Nestled between residential houses in the heart of Latimer Road you'll find this overgrown oasis of fresh authentic Thai dining.

The Venue
This restaurant is truly unique, particularly in the warmer months when you can dine alfresco within the rainforest styled outside dining area. Walk through the black cast iron gates to reveal overgrown ivy vines entwined with other luscious greenery, orange tinted lights, tin watering cans, candles and ample room for four large wooden tables. For the chilly English spring and winter, they have steaming hot curries and more than adequate heating in place to thaw you out.

Dining inside at Thai River isn’t as special but it is clean and cosy and the delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen, will make you feel right at home.

The Atmosphere
It feels incredibly homely in this magical Alice in Wonderland warren, as it is the only restaurant on the street. Its clientele are predominantly made up of musicians and creative folk drifting over from the local studios and nearby bars.

There is no background music but there's no need for it as the laughter and general hyped up chit chat coming from the other tables provides ambience in abundance.

The Food
So many Thai restaurants fail to deliver the va va voom spice factor in their dishes. More often than not they play it safe and produce bland English interpretations of the Eastern greats. Thankfully, this is far from the case at Thai River. The Vegetarian Tom Yum Hed is totally satisfying, down to the last drop. Made up of mushrooms in a hot and sour soup, flavoured with lemongrass, lime leaves and plenty of chilli, it's a real fire-starter. All the classics are covered here - succulent chicken satays, green chicken, beef or pork curries and large portions of delicious Pat Thai jay complete with oodles of noodles, plentiful stir fry veggies and a yummy lattice of cheese on top. Seafood curries and stir fries offer an innovative twist for the more adventurous.

It's the aromatic duck that's really special though. Served in either a half, or whole portion, it's crispy and wraps perfectly within the steamed, paper thin pancakes, accompanied by a drizzle of hoi sin sauce, spring onions and cucumber slices. Thai River is renowned for its duck dishes so it's also worth trying the Gaeng Karee Phed, a yellow curry of tender duck breasts, cooked with potatoes within a thick sauce of coconut milk, coriander, lemon grass and secret aromatic spices. The piece de resistance however has to be the opportunity to order vegetarian aromatic duck, off-menu. Confused? The waiter won't be! The chef will rustle up an alternative with stir fried tofu replacing the duck. It's service like this which ensures that Thai River stands out from the crowd.

The Drink
Those magic words for anyone who doesn't happen to own a small country - bring your own. This is yet another bonus about dining at Thai River especially in an area where it's easy to double the bill just on a few bog standard bottles of wine. They also offer basic soft drinks and exotic health drinks such as aloe vera with honey, mango juice and Thai Ice Tea.

The Last Word
The Thai River restaurant on Latimer Road is a must whether you're looking to enjoy a romantic meal hidden away in the luscious gardens or a louder night out with a group of fun loving friends. The BYO element combined with large portions of deliciously authentic, healthy Thai dishes makes for an irresistible combination, and one you'd do well to keep to yourself.

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