Muang Thai

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• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses:
   £7.50 (set lunch)
   £19 (evening meal)
• House wine: £11.50 per bottle

• High point: Attempt at a-cut-above-average décor
• Low point: A touch on the expensive side for Thai
• Food served: Mon-Sat noon-2.30pm, 6-10.30pm; Sun 6-10.30pm
• Open since: August 2001
• Also offers: Vegetarian options (at least 25% of menu), Take away

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops.

This review is from the 2007 edition.

With such a central location just off George Street, it would be tempting for Muang Thai to get away with the bare minimum and cater solely for Edinburgh's year-round visitors. The owners have avoided that, though, and some thought has gone into creating a dining space awash with hardwoods, wooden wall panels and pockets of greenery. There is also a raised section created with couples in mind. Muang Thai works equally well for groups, which can be a downside if a stag or hen party is in at the weekend. All the Thai mainstays are on offer here; pad Thai is pulled off fairly well and a massaman curry is cooked with a good balance of salty fishiness and coconut cream. Other plus points are that fiery dishes aren't watered down for local palates, and no MSG is used in the cooking. The desserts, though, come displayed on a dreaded plastic menu. This is no budget option either, with the prawn toast a particularly steep £4.99, though that does not seem to deter the tourists and smattering of locals who happily come here, and not just during the Festival.