Chai’s Garden

One of those places you drive past and say «oh we should really go to that restaurant». Well after a few years we finally made it and i’m glad we did. Basic Thai but well made with a smile. The UK doesn’t offer great Thai food in general but this is at the upper end of your standard takeaway fare.
Authentic pad thai, decent masaman curry. No frills but reasonably priced and freshly made.
A good quick bite.

I was not happy here food was below average and the staff’s attitude was not helping either. I don’t think I’m going back no matter the case. There are lots of better Thai restaurants around.

In need of food on New Year’s Day after a tramp round Nunhead Cemetery, Chai’s seemed like a great idea especially when we knew we could have a cheeky pint beforehand in Skehan’s and then wander out the back door and down the stairs to Chai’s which is situated in the garden of the pub. It’s definitely one of those places you need to know about as you are highly unlikely to come across it by accident.
The restaurant itself is basically a large conservatory with chunky wooden furnishings and is decorated with a nice variety of Thai artefacts. The staff are all very welcoming and pleased to offer advice if it’s needed.
I have lost count of the number of times I have dined here with B and friends over the past few years; it’s a local favourite and can be relied on to serve up a tasty Thai feast whenever you feel the need for some spicy comfort food without breaking the bank.
We kicked off with our usual starter of the Jasmine Platter which was a nice selection of Thai favourites. Our guest Patrick had the Tom Woon soup which came with plenty of well flavoured chicken. For the mains we had a masaman curry, chicken panang and my personal favourite the tamarind duck which is a sliced breast sitting on a bed of seaweed with a very tasty sweet and sour sauce.
There is a small reasonably priced wine list or you can order beer or larger from the pub and have it brought through.
It gets very popular with the locals here at the weekend so I would recommend booking in advance. We tumbled out into the chilly night air well satisfied with the way we had kicked off 2011.