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March 7, 2023

Nipa Thai London – The most authentic Thai cuisine outside of Bangkok

Recently, I have been eating lots of the same cuisines; my tastebuds fancied a change! I booked a table at a Thai restaurant called Nipa Thai in the luxury Hyde park Thai-owned hotel, the Royal Lancaster. I have only tried Thai cuisine once, so I was excited to try some new things. After reading that Nipa Thai is ‘renowned for serving the most delicious, traditional Thai cuisine in London’, I knew this was the perfect restaurant to explore the world of Thai cuisine.

Nipa Thai has been rated as one of the most authentic Thai cuisines outside of Bangkok and recognised by the Thai government for its quality and authenticity. The kitchen is a traditional all-female, all-Thai kitchen; their head chef is Sanguan Parr, who has been at Nipa Thai for over 25 years.

When you arrive at the Royal Lancaster, you’ll instantly feel impressed by its design and decor throughout the hotel. With gorgeous marble floors, hanging chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling mirrored walls, it certainly made a good impression. We then made our way up the grand marble stairs to the entrance of Nipa Thai, where we were greeted warmly by a friendly face and sat at the window table overlooking London. Sounds romantic, huh?! It was! The restaurant had a cosy ambience, great surroundings and warm lighting; it set the tone for a special evening ahead.

First things first, cocktails! I was intrigued to see they only had three cocktails on the menu; Takari Champagne, Coconut Caipirinha and a Thai-Piroska. My date and I ordered the first two, and they tasted incredible. My date said that their cocktail ‘Takari Champagne’ was one of the best he’s ever tried’; I would have said the same! I could have drunk them all evening. When it comes to cocktails, it’s all about quality rather than quantity; a smaller cocktail menu of quality-tasting cocktails is much better than a long list of averagely-made ones.

Below is everything we ordered; each dish we tried was outstanding. I will use * for the spice rating. * meaning mild, ** meaning medium spice and *** for extra spicy!

My recommendations for starters:

Por Pia Tod, crispy spring rolls with glass noodles and crab meat with a homemade sauce
Tod Mun Pla, Thai fish cakes with sweet chilli sauce and cucumber relish topped with toasted peanuts *
Phoo Nim, deep-fried soft-shell crab

My recommendations for curry:

Phad Kiew Warn Ta Lay, mixed seafood, aubergine and basil served with a rich spicy green coconut curry **

My recommendations for pan-fried dishes:

Koong Tod Kra Tiem Prig Tai, Stir-fried prawns with pepper, coriander and crispy fried garlic
Pla Nueng Khing, seabass with fresh ginger, chilli, and mushrooms in a light soya sauce **
Phad Phak Ruam Mitr, stir-fried mixed vegetables

The dinner was so tasty that I didn’t want it to end! All of the flavours were cooked so perfectly and made to an impeccable standard. I didn’t leave much room for dessert; next time I dine, I’ll take full advantage of the dessert menu. I opted for the deep-fried ice cream as I’d never tried it before; the idea sounded super indulgent, and it was a game-changer for me, so scrumptious!

Dessert options:

Ice Tim Kluay Tod, Crunchy fried banana topped up with honey and vanilla ice-cream
Cake Ma Phrao, Baked coconut cheesecake with elderflower sorbet
Ice Tim Ka Ti, coconut ice-cream served in the shell

My recommendations for dessert:

Ice Tim Tod, Deep fried ice cream topped with a delicious chocolate sauce

I would recommend Nipa Thai for special occasions or if you want to treat yourself to some authentic-tasting Thai food.

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 5 pm to 10.30 pm and Saturday from 12.30 pm to 2.30 pm for our special lunch menu.

T: 020 7551 6011
A: First Floor of, Lancaster Terrace, London W2 2TY
W: Nipa Restaurant

Written by Danielle Tobin for Luxuria Lifestyle London and International

Instagram / #Luxurialife