Spice Market

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Real Thai Cuisine in the West Village

Spice Market sits at 403 West 13th Street in Manhattan's Meatpacking District, part of a multi-location Thai chain that earned a place on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2005 — a mark of recognition that put New York's South East Asian dining scene firmly on the global map.

The restaurant's own description is straightforward: "bustling chain offering generous portions of traditional Thai dishes and colorful cocktails." That directness carries through to the menu, which reads as a wide-ranging tour of Thai cooking without unnecessary embellishment.

What to Eat

The Spice Specialty section anchors the dinner menu. The Thai Volcanic Chicken — grilled half chicken with a three-flavor sauce and stir-fried vegetables — is a signature worth noting, as is the Tamarind Whole Fish, a crispy red snapper finished with the kitchen's own sweet-sour-spicy sauce. For seafood, the Lemongrass Seafood Combo brings together shrimp, calamari, mussel, and white fish with basil and spicy chili paste, while the Geyser Shrimp Clay Pot takes a quieter route: jumbo shrimp and vermicelli in a fragrant garlic-sesame broth.

The Premium Pad Thai — jumbo prawn, shrimp, egg, peanut, bean sprouts, and smoked tofu — represents the South East Asian canon done with care, and the Southern Dry Curry Beef Fried Rice (ข้าวผัดเนื้อคั่วกลิ้ง) signals an appetite for regional Thai flavours beyond the familiar.

Appetisers range from Pad Thai Spring Rolls and Curry Puffs to Jade Seafood Dumplings in massaman sauce and Asian Fish Tacos on steamed buns — a broad, shareable spread suited to groups.

The Bigger Picture

Spice operates several locations across New York — Williamsburg, Union Square, Long Island City, and Park Slope among them — making it one of the city's more established Thai dining groups. Dine-in, takeout, and delivery are all available, and a private room makes the West 13th Street address suitable for gatherings.