The Pepper Tree — Restaurant in London

Let me start by saying I LOVE THAI FOOD and I eat it all the time. I don't know what they serve at this restaurant but it isn't Thai Food, it looks like Thai Food but it doesn't taste like it. I order the steamed vegetarian dumplings and that was only saved by the accompanying sauce. The texture was very chewy and the filling was not seasoned well. I ordered the drunken noodles for my main, the noodles I received were very sober. It was a plate of noodles and vegetables mixed in a generic sauce with way too much salt. Even my drink was horrible, I ordered the guava juice which tasted like half a glass of guava juice topped with flat sparkling water.

My cousin ordered the Pad Thai and the same vegetarian dumplings and she also didn't finish her meal because she didn't enjoy it.

I swear on everything I love in this world, the best part of the meal was the free tap water on the table. I explained this to the wait staff and after some deep discussion with the manager which lasted entirely too long I was given a 15% discount, I rejected this offer and asked for my overly salty main dish to be removed from the bill. They agreed, I paid and I'll never return again.

Side Note: If you sit next to the entrance inside the restaurant be aware that cigarette smoke will waft in from the smokers...

Staff were vibing and attentive!

Many thanks to the awesome Alexa for the fabulous welcome and the yummy recommendations on the (241happy hour!) Thai cocktails and to the entire service team for their friendly attentiveness of service throughout.

The food though was on this occasion, sadly disappointing and not up to usual standards. The chef may have been having an off night with the ‘deconstructed’ Pad Thai but the Papaya salad recipe has changed and not for the better A review of what has been added/removed would be strongly recommended as that was no where near the gorgeousness of taste of previous visits.

The freshness of the food and explosion of flavours that the kitchen used to be known for wasn’t in attendance but luckily my friend made distractingly wonderful company and Alexa and team made the rest of the visit flow so allowances are given .

As an fyi - This is my usually my ‘treat’ place (when I’m taking myself out to eat on my ‘self-date’ cinema night) - a place where, as a single female, I feel super comfortable and safe to go in and eat at on my own without worry of being hassled. Staff are always super attentive and will match your energy to assist with polite minimal contact if you’re looking just to have food and be near people without...

I've been going to the Pepper Tree for almost 15 years now. It used to be excellent - vibrant authentic food, great ambience, passionate chefs and staff affordable and well portioned.

I felt really dissapointed the last time I visited and even more so with the takeaway I received this evening. Prices have gone up and portions have halved in size (£4.50 for 3 ldumplings which was once 5 dumplings) same goes for mains. Another example the chargrilled pork dish - you gave us the almost all gristle and no juicy tendertly seasoned meat which it was once. Another example the Sticky coconut rice came with fresh mango, this time mango flavoured ice cream. On other fronts the flavour and the spirit Pepper Tree used to have is not what it used to be.

I understand there is new management and I understand prices have gone up for most industries.

But I would much prefer paying more the same amount of high quality food than pay more for less.

Portioning starters for 3 of the dish is hard to share between 2 people. I found my self halving the third spring roll.

Unfortunately I'm not the only person who's...