I echo Ms Mole on this one - went to this place for something a bit different and was impressed with the food. Very genuine thai fare, and my mate (who runs the Depot restaurant in Barnes - very classy) was quite happy too. We chose the cheap and cheerful set menu A for 2 at £7.95 each, which consisted of mixed starters and then green chicken curry, a beef dish and a spiced vegetable dish with some glutinous rice. A very satisfying meal for a very cheap price given that this is Richmond! Highly recommended

They have a website too - http://www.shaftesburyarms.com

If you were just driving past the Shaftesbury Arms you'd think it was just a local boozer. Walking in as well you'd be right, as at week-ends a large number of older Richmond locals tend to meet here to watch the big screen games. However, venture a bit further inside and you'll find a fantastic Thai restaurant (well at least on Monday to Saturday).

There's a Thai supermarket a few yards away on "Richmond Circus" and apparently the restaurant cooks also provide frozen curries for the supermarket.

My friends and I had a delicious set meal (£9.95 for a minimum of two people - although three of us had were eating and there was stacks of it).

The traditional starters, satay, fish cakes and spring rolls are what you would expect, but we had a delicious chili fish dish that I could have happily dined on for the rest of my life. The fish was melt in the mouth texture with a piquant chili sauce that didn't blow the roof of your mouth off. The chicken red curry was creamy, fragrant and had all the right ingredients of kaffir lime leaves, baby kaffir limes themselves and lemongrass.

The only downer for me was that they don't serve any Thai beer there and that you have to order your drinks from the bar.

Otherwise highly recommended for a great Thai meal without having to venture into the busy Saturday night crowd in the main drag of Richmond.