Somtum Der
Thai · East Village, New York City
Restaurant in New York City, United States
Book with PearlThe Read
Isan Regional Precision
Chef
Kornthanut Thongnum
Dress
Casual
Why go
Somtum Der is an Isaan-focused Thai restaurant on Avenue A, ranked #202 in Opinionated About Dining's 2025 Casual North America list. A practical, award-tracked choice for late weeknight dining in the East Village.
About Somtum Der
The Verdict
Somtum Der on Avenue A is one of the more accessible ways to eat well in the East Village on a weeknight, it runs later than most of its Thai peers in New York City. Opinionated About Dining has ranked it #202 among Casual restaurants in North America for 2025, up from #508 the year before, which is a meaningful jump and a credible signal that quality is trending in the right direction. Booking is easy, the room is compact, Friday and Saturday nights stretch to 10:30 pm, making this a practical option when you want something serious without the production of a full tasting-menu evening.
About the Restaurant
Somtum Der sits at 85 Avenue A in the East Village, a neighbourhood that rewards restaurants with staying power. Chef Kornthanut Thongnum leads the kitchen, which focuses on Isaan-inflected Thai cooking, a regional style built around fermented flavours, raw papaya salads, grilled proteins rather than the coconut-heavy dishes that dominate most Thai menus in the city. If your frame of reference for Thai food is pad thai and green curry, this kitchen will reorient that fairly quickly.
The space is small and the layout is close without being uncomfortable. It works well for two people at a table, the compact scale means the room fills with noise on busy nights, particularly later in the evening. If you are after a quiet, lingering dinner with easy conversation, arrive at opening rather than at 9 pm on a Friday. The physical setup is functional rather than atmospheric, which keeps the focus where it belongs: on the food.
For context on the broader Thai dining scene, the cooking here sits in a different register than what you will find at Fish Cheeks (which skews seafood and southern Thai) or Ayada in Queens (a long-standing neighbourhood standard). Bangkok Supper Club and Chalong offer different formats if your priority is drinks-led dining or a more composed tasting experience. For a single-dish, daytime-only option, Eim Khao Mun Kai is worth knowing about. Somtum Der operates comfortably in the weeknight-dinner and late-ish-dinner slot that none of those venues quite cover in the same way.
Ideal time to visit
Friday and Saturday are the two nights the kitchen runs until 10:30 pm, which makes Somtum Der a legitimate late option by New York Thai standards. Sunday closes at 10 pm. Monday through Thursday the kitchen closes at 10 pm for dinner service. Lunch runs daily from noon to 4 pm, which is a less common split-service format and worth knowing if you are in the neighbourhood midday.
If you are travelling to New York and want to build a broader picture of where to eat and stay, see our full New York City restaurants guide, our full New York City hotels guide, and our full New York City bars guide. For a wider sense of what a serious Thai meal looks like at the source, Nahm in Bangkok and Samrub Samrub Thai in Bangkok are the regional reference points worth knowing.
Know Before You Go
- Address: 85 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009
- Cuisine: Thai (Isaan-focused)
- Chef: Kornthanut Thongnum
- Hours: Monday to Friday 12–4 pm, 6–10 pm (Friday until 10:30 pm); Saturday 12–10:30 pm; Sunday 12–10 pm
- Booking difficulty: Easy
- Awards: Opinionated About Dining Casual North America #202 (2025); #508 (2024); Recommended (2023)
- Leading for: Weeknight dinners, late dining by NYC Thai standards, solo meals, small groups
Explore More in New York City
Browse our full New York City experiences guide and our full New York City wineries guide for broader trip planning. For comparison across other serious American dining rooms, see Lazy Bear in San Francisco, Smyth in Chicago, Providence in Los Angeles, Emeril's in New Orleans, The French Laundry in Napa, and Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg.
Planning details
- Hours
- Monday: 12–4 pm, 6–10 pm · Tuesday: 12–4 pm, 6–10 pm
- Location
- 85 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009
- Reservations
- Book on Resy
- Website
- somtumdernewyork.com
- Phone
- (212) 260-8570
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Somtum Der presents a focused, regionally specific take on Isan cooking from a modest East Village room. The kitchen, led by Chef Kornthanut Thongnum, sticks closely to northeastern Thai traditions rather than offering a broad pan‑Thai menu, and that discipline shows in steady critical momentum: a Recommended mention and a steady climb in Opinionated About Dining rankings, plus a 4.5 rating across more than a thousand Google reviews. The result is a compact, lively spot that feels both trendy and comfortably cozy — a neighborhood destination for diners seeking earnest, regionally minded Thai food in an unpretentious setting.
Best For
This is a casual, convivial address best suited to relaxed group meals and easy hangouts. Its modest room and energetic East Village presence create a lively backdrop for friends sharing plates rather than formal multi‑course affairs. Pricing sits in the middle tier, so it works well for diners who want serious regional flavors without escalation into fine‑dining price points. Given its reputation and steady rankings, the restaurant appeals to locals and food‑curious visitors who prize authenticity and focused execution over spectacle.
Ordering Tips
Start with the namesake Som Tum (papaya salad) to experience the restaurant’s Isan focus, then add a couple of the signature protein dishes — the Fried Chicken Thigh and the Grilled Pork are highlighted specialties. The menu adheres to regional logic rather than a pan‑Thai sweep, so selecting a few distinct preparations gives a clear picture of the kitchen’s approach. Expect straightforward, well‑executed plates at middle‑tier prices; choose a mix of salads and grilled or fried mains to get the clearest sense of Somtum Der’s strengths.
Venue details
Ambiance
Lively and hip with an open kitchen, wooden decor, distinctive lanterns, and a trendy East Village atmosphere.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
At the Table
- Dress Code
- Casual
- Noise Level
- Lively
- Service Style
- Upscale Casual
- Meal Pacing
- Standard
- Capacity
- Medium
Signature Dishes
- Som Tum (Papaya Salad)
- Fried Chicken Thigh
- Grilled Pork
Planning details
Hours
- Monday
- 12–4 pm, 6–10 pm
- Tuesday
- 12–4 pm, 6–10 pm
- Wednesday
- 12–4 pm, 6–10 pm
- Thursday
- 12–4 pm, 6–10 pm
- Friday
- 12–4 pm, 6–10:30 pm
- Saturday
- 12–10:30 pm
- Sunday
- 12–10 pm
Location
Also consider
Also Consider
- Le Bernardin; French, Seafood, $$$$
- Atomix; Modern Korean, Korean, $$$$
- Per Se; French, Contemporary, $$$$
- Masa; Sushi, Japanese, $$$$
- Eleven Madison Park; French, Vegan, $$$$
Restaurant context
Somtum Der sits in a completely different category from the other restaurants most frequently compared to it in New York City. Le Bernardin, Atomix, Per Se, Masa, and Eleven Madison Park are all multi-course, four-dollar-sign institutions where booking difficulty is high, per-head spend runs well into the hundreds, the commitment is an evening rather than a dinner. Somtum Der is none of those things, that is not a criticism. For a food-focused, easy-in Thai meal on a weeknight with no reservation anxiety, it does something none of those restaurants do.
The relevant comparison set is within Thai dining in New York. Against Fish Cheeks, Somtum Der offers a more regionally specific kitchen (Isaan versus southern Thai seafood) and later weekend hours. Against Ayada, it trades outer-borough value for East Village convenience. Both are credible; the choice depends on where you are staying and what style of Thai cooking you want on the plate.
If your priority is a special-occasion Thai dinner with a more composed format, Bangkok Supper Club is worth considering. For a serious regional Thai meal as a benchmark, the comparison extends internationally to Nahm in Bangkok. Somtum Der's OAD ranking trajectory from Recommended to #508 to #202 in three years is the clearest indicator that this kitchen is operating at a level above the average neighbourhood Thai restaurant, even if the format and price point are casual.
Explore New York City
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full Somtum Der guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare Somtum Der
| Venue | Location | Cuisine | Awards | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somtum Der | New York City | Thai | 2026 OAD Casual in North America Recommended2025 OAD Casual in North America Ranked · #2022024 OAD Casual in North America Ranked · #5082023 OAD Casual in North America Recommended | ; |
| Le Bernardin | New York City | French, Seafood | 2026 Eater NY 38 Best Restaurants in New York City · #82026 North America's 50 Best Restaurants · #132026 New York Times Best Restaurants in New York City · #212026 OAD Top Restaurants in North America Ranked · #342026 Forbes 5-Star2026 La Liste Top Restaurants2026 Wine Spectator Grand Award2026 Les Grandes Tables du Monde Members2025 New York Times Best Restaurants in New York City · #3 | $$$$ |
| Atomix | New York City | Modern Korean, Korean | 2026 OAD Top Restaurants in North America Ranked · #62026 New York Times Best Restaurants in New York City · #72026 North America's 50 Best Restaurants · #7Star Wine Lists 20262026 Les Grandes Tables du Monde Members2026 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 World's 50 North America's Best Restaurants · #12025 James Beard Awards · #12025 New York Times Best Restaurants in New York City · #2 | $$$$ |
| Per Se | New York City | French, Contemporary | 2026 OAD Top Restaurants in North America Ranked · #292026 Forbes 5-Star2026 Relais Chateaux Restaurants2026 Wine Spectator Grand Award2026 Les Grandes Tables du Monde Members2026 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 Robb Report 100 Greatest American Restaurants of the 21st Century · #102025 OAD Top Restaurants in North America Ranked · #922025 Relais Chateaux Award | $$$$ |
| Masa | New York City | Sushi, Japanese | 2026 OAD Top Restaurants in North America Ranked · #922026 Forbes 5-Star2026 OAD Top Restaurants in North America Recommended2026 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 OAD Top Restaurants in North America Ranked · #672025 Michelin 2 Stars2025 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 Forbes 5-Star2025 Michelin 3 Stars | $$$$ |
| Eleven Madison Park | New York City | French, Vegan | Star Wine Lists 2026 · #12026 OAD Top Restaurants in North America Ranked · #472026 Forbes 5-Star2026 Relais Chateaux Restaurants2026 Wine Spectator Grand Award2026 Les Grandes Tables du Monde Members2026 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 Robb Report 100 Greatest American Restaurants of the 21st Century · #32025 OAD Top Restaurants in North America Ranked · #218 | $$$$ |
How Somtum Der NYC compares with similar nearby venues.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Somtum Der good for solo dining?
Yes. The casual format at 85 Avenue A suits solo diners well; there's no omakase counter pressure and no minimum spend to worry about. Lunch hours (12–4 pm daily) are the least crowded window if you want to eat without competing for space. The OAD Casual North America ranking confirms it holds up as a serious meal, not just a neighbourhood fallback.
What are alternatives to Somtum Der in New York City?
For Thai specifically, compare against other OAD-tracked casual spots in Manhattan or Brooklyn before settling on Somtum Der. If you want to spend more and shift cuisine entirely, Atomix is the East Village area's highest-prestige tasting menu option. Somtum Der is the right call when you want a credentialed, relaxed dinner without a tasting-menu commitment or a long booking lead time.
What should I wear to Somtum Der?
This is a casual East Village spot; Avenue A is not a dress-up street. The OAD Casual designation reinforces that: come as you are, no need to plan around a dress code. Jeans and a clean shirt are fine any night of the week.
What should a first-timer know about Somtum Der?
Somtum Der has been ranked on Opinionated About Dining's Casual North America list every year from 2023 through 2025, which means it has genuine peer recognition behind the name. Chef Kornthanut Thongnum leads the kitchen. The split-session hours (12–4 pm, then 6 pm onward) mean you cannot walk in between those windows, so plan your timing accordingly.
Is lunch or dinner better at Somtum Der?
Dinner gives you more flexibility on a Friday or Saturday when the kitchen runs until 10:30 pm, making it a viable late option by New York Thai standards. Lunch (12–4 pm daily) is quieter and works well for a quicker, lower-key meal. If your priority is atmosphere and a fuller evening, go dinner; if you want a relaxed, unhurried sit, lunch is the better pick.
Is Somtum Der good for a special occasion?
Only if the occasion calls for casual and the group appreciates credentialed Thai cooking over a formal setting. Somtum Der is OAD-ranked but it's an Avenue A restaurant; there's no private dining, no ceremony. For a milestone dinner requiring tablecloths and a wine list, Per Se or Eleven Madison Park are the more appropriate calls.
