren't looking for spectacular thai and need a feed, this place fits the bill. Oh and it looks like they do big group bookings. So good for thai parties! And they gave me a bit of paper when I left. $10 off next meal or something in the shop. Bad idea people. Really? $10 off our next meal? This meal cost us $100 so $10 really wouldn't have changed much. Not really helpful. I ended up throwing it in the bin since I don't think I'll be back anyway. read more

A favourite when dining with friends I haven't seen for a while. If the conversation runs out, the authentic Thai menu always saves the evening. The 4 stars are allocated to the food and service only. The restaurant in general is ugly. read more

Thai Pothong - Piña colada sorbet = yum rum slurped. Soooo good. - Thai Near Me - Newtown, NSW