Best Thai restaurants in London
Published 22 December 2024

If you want to gain access to Ben Chapman’s smoking-hot Soho homage to Thai regional cuisine (and much more besides), you have two choices: assemble a group of four friends (or more) and book a table in the basement dining room, where you can have a loud, noisy BBQ party, indoors; alternatively, go on spec, play the waiting game and queue outside for a slot at the stainless steel ground-floor counter (simply add your name and number to the list and grab a drink nearby until you are called). The pay-off is masterful cooking inspired and influenced by those regions where northern Thailand borders Myanmar, Laos and China's Yunnan province, but supplemented by regular supplies of British seasonal produce (notably day-boat fish and rare-breed meat). Intense, blisteringly hot dishes from the charcoal grill line up alongside slow-cooked claypots imbued with deep, dark, pungent flavours. On the one hand, that might mean skewers of aged ‘cull yaw’ mutton spiced with cumin or pounded hake with karashina (giant Japanese mustard leaves); on the other, perhaps monkfish liver curry with harlequin squash or the now-famous, sticky-rich baked glass noodles with specially reared Tamworth pork and brown crabmeat. Also, don’t forget to order some stir-fried Cornish greens and a bowl of brown jasmine rice on the side. ‘Sharing beers’, ferments and cocktails made with kitchen ingredients flow freely, but don't ignore Kiln's eclectic wine list – a short, intelligently chosen line-up that matches the spicy demands of the food.

Another new kid on the Borough Market block, this offshoot of Thai favourite Som Saa in Spitalfields is all about kolae (sometimes called gaw lae) – meat and fish threaded onto bamboo skewers, dipped in various spicy, coconutty curry marinades and grilled over an open fire. As a sampler, we kicked things off with crispy prawn heads ramped up with turmeric and garlic, before two types of skewer – the signature ‘chicken bamboo’ and a neat row of soft, juicy mussels. Both were immensely delicious ‘sticks of pleasure’. Respectable British produce underpins most of the recipes: slow-cooked Middle White pork belly and ribs bathed in dark soy sauce arrived chock-full of umami and reminded us of barmy holidays on Phuket, while a rich, vivid yellow curry of stone bass, prawns, chopped kale and fragrant betel leaf had us licking the bowl clean. There’s just one dessert, and it’s a good call – pandan sticky rice with coconut sorbet, peanuts, jackfruit and slivers of fleshy young coconut. The restaurant itself (spread over three levels) is designed to match the easy-going mood. The busy ground floor has an industrial look (concrete flooring, bare brick walls, exposed ventilation), with a bar extending to the fired-up open kitchen and lots of counter seating. There's a thrum of energy about the place, helped along by bubbly service. And to drink? Take your pick from spice-tolerant wines, tropical cocktails or esoteric beers including the splendidly named Jiddler’s Tipple (a hazy ‘summer chug’ flavoured with apricots). The combination of emphatically spiced Thai food, good vibrations and moderate pricing make Kolae a solid recommendation, even in a crowded marketplace.

It may be inspired by a street-food joint in a defunct movie theatre in Bangkok, but this hot-ticket Thai canteen is pure London – located on the mezzanine of the JKS-backed Arcade Food Hall off New Oxford Street. Inside it’s loud, brash and busy, with an obligatory open kitchen, counter seating, strip lights and upbeat sounds plus close-packed tables covered in cute laminate prints. Service is swift and there’s no hanging around – expect to be moved on if your allotted time is up. ‘Khao gaeng’ roughly translates as ‘curry over rice’ and that’s why most people are here: we liked the muu hong (braised pork belly, soft and aromatic with spices and dark soy) – although the beef shoulder massaman curry and a seasonal sour seafood riff also look promising. Stir-fries hit the mark too, judging by our outstanding sea bream, sitting in a deeply flavoursome spicy sauce heady with kaffir lime leaves, chillies and ‘jungle herbs’. Some new season’s jasmine rice (in a bijou enamel pot) makes the perfect foil for both dishes. To begin, try khao yam (puffed rice with crunchy, tangy vegetable salad, served on paper with 'budu' fermented fish sauce to pour over it, DIY-style). To finish, the ‘young coconut pudding’ presented in a pink bowl with refreshing lychee and coloured tapioca pearls comes highly recommended. The specials board is also worth consulting and big groups can dip into the Deep South sharing menu. For refreshment, Thai-themed cocktails, chasers and iced teas are more inviting than beer and wine.

Whether you’re in the mood for some affordable ’drinking food’ or fancy a ‘riotous all-out feast’, this fun and funky hangout beneath Brat in Shoreditch is one of the hottest Thai tickets in town. The large tables, loud music and big plastic plates lend themselves to a casual evening’s eating with plenty of booze to keep things motoring, while the vibe channels Bangkok’s late-night street-food canteens.

There’s no dumbing down when it comes to authenticity, spice levels or the use of offal, and the regularly changing menu is praised for its variety – though it's fair to say most regulars seldom deviate from their order of 'chilli fish sauce wings' (an easy-to-love fixture that never seems to get old). You can pick and mix or dip into each section of the menu: kick off with snacks such as mussels with nam prik pao, try one of the seasonal laabs (monkfish with green garlic), introduce a cooling element (plum, pear and rhubarb som tam, say), and share a larger dish from the grill – perhaps BBQ beef heart with herbs, smoked mutton with Thai basil or a spicy ‘pad phet’ stir-fry with hake ‘throats’.

The produce is notably good and sourced from top suppliers such as Flourish, Gothelney Farm and Kernowsashimi. To drink, there are craft ales, bottles of cider, cocktails (who could possibly resist a Maggot Brain?) and a short selection of natural wines with flavours and textures to temper the chilli-fire of the food.

It’s been nigh on a decade since Som Saa upgraded from a railway arch pop-up to its current premises in a former fabric warehouse on Commercial Street. Nonetheless, its popularity among Shoreditch diners is undiminished. Stepping inside, all is noise and energy: clattering chairs on bare floorboards, voices echoing around bare brick arches and a kitchen serving up vibrant, vigorously spiced Thai food.

Just as the post-industrial interiors are generally devoid of old Siam clichés (save for the odd rattan light and tropical foliage), the menu swerves the usual pad thais to present authentic regional flavours, with small plates shared between diners. Many go for the Tem Toh set, opening with tender hake and wild ginger fishcakes, before gaeng ped gung king orn – a fiery and flavoursome red curry of minced prawns, young ginger and pea aubergine (‘very rich, smokey and moreish’).

Some travel here specifically for the nahm dtok pla thort (whole sea bass with spices from the eastern Isaan region that gets picked to the bones); others for lesser known dishes such as gaeng om gai – a lighter curry of chicken, young watermelon and turmeric. Either way, everyone appreciates the sublimely sticky rice that arrives in its own little basket.

Finish off with kluey yaang – salted palm-sugar ice cream with turmeric-grilled banana. Our recent inspection revealed inconsistencies in the service, but there were no such grumbles for the well-rounded drinks menu, where a repertoire of imaginative Thai-themed cocktails starts at £9, and wines are neatly tailored to the spicy food. 

It may live a little in the shadow of Plaza Khao Gaeng as the super-spicy, ‘authentic’ Thai place from Luke Farrell, but the chef’s latest opening is earning its stripes. The Soho site has been part of JKS Restaurants for some years - formerly as Xu, then home to Farrell’s Viet Populaire bánh mì pop-up. In this latest iteration, the Speedboat Bar feels like a canteen – full of bright colours, metal tabletops, laminated menus, plastic napkin dispensers, basic crockery and Thai football shirts adorning the walls. Upstairs is dominated by an actual bar and a pool table, plus more tables for dining. We thought the cooking good value. Purple aubergine with chilli, Thai basil and crisp, bronzed sweetcorn fritters were easy to like (especially if you're happy with chilli heat) as was a plate of minced beef with holy basil stir-fry, rice and a perfectly frilly fried egg – two keenly priced dishes from the lunch menu. Elsewhere, a salad of cashews, pork crackling and dried prawns was all about the classic Thai balance of salty-sweet-sour, while the tom yam dish was particularly good: generous, with large, plump, perfectly cooked prawns, thick slices of pork belly (with crisped-up crackling) and squid in a tangle of tender tentacles. The highlight of our meal – surprisingly – was a pineapple pie, visually reminiscent of a McDonald’s apple pie, but far, far superior with flaky pastry and juicy, caramelised chunks of sweet fruit; the accompanying lavender-coloured taro ice cream was delicious, too. Service is sharp enough – or at least it’s easy to catch someone’s eye when you need something – and the drinks menu is definitely geared towards the bar side of the operation: Thai-themed cocktails and a selection of chasers, Singha beer, and a brief list of spice-friendly wines.

If Supawan's food wasn’t so thrilling, the best thing about it would be the welcome. Occupying an unassuming spot on Caledonian Road, just a brief stroll from King's Cross, owner (and executive chef) Wichet Khongphoon has made happiness and good food his raison d’être: his motto – ‘eat well, live well, be happy’ – is fully embraced by the staff. To accommodate a longstanding, loyal following, the colourful, casual dining space expands at night to include the florist's next door (under the same ownership). The menu features a broad roster of regional Thai dishes, from laab to tom yum, but is quintessentially rooted in the cooking of southern Thailand. Alongside plenty of seafood and fiery salads (vibrant green mango with dried shrimps, cashews and peanuts, say), there are street-food classics such as stir-fried morning glory with chillies and garlic or slow-cooked pork belly, a speciality from Phuket, where the chef grew up; we also recommend ordering his ‘dad’s beef curry’ with roasted coconut and pea aubergine. Other powerfully aromatic curries won’t disappoint heat-seekers, and there’s plenty for vegans – the silky, umami-laden laab aubergine is a highlight. Temper the heat with a serving of ice cream (black sesame or coconut) to round things off. The kitsch cocktail list is a giggle and there’s a short list of spice-friendly wines.

Named after an emblematic symbol of Buddhist Thai culture, Peckham’s ever-buzzing Begging Bowl has been feeding crowds of noisy locals since 2012 and continues to pack ‘em in. The restaurant’s all-weather outdoor space is a big draw, and they now take group bookings too. Kiwi chef/co-owner Jane Alty trained under Thai gastro-guru David Thompson and her regularly changing 12-dish menu is underpinned by directly imported ingredients and supplies of British produce; the kitchen also has its own coconut press. Tapas-style sharing is the name of the game, although staff are keen to upsell and we ended up with much more food that we could possibly eat. Despite the occasional misfire there is much to enjoy here. A salad of chargrilled beef rump is pointed up with mint, coriander and roasted rice (tip: use the whole leaves for wrapping), while a green curry of guinea fowl, palm hearts, Thai aubergines, pungent krachai (fingerroot) and sweet basil is well balanced and downright delicious. Also don’t miss the deep-fried whole sea bass with physalis, green mango and tamarind – crisp, sweet, spicy and flavourful. Dishes tend to arrive randomly (not always the best way) and everything is accompanied by ‘limitless’ quantities of jasmine and sticky rice. There are some uncommonly good desserts too, notably the ‘rice tea jelly’ with coconut cream and nectarine granita, and the kitchen’s spin on affogato – Vietnamese espresso with condensed milk ice cream. Staff are welcoming and enthusiastic, although service veers erratically from over-attentive to forgetful. To drink, the Thai lemonade is immensely refreshing; otherwise, Asian-themed cocktails, beers and spice-friendly wines do the trick.