Charntra Thai

Chilli, tamarind, coriander and Thai basil: from these ingredients chef Charntra Klaywong crafts flavour-packed dishes at this cheery Thai restaurant. Regulars, many toting their own wine, are greeted by name and often met with a hug or a handshake. Favourites such as pad Thai, massaman beef and larb gai are made from scratch, so if you want the kitchen to swap chicken for beef, say, or add more chilli, it’s no problem. Many hang out for Tuesday and Wednesday ‘mussel nights’, when locally farmed shellfish are steamed in coconut broth fragrant with chillies, galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime.