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Soothr
Thai · East Village, New York City
Restaurant in New York City, United States
Book with PearlThe Read
Regional Thai Depth
Chef
Nate Lingwan
Dress
Smart Casual
Why go
Soothr is the East Village Thai restaurant that has earned Opinionated About Dining Casual North America recognition three years in a row (2023–2025), and it rewards repeat visits more than first ones. Come with a group of three or four to cover a wide, regionally specific menu, consider the bar for solo visits; the cocktail program is genuinely worth your time. Booking ahead for dinner is advisable; the room fills consistently.
About Soothr
Should You Go Back to Soothr? Yes; and the Second Visit Is Better Than the First
If you went to Soothr once and liked it, go again. The kitchen at 204 E 13th St in the East Village has been earning its stripes consistently enough to rank on the Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America list three years running; Recommended in 2023, #277 in 2024, #281 in 2025. That kind of sustained recognition tells you this is not a flash-in-the-pan opening. What changes on a return visit is your confidence to order wider and deeper into a menu that rewards exactly that.
What Soothr Is
Chef Nate Lingwan runs a regional Thai kitchen that takes the cuisine seriously without turning the room into a lecture. The interior reads warm and lived-in: weathered wood beams, tufted red leather booths, lanterns, a back garden that pulls its weight in the warmer months. There is also a bar fitted with an antique telephone, a detail that signals the room has a personality. The back garden, in particular, is worth requesting if you are visiting in season.
The OAD citation points to bold, zippy seasoning across the board. Roasted eggplant salad is flagged as a strong opener; grilled pork salad arrives in a spicy lime and chili dressing that is described as turbocharged. The menu is sizeable, which is a practical consideration: come with a group of three or four if you want to cover real ground. Solo or two-leading visits are fine, but you will leave aware that you missed a third of the menu.
The Bar and Counter Experience
The bar at Soothr is not a waiting area, it is a legitimate place to eat. The cocktail program is noted as thoughtful in the OAD record, which means this is a room where drinks have been given actual consideration rather than assembled as an afterthought. If you are a solo diner or a pair who wants a more casual entry point into the food, the bar is the right seat. You get the full kitchen output, a more spontaneous pace, a better sightline to the room's character. For groups, the booths and garden anchor the experience. But for an explorer who wants to order a few dishes across the menu and let the meal breathe, the bar counter is the move.
Antique telephone behind the bar is a useful orientation marker, sit near it and you are in the social center of the room, not tucked into a corner.
How Soothr Compares in NYC Thai
Within the New York City Thai category, Soothr operates at a different register than many competitors. Fish Cheeks in Nolita focuses on Thai seafood with a more contemporary presentation. Ayada in Elmhurst is the value standard-bearer for regional Thai in the outer boroughs. Bangkok Supper Club leans into a more modern, event-driven format. Chalong and Eim Khao Mun Kai each occupy narrower lanes. Soothr's advantage is the combination of a broad regional menu, a genuine room with character, three consecutive years of OAD recognition, that is a more durable case for a repeat booking than novelty alone.
If your interest in Thai food extends beyond New York, Nahm in Bangkok and Samrub Samrub Thai in Bangkok represent the source-country benchmark for the kind of regional depth Soothr is working toward. Knowing those rooms makes Soothr's ambition clearer.
Practical Details
Reservations: Booking difficulty is rated Easy on Pearl, but the OAD record notes the room fills fast, book ahead for weekend dinner rather than relying on walk-in availability. Hours: Monday through Thursday and Sunday 12–3:30 pm and 5–10 pm; Friday and Saturday 12–3:30 pm and 5–11 pm. Location: 204 E 13th St, East Village, New York, NY 10003. Group size: Three to four people is the format that gets the most out of the menu; solo and two-leading visits work well at the bar.
Pearl Picks, Explore Further
- Our full New York City restaurants guide
- Our full New York City hotels guide
- Our full New York City bars guide
- Our full New York City wineries guide
- Our full New York City experiences guide
- Fish Cheeks, Thai seafood in Nolita
- Ayada, regional Thai in Elmhurst
- Bangkok Supper Club
- Chalong
- Eim Khao Mun Kai
- Nahm, Thai in Bangkok
- Samrub Samrub Thai, Bangkok
- Emeril's in New Orleans
- Lazy Bear in San Francisco
- Alinea in Chicago
- Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg
- The French Laundry in Napa
- Providence in Los Angeles
Planning details
- Hours
- Monday: 12–3:30 pm, 5–10 pm · Tuesday: 12–3:30 pm, 5–10 pm
- Location
- 204 E 13th St, New York, NY 10003
- Reservations
- Book on OpenTable
- Website
- soothrnyc.com
- Phone
- (212) 844-9789
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Soothr presents a quietly cultivated East Village room that foregrounds texture and close seating. Weathered wood beams and tufted red leather booths give a lived-in, rustic warmth, while lanterns and an antique telephone at the bar add small, charming details. The space is oriented around a long communal table and a back garden, which together temper the dense dining room and create an intimate, warmly lit environment. The overall effect is a thoughtful, quietly stylish spot where design elements support close conversation and a focus on the food rather than theatricality.
Best For
Soothr is best for diners who come for serious Thai cooking and convivial company. Its long table and booth seating make it suited to groups and celebrations, while booths and the garden offer intimate corners for date nights. The restaurant’s repeated nods from Opinionated About Dining signal that it’s also a destination for food-focused visitors who want regionally specific preparations rather than Americanized standards. Casual meetups at the bar work as well, but the room is at its strongest when plates are shared and conversation moves around the table.
Ordering Tips
The kitchen at Soothr emphasizes the balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy, so approach the menu with an eye toward contrast and variety. Share plates around the long table or tuck into booths and order multiple dishes to sample different preparations. Start with signature items — Khao Soi Chicken, Ba Mii Pu, and Koong Karee — to get a sense of the kitchen’s regional focus. Because the menu prizes balance, pace your choices so textures and flavors can play off one another, and ask staff for guidance on regionally specific preparations.
Venue details
Ambiance
Quaint interior with vintage wood beams, neon signs, tufted red leather booths, lanterns, and a charming back garden, creating an inviting yet crowded atmosphere with Thai pop music.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
At the Table
- Dress Code
- Smart Casual
- Noise Level
- Lively
- Service Style
- Upscale Casual
- Meal Pacing
- Standard
- Capacity
- Small
Signature Dishes
- Khao Soi Chicken
- Ba Mii Pu
- Koong Karee
Planning details
Hours
- Monday
- 12–3:30 pm, 5–10 pm
- Tuesday
- 12–3:30 pm, 5–10 pm
- Wednesday
- 12–3:30 pm, 5–10 pm
- Thursday
- 12–3:30 pm, 5–10 pm
- Friday
- 12–3:30 pm, 5–11 pm
- Saturday
- 12–3:30 pm, 5–11 pm
- Sunday
- 12–3:30 pm, 5–10 pm
Location
Also consider
Also Consider
- Le Bernardin; French, Seafood, $$$$
- Atomix; Modern Korean, Korean, $$$$
- Eleven Madison Park; French, Vegan, $$$$
- Masa; Sushi, Japanese, $$$$
- Per Se; French, Contemporary, $$$$
Restaurant context
How Soothr Compares
If you are comparing Soothr against New York's most decorated restaurant tables, you are looking at a different category entirely. Le Bernardin, Atomix, Eleven Madison Park, Masa, and Per Se are all $$$$ tasting-menu or high-ticket operations where the booking process is itself a commitment and per-head spend runs well into three figures. Soothr operates on a different axis: it is a casual, walk-in-accessible neighborhood restaurant with a broad a la carte menu, three consecutive years of OAD Casual North America recognition. These are not competing for the same occasion.
The practical comparison is this: if you want a high-investment, high-ceremony dinner where the kitchen is driving every decision, one of the $$$$ options above is your booking. If you want a genuinely good regional Thai meal in a room with personality; where you control the pace, order widely, spend significantly less; Soothr is the stronger choice. For the explorer who wants depth and range in the Thai category specifically, Soothr outpaces most of its Manhattan peers on the combination of menu breadth and award-backed consistency.
For value-driven diners, Soothr is the easier yes in this comparison set. Booking is rated Easy on Pearl, the hours cover both lunch and dinner seven days a week, you are not committing to a fixed menu or a long lead time. The $$$$ venues listed here require weeks or months of advance planning and a much higher floor spend. Know what kind of evening you are building, the decision makes itself.
Explore New York City
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full Soothr guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare Soothr
| Venue | Location | Cuisine | Awards | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soothr | New York City | Thai | 2026 OAD Casual in North America Highly Recommended2025 OAD Casual in North America Ranked · #2812025 Michelin Plate2024 OAD Casual in North America Ranked · #2772023 OAD Casual in North America Recommended | ; |
| Le Bernardin | New York City | French, Seafood | 2026 Eater NY 38 Best Restaurants in New York City · #82026 North America's 50 Best Restaurants · #132026 New York Times Best Restaurants in New York City · #212026 OAD Top Restaurants in North America Ranked · #342026 Forbes 5-Star2026 La Liste Top Restaurants2026 Wine Spectator Grand Award2026 Les Grandes Tables du Monde Members2025 New York Times Best Restaurants in New York City · #3 | $$$$ |
| Atomix | New York City | Modern Korean, Korean | 2026 OAD Top Restaurants in North America Ranked · #62026 New York Times Best Restaurants in New York City · #72026 North America's 50 Best Restaurants · #7Star Wine Lists 20262026 Les Grandes Tables du Monde Members2026 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 World's 50 North America's Best Restaurants · #12025 James Beard Awards · #12025 New York Times Best Restaurants in New York City · #2 | $$$$ |
| Eleven Madison Park | New York City | French, Vegan | Star Wine Lists 2026 · #12026 OAD Top Restaurants in North America Ranked · #472026 Forbes 5-Star2026 Relais Chateaux Restaurants2026 Wine Spectator Grand Award2026 Les Grandes Tables du Monde Members2026 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 Robb Report 100 Greatest American Restaurants of the 21st Century · #32025 OAD Top Restaurants in North America Ranked · #218 | $$$$ |
| Masa | New York City | Sushi, Japanese | 2026 OAD Top Restaurants in North America Ranked · #922026 Forbes 5-Star2026 OAD Top Restaurants in North America Recommended2026 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 OAD Top Restaurants in North America Ranked · #672025 Michelin 2 Stars2025 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 Forbes 5-Star2025 Michelin 3 Stars | $$$$ |
| Per Se | New York City | French, Contemporary | 2026 OAD Top Restaurants in North America Ranked · #292026 Forbes 5-Star2026 Relais Chateaux Restaurants2026 Wine Spectator Grand Award2026 Les Grandes Tables du Monde Members2026 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 Robb Report 100 Greatest American Restaurants of the 21st Century · #102025 OAD Top Restaurants in North America Ranked · #922025 Relais Chateaux Award | $$$$ |
How Soothr NYC compares with similar nearby venues.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a first-timer know about Soothr?
Come with at least three people. The menu is large and built around regional Thai specialties; the OAD record specifically calls out dishes like roasted eggplant salad, grilled pork salad, chicken khao soi, pork blood soup as highlights worth ordering across the table. Chef Nate Lingwan's kitchen runs best when you're covering ground, not ordering one or two dishes solo. Book ahead; Pearl rates the booking difficulty as Easy, but OAD notes the room fills fast, especially on weekends.
Can I eat at the bar at Soothr?
Yes, it's a real option, not a fallback. The bar at 204 E 13th St is fitted out with an antique telephone and anchors the main room; it's a deliberate design choice, not a waiting area. The cocktail program is noted as thoughtful in Soothr's OAD record, so pairing bar seats with a few dishes from the regional menu is a workable plan, particularly if you're dining as a pair and couldn't get a booth.
Does Soothr handle dietary restrictions?
Soothr's menu leans heavily on meat, seafood, fermented ingredients that are standard in regional Thai cooking; which means vegetarians and those avoiding shellfish-based seasonings should ask specifically before ordering. The menu is sizeable enough that there are options to work, but this is not a kitchen that leads with dietary accommodation. If vegetarian Thai is the priority, Fish Cheeks in Nolita has more explicit flexibility on that front.
What is Soothr known for?
Soothr is primarily known for Thai in New York City.
