Thai Orchid

Having met a friend for a couple of after work drinks on a Friday in the area, we happened upon this restaurant by chance. To be honest I wasn’t expecting much from this place, based on the cheapness of the dishes in what is quite a trendy and often overpriced location. The wine list also did not inspire confidence. With Piat Dor and even Blue Nun on the menu, I wondered if they were having some kind of ironic Clapham joke! Bypassing the choice of retro beverage, we ordered a bottle of house white, a beef salad, pad thai and a chicken stir fry dish. All in all I was very pleased with the place. The food was good (particularly the Thai salad) and at under £11, the house wine was not only a relief (!) but a pleasing partner to the flavours of the food. The bill, including service charge (which was good) came in at under £30. I’d definitely recommend this place for anyone looking for a cheap bite in the Clapham area. For a basic Thai, it’s just as good as Pepper Tree up the road. If I had to make one criticism, it's just that it could do with a lick of paint perhaps.

Really poor food. The fishcakes on the menu as a starter were swimming in grease and it didn't look like there was any fish in them. I'm a vegetarian (bar fish) and got my friend to try one. He was almost certain they had chicken in. There was much unidentifiable, stringy mush. Clearly straight from a packet and I'd have liked to have seen the ingredients to confirm my suspicions. Awful. The main meal was mediocre and the service was dreadful. Our waiter didn't seem to understand anything or want to take our order. To top it off, they add on a service charge! Being British we duly paid this but I wish we hadn't. I can't believe the fishcakes mostly. So hideous. And I very nearly tucked into meat unawares which is really really dreadful. No better than a kebab shop. But at least with those, you know that you're aiming low.

I did eat at this restaurant more than once trying to prove/disprove my first impression. Consistently, the food here is awful-- fried rice tastes spoilt, dumplings dry, etc. I also did found a staple wire in my pad thai!
Unbelievable. This is the Thai restaurant that is not thai at all.

I must be very differnt person from what i experinced at thai orchid restaurant with my grand father birtday. Whole family was happy with food which we had miexed starter for six people., the main course was special fried rice with sea food extra. the food was deliciouse and good staff although service charcge was a bit too much.

Though the service was nice, it was somewhat scatty and aside from trying to sneak a service charge twice, the true highlight was a COCKROACH crawling across the floor. The management's attitude stank and they showed no sign of even an apology - the only gesture of good will (if you can even call it that) was to hand back our double service charge. Whilst I remained calm they sought to talk over me, raise their voices and antagonise me. Their excuse? That cockroach's are all over London and there is absolutely nothing that you can do about it. I would advise NEVER to eat at this 'establishment'.

I went to this restaurant with my girlfriend last night and can safely say it's the worst restaurant I've been to...and I've been to a few. It wasn't only because the food was substandard, which it was. Half way through our meal my girlfriend started choking and pulled a wirey piece of metal about 1.5 inches in length from the back of her throat. She doesn't like to make a fuss but I called the waiter over to bring it to their attention, she didn't send the meal back, she just made sure there was no more metal in it. I asked for the bill at the end expecting them to say it was complimentry for almost killing my girlfriend but they brought the bill minus the price of a plate of plain no

Its a nice clean restaurant, staff very attentive and friendly but it was the food that totally let us down. Unfortunately I had read the reviews already for this restaurant but thought I would give them a go. I ordered a red chicken curry, tasted ok until I got a piece of chicken which was dry, gritty and just awful! It was my first red curry that contained "peas" and no fresh real chillis. Was very disappointing experience.

The Thai Orchid looked slick and the menu varied, we thought we were in for a treat. We had mixed starters, which were fine, apart from the waitress dropped a few on the table as she served them. She was going to put them back on the plate, but we said we would prefer some new ones. She picked them up with a fork and reappeared fairly quickly with the same starters refried, indentifiable by the telltale fork marks. We had a chicken dish which was ok but a little bland, and a duck curry which was abysmal. The duck was extremely tough and tasted like it had been hanging around in the kitchen for a long time. Decor great, food and service disappointing.

I am writting this because I feel strongly about my dissapointing meal at the thai orchid last night.

We waited an hour for our food. When it did finally arrived it was luke warm and very poor quality. The chicken was 'old' and crusty. When I complained the staff were rude and uncaring.

The thai orchid has poor service and poor quality food. I wish I had stayed at home.

Clapham, The Thai Orchid; sounds appealing does'nt it. Peer inside and the anticipation builds. So it was that my flatmate and I returned to the comfort of home, preciouse brown paper bag in toe.
Thai steamed dumplings in a light soy, were infact bland, dry, conspicuously similer to those sold in Brixton market.
Thai green curry, numbingly hot with no evidence of real chilli.If any flavours were intended- anticipating the zing of lemongrass and lime, the sweet creemy coconun I could not detect them.
Having forgone taste we inspected the contents,the brown sauce bore peas and carrots.The meat was tough.
Lovely staff & decor. Food substandard.