Smoking Goat

Smoking Goat was a hit when it first opened in Soho in 2014, hence the larger Shoreditch sibling that soon followed. The original site has closed its doors since, but the Shoreditch restaurant remains as popular as ever. The 100-cover space boasts an open kitchen and a bar, and diners can either sit at the counter or on large canteen-style tables to enjoy the affordable Thai barbecue small plates and seafood on offer.

On the seafood side, the short menu features the likes of steamed oysters with roasted chilli and fried shallots, while the barbecue offering is cooked in huge charcoal and wood-burning pots. Carnivores can choose from dishes such as Northern Thai style lamb laab, grilled beef with lemongrass and chilli salad, and smoked five spice chicken, while those looking to dine meat-free can look forward to the likes of stir-fried Cornish greens with soy, smoked aubergine salad with chilli and egg, and ‘Som Tum’ of green papaya, heritage carrot and chilli. If you’re craving something sweet afterwards, try the one dessert on the menu: coconut ice cream, plantain, lime and condensed milk.

All dishes are made with super-fresh ingredients, which are supplied locally. Grower Sean O’Neil supplies Thai and Chinese herbs and vegetables, while Thai Tana supplies fish sauce direct from Bangkok. Rare-breed animals are bred and aged by Phillip Warren Farmers and native day boat seafood is delivered daily from Kernow Sashimi and Pesky Fish.

To drink, there are a few wines by-the-glass, a decent selection cocktails, pale ales and softs. Most of the tables at Smoking Goat are kept unreserved for walk-ins, but lunch reservations can be made for parties of up to 10, and dinner reservations can be made for groups of between six and 10 guests. Table of eight or more are required to dine from one of the restaurant’s three feast menus, which start at £25 per person.

Found on the corner of Shoreditch High Street and Redchurch Street, Smoking Goat is an achingly on-trend Thai restaurant and bar with a menu of mettle-testing spiced plates, innovative cocktails, and cult-commanding chicken wings. Inspired by the late-night bars of Bangkok, founders Ben Chapman and Brian Hannon have devised the menus at Smoking Goat according to ‘Aharn Glam Lao’: a fiery, stimulating, social style of cuisine that roughly translates to drinking food.

The Smoking Goat menu features punchy, spicy dishes that demand an ice-cold beer or calming cocktail for maximum enjoyment. The menu begins with a range of smaller plates not to be overlooked. This is where you might find the viral fish sauce chilli wings, revered for their heady aroma and sweet spicy coating, along with nahm prik pao mussels, and ‘ceviche’ trout belly and herbs.

You could easily stop there, particularly if you get distracted by a list of quirkily named cocktails like the Maggot Brain blend of rye whiskey, chilli, and Bangladeshi lime; or the Most Things Haven’t Worked out coconut rum, Thai basil and lime cocktail. Further down the menu, you’ll find a range of aromatic vegetable plates, glazed and grilled meats and fragrant salads ideal for sharing. Picture Massaman smoked short ribs, moo hong braised belly, and nahm d’tok smoked aubergine with egg.

The excitement of the restaurants, however, goes far beyond the silky sauces and tickling spices – Smoking Goat hisses with a frenetic symphony emanating from almost every corner. It’s the kind of place that feels alive, with chatter and laughter from every table and a hum of activity behind the bar. And if that’s not enough, try and nab a seat at the counter to spectate as chefs expertly tame torrents of wok flames and skillfully navigate wood grills in the open kitchen.