Patara (Hampstead)
82 Hampstead High Street
London NW3 1RE
Nearest Tube: Hampstead
3.2 Yummy stars
Price ££ Starter/soup/salad £7.85-£16.50; Mains £7.50-£29.50 (at time of writing)
☏ 020 7431 5902
Chicken Thai Green Curry (Chicken Kiewa Wan) at Patara Hampstead
Buzz factor 3.5/5 stars
Food 3.2/5 stars
Value for money 3/5 stars
Bang in the middle of Hampstead Village sits Patara, a fairly new but welcome addition to the restaurant scene in this neighbourhood. It is part of a chain, with its flagship restaurant in Soho which opened many years ago. Other branches have sprung up over the years, including (Beauchamp Place) Knightsbridge, Oxford Circus and the latest offering in Wimbledon. Some branches are apparently “temporarily closed”. So, do double-check before going.
The Hampstead one has a contemporary feel, with pale blue chairs, wooden tables and the walls partially in royal blue while complemented in pale grey in the lower part, all cleverly lit to great effect, giving the place some real ambience. A beautifully crafted full height wine cabinet with its wooden shelves and fascia divides the dining area near the front from the main one.
You can expect to get your usual Thai dishes, such as Thai green curry (called Chicken Kieaw Wan here) and Pad Thai. The restaurants are supposed to follow the same recipes. However, I found that the Hampstead Thai green curry to be too sweet for my liking, in fact, fair bit sweeter than, say, the one in Knightsbridge. Their chicken satay (and peanut sauce), fish cake, duck in ginger tamarind sauce were all pleasant enough. The prices are a lot steeper than most other Thai restaurants in London. You are being asked to pay for the sophisticated and comfortable surroundings and location.
Lunch is a great time to go and take advantage of their choice of lunch menus, ranging from £9.90 to £24 pp for a minimum of 2 persons (excluding drinks and service). Their seabass was really moist and full of lime and chilli flavours.
They have a special tea menu too. When it came – with very few tea leaves in, I wondered whether I had just ordered hot water instead.
This is high-end Thai food. Very convenient for the locals.
