Despite not actually being in Thailand, we’re pretty good at Thai food in London Town. From fancy restaurants to cheap and cheerful, BYOB restaurants, you’ll find them all in London. Here are our favourite Thai restaurants in London:
1. Champor-Champor
Location: Bermondsey
Kicking off this list of the best Thai restaurants in London is a real winner.mLocated just minutes from the Shard, this bohemian, intimate and wildly unique Thai-Malay restaurant is one of Southwark’s hidden gems. You’ll head down a street that will have you wondering if you’re in the right place… but a beautifully exotic smell will soon transport you into a world of tribal artefacts, silks, statues and glittering candlelight.
Start with the pan fried tandoori prawn or spiced lamb neck fillet, followed by traditional grilled chicken thigh green curry or the lamb shank braised in blue Sumatra coffee, red wine and dried red chilli. Complete this with a black rice pudding with mango ice pops and you’ve got yourself an incredible meal.
You’ll find Champor Champor at 62-64 Weston Street, SE1 3QJ. Nearest station is Bermondsey.
2. Patara
Location: South Kensington, Knightsbridge, Oxford Circus, Soho, Hampstead and Wimbledon.
If you’re looking to enjoy amazing food in what feels like a Grand Palace in the heart of Thailand, book yourself a table at Patara. The handcrafted, flower-shaped dumplings with caramelised chicken, peanut and sweet turnip are simply stunning. For main, don’t miss the tender coconut-braised beef with lime, mint and lemongrass – a dish literally fit for a king (it’s eaten by royals back in Thailand!) We suggest the dark chocolate pudding for dessert, washed down with a few of their signature cocktails and/or a bottle of wine.
You can find Patara at various different locations – find your nearest on their website.
3. The Begging Bowl
Location: Peckham
A solid addition to this roundup of the best Thai restaurants in London here. As well as the usual suspects, you’ll find some slightly more unusual dishes at The Begging Bowl in Peckham – but equally delicious none the less. Why not try some ash baked celeriac, or the gola peanut curry charcoal-grilled on a banana leaf? Western ingredients are given an Eastern touch, and both their basic and experimental dishes are so good that you will certainly be begging for more.
You’ll find The Begging Bowl at 168 Bellenden Road, Peckham, SE15 4BW. Nearest station is Peckham Rye.
4. Rusty Bike
Location: Mile End
Watch sport, drink pints, enjoy the beer garden, eat noodles. What’s not to love? Our Editor Georgie swears the Jantaburi Pad Thai is ‘literally the only thing you need in your life’. Why not go and see if you agree? And if you’re feeling lazy, order it to your bed.
You’ll find the Rusty Bike at 588 Mile End Road, E3 4PH. Nearest station is Mile End.
5. The Pineapple
Location: Kentish Town
Take in British history while tucking into Thai cuisine! This Grade II-listed pub has been woven into the fabric of the community since it was built in 1868. Board games, Pub Quiz Mondays, Cheap Tuesdays and Charity Cheese Thursdays also make this boozer a brilliant place to tickle your Thai tastebuds every night of the week.
You’ll find The Pineapple at 51 Leverton Street, NW5 2NX. Nearest station is Kentish Town.
6. The Churchill Arms
Location: Notting Hill
You may well recognise this place as one of the most Instagrammable pubs in London, but did you know that it also doubles up as a really good place for Thai food? For over 25 years, chefs at The Churchill Arms have been wowing guests with authentic regional dishes – from soft and mild Pad Siew noodles to hot and spicy Kaeng Par curries, served in a beautiful, butterfly-themed conservatory.
You’ll find The Churchill Arms at 119 Kensington Church Street, W8 7LN. Nearest station is Notting Hill Gate.
7. 101 Thai Kitchen
Location: Hammersmith
This definitely isn’t your typical Thai restaurant*, but try something daring and we promise you won’t be disappointed! While common cooking ingredients used in Roi Et in the north east of Thailand include some foods we may not be used to (salted, fermented fish, for example), the use of chillis and fresh lime give Isaan food that extra zing – which is what makes it so popular all over Thailand.
Auntie Bee specialises in traditional southern Thai dishes, and her homemade curry pastes are not to be missed in dishes such as the sour sea bass or prawn curry (Gaeng Lueng) or the spicy fish curry (Gaeng Tai Plaa). If you’re after a fairly basic restaurant with some really exciting, exotic flavours in a friendly, family run-environment, 101 Thai Kitchen is most definitely worth a try!
*Don’t worry, there are plenty of firm favourites on the menu for those less adventurous eaters.
You’ll find 101 Thai Kitchen at 352 King Street, W6 0RX. Nearest station is Stamford Brook.
8. Singburi
Location: Leytonstone
Singburi is King of Cool when it comes to Thai restaurants in London. While it keeps itself pretty under the radar, it is still known by those who know their restaurants to be one of the best Thais in the city. Their blackboard specials never disappoint, especially the ‘Mod Krob’ pork belly with chilli and garlic – a dish that is never rubbed off. Ultimately, Singburi serves great food at great prices. Oh, and did we mention it’s BYOB?!
You’ll find Singburi at 593 High Road, Leytonstone, E11 4PA. Nearest station is Leytonstone.
9. Farang
Location: Highbury
What started off as a street food pop-up at markets throughout London in 2016, has since become a permanent Highbury & Islington resident; inducted into the National Restaurant Award’s top 100, and awarded a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand. Not bad, eh? This has got to be down to Farang’s young, enthusiastic team, and their commitment to using fresh, authentic ingredients (which have also been given the Thai select award from the UK Thai Embassy). A strong contender for one of the best Thai restaurants in London we say…
You’ll find Farang at 72 Highbury Park, N5 2XE. Nearest station is Arsenal.
10. Faltering Fullback
Location: Finsbury Park
A well-loved Finsbury Park pub, famously boasting Thai culture in more ways than one. Expect great beers, Thai grub (of course!), live games on the big screen, and the most beautiful Thai beer garden you have ever laid your eyes on. With many different layers for you to get lost in, find a spot and lose yourself in great conversation and an even better Pad Thai! This is definitely a must-visit.
You’ll find The Faltering Fallback at 19 Perth Road, N4 3HB. Nearest station is Finsbury Park.
11. The Heron
Location: Paddington
Enjoy beers by the cosy open fire in this traditional English pub, before heading down to the basement where you’ll find The Heron Thai. From stir fried duck tongue to fried century eggs, you are guaranteed a real taste of Thailand at this lovely Paddington pub.
You’ll find The Heron at Norfolk Crescent, Hyde Park Estate, W2 2DN. Nearest station is Edgware Road.
12. Smoking Goat
Location: Shoreditch
The coolest Thai restaurant with cool cocktails and even cooler cuisine – all inspired by Bangkok’s late-night canteens. They’ve got a whole host of excellent dishes on the menu, including barbecue chicken with smoked chilli jaew and wild mushroom nam d’tok. They’ve also got a fab wine and beer list.
You’ll find the Smoking Goat at 64 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JJ. Nearest station is Shoreditch High Street.
13. Kao Sarn
Location: Brixton Village Market, Tooting Broadway and Clapham
Three super cosy south London Thai restaurants run by one big family. Affordable food and a bring your own booze policy, minus the corkage charge!
You’ll find Kao Sarn at three different locations in London. You can find out more here.
14. Kin + Deum
Location: Bermondsey
It’s simple: in Thai, kin means to eat, and deum means to drink. We love to kin and deum, so we already like the sound of this one – and all the best Bangkok dishes can be found on the menu! You can never beat a Massaman curry, and their signature King Prawn Pad Thai looks equally delicious. If you really enjoy the flavours (which we are so sure you will) you can take home a pot of their Wholesome Roasted Chilli Paste to get cheffing yourself. 2 Crucifix Lane, SE1 3JW.
15. Kiln
Location: Soho
Not just your regular Thai restaurant, but Thai barbecue, seafood and claypots! The cooking style in Kiln has travelled from the very edges of Thailand, where the country borders with Burma, Laos and Yunnan. Their approach, however, is guided by their sourcing of British produce.
Tamworth pigs are bred for the restaurant in Somerset, with the daily changes of cuts confirming the freshness of their produce. While this restaurant isn’t exactly great for all you veggies and vegans out there, pescatarians can still enjoy a lot of what is offered on the menu, with dayboat seafood delivered every morning! Expect some very exciting other dishes, from dry jungle curry of wood pigeon to wild ginger and beef neck curry from Myanmar.
You’ll find Kiln Soho at 58 Brewer Street, W1F 9TL. Nearest station is Piccadilly Circus.
16. Esarn Kheaw
Location: Shepherd’s Bush
From living by the paddy fields in north east Thailand in the 1960s, to opening the doors of their Shepherd’s Bush restaurant over 25 years later, Mr and Mrs Puntar have always been passionate and determined cooks. Together they create dishes that remind them of their childhood in Ubon, Thailand, for Londoners to come and enjoy.
While Mrs Puntar is currently smashing it in the kitchen as head chef, the couple hope to see a new generation of Puntars continue the family business, keeping our bellies happy and the family recipes alive. All of your favourites can be found here, but if you’re looking for something a bit different, try Esarn specialities such as the homemade Esarn Kheaw sausages, or the grilled catfish fillet with hot chilli sauce.
You’ll find Esarn Kheaw at 314 Uxbridge Road, W12 7LJ. Nearest station is Shepherd’s Bush.
17. Cafe Isarn
Location: Islington
Head to the thriving Upper Street for some banging food in this contemporary Thai kitchen, featuring a lovely garden area. A lot of their dishes cater for vegan and GF diets, so nobody gets left out!
Try the steam prawn and coconut dumpling, monkfish red or green curry or one of their winter warming Thom Yum or Thom Kha soups. They’re currently takeaway only, but are reopening as an in-house restaurant soon.
You’ll find Cafe Isarn at 119 Upper Street, N1 1QP. Nearest stations are Angel and Highbury and Islington.
18. Paolina Thai Cafe
Location: King’s Cross
A family-run café serving Thai classics, which you’ll get the chance to see being made! Dishes start from just £5.95, and their BYOB policy means you’re in for a super cheap and delicious meal in this cosy basement restaurant.
You’ll find Paolina Thai Cafe at 181 King’s Cross Road, WC1X 9BZ. Nearest station is King’s Cross St. Pancras.
19. Nipa
Location: Royal Lancaster hotel
Five star food in a five star hotel to make for a five star experience! Authenticity is at the heart of everything they do at Nipa; from the Thai teak décor, to their all-female, all-Thai kitchen. Their Thai food is renowned for its finesse, focusing on five key flavours: sweet, sour, spicy, bitter and salty.
Opt for one of their set menus, which pairs starters, mains and desserts with delicious wines. As the Thai translation suggests, this restaurant really is a ‘shining light’!
You’ll find Nipa on the first floor of the Royal Lancaster, Lancaster Terrace, W2 2TY. Nearest station is Lancaster Gate.
20. Busaba
Location: Many different locations in London
This restaurant focuses on two traditional Buddhist values: ‘Sookjai’ described as avoiding chaos, enjoying life and having a happy heart; and ‘Gan Gin Gan Yuu’, which means ‘as you eat, so you are’, meaning we are defined by our approach to food. Our approach to food is simple: eat lots of the really good stuff. With this in mind, we recommend going to Busaba for a happy life and a happy belly!
You’ll find Busaba at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
21. Marie’s Cafe
Location: Waterloo
Fry-ups by day, Thai food by night. Great portions, great prices, and their BYOB policy is pretty great, too! Marie’s Cafe provides all of these things to make for a brilliant, unpretentious, relaxed evening.
You’ll find Marie’s Cafe at 90 Lower Marsh, SE1 7AB. Nearest station is Waterloo.
22. Rosa’s
Location: all over the place.
This may class as a small chain restaurant, but it’s delicious, so we’re going to include it anyway. Go in the day for one of their delicious lunch bowls, filled with one of their stir fries and topped with a fried egg, boiled egg, or Thai style salad. Veggie and coeliac friendly menus are available, including pumpkin crackers (instead of prawn) and vegan spring rolls.
You’ll find Rosa’s at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
23. Som Saa
Location: Shoreditch
Regional Thai food, uncompromising flavours. There are some beautiful surprises on the menu at Som Saa – one of the best Thai restaurants in London – from ‘gaeng juet bpet’ duck bone broth, to ‘gaeng som pla’ sour orange curry of mackerel. They even served popcorn iced tea!
You’ll find Som Saa at 43A Commercial Street, E1 6BD. Nearest station is Aldgate East.
24. Mango Tree
Location: Belgravia
How many Thai restaurants can you say have been mentioned in a J.K. Rowling novel? Or Masterchef? The answer is one, and it’s Mango Tree. This restaurant’s appearances on top TV programmes and in Rowling’s, ‘The Silkworm’, have given Mango Tree a royal status of its own, which is fitting given its location around the corner from Buckingham Palace.
The original restaurant in Bangkok branched out to Belgravia, offering exquisite Thai cuisine in a modern, stylish venue. The menu maps out the whole country of Thailand: rich and mild dishes from the north, spicy food from the east, mild dishes with Chinese influence from the central region, and hot and spicy food from the south.
You’ll find Mango Tree at 46 Grosvenor Place, SW1X 7EQ. Nearest station is Victoria.
25. Addie’s Thai Cafe
Addie’s doesn’t look like much from the outside, but head into this street food bar and you won’t be disappointed. A (certified) excellent restaurant, and a rare, cheap find on the wealthy streets of West Kensington.
You’ll find Addie’s Thai cafe at 121 Earl’s Court Road, SW5 9RL. Nearest station is Earl’s Court.
26. Lao Café
Location: Covent Garden
Though this choice may not be strictly Thai, Lao Cafe’s co-founder and chef brings her amazing Thai-Lao roots from Luang Prabang to London. What started as a temporary pop-up saw queues out of the door from day one, leading to Lao Café gaining a permanent position in London’s restaurant core. Get a taste of Thailand, but with a few nice changes.
Try a hot-pot or a delicious Laoatian curry (minus the coconut milk, plus the herbs and spices), complimented, of course, by the staple in any Laoatian diet: sticky rice.
You’ll find Lao Cafe at 60 Chandos Place, WC2N 4HG. Nearest station is Charing Cross.
27. Greyhound Café
Location: Fitzrovia
Greyhound’s is a quirky story from fashion to food: with label Greyhound opening in Bangkok in 1980, and branching out to food eight years later. Inspiration for recipes come from far and wide, whether it be travel memories, grandmothers’ recipes, or late-night fridge raids. Though they remain truly Thai at heart, their menu is anything but traditional – with crazy dishes including sweet corn pops and chicken chilli bombs!
Greyhound Cafe even provides a tasty of Italy in their Thai tom yum soup with whole tiger prawn and prawn-stuffed ravioli, or The Angry Pasta consisting of spaghetti and mixed seafood, wok-fried with their Thai “angry” hot sauce (the perfect cure for any hangover). Though you will find branches of the restaurant across South East Asia, there’s only one Greyhound Cafe the UK, and it’s right here in London.
You’ll find the Greyhound Cafe at 37 Berners Street, W1T 3LZ. Nearest station is Goodge Street.
28. Supawan
Location: King’s Cross
Southern Thailand meets southern England in this understated but cosy cafe. Chef Khongphoon says that, for Thai people, food is such an important part of life that they will often ask you what you had to eat before asking how you are! We can definitely get on board with these priorities, and after a meal at Supawan, one of the best Thai restaurants in London, you’ll be dying to tell people about it anyway!
You’ll find Supawan at 38 Caledonian Road, King’s Cross, N1 9DT. Nearest station is King’s Cross St. Pancras.
29. Nuki’s Kitchen
Location: Ealing
Another friendly cafe where Thai lunch and dinner is proceeded by, you guessed it, a full English fry-up. (We love this idea more and more the more we hear about it). You can’t get much better value than Nuki’s Express Lunch, where you can choose from stir fried dishes, curries, noodles and rice for just £6.
Alternatively, come in at dinner time for a selection of delicious classics. They’ll even turn your rice into a Teddy Bear!
You’ll find Nuki’s Kitchen at 58 Northfield Avenue, W13 9RR. Nearest station is Northfields.
30. Reun Thai
Location: Hammersmith
‘Reun Thai’ translates to ‘Thai Home’, and this restaurant has been serving as exactly that for residents of Hammersmith for over twenty years. Again, sour, sweet, salty, and bitter are the fundamental flavours found in their delicious food. Grab a Singha, or a Reun Thai cocktail, and enjoy a lovely meal under the candelight in your new ‘reun thai’!
You’ll find Reun Thai at 100 Fulham Palace Road, W6 9PL. Nearest station is Hammersmith.
31. Sukho
Location: Fulham
Our penultimate addition to this roundup of the best Thai restaurants in London is a real gem. A meal at Sukho in Fulham is immaculate: from the earthy-toned decor to the dishes themselves. The food served here is bloody amazing – signature dishes include steam dumplings, marinated sea bass grilled in banana leaves, and roasted duck.
You’ll find Sukho at 855 Fulham Road, SW6 5HJ. Nearest station is Parsons Green.
32. Wild Rice
Location: Soho
Our last addition to this roundup of the best Thai restaurants in London is born out of a passion for food, family recipes and a lot of travelling! Choose from a huge selection of lunch bowls; from Hat Yai fried chicken and slow-cooked beef to vegan mixed vegetables and salmon poke. Head downstairs to Massaman, their basement cocktail bar serving Thai fried chicken, Larb fries and bubble tea cocktails.
You’ll find Wild Rice at 28 Brewer Street, W1F 0SR. Nearest station is Piccadilly Circus.