Patara: London

A late arrival in London last evening left me at myhotel (no pun intended) famished. I stumbled down the road to a gem of a restaurant called Patara. With locations in South Kensington, Knightsbridge, Oxford Circus and Soho, the self-proclaimed Fine Thai Cuisine is no mystery to locals (not to mention award winning locations in Bangkok, Singapore, Switzerland and Taiwan). The atmosphere, while nice despite a loud-and-unhappy couple next to me, was Zen-like and perfect after a long day of travel. The menu offered everything from braised New Zealand lamb in curry to more traditional seafood dishes, like the one I had, a crispy whole sea bass served with lemon-grass tamarind sauce. Patara is best described as a poor mans Hakkasan, and is definitely a nice addition to the section of my rolodex titled perfectly acceptable, easy to get into Thai restaurants worldwide.