Siam Central, tucked away on Charlotte Street, just a stones throw from the unrelenting Oxford Street, is a welcome break from busy Central London and perfect for a working lunch or leisurely evening meal.

The Venue
Customers can head to Siam Central on a sunny day to take advantage of their outdoor seating, but booking is to be recommended, as tables will be full of people trying to catch some welcome rays of sunshine. Moving inside, the restaurant is modern and sophisticated, albeit a little cramped, but its elegant decor and welcoming environment adds to its cosiness. Downstairs the tables are a little larger and the extra space is perfect for groups.

The Atmosphere
Set amongst the bars, shops and restaurants of Charlotte Street in London’s Noho, clientele is a mix of media professionals from nearby offices, shoppers taking a break and friends meeting for dinner. The friendly and welcoming staff ensure diners feel at ease at once and with a regular stream of customers coming in and out of the door the restaurant remains lively. The service is good with food being delivered reasonably quickly from the kitchen, however asking for the bill may take some time as the waiters are a little difficult to get hold of.

The Food
Siam Central was the first restaurant in London to provide Thai tapas, takeaways and an express lunch menu, meaning that customers can choose from a varied but familiar menu. Tapas dishes are priced between £3 and £5 and range from crispy won tons, to prawn and chicken dumplings and seasoned beef sirloin with soy chilli sauce. A cheaper option, if you’re with two people or more, are the tapas combos that start at £4.50 and allow customers to sample a wide variety of Thai flavours on one plate. If you want more than a few nibbles you’re probably better choosing a main course – particularly at lunch time when you can get one, two or three courses for £5.50, £7.50 and £9.50 respectively.

The Pad Mee noodles with mixed vegetables and meat or tofu of your choice is more than generous, while the Thai favourite of red curry with bamboo shoots and aubergine is hotly spiced, but the coconut flavours adds subtlety to a dish that can sometimes be a little too strongly flavoured. Finally, their deep fried ice cream has a light, golden brown batter filled with good quality ice cream and accompanied by strawberry slices – a gorgeously indulgent dessert!

The Drink
Wine starts at about £12 a bottle up to just under £19, while a bottle of Singha beer is just under £4 a bottle. A mid-priced bottle of bottle of white wine is pleasantly drinkable.

The Last Word
A simple, modern Thai restaurant with the usual traditional favourites, alongside a tapas selection that allows customers to sample a range of flavours and foods.

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