Two years after Thai Square in Islington was forced to close due to severe flooding, the restaurant has once again established itself as an elegant, comfortable spot for dinner and drinks on Upper Street.
Set over two levels, we were shown to a table on Thai Square’s open-plan ground floor when visiting on Sunday lunchtime. This is a modern and inviting place to eat, with various Thai artefacts, floor-to-ceiling windows and a living wall with sprawling greenery as an attention-grabbing centrepiece.
If, like us, you can’t pick between the authentic Thai options as an opener, you can have them all in the form of the Mixed Starters platter (£16.50, for two people).
Chicken satay, butterfly prawns and veggie spring rolls are included among this tasty assortment, although my favourites were the Thai dumplings; beautifully delicate mouthfuls of minced chicken, prawns and shiitake mushrooms with a flourish of fried garlic and sweet soya sauce. Heaps of flavour packed in to bitesize portions.
For mains, Panang Chicken Curry was a creamy plate well-suited to those wanting something at the milder end of the scale. The Green Curry – cooked in coconut milk with lime leaves, aubergines and bamboo shoots – was another well-executed version of a Thai staple. At £10.25 each, Thai Square’s value for money is really strong.
If you do opt for one of Thai Square’s spicier plates, cocktails like the Classic Mojito and Desperados Berry (both £9.50) were our favourites among a line-up of refreshing and colourful mixed drinks.
Despite attending at the same time as a rather important football match down the road at The Emirates, Thai Square attracted a steady crowd of walk-ins. This brought a nice buzz of an atmosphere but, such is the design of the restaurant, we always felt like we had plenty of space to enjoy our food. The service here was impeccable and friendly throughout.
If you’re stuffed but still tempted by the idea of dessert, the lychee mousse (£6) is a dainty pudding which rounds things off without consigning you to a food coma for the rest of the afternoon.
Thai is a cuisine well-represented in London but this restaurant’s good-quality fare and easy-going ambience make it well worth seeking out. I’m already making plans to head back to check out the cocktail lounge on the first floor soon.
Thai Square Islington, 347-349 Upper Street, N1 0PD. For more details, visit their website.
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