Nipa Thai

This is an authentic Thai restaurant, sister to Nipa Restaurant in The Landmark Bangkok Hotel. Teak panelled interior with furnishings and artefacts have been brought here from Thailand, and picture windows overlook Hyde Park. Set menus are available for between £27- £32 per person. There is an extensive a la carte menu, offering traditional dishes, such as tom yam kung (spicy shrimp soup with lemongrass), kaeng kiew warn kai (chicken in green curry), and phad Thai (fried noodles with shrimps, as well as less well-known dishes.

Further Information

The popularity of Thai cuisine continues to grow, but even among the numerous Thai restaurants in London, Nipa stands out. It is one of the first 15 restaurants in Britain to be given the "Thai Select" award by the Thai Government for restaurants proven to be performing to the highest standards of quality and cuisine. You can find out more details on their Website.

The restaurant's credentials are impeccable - both the décor and menu are based on those of the renowned Nipa restaurant in The Landmark Hotel in Bangkok, and many of the chefs and waiting staff in the London restaurant have worked in the original Nipa, all of them Thai nationals with the smiling nature of Thailand's peoples.

Chef Mrs Nongyao Thoopchoi was one of the staff who came from Bangkok to open London's Nipa in 1995. Her cooking mainly reflects the traditional dishes of Thailand's central region, while some dishes blend the flavours of the different regional specialities to create an array of dishes suited to all kinds of culinary preferences. Her curries are of differing degrees of strength, but traditional Thai dishes must not be predominantly hot. There should always be harmony in a dish, so the sharpness of the chillies and the spices in a curry is toned down by the sweetness of the coconut cream which also enhances the flavours and tastes of other delicate ingredients and herbs.

Pan-fried dishes such as prawns with basil leaves act as complements to rice and curry, and spicy salads known as yam make an interesting side dish. As a change from rice, try Phad Thai - delicious fried noodles with shrimps - or follow the Thais' example and accompany your meal with Kai Jiew Nuea Poo, omelette with crab meat.

There are three set menus at £27 to £32 per person, or you can choose from the extensive à la carte menu with the guidance of the Restaurant Manager, Kaseam Jongpitikrat, and his colleagues.

"One of the finest Thai meals that I have eaten anywhere in the world" - Richard, Earl of Bradford