The Best Thai Restaurants in Covent Garden

For fast, fresh and tasty Thai food on the cheap, head to Siam Eatery. It’s more of a takeaway joint, as there are only a few stools inside, but their pots of Thai classics (chicken panang, beef massaman and so on) come in at just more than a fiver and are more than enough for a lunch.

Busaba Eathai, the chain opened by Alan Yau in 1999, has expanded to 13 other sites across London. The Covent Garden branch, similar to the others, has large wooden communal tables and a menu of stir-fries, curries, soups, salads and chargrill dishes inspired by modern Bangkok. Whilst there are some small plates, the food is designed to be enjoyed in one course, making it ideal for a casual meal.

For those familiar with Thai food, there’s nothing out of the ordinary at Thai Pot— tom yum soup, larb salad, curries and pad Thai all feature on the menu–but they’ve been cooking for more than 20 years, so they’ve had plenty of time to perfect the recipes. Vegetarians are also in luck, as they have a whole separate menu of meat-free dishes.

Located inside St Martin’s Courtyard, Suda is an airy and modern two-floor restaurant with lots of light, thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows. They serve up Thai favourites and contemporary dishes from different regions of the country. It’s all meant to be shared, so you can move between Bangkok street food; North-eastern salads, such as laab gai, or the Chiang Mai yellow curry soup, kao soi.

You wouldn’t guess it from the exterior, but The Lemon Tree actually serves up decent Thai food. The menu consists of curries, stir-fries and noodles and has a handful of soups and salads. If you want a red curry and a good pint (the pub has a great range of ales and craft beers), then this place hits the spot.

Eating at inamo isn’t just about the food—their pioneering interactive service system is something of a signature. The menu can be projected onto your table, you then place your order on a tablet and can even play games. In keeping with that interactive spirit, the food is meant for sharing, and whilst it’s pan-Asian, rather than strictly Thai, there are fish cakes and red and green curries on offer.