Singburi — Restaurant in London

Update: I have finally made it to Singburi 2.0. We spent 90 minutes there, diners around us were also keen to share their memories and thoughts, both tables either side having been at least once to the original location. And it is clear... Singburi 2.0 cannot be compared with Singburi Leytonstone. Completely different propositions, and with that come emotions.

The atmosphere, there isn't really any. The original Singburi sign hangs proudly in the corner but other than that, it is a non descript restaurant built around an open kitchen and counter. It is a difficult room to create a vibe, but the view looking out from inside, is that of the overground pillars, and other glass fronted businesses in the dark square. Maybe put some curtains up, stick a few neon signs on the windows.

Service is haphazard, greeting was efficient, but we waited an extra 30 minutes, just for the cabbage at the end of the meal... because both tables either side also did not get the cabbage and had decided that they didn't want to stay any longer. We would wait. It was good. I wanted to at least eat one dish that carried over from the original restaurant.

Food... is generally good on cuisson. But it competes directly with Kiln, Som Saa, Smoking Goat, Kolae now. A less fiery interpretation of what was. Signature plates such as Moo Krob and Clams are missing, should we expect them? Probably not as Singburi has evolved into something else with more covers and services. And portion sizes... are comedy. A solitary little chicken thigh, a few pieces of watermelon, a little bowl of curry. Both tables either side of us decided that they would go for more food elsewhere, was rather sad... this shouldn't be the case.

And then, corkage... £33. A surprise? Rent and operations must be expensive.

There was something special about that restaurant in Leytonstone that everyone who made the pilgrimage/ bus journey/ train / difficult phone booking (sometimes but rarely DM) shared. Enough has been said. It will be a totally different experience for someone who had never been I suppose... trying not to reference the past in my rating, Singburi 2.0 is fine, completely let down by service and atmosphere.

First edit - 29 July 2025: This review is now edited as this was for the original location on the High Road in Leytonstone (seems odd that they were able to transfer all the reviews for a different restaurant to this new location). The current 5 star rating reflects original location. I have not eaten at Singburi 2.0. It wasn't quite as hard to book as people say, and we could always get a cancellation table when we turned up, albeit having to wait for 1-2 hours for the second sitting in that rather local pub opposite (IYKYK). It would appear it would not be fair to compare Singburi 2.0 as they are almost entirely different restaurants, from fit out to service... I will leave a review when I eventually get round to visiting. I wish the mum and dad of Singburi 1.0 a happy retirement!

Original review for Singburi original (2023) Singburi 1.0 - 5 stars. No longer the hidden gem in Leytonstone, this place is absolutely worth any journey for the food (I have taken friends from as far as LA to my "neighbourhood Thai"). Bear in mind, no desserts! BYO, bring your natty-est of wines to compliment the heat and spice of the outstanding food. Pro move: order absolutely everything from the specials boards - always the Moo Krob, Clams, Cock Crab if it's on, Pork fat Cabbage, and maybe just maybe a favourite from the thai classics old school printed menu. Love a...

Five stars because I can’t add any more.

I booked Singburi as a belated gift for my partner — it had been on our wish list for ages, and with all the reviews, I wanted to see what the hype was about. We timed our arrival carefully (the waitlist is famous for a reason!) and got there with plenty of time to spare.

From the second we stepped inside, we were warmly welcomed and taken straight to our table. No fuss, no stress. The balance of front-of-house staff to tables was perfect — around four or five staff working the floor that evening — which meant we never felt neglected, but we also weren’t hovered over. A quick glance was enough for someone to appear, check in, and make sure we had what we needed. That attentiveness alone set the tone for the night.

A special mention has to go to Amelia, who was, quite honestly, one of the most helpful and patient front-of-house staff we’ve ever encountered. She was calm, respectful, and incredibly knowledgeable, guiding us through the menu with genuine care. With a menu that’s intentionally stripped down to just the dish titles, there’s an air of intrigue — you’re never quite sure what flavours and textures will arrive at the table. For me, as a former chef (a curse in itself, because it raises your standards sky-high), that sense of surprise was exhilarating.

We started with three small plates: lamb giblets, chicken thighs, and the dill sausage. Each dish was a revelation. The lamb giblets transported me straight back to family barbecues with my late father — smoky, rich, with a sauce that tied everything together beautifully. The chicken thighs were cooked to absolute perfection: immensely juicy, deeply flavoured, and utterly moreish. And the dill sausage? I’ll just say it took me completely by surprise — I won’t spoil the experience for you, but it’s a must-order.

For mains, we went with the tiger prawn curry and the aubergine pah phet. Both were showstoppers, the kind of dishes that make you pause between bites just to appreciate what’s happening on the plate. They were emotional, new, different, joyful — food that makes you fall in love with eating all over again.

The prices are decent too - on the dearer side, but for London, worth every pound.

The kitchen itself was a joy to watch: no shouting, no arguments — just a well-oiled, perfectly in-sync team delivering incredible plates of food. I made sure to tell Amelia and the team how much we loved it, and they were genuinely grateful for the feedback.

Will I dine here again? Without a doubt. If I’m looking to treat anyone, this will be the place. Singburi isn’t just dinner — it’s an experience, and one I’ll be coming back to again and again.

By no means a paid review, simply a review...

I wanted to love Singburi, as a local resident I’ve been excited about the opening not only of Singburi, but Legado next door. I thought it would complement the existing stellar restaurants in the area: Brat, Smoking Goat, Popolo etc.

In fact, I wanted to love it so much that having gone on Tuesday I decided to book again for Thursday to try it a second time. I found the portion sizes generous (for the area), the staff (on Tuesday) friendly and accommodating, and a really interesting daily menu. Unfortunately, every dish other than the Chicken Thighs and the Steamed Rice was overwhelmingly spicy. My spice threshold is good and has never been an issue when visiting Thailand but this was extreme, and we weren’t warned at all. Particular culprits for overly spicey included the Cucumber Som Tam, Smoked Port Nam Dtok (admittedly the herbs were delicious but the sauce was too hot and the belly pork was 90% fat with very little meat) and the Isaan Pork Larb. We like heat, but these were gratuitously painful.

Given the fact Singburi is round the corner, we thought it only fair to give it another go so before rebooking I asked if it would be possible to dial down the spice on the next visit (at least for certain dishes) and was assured this wouldn’t be a problem and that it was an understandable request.

Upon returning 2 days later I asked whether we could moderate the spice levels and was told absolutely not, pastes are made in advance and there’s no substitutions. In fact, I was asked who said that so I indicated the lovely waitress from Tuesday and was told “she’s new”.

Fair to a point, so I selected a couple of dishes and having seen the chef plate the Tomato Salad w/Chilli Jam, and having seen him pour about 100ml of the chilli sauce onto the tomatoes, I asked whether it would be possible to pour less (say 25ml rather than 100!). At this point, the now somewhat irate staff member said “no substitutions” – in my opinion this isn’t a substitution, it’s an alteration and a very easily accomplished alteration. We decided to politely get the bill for the drinks we had already ordered and leave rather than continue the Sisyphean challenge of applying common sense to an easily solvable issue (in fairness the Manager said the 2 beers we’d had were on the house). But honestly, I would have preferred a more openminded attitude to service. The customer may not always be right, but at least acknowledge their opinion.

I do hope Singburi does well and that it achieves its clear goal of having a cult following. But I’m one local who likely...