Chaba Thai in Vale of White Horse

If you’ve ever been in Thailand you will know that what they serve in Chaba Thai restaurant is not really a Thai food. Thai food is tasty and full of flavour, on the other hand food in Chaba Thai is bland, spice less and pathetic. Service is not any better.The only good thing is that we got a table upstairs. Grumpy and rude waitress (with the dark hair) didn’t smile once.She looked at us like we are inconvenience. Waste of money and precious time.

We stayed in Abingdon for one night and found this little gem. Food was amazing and authentic. Very very tasty, took me right back to Thailand. We throughly enjoyed our meal here and the staff were very friendly and attentive. Thank you for a lovely evening.

They set the standard and expectations for the night by trying to rip us off soon as they started to take our order. If on the menu you have wine served by glass - 175ml/250ml , you shouldn’t blatantly lie to people that you “don’t have a small glass”. So you are trying to tell me that you cannot pour 175 ml in the wine glass, but you can pour 250ml ?! For every wine on the menu that is served by glass gentleman replied that it’s not possible to serve 175ml, 250 only, although 175ml was clearly on the menu. When questioned about the house wine on the other side of the menu with exactly the same thing 175/250, gentleman replied that one is possible to serve 175ml ?! Wine that was brought to us was exactly the same we originally wanted to order just under the name “house wine”?! Gentleman obviously wanted to rip us off but run of out of excuses when we asked for the house wine. Weird experience. We noticed that we were treated differently in comparison to local people who are obviously frequent customers. People who arrived after us received their food quicker than us. Lady member of the staff at the reception was unwelcoming and unfriendly. That is not the way you are treating paying customers. Both members of the staff mentioned in this review were working upstairs. It was our first and obviously last time in this restaurant. Avoid. EDIT: Restaurant’s reply proves my point: Avoid. I know what I saw on the menu.Gentlemen wasn’t right, because wines I am talking about were clearly served by glass too, with both prices listed, price for 175 ml and price for 250ml, otherwise we wouldn’t try to order them. That is what is on the menu.I am repeating, gentleman said: these wines are served only 250ml. I know very well what I’ve been told and what I saw. Again, I don’t know how lady treats others, but she was unwelcoming and unfriendly with us.When someone smile at you- you smile back, when someone say :Hi, you say:Hi, that’s common courtesy. Instead she gave us the look soon as we got in,when she brought the starters she slammed them on the table. Which is even worse if she actually owns the place. I am not sure what else you want me to provide to you via email that is not already written here. EDIT2 : To avoid going back in circles, I will repeat again, read carefully: 1. Wine menu : prices listed are per glass 175 ml/ 250 ml and a bottle - when we wanted to order 175ml, gentleman insisted that we can order ONLY 250ml and that restaurant “doesn’t have 175ml”. On the WINE LIST besides prices for the bottle, you have prices per GLASS 175 ml and 250 ml too and that wasn’t house wine . Surely we wouldn’t order glass if is listed as a bottle only ,right?! When we challenged him and asked him “what about house wine” he responded that ONLY house wine could be served as a glass 175 ml, but all other wines are 250 ml only?! Which of course doesn’t make any sense. That’s the whole story.Correct the menu if you don’t want to serve 175ml but don’t lie that you cannot serve 175 ml but you can serve 250ml in the same glass. That’s the end of story.We are not going back to this restaurant anyway, we just want to warn others to don’t make the same mistake.

Great food for a good price. We will come back as it is very good for lunch.

Our first visit. As we walked-in I was a little taken aback as it had a confused feel of trying to be a restaurant whilst seemingly cafe like. The waiter asked us to sit by the counter but we preferred the window seat. Odd. Most restaurants want you to sit by the window to show that they are full. I found ordering from the menu by numbers inconsistent with the Thai experience. We accepted it. The service was attentive and humble and the food very tasty. I was a little sceptical that the quarter of duck was a quarter but I let it go. Overall, a good experience with some small things that are easily improved.

No. 1 Thai food place! Around once a month me and my family order from chaba Thai and it’s always lovely food!! The Thai green curry is 10/10 (22) and my daughter loves the beef noodles (70). 100% recommend.

Pretty inaccessible to get. Not only is the food expensive but the delivery is way overcharged. They basically force you to spend £50. Not good if you’re a single person looking for delivery.

Good food at reasonable price. This Thai restaurant is clearly run by those from Thai heritage and the food reflects that. We had prawn crackers and sweet chilli dip. Veg spring rolls and duck with pancakes for starters. I had prawn red curry, himself had chicken and cashew nuts, we also had veg egg fried rice and chips. Plus a beer and house red wine. The bill was £71 (without the tip we added). The restaurant was clean and service prompt. Our only (small) dissatisfaction was that it felt we were close to another table and it felt a little awkward - as the restaurant wasn’t yet full and we were conscious of potentially having our conversation overheard. 4.5 overall 🙂

Had a meal tonight with friends we’ve been many times and normally have had a lovely meal. But tonight it was awful service was quick felt very rushed it was getting busy. We had booked so no excuse. Ordered our starters which came and was very nice. Ordered our main when it came the order was wrong we had a extra beef dish I didn’t get my chicken dish then was told it would be 10 minutes or so to come which meant everyone would of finished. The meals we got weren’t the best the noodles were all stuck together in a lump. The chicken dish looked awful very fatty skin on the meat not the breast looked more like cheap cuts of chicken . The rice had been microwaved a few times. When we asked for the bill nothing was taken off we did question them but they only took £3 off which in my eyes is an insult. We won’t be coming back. Very disappointed in the meal and service.

Convenient location at the Abingdon city centre with car park and bus stop nearby. Good food.

Let me start by the service! It was amazing! I felt so welcome when I stepped in. The food and layout was very well managed and the food didn't take long to serve. Plus, the food was delicious. A few years back I came here for Christmas and fair day and ever since we have came back here. Atmosphere is calm and amazing to have friends with you! Overall, 5/5!

We had their all you can eat offer the food is amazing first time I eat in their first floor we were on our own we had such a nice time and the whole team is great thank you

Great food amazing team our food came quite quickly and it was really succulent we will definitely come back . The food is homemade and i think it's a family business

Food was lovely but a let down with the service being so slow despite preordering via email. Atmosphere was very cosy. I loved the flower tea and strawberry bubble tea. I ordered the quorn “chicken” stir fried with ginger and #66. Khao Pad Gratiem. Both didn’t disappoint, a lot of flavours and nicely presented. I also had the fried banana with ice cream and it was really delicious - the perfect crunchiness and paired well with the ice cream. I definitely recommend visiting but hope the service timings can be improved.

Food was nice but portions very small for the price. My wife had a single prawn in her Pad Thai !!! One prawn!!!! Wouldn't visit again, very overpriced for what you get given. Make the portions bigger, or drop the prices. This was a normal full priced meal, not some 'all you can eat' deal, which makes it even worse. In response to the owner's reply, we came on Thursday evening & sat downstairs. Be serious - you expect customers to point out to the waiting staff (it was a man, not a lady, and he was very nice) when you skimp on ingredients??

Green curry, pork dumpling, muscles and spring rolls are high recommended.

Came here for the first time last night and will definitely return. The food was excellent value for money and each dish was served with care.

Chinese adapted to Thai. Average experience

Excellent food 😋 👌 well worth a visit.

It was really delicious. However, we were left feeling a little short changed by the king prawn penang in our takeaway which was half the size of the chicken green curry and contained only 6 prawns.

Love the sweetness of Thai food compared to Chinese food. A perfect blend of coconut and spices. The usual variety of oriental dishes, served with a good welcome and care.

Absolutely the best Thai restaurant I have ever been to .. brilliant !!

Really helpful and attentive staff and lovely food with a good view of the main high street. Would definitely recommend and support a family run local business.

Had a lunchtime meal, fantastic! Great service and friendly staff.

Always amazing food here and usually exceptional service… however on my latest visit I felt almost avoided. This has never been the case on my many previous trips to Chaba Thai and I generally enjoy the atmosphere and service they provide. Every dish here is exceptional.

The only Thai place in town as Hugomango's is pretty much a takeaway these days. Food was a bit bland (chicken satay or red duck curry for example without any kick at all) and the sticky rice was so dry that it must have been prepared hours before and reheated. On he positive side average sized portions (for us at least) and friendly service. OK every few months but nowhere near as good as places like Chiang Mai kitchen or Giggling Squid in Oxford , never mind real Thai food from Oli's (sadly gone) or from Thailand itself (of which I've got very fond memories).

Food was tasty, we ordered half a duck but it must’ve been a very small duck. Also the noodles were very greasy, honestly I would not go back.

Today, my son 16 years old came alone to the restaurant for break fasting (iftar). He ordered some food and 1st came out only tom yum soup. The main course took about 50 minute to served. My son very upset and dissapointed. He heard some other people came after him ordered food and got served first. I feel sorry for my son and kept him monitor by phone. Who ate alone for his break fasting after about 13 hours fasting. Just wonder, he being ignored because he is minor and alone???

Had lunch here today, very good, authentic sauces and flavours. Lovely atmosphere and polite staff. Food arrived without a long wait.

The food was actually quite good. We ordered a variety of starters and mains. The main issue is that the portions are very small compared to other Thai restaurants I’ve been to. I left the restaurant still feeling hungry which is very unusual. The pad Thai had ONLY 2 prawns in there (yes it was so obvious) and literally 4 small strips of chicken. If you have a small stomach and can look past the portion sizes then that’s fine. My partner had the jungle curry. The beef was very small. Unfortunately this made the experience not worth it.

We were a little put off by how the place was decorated but i have to say, was one of the best meals we have had. A little bit stingy on the portion sizes but you didn’t get the bloating ! Highly recommend!

Very rude staff. We were welcomed well to begin with. Upon ordering food, when explcity told there was only one vegetarian we got food for 3 people and the waitress looked totally upset as food got wasted. She wouldn’t let us order mains until we finish our starters. This was an awkward moment and my friend asked for the bill and that’s when she offered to take the menu down for mains. There was no sorry for the behaviour and no explanation either. Food was good and so was the ambience but the attitude of the restaurant staff was very poor and off-putting. They could perhaps do well with a change in their staff. ...........................................….…........................................ In response to the restaurant owners reply! Thank you for a prompt response. If only you could have displayed some last evening. Alas! Perhaps, next time! You could always keep wishing… good luck!

Whilst the food we had on a busy Saturday night was quite tasty, the portion sizes were far too small and when you factor in the price it wasn't great value for money. This was a-la-carte rather than the midweek buffet. The photos in the menu weren't an actual representation of the portions for the dishes we had. The prawn toasts were half the standard size for £8, the dumplings were tiny for £8 (the photo in the menu shows them filling a steamer but the serving itself had tiny dumplings almost hidden behind a sauce pot!), the soup, though tasty, was smaller than expected, as was the massaman curry. The pad kee mao was a bigger portion but this time let down by overcooked beef and no chilli heat. Looking round the dining room I saw a few questionable looks from fellow diners when their smaller than expected dishes arrived so we didn't feel like it was just us! We had been looking forward to eating here for a while as it is always busy. We'll try the buffet at some point and hope for a better experience but for now we are disappointed by our visit to Chaba Thai.

Amazing food. Really friendly. A little bit slow but they were busy. Will return!

Food was amazing. Service was great. Decor lively. Owners cute and adorable. Please take Amex next time 😁

The food was excellent and served quickly. A varied menu is a valuable including set options. Takeaways are also available from here.

Don't go thinking you will have the buffet if you're a solo diner as its minimum two people - was very disappointed! Shame really

Friendly service and great food.

The food was nice, standard Thai fare. Portions are good, but not overly filling. The staff were a bit hit & miss with most of them very friendly and polite, one however very much didn't want to be there and we got a grunt from them. The price was quite reasonable too.

Lovely food, lovely staff, I highly recommend you give it a try

The waitress wasn’t happy on the evening we visited! Face like thunder and being rude to everyone! We arrived and she said have you made a booking, we said no and she pointed to a table and said sit there!! My partner and I just looked at each other! In the downstairs part of the restaurant, it was this lady and a lovely male waiter whom we just hoped he would deal with us! Mostly he did (thankfully). The evening went on and everyone who walked thro the door without a booking got the same treatment … sit there! She went to take the order and no hello or greeting just ‘ready or not’ came out of her mouth! The food was ok but this lady totally spoilt the atmosphere. All the diners were looking at each other raising eye brows! We heard her moaning that she wanted the night off but wasn’t allowed! I suggest to the manager if she wants a night off for the success of your business, let her have it! We were glad to get out of there and won’t be returning. Horrible stressful experience!

Went for my daughters birthday,,the host were very friendly,,although it was busy, everything just seemed to flow,,definitely be going back 😋

Take away available, booking recommended. Excellent thai food and nothing too much trouble with personal service. Had 3 courses it was so good.

Great Thai food, reliably good.

Excellent food, they have an all you can eat option, but the menu if full of nice food and very filling.

Delicious food 😋. Generous portions. Reasonable prices. Cosy. Fast friendly service.

I took my wife here for her birthday because Thai food is her favourite meal. I'd (foolishly) read the Trip advisor reviews ahead of the meal and they were a little uncomplimentary of late.. But I ignored them. Turned out it was utter tosh...the meal, experience, ambiance, service and facilities were spot on. We absolutely loved it. People are so quick to criticise, but we need to be more proactive in the praise. This restaurant is really good....don't be swayed. Thank you Chaba Thai.

Lovely authentic thai food, very tasty

Loved the food. The staff were brilliant. Great price.

Always a great experience. Food never disappoints and the service is excellent. Fairly priced too.

Quality and portion sizes, not what it was food was very bland. 2 half pints £8.50. Unfortunately, I won’t be going again .

Food is very good. Starter portions are lovely but very small thus becoming expensive for what they are. Mains are very tasty and value for money.

Came away feeling really disappointed after spending £55 for 2 starters 2 mains and 2 drinks. £4.50 for a tea bag in a pot. 4.50 for small bowl of rice (probably 20p’s worth) Pad Thai is my go to in a Thai restaurant this was the worst I had, cheap soggy noodles, hardly any chicken all for 13.30. The other meal was a couple of pieces of duck in sauce for 13.50 with no rice. Went to the Thai restaurant in Oxford the next day much better food for half the price. I never write reviews and I understand the cost of living crisis but £55 is borderline ripoff

Great place to eat, fab food and great service. Will be going again and again.

Had a take away from Chaba Thai after unable to get a sit in booking due to them being busy. We have eaten here before and very pleased however, on this occasion very disappointed. The mixed starters and soups were good, I wouldn't say they were one of the best we have had, but they were fine. We had Red Beef, Yellow and Green Chicken curries and these were of very little Chicken or Beef content and what there was had a poor, cheap, stale, chewy texture to them and most of this remained uneaten and consigned to the bin. This happens BUT this takeaway meal was just under £80 for three people, which was basically a rip-off and therefore reflected in the review.

Horrible argumentative waitress greasy spring rolls no substance to food yuk

First time visiting this place. Food and service very average. However the ambience and state of the place was terrible. Bright lighting. Cramped. The trip to the toilets was interesting. You venture up a dirty old staircase past a bar/kitchen/takeaway ! Clutter everywhere. The toilet was dilapidated. Shut my eyes to blur the experience. There was a mop and broom in the corner which fell over and blocked the door. I had to try and move them to get out without risking touching them. A tricky procedure. This place should not be classed as a restaurant but a takeaway with a few tables available. I am shocked by the reviews already on trip advisor as they portray a different experience.

Fantastic food, brilliant service, and very relaxed venue

The pad Thai noodles I ordered were half cooked. The soup was good. Quite place at the corner.

We have been coming to this restaurant for as long as I can remember. There are so many good restaurants in the Oxfordshire region, but we regularly return to Chaba Thai because quite simply it is our favourite. Thai food is our favourite and this is the very best one we have found. Added to that, the owners are just lovely people and the staff are always cheery and welcoming. The only fault with this place is that I cannot find one (fault!).

Was yummy, really enjoyed the food! Had a pleasant dining experience :)

We had the set menu. We love everything we tried. One great point is that you can eat as much as you wish to. However, if you do not finish the food you order, they will charge you for the unfinished dish separately. Great way to stop food wasters, greedy people. 🙏👏 The waiters (Wave and another lady) were so welcoming and lovely. This was our first time but we will definitely be coming back frequently after today.

Not the best tom yum I’ve ever eaten, but decent. Staff is very friendly

We Had a lovely two course meal and the service was excellent.Thank you

Took half an hour to get drink then another half an hour to get food. Seafood was overcooked and chicken not cooked well and my friend found hair in her food. It was a busy night I get it, but worst service I have ever experienced. Go ANYWHERE else.

Yes! Despite the efforts of your three Thai cooks, the food did not have a genuine taste. Yes! I agree with you that we didn't order the drinks. But you should know that we asked for the glass to take the water from the bottle placed on the table. If you want your consumers to drink the water right from the bottle, then that is perfectly OK. When it came time to place the order, we had made our selections of products quite thoroughly. When we saw that there was no bowl of rice accompanying the red curry, we asked for it to be added. Typically, red curry is given alongside a bowl of rice at Thai restaurants. Regarding the English language, I believe that in order to place an order, one does not need to take a specialised English speaking course. Many thanks for providing such amusing justifications!!!

Normally love this restaurant but went last week for one of their “ banquet “ meals and were extremely disappointed. The menu was very limited compared to the normal menu, and the portions were small. We asked for 1 extra starter when we had finished ours, and that was fine with them. We then ordered the duck and pancakes which came very small. When finished, we asked for another portion. They were not pleased but it turned up, equally as small.a portion, but very tasty. For main course we ordered three dishes , a half portion of noodles and some rice. They said we had ordered a lot of food and would be charged full menu prices if we left any, which we already had been told. At the Parasol restaurant the attitude is completely different. They actually invite you to have more, and it comes with a smile. Chiba Thai, you let yourselves down this time.

The best place in Abingdon I’ve tried so far- Massaman curry was beautiful as was the sticky mango rice. Great and fast service will definitely be returning!!

Food and service alway excellent. Visit on a regular basis and would be happy to recommend to anyone looking for Thai food. It is always busy when we visit which is a good sign but the service is still excellent and prompt.

Chaba Thai has become one of our favourite places to eat in Abingdon. Tonight we were celebrating our wedding anniversary. We ate from the all you can eat menu, which is cooked to order for the number of people at the table. You can have starters,soups, possibly salads? and main dishes. You can keep ordering from each course until you decide to move on, but can't go back once you have. So, make sure you've had enough tempura prawns before you do! The food is always incredible and not over priced. The staff are very polite, friendly and accommodating. We ate in the downstairs restaurant area and I love the eclectic, travel based decorations/photos/maps. It is very clean and the staff are quick to clean tables and clear dishes. I would however recommend a shall or cardigan if wearing something sleeveless or thin. They have a fantastic aircon unit which is lovely when the restaurant is full but if you are there later in the evening, the number of people in the room tends to decrease and it becomes a little chilly. As that is the only negative I can think of, and I'm already looking forward to my next visit/takeaway, it goes without saying that, I highly recommend this restaurant. I have done to many people in the past, who have all be very happy I did.

Spent an enjoyable evening at this popular Thai restaurant. Many people were choosing the eat-as-much-as-you-like menu for about £21, but I think that works better in a large group, giving you the opportunity to experience a variety of tastes. We chose starters and mains from the A la Carte menu. I understand the food to be authentically Thai, but it is accessible to British diners, with pictures showing what the dishes look like. You are not expected to use chopsticks, though of course you can if you like. Pleasant atmosphere and good service. Would come again.

No doubt very tasty food, nice restaurant but customer service is rubbish. Food is served without smile, staff body language is like dead person, sound like not happy to serve.

Fantastic food and great service.

Fantastic food! They have a super deal for an "all you can eat" Monday to Wednesday and it did not disappoint. Speedy service and good hot food, the Massaman curry was excellent. I would advise booking as it it not a large restaurant and clearly popular.

Response to the most ridiculous and rude response I got from owners, no wonder this place gets lots of 1 star reviews. No I didn't have covid and nor did my girlfriend. Your response to my review shows you have zero customer service skills and dont care about what people think about you. I suggest if anyone reads this avoid this place like the plague. Go to Hugomango a bit further up the road where you will be treated with great customer service and the best proper thai food in Oxfordshire. Ahh once again this owner finds it impossible to to actually apologise. The potatoes were not the bad bit it was the fact that it didnt taste of anything we had to add a salt. I'm an ex chef and it was awful I do know the difference. Instead of blaming everything on something else take some responsibility for your own bland food and also stop arguing with previous customers it's not a good look. Yes I am a customer of Hugomango because their food is exceptional and they treat customers with respect. I'm not the only one star review and also several complaints of your rudeness. Shocking to say the least! Yes I think anyone reading this will see the owners inability to apologise and take some criticism. That in any business is not how to treat customers. A simple apology and a promise of better experience next time would have been advisable. To actually accuse me of having covid-19 something that killed 100,000 of people and millions globally shows your lack care and also contempt for anyone that tries to be honest about your food. Shameful response.

It's all about the £21.99 buffet!!! Great choice and tasty food.

Excellent range of tasty food and presentation, friendly staff plus air-con.

The food was lovely, though portions small. Staff were friendly however, on a Wednesday evening there is an offer for £22 - unlimited dishes cooked to order. As single diner I was told I didn’t qualify for the offer. Subsequently I paid more for much less food - which seems incredibly unfair is a discrimination against single diners.

Ordered a delivery when friends came. Never used Chaba Thai before but was most impressed with the level of service and quality of food. Arrived within 40 mins on a Saturday Night and we all considered it excellent value for money

Eat as much as you like is superb value and quality. staff are amazing

Worst thai food I've had. Asked for no fish sauce for the vegetarian dishes. This was met with no reply and an unfriendly look. Dishes tasted and smelt extremely fishy.

Delicious food , great service. Monday too Wednesday has all you can eat per person £22.

A nice place with reasonable quality food. We went for the buffet food option which they do Mon-Wed. The buffet has some strange rules so read the fine print on the menu so you don’t get caught out, eg must order as a group, everyone must have buffet, can’t order starters once you’ve had soup!

I have visited chabba a few times and have always had a good meal. However last night was poor. From entering and being shouted at my a female staff member about our booking, to like warm overpriced food. The green curry which we always have was inedible as too hot, I lived in Thailand for 2 years and am used to spicy Thai food. Will not be returning

Its a bit odd providing a review when i haven't eaten anything but that will come later. Just booked the place for next week to celebrate wife's bday. I am hoping all goes well and cant wait to enjoy the buffet :).

Had all you could eat, did really nice, price good. Service lovely. Nice little low cost restaurant with lovely food

Restaurant was very busy on a Monday night. We had no reservation but they made wife and I welcome. Food was very good, but service was excellent, quick, efficient and friendly. Recommended and we will visit again.

I often have a take away from these guys but recently the portions have become half the size and the curries a bit watery. Hope they realise that and improve their dishes again.

Good service in a fairly busy Tuesday lunchtime. Food was tasty, hot and, according to my chef son, pretty authentic. Flavoursome and decent sized portions from the fixed price 2 course menu.

Cracking little place with fantastic service. Food was full of flavour, pretty close to authentic Thai food. I will definitely be back.

Enjoyed a family dinner for 6. Atmosphere was good, service very attentive and the food great quality. Highly recommend.

We hadn’t booked but we’re a little surprised at the somewhat curt welcome, not at all what we have come to expect in Thai restaurants. However that was soon forgotten as the food was fabulous and reasonably priced.

Went for a meal on a Saturday night, didn't book ahead but managed to get a table. The restaurant lacked atmosphere and the food was good but not great. The beef in the jungle curry was a little chewy, both our curries had really runny...

We visited on friday evening and not v busy. We had prawn crackers..overpriced at over £2 as most good restaurants offer them as complimentary. I had mussels to start..v chewy and gritty, small portion of 6. Main meal prawn penang insignificant and so mild almost...

Definitely very close to what you can get in Thailand but the staff's service is very selective. I said multiple Thank you when one senior lady came to serve the food, but she never said you are welcome or thanks even 0.5 time! They seem...

Best Thai food I've had outside of Thailand 🇹🇭

Small portions, not many ingredients, pricey. I guess it must pass muster for the drunken Brits that frequent here and the Sois, but their taste is somewhat suspect at best. Yummy Thai in Wantage far superior

Ate here at lunch and took advantage of a lunch special consisting of a starter + main for 11.99. Service was great and the food tasted fresh. Nice spot.

Very good food and frendly staff

We had a meal here with friends. The food was excellent as was the service, staff were very attentive. We ordered a selection of starters and had main course, all fresh and very tasty, all cooked to order. Would definitely recommend.