Cafe de Maya may be a small oriental restaurant in Primrose Hill, but it’s a real gem that can be enjoyed by any punter, not just Hampstead locals.

The Venue
Tucked away in the heart of Hampstead, this restaurant may be one of the best kept secrets in London and is definitely worth knowing about. The owner is a painter and some of his works decorate the walls. It’s a cosy restaurant and a great place to sample a fusion of Thai and Malaysian cooking.

The Atmosphere
This restaurant is fairly quiet with low volume background music, so is a great place to chill out. What will strike you as you enter Cafe de Maya is the large collection of CDs, of which the majority are jazz music.

The Food
The menu is fairly simple but authentic. As with most traditional Thai menus, starters include spicy hot soups such as tom yam kong (with king prawns). There are also spicy Thai fish cakes and spring rolls. For the main course the green and red meat curries come highly recommended, as do the Singapore noodles. For dessert, dishes like the creamy coconut ice cream with fruits are a must.

The Drink
There is a choice of wines specially selected to go with oriental food, and it is interesting to note that both red and white table wine are available in a half litre carafe. It is also good to know that oriental beers are available as the perfect accompaniment to the food, including Tiger beer and Tsingtao beer.

The Last Word
If you like the Hampstead area and enjoy sampling genuine home cooked Thai and Malaysian food then you will enjoy Cafe de Maya for all its simplicity.

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