Chiang Mai Kitchen

Well executed Thai food in the heart of Oxford, located in a charming , and very old, building hidden down an alley, just off the High Street. Apparently, in the dim and distant past, the building has been at various times a police station and a French restaurant ( incidentally, where Raymond Blanc worked..a very long tiime ago!). All that aside, it's been a Thai restaurant as long as I've known Oxford, and the upshot is that this means the restaurant seating is spread across a number of rooms on a number of floors, so you are heavily dependent on the capacity of your server.

The menu tends towards the more conservative end of Thai food, but the standard is good - I particularly enjoyed scallops with chili as a starter, combining sweet seafood ( still in the shell) witha nicely punchy sauce.

Be aware that the restaurant is very popular, particularly, it seems, with slightly better heeled postgrad students, so you may want to consider booking ahead.

This is a great little restaurant in the heart of Oxford. We went there for a special occasion. The food was tasty and beautifully presented - they do fish particularly well. The service was excellent and the atmosphere is warm and cosy. Book well in advance - it fills up quickly.

Well we must have got it on an off night!  It was full and we needed to book a table.  Thailand is the land of smiles, but never seen such miserable faces.  We knew it was going to be bad when we over-heard some girl say to her partner"’don’t you dare leave a tip, the service was s**t tonight". The attitude of the staff was appauling and when our starter arrived our table wasn’t even layed – no serviettes which is a joke when you have the platter to pich up with hands (no finger dip, of course).  Then we had to wait about an hour for the main course, then the waiter mysteriously put a cold dish on our table.  Then he came over and said “wrong table” and snatched it away!  no explanation or apologies!.  When our meal arrived, our steamed rice arrived and my wife’s green curry, but no sign of mine!  I had to ask for it. Everyone around us thought it was a complete joke i.e. the service everyone was having (not just us).  The food when it arraved was very very average.  Thais people are usually happy – well these were miserable, and we will never return.

We were lucky to get a table. The food was really tasty and the service was great with a female manager being on top of things even though it was crowded and there was a big group having a party. The only mistake I made was taking the white house-wine and that tasted even cheaper than it was.

My favorite Thai restaurant in Europe – so far. Very recommendable. Nice interior, great staff, incredible food. My recommendation if you come for the first time: green curry with coconut rice and Chang beer.

Tasty tasty tasty!

We went on my girlfriend’s birthday, having read glowing reviews. We were lead to a tiny table downstairs. Business was brisk & the service slow.
Starters were OK but my red Thai curry was very average. My girlfriend enjoyed her king prawn course.
I’ve had far better Thai meals than this! Pretty disappointing all round.

Officially my favourite Thai restaurant. Haven't found one that matches it yet! Nicely tucked away from the high street in Oxford. It is very popular so I would advise booking. Great atmosphere and food that's worth the price.

Friends have been telling me to go here for literally years but somehow I only got around to it for my girlfriend's birthday last week. The beautiful scent of the kitchen hits you as soon as you walk in. There's great decor, friendly and efficient service and, most importantly, delicious food. We had a duck curry, a seafood curry, coconut rice, some spicy chicken salad to start, a few beers and a Thai rice banana pudding for dessert. Everything was perfectly cooked and spiced and the servings were generous too. If I'd have one criticism then it's that the dessert was a little bland and heavy, but you don't really go to Asian restaurants for the desserts, do you? A great birthday dinner and a lovely night out.

I especially appreciated how, even though it is a popular restaurant in a small nooks-and-crannies old building, they keep a respectful distance between tables and give diners space, rather than trying to cram in hundreds of people.

My only tip would be to reserve (like we did), as even on a midweek night it was full and new arrivals had to wait about thirty minutes. But they take your name and everything by the looks of things, so I'm sure you get seated pretty efficiently.

Pretty amazing thai food! Make a reservation as it is crowded. It's a neat place though. You feel like you are tucked into some Shakespearean Inn or something. I went with a group, and we all sampled each other's food. Loved everything. The Larb was to die for!

My absolute favourite restaurant in Oxford. The food is absolutely delicious, and the service is always great. I recommend the Kung Chup (battered king prawns) for starters, and the Gaeng Penang chicken for the main course, all washed down with a king sized Singa beer.

The only problem is the size of the place. It’s quite tiny, and we always seem to be left waiting on the stairs for ages before being seated.

Oh yeah, for some reason every time I’ve been there with my Dad, the food has been a bit crap. So just don’t go there with your Dad.

this place is a great find! tucked away in a small alley, make sure to book a table in advance as it gets pretty crowded, especially on weekends. the food is delicious, one of the best thai i’ve had in a while. the service was very friendly the time i visited.

Amazing
We met friends for a Saturday night meal 3 weekis ago and the food was the best I have eaten in Oxford in some time. I was not surprised it was so busy and you have to book but the food and service was the best.
This Sunday lunch this week and again the food was amazing and it is great to have such a good choice for Veggies unlike aalot of Oxfords restrurants.

Some of the best that Oxford has to offer is hidden away in its alleys and secret passages, and Chiang Mai Kitchen tops my list of secret gems. Hidden just off the high street, it looks like an old tudor building that’s probably listed like the rest of Central Oxford. The owners have somehow managed to make it feel Thai through decor that preserves much of the character of the building, yet is uniquely Thai as well.

Into this wonderful ambiance, add the attentive staff and the best Thai food in Oxford. I have high expectations of Thai food, and Chiang Mai Kitchen is the only place in Oxford that doesn’t disappoint.

Be sure to reserve a table, as it’s almost always crowded.

I was really lucky getting a table here on a Saturday night without booking - apparently normally you have to book ages in advance. Very yummy food, prompt and polite service, and a real step up from your typical Chinese/Thai restaurant. The menu’s huge, which isn’t great for a decision-phobe like me, but it means you can come back time and time again. What’s great is that there’s more variety than just the same dish with different meat; there are curries, dry dishes, very good starters, noodle dishes - the lot, but all a bit different from a typical takeaway. A word of warning though: if it has a hot symbol by it, it’s hot!!

My favourite thing is the old-fashioned lift they use to bring food upstairs. It’s a tunnel in the wall, where they pull a cable and the food comes up on a tray. Very fun to watch and it really adds a sense of tradition and authenticity to the place.

My favourite dish: Khanom Jeep £6.25:
Little rice pastry dumplings filled with water chestnuts, minced pork and spring onions. Steamed and served with a soya/garlic sauce.

Hands down, my favourite restaurant in Oxford, if not everywhere! I've been many times and never had even the slightest problem - as close to perfection as you can get.

The food is sensational - all very authentic and every dish prepared very carefully and absolutely delicious. My personal favourites are the pork dumplings and chicken spinach parcels to start, both delicious and great for sharing. I love the sizzling dishes and my favourite dish is the beef in oyster sauce, so subtle and still packed full of favour. Also a fantastic wine list, many lovely bottles and a foolproof menu that gives very accurate descriptions under each wine so you know exactly what you're getting - obviously very carefully chosen by someone who cares about it very much. I've got to mention the ice-cream - to die for! Very rich and creamy, perfect after a spicy meal - the best ice cream in Oxford. Chocolate lovers have to try their bitter chocolate, delicious!

The service is spot on - very polite, extremely efficient and happy to help. The manager does a fantastic job of keeping everything running smoothly. The best thing about non-chain restaurants is how much the staff care about making it a success, which filters down to the service.

You'll have to book a table, as it's very popular indeed. Brilliant for a romantic date, a meal out with good friends, taking your family out for a treat - anything. I recommend going for dinner rather than lunch so that you can eat plenty, as it's well worth ordering a lot! The best way to eat here is to order a lot of dishes to share, and taste a little bit of everything. None of it will disappoint!