Sea Thai Restaurant

(212) 228-5505

75 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10003 40.7265 -73.9893

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Neighborhoods: East Village, Downtown, Bowery

Price:

$

Last updated 4.01.09

Category:

Restaurants, Parochial Schools

Payment Methods:

Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Lunch Spot, Cheap Eats, Carry Out

Cuisine:

Soups, Thai, Seafood

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Sea Thai Restaurant

Featured Review

Justin Hartung

Contributor

The Scene – This East Village upstart proved to be so popular, the owners opened a second massive (and massively popular) location in Williamsburg. This original restaurant is miniscule in comparison, but it's designed in the same sleek lounge style. Service is brisk and friendly, and the hip, clubby music is never so loud that you have to shout to be heard. – – The Food – Start with the spicy beef salad or the Tup Tim Fritters, fried chicken and shrimp balls served with a delectable sweet-and-sour dipping sauce. Both the tom kah soup and pad thai are merely…

Editor's Tips

Save Time:
It has one of the fastest delivery times in the neighborhood. Repeat customers can give their phone numbers, and the restaurant's computer will pull up the address.
ambiance
90.90999603271484% positive
  1. “The ambience was so fun, and the prices were great, on top of the fact that the food was really tasty.”
  2. “The ambience is makes for a really enjoyable meal - dim lighting, funky music, candles, and a cozy seating arrangement makes for a great place to have dinner with a group of friends or a date.”
  3. “must admit, the Williamsburg location is larger, more grandiose and impressive (with a huge Buddha sitting at the end of a indoor pond), but you have to head over to Brooklyn (which ends up being only a short ride on the L train).”
  4. “The ambiance is wonderful with a trendy eastern decor.”
  5. “Its a nice place to take a date for a romantic dinner.”
  6. “Very cute and cozy and the customer service was really nice.”
  7. “Food wasn't great, but we were having fun until the friend who bought dinner left a $6 tip.”
  8. “It's a great buy, with quick service but it's NOT romantic.”
  9. “It also has nice romantic ambience.”
  10. “THe decor is cool and the music is good.”
  11. “We couldnt understand our servers accent sometimes but overall, with good, inexpensive food, trendy decor and chill music, its not hard to see why Sea was packed on a Tuesday night.”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “MUST try the crispy banana dessert!”
drinks
33.3299994468689% positive
  1. “Unlike the last reviewer, I like the drinks.”
  2. “didn't expect a good Thai place in the E. Village, but the city is full of surprises, including the fact that it's really inexpensive ($20 for a salad, drink, and entree after tax and tip).”
  3. “Drinks aren't great, so drink elsewhere.”
food quality
90.22000312805176% positive
  1. “The food is usually good but it certainly isn't a relaxing place to go.”
  2. “The food was great and the prices were even better.”
  3. “But I can say that the spicy did not mask the taste of fresh caramalyzed onions and bell peppers.”
  4. “This place is a great value - the food is excellent (been here a bunch of times and have never had anything that wasn't delicious) - the service is great and quite fast!”
  5. “He was absolutely right about it when he said it was good food for reasonable prices.”
  6. “the service is amazing, the food is unreal, and the prices are so low you won't believe the quality of food could be this good!”
  7. “Both have delicious food at a reasonable cost.”
  8. “We couldnt understand our servers accent sometimes but overall, with good, inexpensive food, trendy decor and chill music, its not hard to see why Sea was packed on a Tuesday night.”
  9. “mediocre food”
  10. “Those who get satisfaction from paying the lowest for a full meal will find their low prices an absolute steal; a starter and a solid entree will run you about $10 on off peak hours $15 on.”
  11. “Try the calamari - the sauce is fantastic.”
  12. “The peanut was not too overwhelming allowing the sweetness of the dark sauce to emphasize itself (although fuller taste would've been delivered had the sauce been allowed to infuse better into the dumpling itself rather than just pouring it on top.)”
  13. “Delicious food at a great price but do not go here on a cold day and sit by the front door.”
  14. “The ambience is makes for a really enjoyable meal - dim lighting, funky music, candles, and a cozy seating arrangement makes for a great place to have dinner with a group of friends or a date.”
  15. “wonderful place to bring friends and for a trendy meal.”
  16. “food is flavorful.”
  17. “good food”
  18. “Good food for little dough.”
  19. “It has a lot of creative dishes.”
  20. “good selection of food, reasonable prices and to die for duck salad.”
  21. “East Village eaters know that two requirements must be met to satisfy its predominantly student residents: great food at affordable prices.”
  22. “Best Thai food in NY”
  23. “Can't see the tasty food i'm eating”
  24. “Good food- Great prices.”
  25. “Ever since I discovered their amazing dishes I haven't found any other restaurant that satisfies my craving for Thai food as completely as Sea.”
  26. “This is a great place for reasonably-priced, very good Thai cuisine.”
  27. “My friends loved the Drunk Man noodles and sweet-ish pad thai.”
  28. “Great food, good prices.”
  29. “Food was delicious”
  30. “Their noodle dishes were perfect, not too saucey and not too dry.”
  31. “Great Thai food at reasonable prices”
  32. “their green curry isn't spicy enough, the coconut flavor isn't rich enough either.”
  33. “Great place for tasty and inexpensive Thai food”
  34. “have dined here a few times before, and I very much enjoy the food at the affordable prices.”
  35. “Not authentic, but good decent flavors.”
  36. “Honestly, I think my food was sitting w/the other dirty dishes.”
  37. “Sea has great food, no doubt about that.”
  38. “would definitely recommend SEA if you like thai cuisine!”
  39. “didn't expect a good Thai place in the E. Village, but the city is full of surprises, including the fact that it's really inexpensive ($20 for a salad, drink, and entree after tax and tip).”
  40. “The ambience was so fun, and the prices were great, on top of the fact that the food was really tasty.”
  41. “The price was extremely reasonable for the appetizers and food we ate.”
  42. “Although small, this restaurant serves up quite a nice meal.”
  43. “As further inducement, their prices are so reasonable that you can't afford not to try their food at least once if you are a true Thai-food afficionado.”
  44. “If you want good authentic Thai this place is not the place to go.”
  45. “the Lemongrass chicken was mouthwatering.”
  46. “Great food for not much money”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “the lunch special menu is a good value.”
  2. “good selection of food, reasonable prices and to die for duck salad.”
overall
87.5% positive
  1. “Its a nice place to take a date for a romantic dinner.”
  2. “The ambience is makes for a really enjoyable meal - dim lighting, funky music, candles, and a cozy seating arrangement makes for a great place to have dinner with a group of friends or a date.”
  3. “It's a good place to bring someone you want to impress because it's very stylish and inexpensive, but not for a first date or a situation where you need to have a conversation.”
  4. “didn't expect a good Thai place in the E. Village, but the city is full of surprises, including the fact that it's really inexpensive ($20 for a salad, drink, and entree after tax and tip).”
  5. “If you want good authentic Thai this place is not the place to go.”
  6. “The food is usually good but it certainly isn't a relaxing place to go.”
  7. “This is a great place for reasonably-priced, very good Thai cuisine.”
  8. “What a great place.”
return potential
0.0% positive
  1. “However, this past experience was the worst, and I won't return again.”
service
78.5699987411499% positive
  1. “This place is a great value - the food is excellent (been here a bunch of times and have never had anything that wasn't delicious) - the service is great and quite fast!”
  2. “the service is amazing, the food is unreal, and the prices are so low you won't believe the quality of food could be this good!”
  3. “the staff must have bad eyes from working there.”
  4. “We couldnt understand our servers accent sometimes but overall, with good, inexpensive food, trendy decor and chill music, its not hard to see why Sea was packed on a Tuesday night.”
  5. “Very cute and cozy and the customer service was really nice.”
  6. “We asked for an explanation (Illegal + tentative fraud) and the waiter - who spoke perfect English- started to pretend he didn't understand what we were saying.”
  7. “It's a great buy, with quick service but it's NOT romantic.”
value
89.58000183105469% positive
  1. “This Thai restaurant is not expensive.”
  2. “Great food for not much money”
  3. “didn't expect a good Thai place in the E. Village, but the city is full of surprises, including the fact that it's really inexpensive ($20 for a salad, drink, and entree after tax and tip).”
  4. “The food was great and the prices were even better.”
  5. “East Village eaters know that two requirements must be met to satisfy its predominantly student residents: great food at affordable prices.”
  6. “good selection of food, reasonable prices and to die for duck salad.”
  7. “Great place for tasty and inexpensive Thai food”
  8. “Those who get satisfaction from paying the lowest for a full meal will find their low prices an absolute steal; a starter and a solid entree will run you about $10 on off peak hours $15 on.”
  9. “This place is a great value - the food is excellent (been here a bunch of times and have never had anything that wasn't delicious) - the service is great and quite fast!”
  10. “The ambience was so fun, and the prices were great, on top of the fact that the food was really tasty.”
  11. “have dined here a few times before, and I very much enjoy the food at the affordable prices.”
  12. “Great Thai food at reasonable prices”
  13. “best value in the city”
  14. “Great food, good prices.”
  15. “the lunch special menu is a good value.”
  16. “Good food- Great prices.”
  17. “He was absolutely right about it when he said it was good food for reasonable prices.”
  18. “It's a good place to bring someone you want to impress because it's very stylish and inexpensive, but not for a first date or a situation where you need to have a conversation.”
  19. “the service is amazing, the food is unreal, and the prices are so low you won't believe the quality of food could be this good!”
  20. “The price was extremely reasonable for the appetizers and food we ate.”
  21. “We couldnt understand our servers accent sometimes but overall, with good, inexpensive food, trendy decor and chill music, its not hard to see why Sea was packed on a Tuesday night.”
  22. “Delicious food at a great price but do not go here on a cold day and sit by the front door.”
  23. “must admit, the Williamsburg location is larger, more grandiose and impressive (with a huge Buddha sitting at the end of a indoor pond), but you have to head over to Brooklyn (which ends up being only a short ride on the L train).”
  24. “As further inducement, their prices are so reasonable that you can't afford not to try their food at least once if you are a true Thai-food afficionado.”
wait time
100.0% positive
  1. “It's a great buy, with quick service but it's NOT romantic.”
4 Star Rating: Recommended

02/23/09

Good Food, Good Service, Good Price!

by Bkbabe28 at Citysearch

Went lastnight with my date and it was great! The sliding door when you first come in, is awesome. THe decor is cool and the music is good. I had the classic pork chop with veggies and it was yummy! Great tasting food and even better prices. I highly recommend it.

  • Pros: Fast Service, Good Food, Good Prices
  • Cons: None!
1 Star Rating: Poor

06/04/08

TIP FRAUD. RECURRENT!

by Angela321 at Citysearch

RECURRENT TIP FRAUD. BEWARE!

We went to dinner at Sea last night and, for the THIRD time, we were tricked and almost paid 40% tip.

This happened three times, twice when my boyfriend and I went and last night (we were five guests).

Last night the waiter added 20% tip on the bill (ILLEGAL for parties of 6 or less!), when the bill came my boyfriend gave them his credit card without looking at the bill. The waiter came back with ONLY the credit card receipt (NO ORIGINAL BILL CAME BACK - which already included 20% tip), and, in the credit card receipt, they had the TIP line once again. My boyfriend asked to see the original bill (they HAVE TO return it with the credit card receipt as you check it to see how much tip to leave etc.) and they reluctantly gave it back to us. We clearly saw that the they had already added the 20% tip.

We asked for an explanation (Illegal + tentative fraud) and the waiter - who spoke perfect English- started to pretend he didn't understand what we were saying.

This happened twice in the past and it also happened to other friends of ours. A couple of years ago there was also an article on Time Out about restaurants that try this scam, SEA was one of them.

The food is unexpensive and good but they really upset us last night, it was NOT a mistake, it's a recurrent behavior and we were tempted to call 311.

If you choose to eat there beware of it, it will certainly happen to you too.

  • Pros: Unexpensive, okay food
  • Cons: They ALWAYS try to add the tip and make you pay it twice
4 Star Rating: Recommended

08/24/07

Thai for a steal

by esteliano82 at Citysearch

East Village eaters know that two requirements must be met to satisfy its predominantly student residents: great food at affordable prices. Those with tight budgets and an appetite for Thai food will find that Sea Bistro delivers. Those who get satisfaction from paying the lowest for a full meal will find their low prices an absolute steal; a starter and a solid entree will run you about $10 on off peak hours $15 on. I started off with Steamed Pork Dumplings in Peanut sauce. What the dumplings lacked in size (it is a starter after all) it certainly lacked none in taste.The peanut was not too overwhelming allowing the sweetness of the dark sauce to emphasize itself (although fuller taste would've been delivered had the sauce been allowed to infuse better into the dumpling itself rather than just pouring it on top.) As for the entree (Drunkman Noodle), i find it hard to put into words the actual description of the taste, as it contained various peppers I am not familiar with. But I can say that the spicy did not mask the taste of fresh caramalyzed onions and bell peppers. A must for any first time eater at the Bistro. Enjoy. Only neg is subjective: enourmous quantities of European techno. Although i do enjoy it at parties, dining is a different story.

  • Pros: the food and the drinks
  • Cons: techno
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

06/10/07

yummy

by nychick33 at Citysearch

love this place! its cheap and the food is predictable and good everytime. Unlike the last reviewer, I like the drinks. The only downside is its really small inside and you are basically sitting on top of the person next to you.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

06/08/07

Great place for tasty and inexpensive Thai food ...with a hip flare...

by hern8378 at Citysearch

I found this place a couple of years ago. I've been to both the Manhattan and Williamsburg restaurants. Both have delicious food at a reasonable cost. I must admit, the Williamsburg location is larger, more grandiose and impressive (with a huge Buddha sitting at the end of a indoor pond), but you have to head over to Brooklyn (which ends up being only a short ride on the L train). Either way it is worth it. Its a nice place to take a date for a romantic dinner.. It's a must see!

  • Pros: Food, cost, ambience, service
  • Cons: Desserts need a little help

The Details on Sea Thai Restaurant

Place Categories:

  • great inexpensive food
  • reasonable prices
  • great place
  • really nice customer service
  • inexpensive thai food
  • nice romantic ambience
  • great value
  • really enjoyable meal
  • like drinks
  • loved sweetish pad thai
  • authentic thai
  • worst past experience
  • mediocre food
  • good chill music
  • not expensive thai restaurant
  • not good thai place
  • love puffs
  • hate new yorkers
  • not too overwhelming peanut
  • bad eyes
  • cool the decor
  • reasonable cost
  • mouthwatering lemongrass chicken
  • creative noodle dishes
  • loved drunk man noodles