Holy Basil

Great Thai food! Prices are pretty average but the food is tasty and there’s a decent variety of flavour options available on the menu. You must end your meal with their deep fried ice cream — I mean, there’s always room for dessert.

Super popular Thai place. You know it’s mainstream because they don’t even bother to give you chopsticks.
The waiter told us that the Thai papaya salad was less spicy than the Laos one but hot damn, it burned so good. The crab fried rice was excellent, we ended up ordering another even after we were stuffed. My only complaint would be the green curry — a bit watery and didn’t even come with rice.
Pro — they offer some fruity drinks to help put the fire out. Cons — difficult parking and 2% charge for credit cards.

Great casual Thai food, most notable is without a doubt the fried ice cream.
Laos Papaya salad was super and definately recommended if you can handle since spice.

It’s hard to stand out from the huge selection of good Thai restaurants in Sydney. But the guys at Holy Basil got a couple of impressive tricks up their sleeves to keep customers coming from all over Sydney. They’re a Thai and Lao restaurant, so on top of your favourite Thai dishes they’ve also got traditional Lao yummies like papaya salad with anchovies, larb (mince) salad and sticky rice. These guys are also not afraid to use spices and herbs in their dishes, which I love, unlike many of their competitors. To top it all off, they have an unusual but amazing fried icecream.
Well worth going especially in summer… outdoor seating + spicy food + cold beer + finish with a fried ice cream = 2 thumbs up!

Great service and fantastic food. Some of the best Thai food around with a modern twist. Try the dessert, fried ice cream is to die for

The fried ice cream got it an extra star! Food was all very good. Bit pricey for the area but fed a table of 8 for $ 25 per head. We booked a table for a tues night and had no problems, but I have seen large queues outside on weekends. Service is friendly and food comes out quickly but they are slow to bring, and replenish things like table water. We also had to ask for more chopsticks as we were given less than the number of people. Overall a fun and tasty night with great company.

This restaurant is great! Loved all their food especially their fried ice cream!

A solid Thai restaurant attracting many critics and reviews from all over Sydney. Although a little more pricey than other thai joints, Holy Basil does offer very good food and service. Ox tongue and paw paw salad are the real stars here but I found the pad see ew too salty

Brace yourself, there is something you should know about this place — the crowds. Holy basil is busier than a Bangkok crossing outside. If you come at peak hour, bring some popcorn cause you will wait. Patience pays off once you come inside and soak in the modern and alfresco setting.
The food is good but you do pay a premium for it relative to its local peers — but hey it’s a hot spot and you’re sitting down by now so just enjoy it. Fruit shakes are nice to start off and i particularly like the Laotion dishes — ox tongue is superb, lao paw paw salad and raw beef larb is tasty.
Service is OK — can be inconsistent at times given its popularity.
First timers should allow room for the famed fried ice cream. Charging $ 15 for a dessert is ballsy for an area where people expect a meal for $ 15, but people still buy it. It’s a nice variation on a classic.