Thai Lemongrass

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2009 – in the shops now or buy online.

This large restaurant is less cavernous inside than it appears from the outside. Burnt orange hessian wallpaper, dark wood furniture and subdued uplighting mixed with candle light help achieve this inverse tardis trick. Indeed some tables are packed quite closely together, although the fairly well-heeled clientele makes this less of an issue than it might be elsewhere. Service is reserved but friendly enough to ensure you feel welcome in this neighbourhood restaurant helped by the complimentary prawn crackers awaiting you before you sit down. The menu includes a number of innovative dishes with the seafood specials particularly worthy of note. Deep fried whole snapper is presented with crunchy salad and peanuts to achieve a delicious symphony of flavours and textures. More regular dishes such as roast duck curry may not hit the same heights, but this is nonetheless a well-executed rendition of the dish with chilli heat balanced by pineapple sweetness and decent quality meat. A reasonable wine list provides a few options should you fancy a change from Tiger or Singha beer, while the coconut ice-cream outshines the other (limited) dessert choices.

• High point: Seafood specials that really are special
• Low point: Limited vegetarian choice lacks the creativity found eleswhere