BARROW has never been so close to Thailand through the sweet and delightful tastes of Thai @ Review.

I didn’t know quite what I was expecting when I went to Thai @ Review, the name itself is somewhat misleading. My partner first researched the restaurant and was largely swayed, understandably so, by the first place rating on Tripadvisor for restaurants in Barrow.

When you look at their ratings you can see consistently positive reviews, scoring an average of 4.5 from over 200 reviews. So let us just say my expectations were high.

Now, when we first arrived it was somewhat difficult to establish where exactly the restaurant was. This is because the entrance to the restaurant is also the entrance to a hair salon. To explain the building is on three floors with the hair salon on the ground floor, a sports therapist on the second and the restaurant on the third. However, keeping an open mind and partly lured by the fantastic, rustic flooring of the winding staircase leading up to the restaurant we persevered onwards.

And I must say I was pleasantly surprised. As we walked beyond the top of the stairs it opened up into a very tastefully decorated, intimate and charming space, with weaved seating and traditional Thai ornaments and images decorating the walls.

There was an instant feeling of intimacy, made all the more welcoming by the charming and gentle staff of two - one the waitress and the other the chef. Now it was quiet, but it was late on Tuesday evening and if I am being perfectly honest the quieter the better for me. In any case I would say it could fit 30-40 people comfortably.

We chose to sit near the window, which was probably the best seat in the house, with large windows looking out onto the street and it gave us a perfect view of the kitchen, which was open to the restaurant. Now I am a fan of this layout as it makes you feel more involved in the dynamics of the space, it also makes the space feel more homely.

For starters Sarah and I shared the Keaw Tod, crispy wonton stuffed with prawns served with a sriracha chilli sauce and homemade pork toast also served with a chilli sauce. The Keaw Tod was very pleasant, with a light, crisp pastry that was beautifully folded to make little parcels. Now I was quite excited about the homemade pork toast as I have always loved the Chinese equivalent, prawn toast, and although I did enjoy it I felt it lacked a little seasoning or possibly some of the flavour got soaked up in the oil of the bread.

In any case, it was the mains that stole the show. I had the Massaman Beef, which included beef in massaman curry sauce, potatoes, peanuts and onions with the slightest hint of spice. Immediately after my first taste I looked at Sarah and we both acknowledged how lovely it was. It was that first kick of spice and sweetness blending together on the tongue. The beef itself was beautifully cooked, and the vegetables were the right side of al dente. For sides I had the egg fried rice, old habits die hard, and we both shared some plain noodles, which were again beautifully cooked. Considering they were plain the texture was just right and I would have quite happily have eaten them on their own.

Sarah's choice of Gang Kiow Wan, chicken curry with vegetables also has that same sweetness which is so irresistable in a curry. After having a small taste it was again the texture of the sauce that I became intrigued with. It had an almost thick and yet velvety quality that blended so well with the sticky rice that we also shared. Again the chicken was lovely, so soft and moist.

With the amount we ordered we were certainly too full to have any desserts and we were both more than satisfied. The total cost of the evening came to just over £40, which included two starters, two mains, three sides and four drinks of juice. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Thai @ Review and I would earnestly recommend it to anyone looking for a quieter more intimate evening.

Overall

  • Food 4
  • Service 5
  • Atmosphere 4
  • Value 4

Pros

  • Intimate environment
  • Fantastic mains

Cons

  • Entrance could be more inviting
  • Starters need to live up to the main course