Kiln | Buzzy Thai Restaurant with Counter Dining
Roadside eateries.
They’re pretty middle-of-the-road.
Not so, however, in Thailand, where highway-adjacent restaurants are actually somewhat amazing. It’s these roadside eateries that inspired the talented team behind Thai BBQ house Smoking Goat to open Kiln, a buzzy spot that’s rapidly become one of the most popular restaurants in Soho, combining flavour with fire.
The result is a hit-list of grill dishes inspired by the minimalist rural cooking of the Northern Thai borderlands, the preparation of which you’ll be watching from your ringside seat at the sleek steel counter surrounding the open kitchen and its impressive grill centrepiece.
Here, Kiln’s chefs prepare dishes such as roast suckling pig, curried cockles, and 5-week dry-aged fattened lamb skewers with Szechuan peppers. And although the grill menu probably contains everything your heart desires and more, they also serve up a daily noodle special, including one served with a pressed duck gravy. Made from pressed ducks.
The low-lighting, slight haze from the grill and atmospheric soundtrack will no doubt encourage you to peruse the drinks list, where you’ll find beers on tap or pitchers to share; whisky sodas and a list of ferments and cocktails made in house (like the hibiscus & mezcal with hot mint). Besides this, Kiln has also teamed up with Bitten&Written’s Zeren Wilson on a tailored wine selection, which features mostly low intervention wines from Old World vineyards – although the list is constantly evolving.
For as Bob Dylan sang, the Thai menus they are a changin’.
NOTE: Kiln is open Mon-Thur 12-3pm and 5-11pm, Sat 12-11pm and Sundays 12-9pm. Upstairs is walk-in only, so get there early. Reservations can be made for tables of 4 or more HERE.
Kiln | 58 Brewer Street, W1F 9TL
Like Thai food? Then our guide to the best Thai restaurants in London might come in handy…