Wayla Introduce
In a city as culinarily diverse as New York, finding a restaurant that truly transports you can be a rare and wonderful discovery. Wayla, a Thai restaurant nestled in the Lower East Side, is just such a place. Tucked away on Forsyth Street, this hidden gem is celebrated for its authentic, bold flavors and a warm, inviting atmosphere that feels like a secret garden oasis. Wayla is not your typical Thai takeout spot; it's a dining destination that offers a truly immersive experience, from the moment you step into its elegant yet cozy space to the final, delicious bite of dessert. It’s a place that brings the spirit of a traditional Thai yard to the heart of Manhattan.
Wayla has quickly become a local favorite and a must-visit for tourists, praised for its ability to deliver a memorable meal that feels both familiar and exciting. The menu is a testament to the rich and diverse flavors of Thai cuisine, featuring classic dishes alongside innovative creations. The chefs use fresh, high-quality ingredients to craft meals that are bursting with flavor, from the perfect balance of sweet and salty in their famous mango salad to the tender, expertly prepared duck and beef. The restaurant is a perfect blend of comfort food and refined dining, making it a hit with a wide range of patrons, from groups of friends to couples on a romantic evening.
What sets Wayla apart is its beautiful patio, a stunning outdoor space that feels like a hidden garden in the middle of the city. This area is a major highlight, especially during warmer months, and is a fantastic setting for a weekend brunch or a beautiful evening dinner. The combination of its exquisite food, creative cocktails, and unique atmosphere makes Wayla a place that guests love to bring their out-of-town visitors to, providing a one-of-a-kind New York dining experience they won't soon forget. This article will provide all the essential information about Wayla, from its location and services to the standout dishes that make it a top-tier destination for Thai food in NYC.
---Wayla is conveniently located at 100 Forsyth St, New York, NY 10002. This prime location places it in the vibrant Lower East Side, a neighborhood known for its eclectic mix of historic charm and modern, trendy establishments. The street itself is lively, and the restaurant is situated in a spot that feels just removed enough from the main thoroughfares to maintain its serene and secret garden ambiance.
Getting to Wayla is straightforward for anyone in the city. The restaurant is easily accessible by several major subway lines, including the B and D at Grand St and the F, M, J, and Z at the Delancey St-Essex St station. These subway stops are just a short walk away, making it a convenient destination whether you're coming from uptown, Brooklyn, or other parts of downtown Manhattan. While street parking can be challenging in this area, the excellent public transportation access makes a visit stress-free.
The restaurant is welcoming to all, with a wheelchair-accessible entrance and seating. It also features a bar onsite and a beautiful outdoor patio. This patio is a major draw, offering a cozy and romantic setting that is perfect for a memorable dining experience. The venue’s amenities, including restrooms and high chairs for children, make it a comfortable and convenient choice for a diverse range of guests.
---Wayla is designed to provide a comprehensive and flexible dining experience, catering to various needs and preferences. The restaurant offers a range of services to ensure every customer can enjoy its delicious food in the way that suits them best.
- Dine-in: The primary service is the dine-in experience, which allows guests to fully immerse themselves in the cozy and romantic atmosphere of the restaurant and its stunning outdoor garden. Table service is provided, and the staff is known for being friendly, efficient, and happy to offer recommendations.
- Takeout: For those who want to enjoy Wayla's food at home or on the go, the restaurant offers takeout services. This is a great option for a quick, high-quality meal when you don't have time to sit down.
- Delivery: Wayla provides both standard and no-contact delivery options, bringing their authentic Thai cuisine directly to your doorstep. This is perfect for a relaxed night in or a gathering with friends at home.
- Reservations: Given its popularity and the fact that it often has a wait, dinner reservations are highly recommended. This ensures you can get a table, especially if you are visiting with a group or during peak hours.
The restaurant also has a bar onsite, offering a great selection of beer, wine, and handcrafted cocktails. Payments are easy with credit cards, debit cards, and NFC mobile payments all accepted.
---Wayla’s reputation is built on a series of features that make it a unique and exceptional dining destination in New York City. It goes beyond serving great food to create a holistic and memorable experience for its guests.
- Authentic and Bold Thai Flavors: The cuisine is celebrated for being truly authentic and packed with bold flavors. The chefs use fresh ingredients to create dishes that are both complex and delicious, striking the perfect balance between sweet, salty, sour, and spicy.
- Secret Garden Patio: This is arguably Wayla’s most famous feature. The beautiful outdoor patio, which feels like a hidden garden oasis, provides a serene and magical setting for dining. It’s a huge draw for weekend brunch and warm-weather dinners and is a great spot to bring out-of-town guests for a unique NYC experience.
- Great Cocktails: Wayla's bar is a major highlight, with a talented bartender who crafts great cocktails with interesting ingredients. They are also adept at making bespoke drinks, ensuring every guest finds a perfect beverage to complement their meal.
- Friendly and Efficient Service: The staff is consistently praised for being friendly, helpful, and efficient. They are happy to adjust spice levels and cater to allergies, providing great recommendations for both food and drinks, which enhances the overall dining experience.
- Late-Night Food and High Chairs: Wayla is a versatile spot, offering a late-night food option for the downtown crowd and high chairs for families with children. It caters to a wide range of crowds and dining occasions, from casual solo dining to groups and family outings.
For inquiries, reservations, or to find this hidden gem, here is the essential contact information:
Address: 100 Forsyth St, New York, NY 10002, USA
Phone: (212) 206-2500
---When you visit Wayla, there are several dishes that are consistently praised and are absolutely worth ordering. For a starter, the Chicken Wings are a huge favorite; customers claim you’ll need more than one order. The Fried Calamari and the Mango Salad with anchovies are also highly recommended, with the salad being praised for its delicious combination of salty and sweet flavors. The Curry Puff is another popular choice from the "Street Market" section of the menu.
For main courses, the menu offers a fantastic selection of rich and flavorful dishes. The Lump Crab Fried Rice and Shrimp Pad Thai are both excellent choices for a classic Thai meal, while the Beef Fried Rice is another standout. If you're looking for something truly unique, the Duck with curry sauce is a highly-rated dish that is described as tender, crispy, and not gamy, with a curry that perfectly complements the meat. The Fried Branzino with red curry sauce is another top pick, showcasing the restaurant's skill with seafood. Finally, don't leave without trying the Mango Sticky Rice dessert, a perfect sweet and creamy finish to your meal.
Ultimately, what makes Wayla worth choosing is the combination of its authentic, high-quality Thai food and its unforgettable atmosphere, particularly the secret garden patio. It's a place that delivers more than just a meal; it provides a unique and memorable dining experience that feels like a little piece of Thailand in the middle of New York City. It’s perfect for bringing friends, family, or a date for an evening that feels special and unique.
Wayla Menu
Popular Items
- Lump Crab Fried Rice $19.00
lump crab fried rice, egg, flat chives
- Beef Fried Rice $25.00
bbq beef fried rice, holy basil medium spicy
- String Beans $19.00
wok-fried long beans, tofu, galangal chili paste
- Sticky Rice $3.50
butterfly pea blossom infused
- Shrimp Pad Thai $26.00
fresh thin rice Nnodle w/ 4 pcs. jumbo shrimps, tamarind, peanut, egg,
- Maa's Gaeng Pak $24.00
homestyle veggies, yellow curry, chili threads, coconut cream
- Chicken Wings $12.00
chicken wings, plum sauce, toasted sesame seeds
- Curry Puff $14.00
minced chicken, onions, potatoes in puff pastry, karee curry sauce
- Tofu Yang Pad Thai $22.00
grilled tofu, thin rice noodle, tamarind, crushed peanuts, beansprouts, egg
Street Market
- Chicken Wings $12.00
chicken wings, plum sauce, toasted sesame seeds
- Curry Puff $14.00
minced chicken, onions, potatoes in puff pastry, karee curry sauce
- Fried Calamari $17.00
crispy calamari, creamy avocado dip, lime
- BBQ Beef $18.00
bbq beef, shallots, chilies, lime juice, roasted rice
- Stuffed Sauteed Crab $21.00
stuffed sauteed crab meat, curry, tumeric, minced pork, salted egg yolk
- Grilled Impossible Meat $12.00
grilled impossible meat wrapped sugarcane skewers, sweet chili glazed
Mains
- Maa's Gaeng Pak $24.00
homestyle veggies, yellow curry, chili threads, coconut cream
- String Beans $19.00
wok-fried long beans, tofu, galangal chili paste
- Grilled Chicken $28.00
esan style grilled amish chicken, sweet chili and jeaw sauce
- Fried Shrimp $29.00
wok-fried shrimp, galangal, spicy southern thai chili paste very spicy, cannot be altered
- NY Strip $42.00
marinated bone-in ny strip steak, tamarind sauce only available after 4PM
- Brussel Sprouts $19.00
brussel sprouts, holy basil, chilies
- Tom Zabb Nua $29.00
short rib stew, chopped herbs, chilies, lime juice
- Fried Branzino $38.00
whole fried branzino, red curry sauce, coconut, chilies
Rice and Noodles
- Lump Crab Fried Rice $28.00
lump crab fried rice, egg, flat chives
- Shrimp Pad Thai $26.00
fresh thin rice Nnodle w/ 4 pcs. jumbo shrimps, tamarind, peanut, egg, chive
- Beef Fried Rice $25.00
bbq beef fried rice, holy basil medium spicy
- Tofu Yang Pad Thai $22.00
grilled tofu, thin rice noodle, tamarind, crushed peanuts, beansprouts, egg
- Veggies Fried Rice $23.00
vegetables fried rice, galangal chili paste
- Jasmine Rice $3.00
thai jasmine rice
- Purple Sticky Rice $3.50
butterfly pea blossom infused
Dessert
- Mango Mousse $11.00
- LNY I $12.00
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Wayla Details
Service options
- Outdoor seating
- No-contact delivery
- Delivery
- Takeout
- Dine-in
Highlights
- Fast service
- Great cocktails
- Serves local specialty
Popular for
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Solo dining
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
- Wheelchair accessible parking lot
Offerings
- Alcohol
- Beer
- Cocktails
- Coffee
- Comfort food
- Hard liquor
- Healthy options
- Late-night food
- Small plates
- Vegetarian options
- Wine
Dining options
- Brunch
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Dessert
- Seating
- Table service
Amenities
- Bar onsite
- Restroom
Atmosphere
- Casual
- Cozy
- Romantic
- Trendy
Crowd
- Groups
- Tourists
Planning
- Dinner reservations recommended
- Accepts reservations
- Usually a wait
Payments
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
- NFC mobile payments
- Credit cards
Children
- High chairs
Pets
- Dogs allowed outside
Wayla Photos










Wayla Location
Wayla Reviews
cocktailscrab fried ricebackyardbranzinolobster noodlespork meatballsbrussel sproutssarongmango moussebeef fried rice
★ 5★ 4★ 3★ 2★ 1If you're craving authentic Thai cuisine with bold flavors and a welcoming atmosphere, Wayla is a hidden gem that deserves your attention.The décor is elegant yet cozy, with traditional Thai accents that makes you feel you are on a Thai yard eating with friends.We started with the fried calamari and mango salad, which were so tasty. That mango salad with anchovies was a great combo between salty and sweet, so delicious. For main course we had the fried branzino with a red curry sauce, the crab Pad Thai and Duck on curry sauce. Now the duck, wow, never been a fan of duck but this duck with curry was so tender and crispy and not gamy and that curry sauce complemented it very well. Definitely recommend it.Service was friendly and efficient. Our server was happy to adjust spice levels and allergies and offered great recommendations for both food and drinks. The mocktails were a great balance for the food. The mango sticky rice dessert was the ideal sweet finish—ripe mango slices over warm, coconut-infused sticky rice.Whether you're a Thai food enthusiast or trying it for the first time, Wayla delivers a memorable dining experience.
August 13 · Jo LLoved this little gem before menu refresh. Love it even more now with some fantastic additions (thankfully the crispy chicken wings are still on the menu. you'll need more than one order. trust me)As always, bartender has put together some great cocktails with interesting ingredients. He's also great with bespoke requests!Our group shared several plates (pics included) and while I would order any and all of them again, standouts for me were the fried shimeji mushroom app, the wok-fried shrimp, and the strip steak.Love their patio space (great for weekend brunch on a beautiful day!) We love bringing our out-of-town guests here. It's always a hit. Thai food like they've never had it!
August 20 · pam grimaldiamazing. fantastic thai. some of the best in the city and great for big groups. we got almost everything for apps and mains and the mango mousse with sticky rice. highlights were the branzino and the chili line chicken wings. the curries were also amazing. amazing atmosphere and incredible service. we will be back.
September 07 · Alison PouwThe menu has definitely changed since I was last here… and for the BETTER! It’s wonderful and so diverse. I noticed that a lot of their food is gluten free, which is great for a lot of my friends who struggle with intolerance. I particularly liked the chive pancake, it was fluffy and the sauce was soooo good. I also liked the Thai beef jerky, it has a sweet and spicy flavor. This place is a favorite of mine for sure!
June 09 · Austin Mitchell JimenezI love this place very much but didn’t get a chance to come back as much. But since i heard they have new menu, me and my best friends were so excited and the food was absolutely delicious also new cocktails I really love. Staff are super nice and and helpful make the whole dinning experience even more fun
June 29 · Amie Norerat
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