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Giggling Squid Tunbridge Wells

Good to know

Average Price
££££ - £30 - £49
Cuisines
Thai
Eat at Home
Home delivery, Takeaway service
Ambience
Fun, Quirky
Special Features
Vegan options, Vegetarian options
Food Hygiene Rating

About

Located in the quaint town of Tunbridge Wells, the Giggling Squid offers up authentic Thai food at a reasonable price. The mostly modern setting is complimented by the quirky nautical touches and bright pops of colour, making for a great environment to enjoy a casual dinner or quick tapas lunch.

Featuring all the Thai classics we know and love, such as green and red curries, pad Thai and salt and pepper squid, go for something in your comfort zone. Or push the boat out a little bit and try something different. The chubby cheek pork or chilli and basil gra pao are good contenders. If you really can’t stray from the classics though, the Khwae River curry and roti is a blend of red and green curry with a Thai roti to mop it up – a tasty compromise on going for your regular order.

The good thing about Thai food is that for many dishes, once you have the curry base down, you can interchange the types of meat and fish to match you tastes. When you order a curry, choose between chicken, beef, prawns or veg. You’ll never get bored.

To finish off your Thai feast, go for something sweet. The dessert menu features British-inspired desserts such as the prosecco and muddled berry cheesecake, melting heart chocolate dessert and ice cream. If you do want to keep things authentic throughout your meal, the Giggling Squid has added Thai flavours to classic desserts. For example, you can try the caramelised mango cake, coconut pudding with berry compote or lychee ice cream.

Whether you are visiting for a catch up with friends, an intimate date, or family dinner, the Giggling Squid caters to every Thai craving you may be having.  

Location

57 Calverley Road, Tunbridge Wells, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2UY

01892 545499 01892 545499

Website

Opening Times

All day
Mon 12:00-22:00
Tue 12:00-22:00
Wed 12:00-22:00
Thu 12:00-22:00
Fri 12:00-22:00
Sat 12:00-22:00
Sun 12:00-21:30

Reviews

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1 Review 
Food/Drink
Service
Atmosphere
Value

Ian M

10 July 2014  
Food & Drink 4.5
Service 5
Atmosphere 3.5
Value 4.5
by Ian Manley OK, I admit it. I got lost again. Not as bad as the summer I decided to spend eight weeks cycling from Brighton to the south of France and ended up in Belfast, but lost all the same. I was given directions by my wife, her of the perfect internal sat nav, but ended up walking directly away from the restaurant on the so-called hottest day of the year. It was easy to spot them as I wandered – the tribes of workers on their lunch break, clutching a bag of shop-bought sarnies and looking for a place in the sun to sit and scoff. I turned around and made my way to the Giggling Squid, envying them their al fresco plans. I arrived hot and flustered and slightly annoyed at sitting inside on a day like this, but that soon changed as I walked into the cool, calming environment where I was quickly shown to a table and offered a drink. Luckily George, my dining companion, was late (although not luckily for him, a parking ticket was to blame) giving me time to take everything in. I always think that restaurants are better at night – the customers are louder and dressier, the lighting is less harsh and the general buzz of expectation adds that final twist of seasoning to the experience. But for a lunchtime visit this place had it about right, with enough Thai-inspired décor to give it a theme, but not enough for it to feel like a theme park. The menu was well thumbed, which I took to be a good sign, and I was initially overwhelmed by the number of dishes on offer for a lunch sitting. Then I remembered that the Giggling Squid is a Thai Tapas restaurant – with the option of ‘one big dish’ if you prefer. We stuck with the tapas, and here follows my tip for ordering, based on my own downfall: think more about how the dishes will work with each other rather than plumping for all of your favourites. With 16 options on the self-pick list, it was very easy to get carried away, and I did! And it’s not as if I had to – as well as the pick’n’mix approach you could opt for one of the set tapas groupings, which offer four perfectly complementing dishes. But no, I was the proverbial kid in the sweetshop and went for Lamb Massaman Curry, Spring Rolls and Tom Yum Chicken while George took a more balanced approach with Salt and Pepper Squid, Seared Scallop with Spicy Lime Dressing and Thai Dumplings. Now we’re both hearty eaters, but this combo of six dishes (with a bowl of rice each) was more than enough for a mid-day meal. The curry contained good, generous chunks of meat and my first taste had me instantly planning a return trip for a full ‘big dish’ serving. The spring rolls were complemented with a decent dip and while the Tom Yum didn’t sit that well next to the curry (my fault entirely) and was not as spicy as I usually like, it was still worth ordering. I have to say I was less impressed with the dumplings, which didn’t really give me anything back other than their integral calories, but I think they would have worked better with a different dish combo. However, the scallop was cooked perfectly and the squid was spot on, with a beautifully seasoned, light batter. If I’ve got one criticism of the menu it’s that some of the dishes available as part of the Tapas Set aren’t available on the pick’n’mix menu. So if you wanted red chicken curry, you’d have to choose the Starving Squid tapas set, or have it as a main meal. But one thing I was particularly pleased about was the allergy labeling. Coeliac disease is in our family and working out which dishes are gluten free can be difficult – but not here. While the evening menu seems to offer more gluten free options, there’s still enough choice at lunchtime for those who need to be careful about what they eat. Perhaps because of the beautiful weather the restaurant wasn’t that busy, so service was super fast, but carried out in a way that made me feel this was the norm, not the exception. While we whiled away the afternoon over a couple of beers and some good chat, I clocked a table of six office workers come in, have a relaxed meal, pay and leave all within 47 minutes – perfect timing for a working lunch, and one that I’m sure didn’t cost them too much more than their colleagues’ al fresco, shop-bought sarnie experience. • Giggling Squid, 57 Calverly Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 2UY. 01892 545499 Lunchtime meal for two, excluding drinks and dessert: £23 Kitchen open 12-4, 6-10.45 (9.45 on Sundays). Takeaway menu available online at gigglingsquid.com www.ianmanley.co.uk @ianmanley
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01892 545499 01892 545499

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