Busaba Eathai Bloomsbury

As far as Thai restaurants go this was OK. Don’t get me wrong — the food was tasty but I’ve had much better. I had the green curry fried rice which according to the menu is a new addition. It came with grilled chicken on the side. The sauce the chicken came in was tasty but the chicken was dry. A good thing about this place is that the spice level indicator on the menu is correct! My dish had 1 chilli and it was the perfect level of spice for me. The sad thing about this place is that there is no dessert!!! What?!? It’s my favourite course! Service was fine but nothing amazing. I probably won’t rush back!

My school paid for our group dinner so we got to try all the classics. I was especially impressed by the Guava Collins — it was a very refreshing drink (pretty small size for how much it was, but maybe it’s decent for London standards). The green papaya salad (Som Tum) was delicious and I also enjoyed the green curry! There was a seafood salad (not sure what the name was since I didn’t see the menu) that had scallops and was pretty spicy, which I liked!

Busaba is always our default place to go on date night. I love the seating there, because it feels homey and family style.
I always order the Chicken Satai and the peanut sauce is always on point. When it come to mains, I love the Pad kewito (or Phat Si-​Io). Basaba gives big portion sizes so I never leave here feeling hungry.
Service here is also great. We always get seated relatively quickly and our food is served to us quickly too. Also a major plus that they are always coming around to refill water, which I really appreciate from any restaurant.
Favorite Thai food in London!

Loved this place! It was our first dinner of 2015 and what a great way to start the year! I had the crabmeat fried rice with the Chinese broccoli! Such a bless! And the Guava Collins was a bit of heaven on earth! Pity it closes early (for Southern Europe standards!) so we had to finish in a rush! Next time I’ll get there earlier to try the yummi desserts!

Had a great time. I went when it wasn’t busy so I was seated immediately and the food came out quickly. The food was great as always and the mandatory thai calamari lived up to expectations.
The staff were really great and attentive, which is something that cannot be said for every restaurant.
I used their app to pay. It was a little confusing as there are two service charges so you have to tip with that in mind.
Overall it was great and I’ll definitely be going back.
Enjoy

I know this is a chain, but it’s delicious.
Starters: Calamari is a must-​have. Chicken satay was good, but the spring rolls are incredibly meh, as are the prawn crackers. DEFINITELY get the calamari!
Entrees: Prawn fried rice is great, if a little low on the prawns. Pad thai jay, sen chai pad thai, pad thai, smoked chicken noodles, all great. Curries leave a little to be wanted, so try to avoid those.

Wow! This was probably the best Thai food I’ve ever eaten (I’ve never been to Thailand). The Thai Calamari starter was absolutely phenomenal — very tasty and tender. The Sen chan pad thai was probably the best pad thai I’ve ever had. Even the tea was great! Service was fast and efficient. I suppose the only negative is the communal tables, but we got seated at a private table off to the side. There’s also a private room in the basement for meetings or functions. Highly recommended!

A very good Thai restaurant. The food is very well made and remember the time I went to Thailand. A must be in London

Cool atmosphere in this place. I was very satisfied with my whole meal experience. It did get rather busy and I felt that I couldn’t dawdle after my meal, but that’s okay. I had the Pad Thai Jay. It was good and satisfied my craving. This place is chic, so I would recommend it for a date, as long as it doesn’t get too loud.

I’ve been here twice, and I’m not going to lie, I played it safe and ordered the same thing both times: Pad Thai Jay (basically the vegetarian version of Pad Thai). As a general Pad Thai lover, it is super delicious. Everyone I’ve gone with tends to love their food, and the atmosphere is perfect for a small or larger group, as you sit around large tables and share with other people but have enough space to not feel crowded. The service is very good, and the wine menu has an excellent selection. This is the place to go for Thai if you’re on Tottenham Court Road!

I love Thai cuisine and Busaba Eathai did not disappoint! As soon as you walk through the door, the wonderful aromas hit you and, let me tell you, the food tastes as good as it smells.
We shared an assortment of starters and each of us enjoyed a different main. The waiting staff were lovely and the food was very quick to arrive.
The décor of the place was also gorgeous — dimly lit and intimate. That being said, the majority of the tables are structured so that your party can be seated on a large square table with another party, so for those looking for a romantic one-​on-​one setting, I’d recommend requesting a table to suit this beforehand.
Not the cheapest place in the city, but not the most expensive either — well worth the money!

A friend of mine suggested we all meet here for lunch, saying the tofu & spinach dish «changed [her] life» and made her realise she could be a vegetarian without sacrificing taste. Now, I’m no vegetarian but if you are, Busaba Eathai has plenty of options for you.
I ordered the smoked chicken noodle dish, which was delicious — especially once I added a touch of sirracha sauce! It was simple but flavorful, with Chinese broccoli and bits of egg. The prices and portion sizes are right (I’m not a fan of places that serve up massive portions, and this was perfect for me); it cost me about 10 GBP for my smoked chicken dish and a drink.
I didn’t try it, but the pad thai jay (a vegan/​vegetarian version of pad thai) looked delicious.
Speaking of drinks, a friend and I both ordered the lemongrass and ginger drink which we expected — for some reason — to be a freshly pressed beverage. It came in a bottle, and my friend expressed her surprise to the waiter. He immediately offered to exchange it for something else. We declined, but he made sure we knew the offer was genuine. It was very good service. While we were waiting for our food and drinks to arrive, the staff kept making sure our water glasses were filled without us ever having to ask, which was also a nice touch.
It’s not the best Thai I’ve ever had, but it’s convenient and very tasty. I’m definitely planning a return!

A good option for Thai food from this small London chain. The other I’ve sampled is near St Christopher place, and attracts basically the same review.
Food well prepared, sensible portion sizes, service generally good, prices reasonable.
Be aware seating is typically «communal» (shared tables)

I’m visiting London for a month on a research trip and someone recommended Busaba Easthai for good Thai curry. Unfortunately, the restaurant did not live up to their reputation for me. I arrived alone at about 5:50pm (just before dinner rush) and ordered the Lemongrass tea and Jungle curry. I’m used to eating spicy curry and it brought spice; unfortunately, it didn’t bring much else. The curry was really soupy, without much flavour, and I almost choked on a stem. The chicken was okay, but nothing special (+1 star).
The restaurant’s ambiance was lovely and welcoming, with low lights, group-​style tables, and lots of wood (+1 star).
The service was atrocious. It got busier as more folks came in for dinner, but that meant I had to wait 25min for them to take my empty plate (luckily I brought a book). People on either side of me came, ate, and left, but they completed neglected to notice I was finished and ready to leave. I tried to flag one of the three servers zippping by, but to no avail. I then put my coat on and stood up to walk to the register to pay and only then did they notice and went to print the bill. Had their service been prompt and courteous I most likely would have ordered dessert.
There are so many other excellent Thai places in London that I do not think I will be returning to this one.

I loved this place years ago.
several years elapse
I STILL love this place.
Do you like spicy? Good. I do, too. You might want to start with two of my lip-​warming favourites: calamari with black pepper and chilis, and a green papaya salad. The latter might need some more detail: ribbons of green papaya combined with chilis and dried shrimp and cherry tomatoes (and, I’m guessing: fish sauce) for a marinated masterpiece. Yep, I just called a cold salad a masterpiece. It’s just THAT good.
Although I’ve snagged bites of crab-​sauteed fried rice, broth-​based soups and green curries (all good), I always go for a sautéed noodle options. This time round it featured tofu, shrimp and crab meat… extra-​spicy. Bad thai? Nah, this is Pad thai.
Special shout-​outs go to the drink options too: muddled herbs, fresh juices, coconut water, teas… there are a wealth of options for the parched.
Communal eating at tables positioned around the restaurant, but none of the personal attention or amazing service is lost through this seating arrangement: both servers and manager popped by to ensure we were enjoying our meals, to the point where (with each one bearing a glass of water) we had 8 glasses on the table. Hydrated Thai restaurant? Thaidrated!
Unilocal note: the décor here is nice, but almost *too* over-​designed (Gerbera daisies and tea lights floating in the entrances, incense burning in carved holders) that I find the signs indicating an entrance hard to find as it’s made to artistically mimic the lines and curves of Thai script. Combined with the flat wood doors, it can be a challenge finding the entrance /​bathroom doors (helpful note: it’s a bright orange font that runs north/​south along the door).

So during my lunch break from class, one of my classmates suggested eating Thai so we came here. Walking in all the tables are «communal» tables or «group» seating meaning if you’re a group of 2 you’ll be seated with a bunch of strangers… that’s fine.
So we get seated quickly. But, I was slightly annoyed the girl next to me was taking up the WHOLE seat… oh well. Anyway we looked the menu and the server came to take drink order. I asked for ice water while my friend, she asked for hot water. After looking at the menu for a bit, we decided on what we wanted to order, but we couldn’t get anyone to take our order. We flagged down a server and she said to wait for another server to come. When we got our drinks, a server gave us both ice waters but we quickly corrected him and he went off to fix our order. After we finally ordered our meals, I ordered the Tom yam talay (the mixed seafood lemongrass noodle soup) while my friend ordered the chicken curry.
Our food came quickly but I was very disappointed with my food… the noodles didn’t go well with the soup plus a majority of the seafood were tiny ugly looking clams. My friend seemed to enjoy her chicken curry though.
All in all the food was only ok. The flavor of the soup was good… but the stuff inside the soup was NOT so good.
RESULT: will I go back? Maybe… to give it one more chance… but probably not. I’ll try someplace else instead.

Lovely food /​Great speedy service /​nice staff
what more could you want? Its a nice place
to chill except when its really busy at peak times

Love the simple décor and the menu options were divine. The food was really good – loved the duck and the calamari side. Service was ehh – like half of the orders came out and then it took 5 minutes for everyone else, and they were a bit short with us.
Concept is good, but be prepared to wait – and maybe not as worth the wait as you might think.

The flavors are very different from the usual Thai places. The calamari is amazing! I wish I could find this dish in NYC. As the others have said, the atmosphere is great here and I really haven’t had a bad/​mediocre dish here.

I really enjoyed the food here– so much that we went back a few times. The Thai Calamari was just fabulous, I know I’ll be craving it back home and won’t be able to get anything like it!
Service was prompt and efficient. Food came quickly and was hot and fresh. I thought prices were moderate (2 drinks, 2 apps and 2 main dishes came to about 30GBP). The Pad thai was very good. My husband got the jungle chicken and really enjoyed it.
I am not in love with the communal dining. The last time we went we were sat at a table with a handful of tipsy annoying students (one who tried to perfect her alabama accent the entire dinner).
Would go back and would recommend.

Things I like:
–Communal dining
–Simple, delicious Thai-​ish food
–Pleasantly prompt food arrival
–Hot soup noodle on rainy days. (Ok, everyday)
–Chinese broccoli with garlic and shiitake
–Vermicelli noodles
Things I don’t like:
–Chain canteen-​style Thai dishes served at independent, high-​end Thai restaurant prices
–Walking into someone’s private lunch party to go ambiguously marked toilets
–Having to ask for things more than once
Things I reeeeeally don’t like:
–Having to ask for things more than twice
It got to the point where we nearly walked up to the counter to pick up our own waters after watching them sit for over 5 minutes… in an empty restaurant. And lucky for them, there was more than just the soup we ordered to pick at, or I may have caused a Eatthai-​riot at my lack of a soup bowl and spoon. «I’LL GIVE YOU FUSION!»
Overall? Sigh… you know I’ll be back.
Damn you delicious soup noooooodle!

Wir haben das Busaba in Soho zweimal besucht, einmal abends und einmal Sonntag mittags. Das Essen ist sehr lecker, thai-​entsprechend gut gewürzt. Man wird an großen quadratischen Tischen platziert. Das Ambiente ist sehr stylish, wenn es voll ist, kann es etwas laut sein.