Popular with local office workers - especially at lunchtimes - Thai Cafe is a decent little eatery with some good offers. The easy option if you fancy a quick bite with little fuss.

The Venue
Thai Cafe is situated along a rather lovely street in the heart of Pimlico. Spanning the corner between Belgrave Road and Charlwood Street, the decor is simple but pleasant with a mix of white and red walls and a rather uninspiring patterned carpet. Comprising mainly small wooden tables for two pushed together for larger groups, you don’t feel sandwiched in although the set-up is on the cosy side.

The Atmosphere
The staff here are friendly, although service can be a little slow if you’re dining in large groups of six and more – common with larger office groups at lunchtime. Don’t expect to pop in for a quick lunch as you’ll be hard pushed to order, eat and pay within an hour.

Still, the service is friendly and the staff are quick to take your order and pay attention if you’re trying to catch their eye. At lunchtimes, the restaurant is usually at its busiest as people make the most of the cheap lunch offers. However, in the evening the ambience is far more chilled and the pace slows significantly as people linger longer over conversations.

The Food
Thai Cafe is a favourite among office workers looking for a lunch deal for a reason – the food is filling and the prices are on the lower side. The menu offers most Thai classics with a good selection of sides, starters and main courses and a handful of desserts.

At lunch, the menu reduces from a few pages to one, with classic, popular Thai dishes coming down in price by a couple of pounds. A favourite is the Pad Thai available with chicken, pork and beef (£5.95), prawn (£6.95) and vegetable (£5.45). The prawn option doesn’t skimp on pleasantly plump, well cooked prawns, although their flavour gets a little lost amongst the piles of slightly sticky noodles, too many beansprouts and spring onions. However, the egg adds substance to the meal and a sprinkling of ground peanut arrives on the side of the plate so you can choose how much to add. In all, it fills a hole and it’s a decent example of the dish. Come the evening, the prices rise but the dish is the same size and quality.

Alternatively, the Keng Kiew Wan (Thai green curry) is well spiced with a delicate underlying sweetness and a pleasant aftertaste of coconut. However, if you opt for chicken, the amount of meat you get is disappointingly small and you do have to pay extra for rice – although it is fluffy and well portioned. The sauce is also on the greasy side, which is a shame. However, overall it’s not a bad meal out for under a tenner.

The Drink
House wine is cheaply priced at just £3.45 a glass, although – other than one rose – it is the only wine available by the glass. There are a further seven white wines and as many reds all priced below £20 a bottle with a couple of random bottles of Champagne thrown in for good measure.

Alternatively, Singha, Chang and Tiger are £3.25 a bottle and soft drinks aren’t unreasonably priced at £2. Tea and coffee options are also more than adequate.

The Last Word
Thai Cafe is a decent lunchtime spot if you fancy something bigger than a sandwich and the lunch menu offers good value for money. Just be wary if you have a clock-watching boss. Come the evening, it loses some of its appeal but it’s unlikely that you’ll walk away not happily full.

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