
Busaba Soho
Advertisements
Quick info
About Busaba Soho
On Wardour Street in Soho, Busaba Soho is a Thai restaurant built around shared, square communal tables in a dark wood, low-lit room. The menu runs from pad kwetio and Pad Thai to a chili beef jasmine rice bowl and Chicken Katsu, with Mussaman lamb shank and Songkhla beef alongside red curry. Sweet potato fries with sriracha mayo and calamari sit among the starters, and Black Pepper Beef with egg noodles rounds out the mains. Seating is walk-in, so diners take a bench at whichever communal table is free rather than booking ahead. Those benches now carry cushions, a small change from the restaurant's earlier bare wood seating.
Advertisements
Menu & Prices
69 dishes · mains £4–20- Bang Banana Fritters£7.00
- Chilli Beans On Toast£4.80
- Soyamari£9.30
- Sticky Mango Rice£7.00
- Chocolate Fondant£7.50
- Ice Cream£4.40
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention calamari, pandan chicken, pad kwetio and chili prawn fried rice.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention calamari, pandan chicken, pad kwetio and chili prawn fried rice.
Customer Review Summary
Calamari is the dish reviewers raise most, called perfectly crispy by one diner and gone in moments by another, though a returning customer found it luke warm and pricey. Close behind are the pandan chicken, described as super fragrant but only four pieces by one reviewer, and the chili prawn fried rice. Others single out the Mussaman lamb shank that fell off the bone, Songkhla beef, a chicken katsu with a big serving, and a duck dish that a first-time Thai eater loved. Staff are called friendly and welcoming, and food reportedly arrived quickly at shared tables under very dim lighting. Complaints centre on value and consistency. One diner paid for Black Pepper Beef that was mostly noodles with very few slices of beef, and said the manager explained the menu wording but made no attempt to resolve it. Another suspected the Pad Thai was a reheated dish, and one noted greasy noodles and stained cushions. One birthday lunch ended with a complimentary surprise cake.
Customer Review Summary
Calamari is the dish reviewers raise most, called perfectly crispy by one diner and gone in moments by another, though a returning customer found it luke warm and pricey. Close behind are the pandan chicken, described as super fragrant but only four pieces by one reviewer, and the chili prawn fried rice. Others single out the Mussaman lamb shank that fell off the bone, Songkhla beef, a chicken katsu with a big serving, and a duck dish that a first-time Thai eater loved. Staff are called friendly and welcoming, and food reportedly arrived quickly at shared tables under very dim lighting. Complaints centre on value and consistency. One diner paid for Black Pepper Beef that was mostly noodles with very few slices of beef, and said the manager explained the menu wording but made no attempt to resolve it. Another suspected the Pad Thai was a reheated dish, and one noted greasy noodles and stained cushions. One birthday lunch ended with a complimentary surprise cake.
Featured reviews
- Google user
“Stumbled upon Busaba after shopping and so glad we did. The calamari was perfectly crispy, and the pandan chicken was super fragrant. Songkhla beef had deep, rich flavours, and the Mussaman lamb shank literally fell off the bone – so tender! Red curry was creamy and comforting too. Everything felt authentic and well-priced for central London (around £20 pp). Staff were friendly and the vibe was relaxed. Definitely one of the best Thai spots around Bond Street. Will be back!"”
- Google user
“We went in around 6pm and it was quite empty, which was really nice. They have shared tables so we got a table for ourselves. The service was great, the food came really quickly and the servers didn’t leave you waiting. I had the Chicken Katsu which was really nice. The serving size was quite big, I definitely got my money’s worth.”
- Google user
“I came here again because last time I had a really good meal. This experience was bad bc I spent 19 pounds on a plate of chowmein with very few slices of beef in it. The dish is called Black Pepper Beef and the description says it goes with egg noodles. Shouldn’t it be something like beef WITH noodles instead of a plate of noodles containing very little beef?? When I talked about this to the manager, she explained that noodles were written in the description but there was no attempt to resolve the issue and no acknowledgment of the portion of beef or of my disappointment. It felt like an argument talking to the manager. The seasoning was good anyway.”
- Google user
“Used to frequent Busaba during Uni days which was 15 years ago! Came back to relive the memories but sad to say standards has dropped and crazy prices. Beloved calamari is now served luke warm and pricey, noodles greasy. Pandan chicken was good but only 4 pieces. Also, last time there were heavy wooden benches but now with the cushion, there were many stains which spoils the mood.”
- Google user
“I had the best experience ever for a lovely birthday lunch. All staff were very kind and friendly. The complimentary surprise cake was extra touch. Thank you Andrea and team.”
Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Good to know
“Low-lit Thai chain restaurant with a modern dark wood interior and square communal tables.”
- AccessibilityWheelchair: entrance, seating
Amenities
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
Show more amenities
- Accessibility· 1
- Wheelchair accessible seating
Location
Thai restaurants near Busaba Soho
- The Great THAI Kitchen4.73550.1 mi
mango sticky rice, Thai milk tea, green curry
- Thai Tho Soho4.11,3360.2 mi
pad thai, authentic thai food, pork rad na
- Speedboat Bar4.76,2800.2 mi
tom yum noodles, chicken mango salad, fried pineapple pie
| Place | Rating | Distance | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Busaba Soho | 4.44,360 | — | calamari, pandan chicken, pad kwetio |
| The Great THAI Kitchen | 4.7355 | 0.1 mi | mango sticky rice, Thai milk tea, green curry |
| Thai Tho Soho | 4.11,336 | 0.2 mi | pad thai, authentic thai food, pork rad na |
| Speedboat Bar | 4.76,280 | 0.2 mi | tom yum noodles, chicken mango salad, fried pineapple pie |
The 3 nearest thai restaurants by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
Similar Thai restaurants nearby
0.2 miRosa's Thai Carnaby
0.3 miRosa's Thai Covent Garden
0.3 miPatara Oxford Circus
0.4 miThai Metro
0.5 miThai Square Trafalgar Square
0.7 miThai Square
0.7 miBusaba St Christopher's Place
1.1 miRosa's Thai Baker Street
More to explore in London

44 places
Thai restaurants in London
Photo: Speedboat Bar · 4.7 · 6,280 Google reviews
See all 44 thai restaurants in London
4.5 · Bun House ChinatownChinese restaurants
127 places
4.6 · Chicago Grill Shepherd's BushFast food restaurants
23 places
4.5 · Honest Burgers South KensingtonHamburger restaurants
33 places
4.7 · Dishoom Covent GardenIndian restaurants
61 places
4.8 · Ave MarioItalian restaurants
92 places
4.5 · Hot Stone LondonJapanese restaurants
47 places