Busaba Eathai

Asian Restaurant / Restaurant / Thai Restaurant
Busaba Eathai "A bustling and trendy restaurant, Busaba Eathai (""eat"" + ""Thai"") serves some of the most reasonably-priced dishes in London." London England 51.513823 -0.134249
3.38 9
Busaba Eathai - Asian Restaurant | Restaurant | Thai Restaurant in London.
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5 User Reviews
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Ratings:
Lucas
Adriana
Jonah
Emma

Party Earth Review A bustling and trendy restaurant, Busaba Eathai (“eat” + “Thai”) serves some of the most reasonably-priced dishes in London. Part of a chain of eight restaurants, the location on Wardour Street is always packed with a... ... read full review

  • Tube:

    Central, Northern Lines: Tottenham Court Road

  • Phone:

    020 7255 8686

  • Links:

    Official Website

  • Hours:

    M–Th noon–11pm, F–Sa noon–11:30pm, Su noon–10pm

  • Recommended as:

    • Day Spot
    • Night Spot

Party Earth Busaba Eathai Review

The Scene

"A bustling and trendy restaurant, Busaba Eathai (""eat"" + ""Thai"") serves some of the most reasonably-priced dishes in London."

Covent Garden / Soho, London –

A bustling and trendy restaurant, Busaba Eathai (“eat” + “Thai”) serves some of the most reasonably-priced dishes in London.

Part of a chain of eight restaurants, the location on Wardour Street is always packed with a high-energy crowd of sociable university students and creative types who stream in from the surrounding neighborhood for some sweet basil spaghetti to accompany their guava Bellinis.

Lines can be long, especially during the lunch crunch, but they normally move fast, allowing the starving young professionals to nab a spot at the communal tables and meet new Thai food lovers while their coconut prawns heat up.

A good selection of tapas-style fare keeps the picky eaters happy, while the perpetual scents of incense and spices create an exotic atmosphere that whets the appetite.

With little to look at in the sparsely decorated room, save for the throngs of happy eaters and the open kitchen, the focus at Busaba is clearly on the food – but only as long as it manages to stay on the plate.

For a lively night of Singha and chicken satay that won’t break the bank, Busaba Eathai is a perfect spot to Thai one on.

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Tip from Emma:

If you really can’t get enough, Busaba Eathai has put up some of their best recipes on the website. Try your hand at the green chicken curry or prawn Pomelo – delicious!

  • Crowd

    Sociable Soho locals, media and creative types, travelers, and students, 20s to 40s.

  • Entertainment / Music

    The chatter of the crowd.

  • Food / Miscellaneous

    Menu featuring Thai small plates. Groups will be seated only when the entire party has arrived. Reservations not accepted.

  • Prices

    Entrées £6–£13. Beer £3.70, wine £3–£5/glass or £16+/bottle, cocktails £5+, champagne £6/glass or £27–£53/bottle, sake £4–£10.

  • What to Wear / Dress Code

    Casual: jeans, short-sleeve shirts over long-sleeve shirts, comfy sweaters, skirts.

  • Hot Nights / When to Go

    Friday and Saturday nights or lunchtime midweek for the biggest crowds.

  • Close By

    Fitzroy Tavern (16A Charlotte Street) is just around the corner and makes for a great post-Thai drink spot. Former regulars Dylan Thomas and George Orwell sure thought so.

Tags:
20s30s40sAsian FoodCasualConversationalCreativeDinnerFriendlyGood for GroupsGroupsLivelyLocalsMedia TypesStudentsTapasThai FoodTouristsTrendy Vibe

Busaba Eathai User Reviews

Average rating:
God food with healthy portion sizes
Snoopy T.
Snoopy T. Nov 18, 2013
The food is very tasty and available to order as hot as you need it to be. The portions and of a good size also and so if you want to try a number of different dishes, its a good place to share food also. Drinks are ok, not a vast selection but enough to satisfy most needs.
Solid selection, except for the salad!
Sarah L.
Sarah L. Nov 1, 2013
I went to the location behind Selfridge's on Oxford street, and it was overall a pretty good meal for what we paid. I'll honest and say I'm not dying to go back since it was a bit salty for my taste (given, I do prefer bland foods compared to most people). I would definitely recommend the pad thai and the mild curries, but the salads were way too saucy for me. The restaurant was also pretty loud, so it is probably a better place for a casual lunch than an intimate date.
Mixed
Tara R.
Tara R. Dec 10, 2012
Busaba Eathai is a mixed bag. It’s affordable, but there are places with better and cheaper Thai food—this is, after all, London, where Londoners are quite clearly in the minority and there are a number of ethnic cuisines to discover. The restaurant also makes for a trendy night out, but since there are so many across the city, you’re going to a generic chain version of trendy rather than something with a more authentic, local sense of hip. And while Busaba Eathai is filling from a purely food perspective, it’s not quite satisfying from a gastronomical one. You know what you’re going to get when you walk in, so if that’s what you want, go for it.
Meh
Paul F.
Paul F. Aug 3, 2012
I just think if you're going to get Thai in London, you shouldn't be going to a chain. Though I'll begrudgingly admit their Tom Kha chicken soup is pretty good.
Affordable Thai Food
Madeline R.
Madeline R. Aug 2, 2012
Living on a budget in London is difficult but not impossible! You just need to ask locals for suggestions of affordable restaurants, eat the pound salad at Sainsbury for breakfast, lunch and dinner…or bargain for Indian food on Brick Lane. Oh or you could just go to Busaba Eathai which has an extensive menu with dishes for under £10. Busaba is a chain (with 8 locations throughout the city), but this ain’t no McDonalds! I would give this restaurant 4 stars for it’s pad thai but they did not have sriracha and I sat at the communal table with a messy eater….
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