Big Bad Thai Restaurant - El Nido

We went to Big Bad Thai for dinner and had a very enjoyable meal overall. We started with the spring rolls, which were a nice appetizer — crispy and tasty. For the main dishes, we ordered Pad Thai and Cashew Chicken. The Pad Thai was especially good and definitely the highlight of the meal. The Cashew Chicken was also solid and flavorful, clearly above average compared to many other places. The prices were reasonable, maybe slightly above the norm, and there is an additional 5% service fee added to the bill. The restaurant itself is fairly simple in terms of ambiance — nothing particularly special, but still comfortable enough for a casual dinner. Service was good, and the food arrived quickly after ordering. We did have to wait a short time for a table since the place was quite busy, but we used that time to look through the menu and decide what to order, so it didn’t feel like a big issue. One thing to note is that it can get quite loud when the restaurant is full, which was the case during our visit. Overall, it was a very solid dining experience with tasty food and efficient service, and especially the Pad Thai made it a place worth considering if you’re craving Thai food.

The place is quite small, and the queue during peak hours can be agonizing — but I have to say, it was absolutely worth it. Having recently been to Phuket and Bangkok, their Pad Thai is the closest I’ve had to authentic Thai flavors. It was gooey, rich, and incredibly flavorful we finished two large plates within minutes. The cashew chicken was another standout: very saucy and cooked to perfection. The mango sticky rice, however, fell a bit short of our expectations. They prepared it in a non-traditional way, and the coconut milk (gata) wasn’t thick enough, tasting more watered down than creamy. On the brighter side, the fried banana was a pleasant surprise and ended up being our preferred dessert. Overall, this restaurant lives up to the hype. The wait may be long, but for the price, the quality and generous portions make it worthwhile. Bonus points to the front desk assistant, who was very welcoming and proactive throughout our visit. Great job guys, I see a Michelin Bib in the making here.

We had a lovely Thai dinner with friends and were seated in their alfresco area where we could hear the relaxing sound of the beach waves — such a perfect island vibe! The food was delicious, especially the Pad Thai, which was definitely our favorite. It was flavorful, well-balanced, and cooked just right. Great ambiance, tasty dishes, and a memorable dining experience overall. 🌊🍜✨

The food was amazing and the view was breathtaking, but what really stood out was the service. These days, good customer service can easily be overlooked, but here, we felt seen and genuinely cared for. 💕 Everyone was warm, attentive, and polite. Special mention to ate at the reception, I didn’t get her name, but she truly represents what great customer service should be. Definitely worth it. Highly recommended 💯

We ate our breakfast here on our last day in El Nido, and it did not disappoint! We ordered their Chicken Pad Thai, Mango Sticky Rice, and Thai Milk Tea. The Pad Thai needs a little bit of spiciness for my personal preference but overall all it was a great experience. Not to mention the view from outside was so stunning.

My sister made a reservation for the 9 of us. They were able to accommodate for us. We were a little worried that it would be too hot since it's semi outdoors (full open windows), but it was nice and cozy. There's a great view of the ocean (literally right next to the shore) and there were many fans. The staff were very friendly. The food and drinks came out surprisingly faster than expected. The Thai coffee was fantastic! We ordered the masaman curry, spicy beef salad, and cashew chicken. Everything tasted great! Make sure you double check spice levels (we love spice, but I can imagine that some of these dishes may be spicy for some people). For dessert, we ordered the deep fried banana with ice cream and mango sticky rice. The fried banana was yummy and the portions were large. The mango sticky rice was very colorful and I like the way they served it. They had small colorful balls of sticky rice. You dip each rice ball into a sauce of coconut cream and then take a bite of the mango (which were super ripe). Overall, this was an enjoyable meal and I would come here again!

I simply cannot understand how this place suffers such a low rating. Having had Thai food in several dozens of countries and several hundreds of times over the past 6 plus decades I rate the food here amongst the best. The service was excellent and the view of the sea and the sound of the breaking waves made the ambience really inviting. We (mainly I 😜) devoured the food pictured with 3 portions of rice. Really wonderful place. We ate here on 11th December 2025

Perfect dinner in El Nido. The food is just great Thai food, as we experienced in the most authentic places while in Thailand. Short waiting time by putting ourselves on the list - 20 min - during which we just took a stroll in town and came back to a free outdoor table. Great Pad Thai, great green Curry, tasty Mango sticky rice. Do yourselves a favour and make sure you go there at least once during your stay!

Food was great!!!! Delivery was fast. Waitresses and servers were nice and accommodating.

El nido , Palawan Thai resto Resto located on a second floor with no elevator. I guess , seldom to see people who are disable to come to El Nido as there is minimal activities for them except to eat , see the sunset and be with their loved ones. We were seated right away with a beach view. They do not have Panang curry in the menu( my fav) but we tried the Res curry and tofu pad Thai. I have tried and eaten lots of Thai food and I could say that it lacks a little bit more of flavor and richness to the sauce. I would highly recommend their mango shake which is not watered down and papaya shake is also ok. Overall - I would go for the shakes and not necessarily for the food unless I am craving for it. Service is prompt

Good food and service! Sat upstairs with a view of the beach. Ate the pad thai with chicken and tom kha gai. Very yummy.

This place was amazing. Great service and a really friendly staff. I had the pad Thai and it was fantastic. Definitely one of the better restaurants in El Nido.

Definitely on the pricier side but the quality of the Thai food was amazing. Very filling and really authentic. Had to wait a little to get in but was worth it

We couldn't get in due to how busy the place was. You need a reservation and they only take cash.

Not many great restaurants in El Nido, but Big Bad Thai was a great find. This restaurant was buzzing with long lines every night. Not your typical Thai restaurant, but come very close given that almost all restaurants in El Nido serve Filipino cuisine (as they should because it's the Philippines after all, lol). I find the flavor profiles of Filipino dishes to be very much on the sweet side, so Thai was a welcome change for my savory palate. Space was also open and airy, very comfy.

Great Thai food in El Nido! The pad Thai was a bit underwhelming but the cashew chicken was delicious - would definitely go back.

So happy to have found this resto bar, recommended by friends during our island hopping. Food was excellent; prices reasonable; authentic decor... just loved this!

The food was good. We ordered shrimp spring rolls, and chicken satay and pad Thai with shrimp. The service was good and the view was awesome. Good vibes here and relaxing space.

For Thai food in el Nido this place is definitely worth a try! My group ordered a variety of dishes and all were really good. For dessert we had mango sticky rice and they served an entire mango that was cut up. It was so delicious! I'm taking 1 star off bc we ordered Thai teas which are my favorite and they tasted weird m, so I wouldn't ordered those at this restaurant. But good views of the beach while eating Thai food, so you can't beat that!

Thai is probably my favorite cuisine and this place really hits the spot. We got takeaway and ordered our favorites - spring rolls, chicken satay, pad Thai, and papaya salad. Everything was delicious, except sadly the papaya was under ripe and the papaya salad could have used more garlic and fish sauce. But the rest of the meal totally made up for it. Maybe the best pad Thai I've ever had! Would definitely recommend to anyone in El Nido. The chef is Thai, so you can count on those true authentic flavors!

This is literally my first review but as far as nice restaurants in El Nido, this place was great. We got Cashew Chicken and Pad Thai, and both were very good. This place and the birdhouse were our favorites in El Nido.