Restaurants

This international chain of Thai restaurants has proved popular in London where it has four swanky outposts. The sleek interior, good service, relaxed atmosphere and contemporary food keep well-heeled customers returning. Patara serves modest portions of artfully displayed creative cooking, though some fusion dishes seem aimed at corporate customers rather than genuine Thai aficionados. The menu is littered with trendy ingredients like veal osso buco (here smothered in a northern-style yellow curry) and tuna tartare (which at Patara gets a lime and lemongrass vinaigrette), but also inexplicably boasts of serving New Zealand lamb. Still, the generally high quality of ingredients means that customers are unlikely to be disappointed. Highlight of our meal was a fillet of sea bass chargrilled in a banana leaf and topped with a rich and wonderfully sweet-and-spicy penang curry. The Oxford Circus branch is highly popular, so booking is advisable.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009