10 Best Local Restaurants in Kanchanaburi

JJ Night Market is the obvious option when you want an authentic yet cheap Thai feast in Kanchanaburi. Strategically located opposite the central train station, this bustling night market attracts locals from all over town. While some come to shop for cut-price clothes or imported Chinese electronics, most are here to tuck into the freshly cooked food.

You’ll find a mind-boggling ensemble of street food hawkers peppered throughout the market, selling all sorts of traditional Thai cuisine. From green curries to grilled meats and a decadent selection of sweets, there’s a takeaway dish for every taste. Keen for something new? Try the tapioca balls stuffed with pork and peanuts.

Zab Zab is a top spot for trying top Kanchanaburi cuisine for a reasonable price. The no-frills venue serves a great selection of delicious regional dishes, making it a popular option among locals and travellers in the know. Crowd favourites include papaya salad, spring rolls, and fried chicken wings.

While this good-value venue is far from flash, you’ll score top-quality dishes at rock-bottom prices. Wash down your meal with one of their freshly squeezed smoothies. Pro tip: the mango smoothie is especially effective at counter-balancing a spicy, chilli-laden meal.

Floating Raft Restaurant delivers on its namesake – it’s a restaurant in Kanchanaburi that floats on a raft. The buoyant thatched-roof contraption bobs in the calm waters of the River Kwai, guaranteeing every diner gets the best waterfront views. Pick your seat right and you’ll even enjoy sweeping vistas of the famous River Kwai Bridge.

At lunchtime, the all-you-can-eat buffet offers an array of traditional Thai dishes, many featuring fish plucked fresh from the river that day. Menu items like fried noodles, shell crab, and papaya salad keep the dinner crowd satiated. Although the service is slow and it’s pricier than other spots in town, you can’t complain about the view.

Ban Lung Chuan does heaping plates of spicy Thai dishes in a rustic thatched-roofed home in Kanchanaburi. The secluded restaurant is surrounded by lush greenery, making it a peaceful place to dine. While you’ll need transport to get there, bargain-basement prices (and excellent dishes) make the trip worthwhile.

Signature dishes include the Thai-style omelette, the green curry, and the kaffir lime leaf salad. Most traditional culinary creations come served with a generous dose of chilli. Go easy on the nam phrik (chilli-shrimp paste) to avoid bawling your eyes out while you eat.

Krua Khun Paen is a romantic riverfront restaurant in Kanchanaburi where guests eat on padded seats on the ground. The floating raft-like dining deck features rows of underlit tables dug into the wooden floor. It’s a unique setting offering uninterrupted river views – though it’s a washout when it rains.

You’ll find your usual selection of Thai classics on the menu, the best of which is the deep-fried river fish (the chicken curry comes a close second). Smallish portions and mid-range prices mean you won’t get the best value in town. But like other riverfront restaurants in Kanchanaburi, you’re paying a (modest) premium for the location.

Cheap and cheerful Kanburi Restaurant serves exquisite Thai dishes at an affordable price. You won’t get an elegant ambience or a romantic vibe here. Instead, the no-frills establishment (think plastic tables and chairs) does excellent dishes that won’t break the bank.

While the stir-fried pork is the star of the show, you’ll find a broad selection of other traditional dishes on the menu. And for the homesick diners, the pizza and calzone are pretty good. Speedy service with a smile adds even more value to your meal.

Boat Noodles at Kanchanaburi is a local eatery where you can dig into a noodle-based pot filled to the brim with meat, vegetables and lots of spices. The restaurant itself is located on a hillslope, with an elevated dining area overlooking the River Kwai and its surrounding mountainous landscapes.

Boat Noodles at Kanchanaburi is a great place to visit during a boat trip along the River Kwai. If you’re looking for things to do nearby, we recommend heading to the Tiger Cave Temple or the infamous ‘Death Railway’.

Jim Isan Food offers a taste of Northern Thailand in Kanchanaburi. Dishes like grilled chicken, papaya salads, pickled fish and soups attract hungry diners in their masses. You can also sample dishes that you might struggle to find elsewhere, such as burned fish, steamed snakehead, and spicy soup with cartilage.

Jim Isan Food is busy most days at lunchtime, and some menu items can run out in the afternoon, making the morning the best time to visit. We recommend arriving by 11 am in time for the restaurant opening.

Soon Heng Restaurant is a traditional Thai restaurant that serves a wide variety of noodle and rice-based dishes, but its menu favourites are its range of pad thai (stir-fried noodles) varieties. If you don’t fancy a signature dish such as pad thai rai sen (stir-fried vermicelli pasta), we recommend the pla kang (river fish) curry with spices and herbs.

Soon Heng Restaurant is especially popular with the locals over lunchtime, so if you want to avoid jostling with crowds, we recommend arriving either before noon or at around 2.30 pm. After lunch, you can head over to the nearby Shinto Park by the River Kwai.

As far as interior décor goes, Pum Pa Restaurant is a no-frills diner with plastic seats and white stone tables under a metal roof shelter. But while this restaurant may not be a designer’s hangout, its food is mouth-wateringly delicious. We recommend the spicy tender beef or the chicken curry.

Pum Pa Restaurant is one of Kanchanaburi’s top-rated budget dining spots. You’ll find this eatery on the west of the River Kwai on a road called Tambon Lat Ya. Arrive here for a late lunch if you want to avoid any waiting.