Luke Larsson is a chef primarily associated with the Kemptown Project and several restaurants in Brighton, UK, including Lucky Khao, Lucky Beach, Redroaster Brighton, and Khao Bird. His culinary work appears to span...
Khao Bird is a Thai restaurant located in Soho, London, specializing in Northern Thai BBQ, curries, noodles, and small plates. It operates in the former Sunset Cinema building, offering a buzzy dining room with a great vibe. The restaurant originated as 'Lucky Khao' in Brighton, then had a pop-up at the Globe pub in Borough Market before settling in Soho. It serves both lunch and dinner, along with a selection of wines and cocktails.
Customers are consistently impressed, often describing the food as 'blown away' and 'the best food I have ever eaten,' highlighting its unique and flavorful dishes. The Northern Thai cuisine is praised for being well-spiced, fragrant, and made with top-quality produce, offering original dishes not commonly found elsewhere. While the food and ambiance receive high marks, some reviews suggest that service can occasionally require a little more attention. It's considered a great spot for pre-theatre dining, friends, and family, offering good value at around £50 per person.
Additional Details
The restaurant is situated on Brewer Street, conveniently close to Shaftesbury Avenue, Soho Theatre, and the West End. The venue's history includes a past life as an adult-themed cinema on its first floor, with the 'hot atmosphere' now restricted to the spicy food served.
Khao Bird is open Monday to Saturday from 12 PM to 11 PM, and Sunday from 12 PM to 9 PM, making it suitable for both lunch and dinner. It's particularly recommended for Friday lunch or pre-theatre meals due to its Soho location.
We had a fantastic meal last night at the Khao Bird! The menu is designed around small and large plates, so we ordered a selection of small dishes, one large plate, and two portions of jasmine rice to share. Everything arrived quickly, and every dish was packed with flavour - absolutely delicious. We loved the mutton fries, lemongrass chicken and pork curry!
The atmosphere was lively, and we had a great time overall. The only downside was that there doesn’t seem to be any air conditioning. With the recent hot weather, it became quite uncomfortable sitting upstairs while enjoying hot food. Hopefully that’s something they can improve, as it would make the dining experience even better.
Overall, great food, fast service, and definitely worth a visit!
Let me start by saying that Niall and Bella were outstanding from start to finish. Attentive, warm, knowledgeable, funny, and completely on the ball. They set the tone from the moment we walked in and genuinely made the experience what it was.
This was our monthly lads’ dinner – a chance to catch up, have a laugh, and talk complete rubbish – and Khao Bird was the perfect setting for that kind of evening.
We shared the Mutton Fries, Chiang Mai Chicken, grilled broccoli and Shan Meatballs to start. The mutton fries and meatballs were so good we ended up ordering both again! For mains we had the whole fried sea bass and the Beef Khao Soi. The beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender and the sea bass was beautifully cooked and full of flavour.
One thing that really stood out was how Bella handled a nut allergy in our group. I explained on arrival that we’d be sharing everything, and she immediately knew exactly what I could and couldn’t eat. She even went the extra mile by pointing out that the toasted soybeans on the broccoli were only a garnish and didn’t contain nuts. It’s a small detail, but that level of attention inspires confidence and was genuinely appreciated.
The frozen beer glasses were a nice touch, the food was expertly seasoned throughout, and everything felt well priced for the quality.
The only reason this isn’t a five-star review is that a couple of dishes didn’t quite hit the heights of the very best Thai food I’ve had. That said, the overall experience was excellent, driven by fantastic service and really enjoyable food.
I’d have absolutely no hesitation in coming back and would happily recommend Khao Bird for a relaxed meal with friends.
Great Thai food with a good kick of chilli. Superb flavours and top value.
For me, up there with Kiln and Speedboat....and possibly better!
Crispy Pigs ears were top. The beef and pork curries were unbelievable.
Could do with working aircon as it felt like Thailand!
Absolutely blown away by KHAO bird , simply put this is possibly the best food I have ever eaten! Went for my birthday and it was truly a most memorable treat, I was lucky enough to try a large selection of the menu and every dish was uniquely special in its own right from beef and Campari larb crackers to the onglet steak curry myself and my partner were thrilled and the boa bun doughnuts were a great way to finish . The khaolada cocktail and the sticky mango cocktail were also stunning and all beautifully served . You can taste the love and dedication in every single mouthful and sip ! Cannot wait to return ❤️
We popped into this place very randomly and we were quite impressed with the food. The dishes we tried were all very unique in packed with full of flavours - my favourite was the steak tartare - this was super spicy but on the right point with the spices and seasonings and the texture. Our other favourite was the squash curry dish which was creamy, full of rich flavour and perfect for a chilly day. We ordered dessert and was waiting for more than 20 minutes after which we asked for an update and they realised the order wasn’t put through. We had to leave as was going to a theatre. The service needed a little more attention but otherwise the food was good.
