Big Bad Thai Restaurant - El Nido

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!

Had a lovely lunch with the family here! They were nice enough to sit us outside, we had a lovely view of the mountain while eating our delicious food! The food came out quick, and the waitress remembered our order without a notepad, really top notch service. 10/10 would recommend:))

We had the mango sticky rice. This was very well cooked and as per our expectations. You can get a decent view of the beach from the tables in 1st and 2nd floor. Although the tables were empty, they insisted that they are all reserved and pushed us to take the smaller tables at the corner. Not sure why. But, overall a good place to have a light chill evening meal

Dined here earlier today. The portion size is generous and justifies its price. I had half of my Cashew Chicken for to go because it. I didn't know they'd give me another cup of rice on the take out box. Thank you for that. :) For the Thai Iced Coffee, definitely something that needs improvement.

The outside seating is lovely. The food was so flavourful, defintley a must try in el nido! Service was slightly slow but there’s no rush so was fine. Have to go early or book in advance as gets busy, especially around sunset.

I made a reservation for 2 so we got seated easily. The place was pretty busy for dinner but it seemed like groups of 2 get seated quick! The food was great and the portions were big. We got the chicken satay, shrimp cakes, and papaya salad to start. The chicken was super tender and the sauce was tasty. The others were okay. For mains we got the pad Thai and the cashew chicken. Both were excellent. The cashew chicken was cooked in a delicious sauce and the pad Thai was tasty but not the best pad Thai I’ve tasted. I’d come again to try other dishes!

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.