Old Pubs Gone Thai- A London Specialty

One of the things that always struck me as a particularly London phenomenon, apart from the amount of beer people drink in the daytime, Gastropubs, the way some English girls have decided it will never be too cold to put on that miniskirt without tights (no less) and so on, was the amount of old English pubs turned into Thai restaurants in this town. I always thought to myself: this has got be the strangest combination of cultural opposites you could possibly imagine. But then it started to make sense. Who wouldn't want to sip on a pint of cold (Thai) beer while enjoying a good ol' plate of Pad Thai? It makes complete sense! No, it's genius! I guess for Thai restaurants, there was something to be said about localising your product. This is as local as it gets. Now in my opinion, there are only 3 Pubs turned Thai worth bringing up:

my favourite: The chicken pad thai

1- The Walmer Castle in Notting Hill- A gem of a pub on the adorable Ledbury Road, offering an eclectic and authentic Thai menu to eat in or to take away. It's definitely up there with my faves. Enjoy your crunchy spring rolls and sweet and vicious Thai Green Curry downstairs at the bar or upstairs in the restaurant's dining room. The summertime is the peak season for this joint as the outside tables lend an open opportunity for Neighborhooders to bask in the sunshine, eat, drink and mingle. What could be better?

2- Two Point in Marylebone- Crawford Street is where it all happens in the restaurant world. Well I'm just a big fan of Marylebone so give me Thai food in a special place like Two Point and I'm game. Chang beer and Singha Beer, both refreshingly exotic tasting beers are a great addition to one the cheapest dinners I've had in London, and one of the best at that.

3- Finally, Pu's Brasserie is the hot business spot for lunch, without the prices and without the lengthy waits. This place is for regulars only and you can tell solely by its extremely secret location. The Lincoln's Inn Fields right off Holborn is the perfect little dark alley for a fantastic Tom Kha Gai, prawn crackers and Pad Thai. The variety of Lunch Menus is a low budget alternative to a more pricey and less satisfying lunch at Pret.