Kiln, Soho: tiny Thai restaurant tops list of British best

A Thai restaurant with just 12 seats has been named Britain’s best place to eat in the annual top 100 compiled by Restaurant magazine, based on the views of 150 chefs, restaurateurs and food writers.

Kiln, in Soho, central London, is known for dishes such as “guinea fowl jungle curry and curried crab”, says The Independent. Chef and owner Ben Chapman has made “countless research trips” to northern Thailand to research rural cuisine, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Restaurant magazine editor Stefan Chomka said: “Chapman’s dedication – in fact obsession – with bringing in-your-face Thai dishes to Londoners has really paid off. Kiln is a marvellous restaurant for so many reasons.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

“It’s affordable, democratic and fun and, if you’re lucky enough to sit at the counter and watch the chefs cook at their clay pots, a truly unique experience in the capital.”

Chapman’s victory was announced at the Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards last month. The event also included the presentation of a lifetime achievement award to chef Raymond Blanc, whose Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons near Oxford is a fixture in the annual list, this year in 25th place.

Sabor in Mayfair came second, with Chinese restaurant A Wong in third place. The top ten also included L’Enclume in Cumbria, Moor Hall in Lancashire, Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham, previous winner The Sportsman in Kent and Nathan Outlaw in Cornwall.

Take our survey for your chance to win £100 John Lewis vouchers