Buckhurst Hill, Thai Restaurant Guide

“Original and cleverly spiced new-wave Thai food” graces the “unusual menu” at this former pop-up in Highbury from chef Sebby Holmes – “brace yourself for a decent walk afterwards if you’re tempted to eat rather too much of the very delectable food”. Top Tip – “the cleverly done make-at-home range is almost as good as the restaurant”.

“Authentic… fiery… zingy” – Ben Chapman’s Thai BBQ in a converted Shoreditch pub provides “creative dishes that are balanced, well-priced, and most importantly just bloody tasty!”. “Great drinks” too which help fuel the happy, crowded vibe. Top Menu Tips – Fish Sauce Chilli Wings and Tom Yum Mama, Sausage & Mussels.

“Zingy, fiery” flavours (“so good we liked the food better than in Bangkok!”) inspire raves for this “funky Thai restaurant” near Spitalfields Market – “well worth searching out for its authentically spicy (too spicy for some, note) food”, and also “great for veggies and vegans (ingredients are so varied you can get your ‘30 plants a week’ all in one lunch!)”. After eight years, the team has opened a sibling, Kolae in Borough Market. Top Menu Tip – “stand-out whole deep-fried sea bass”.

In the “quirky” surroundings of a shop that’s a florist by day, this “vibrant and interesting Thai” is to be found in the no-man’s-land around King’s Cross (“the best place to sit is the section where they sell flowers – it’s beautiful”). “It’s a very busy and bustling restaurant and the food makes it clear why”: chef Wichet Khongphoon’s cooking is “true Thai (not the western version)” and the “good-value” dishes are “authentic, exceptionally tasty and worth continually revisiting”. Top Menu Tip – “the waiter surprisingly suggested pairing the main course of sea bass fillet and tamarind sauce with beef cheek in Massaman curry. I was very glad that I took his advice because the blend was delicious”.

“Such good Thai food hiding away” near Guy’s Hospital in the shadow of the Shard – this funkily decorated venue mixes Malay influences into its unusual cuisine, with results that have stood the test of time since it opened 25 years ago.

“A jolly pan-Asian mish-mash that’s good value for the West End” inspires ongoing interest in this Fitzrovia venue. Most of the action is on the ground floor, but there’s also an outdoor bar and basement chef’s counter.

“Addictive! Watching the chefs fire the meat whets the appetite” at Ben Chapman’s “boundary-pushing classic” in Soho: a “unique and amazing” Thai BBQ whose “visceral cooking over flames provides a sensory experience, with food that’s also exceptional”. “And it’s such a cool place”, if “crowded” – “lovely sitting at the bar, enjoying the ordered chaos of the kitchen, having a drink and sampling all the different dishes; and the committed front of house team make this a very special meal”. Food quality is “holding up well: they don’t seem to have downgraded their offerings to make them more ‘accessible’”; although they are “able to satisfy a chilli-phobe as well as a spice seeker”. Top Menu Tips – “their pork chop haunts me with its fatty char and savoury flesh”; and “the Chicken & Soy is still an all-time favourite”.

For “a more upmarket Thai experience”, head to the branches of Khun Patara Sila-On’s “very pleasant” group (which is over 30 years old, with branches from Asia to Europe). “Well-presented flavoursome dishes” from “good-quality ingredients” are provided by staff who “always seem happy to see you”.

This well-regarded Thai has established itself as a stalwart local in Marylebone since it opened in 2007. “The lunch menu is particularly good value” at under £15 for two courses.

For “a more upmarket Thai experience”, head to the branches of Khun Patara Sila-On’s “very pleasant” group (which is over 30 years old, with branches from Asia to Europe). “Well-presented flavoursome dishes” from “good-quality ingredients” are provided by staff who “always seem happy to see you”.

“Consistent and authentic Thai food” earns a shout-out for this low-key, family-run trio, in Brixton, Battersea and Tooting. Prices are reasonable and the ability to BYO in each location is a further boost to the value of a meal.

For “a more upmarket Thai experience”, head to the branches of Khun Patara Sila-On’s “very pleasant” group (which is over 30 years old, with branches from Asia to Europe). “Well-presented flavoursome dishes” from “good-quality ingredients” are provided by staff who “always seem happy to see you”.

“Somewhat weird interiors” packed with chandeliers, stuffed animals and other antique-shop paraphernalia mean it’s easy to be “transfixed by the decor” at these four neighbourhood cafés in Hammersmith (which added a new branch near Ravenscourt Park this year). The decor boosts what’s essentially a cheap ’n’ cheerful Thai caff experience: “a lot of the food is deep-fried but always fresh” and it’s “staggeringly good value… and it’s BYO!”

“Consistent and authentic Thai food” earns a shout-out for this low-key, family-run trio, in Brixton, Battersea and Tooting. Prices are reasonable and the ability to BYO in each location is a further boost to the value of a meal.

“Somewhat weird interiors” packed with chandeliers, stuffed animals and other antique-shop paraphernalia mean it’s easy to be “transfixed by the decor” at these four neighbourhood cafés in Hammersmith (which added a new branch near Ravenscourt Park this year). The decor boosts what’s essentially a cheap ’n’ cheerful Thai caff experience: “a lot of the food is deep-fried but always fresh” and it’s “staggeringly good value… and it’s BYO!”

“Somewhat weird interiors” packed with chandeliers, stuffed animals and other antique-shop paraphernalia mean it’s easy to be “transfixed by the decor” at these four neighbourhood cafés in Hammersmith (which added a new branch near Ravenscourt Park this year). The decor boosts what’s essentially a cheap ’n’ cheerful Thai caff experience: “a lot of the food is deep-fried but always fresh” and it’s “staggeringly good value… and it’s BYO!”

“A fantastic new addition to London’s Thai food scene, and to the serious places around Borough Market” – this “achingly cool” newcomer (“stripped back to the naked brick”) is “well-located towards the end of the market”. A spin-off from Som Saa (see also), “it puts the emphasis on BBQ dishes” and results are “spot-on: full of flavour, with a good balance across the menu in terms of heat and flavour-profile”. But some dishes (e.g. Pepper Curry) are “hot enough to immobilise your central nervous system, so ask! Sitting at the bar watching these guys work and having the chance to chat to them is also a great treat”. Top Menu Tip – “The mussel skewers are definitely the standout dish. The chef explained that they steam the mussels before marinating them in curry paste, hot smoking them, and finally finishing them over coals with a second sauce. The care and time that goes into the dish really shows in the deep, smokey flavour, which was bursting with vibrancy and all of the delicacy and aromatic spicing that you would expect of a top-class Thai”.

“Slightly frenetic, great fun, always packed and rightly so” – this “kick-ass” two-year-old from chef Luke Farrell (the flagship of JKS Restaurants’ Arcade Food Hall in Centrepoint) is for fans “the one and only Thai in London”, whose “elevated street food” “takes you back to Thailand” and whose “hot and cramped atmosphere fits the vibe”.

“Hearty Thai fayre in a glorious boozer” – that’s the deal at this “amazing family-run restaurant” which is “tucked away at the back of a pub near Waterloo”. Top Tip – if you like beer, the pub markets itself as a ‘real ale pub’, with eight on tap at any one time. (NB. There is actually more than one King’s Arms in SE1 so make sure you get the right one).