Limes Bistro in Mid Sussex

I went for an evening meal with a friend we both had a starter and a main course, I had the tom yum seafood soup which was very nice, my friend had spring rolls which he said were also very nice. For the main course I had the monkfish curry which I thought was very bland and really only tasted of coconut, my friend had duck and said it was very tough. We did tell the waiter our thoughts which he said would pass on to the chef. We paid the bill and left a tip which reflected what we thought of the quality of the food. However on returning home I noticed that we had been charged 12 1/2% service charge on top, which I think it totally wrong! It really should be left to the discretion of the customer, if you have had a nice meal and good service then you leave a good tip if not then you might not want to leave a tip at all. I class this as theft! I thought the food was overpriced and certainly not the best thai food I have eaten and with the service charge on top, I certainly won't be returning and would not recommend.

We celebrated a birthday at Limes Restaurant with a Japanese tasting menu. While the portions were generous, the temperature of the dishes was inconsistent, and the service varied. It was a busy evening; one waiter provided excellent service, but unfortunately, another waitress seemed unsuited for her role, possibly having a bad day. Considering the cost, the overall experience didn't meet expectations. Additionally, the wines were poured without introduction, and the dishes were served without any explanation of the ingredients. Perhaps the restaurant's reputation had set my expectations too high, but unfortunately, I don't plan to return.

We have been here for a meal before and were very impressed. After finding out about the vegan feast night we were excited to attend and had high hopes for it. We were not disappointed in the slightest! The food was incredible and Limes is Definitely now our favourite Thai restaurant outside of Thailand. My non vegan girlfriend loved the vegan feast too. Local wines were also served which were also very nice. We will definitely be returning!

Brilliant Japanese feast with so many wonderful dishes to taste and different wines to go with each course. Top quality ingredients and flavours. First class, charming service from all staff. Highly recommend this for a special occasion or treat.

First visit here after the restaurant changed ownership and is now serving Thai cuisine. We were very impressed with the whole experience. Great ambience, great service and most importantly excellent food. Menu well balanced to suit all tastes and plenty of choice. We will return for sure

Restaurant was buzzing, great atmosphere. Despite being fully booked service was excellent and food was Delicious. Having just returned from South East Asia I would class the food as authentic. Superb flavours and beautifully presented. Best Thai meal we’ve had outside of Thailand

We decided to go to this place based on the reviews. First impression was good - nicely decorated, good menu, friendly waiters and nice presentation. The food let it down massively. Please note that this is a very Westernised Thai / Asian restaurant. The tuna sushi tasted like those you get in a supermarket. The prawn tempura batter was not light but similar to one used in fish & chips. The mains were better though my salmon was slightly overcooked. The flavours were ok but nothing that most of us can do at home better. The service was quite slow. With the prices they charged it’s very poor value for money, not to mention the automatic 12.5% service charge. When I mentioned my disappointment their excuse was this is ‘West Sussex’. Well if you can’t serve authentic food then don’t serve it or pretend you do.

Absolutely amazing food, flavours, customer service. I had never visited, bit wary because I’m not keen on sushi. Although I love Thai food. Took my daughter for a birthday lunch. Well I was stunned with the explosion of flavours in everything we had to eat (and I also tried a pork sushi - wonderful!! ) I would recommend this place 100%

Excellent food in a cosy and friendly atmosphere, attentive and professional waiter (Ella) who took good care of us. The green curry was fresh and tasty. The duck was a favourite for most of the family. Nice to have a little starter and a small chocolate with the bill on the house! The French rose wine was a perfect match for the food. Definitely a local favourite for all celebrations!

Very relaxed atmosphere, staff very attentive. Food was fantastic. Starters are a good size , sharing plater was very nice. Will be returning very soon. A+++

Really nice Thai food. Tasted really nice and the bill was very reasonable. All the familiar dishes plus some nice specials

I hadn't been to the Limes for a while and was delighted to return to find the same quality of food and service. I was with friends and we all enjoyed our lunch, great menu with plenty of variety for a light lunch or something more substantial, lovely service too. Thank you, will definitely be back.

I've had many disappointing Thai meals in the UK. However, thankfully our meal at Limes will not be included with them. Excellent and generous starters. The platter in particular. The mains were all excellent also. A rich and full flavoured Penang. A beautifully cooked sea bass. And a well balanced Pad Thai (too many I've had are too sweet). Portions are very generous. Service was attentive and friendly Highly recommended Thai

They love their food. I love their food. Just to fill the space to make sure TA is able to print this review. Their description of the way they cooked curry completely sold it to us. Then we learnt we should have had the duck. We’re going back

We have been going to the Limes Kitchen for about 2 years and have always enjoyed the great food. The staff are very helpful and friendly. It's always busy and has a lively atmosphere.

We went there for dinner with family. We booked in advance as we were a big group. We ran little bit late and received a call from restaurant to confirm if we were attending. We said we will be there shortly. However., we were told off by the lady saying next time can we call them to let them know re delays! I thought they must be busy. We reached there and saw it was not busy at all for a weeknight. To my surprise, when we were greeting and given a table the waitress again reminded us the we were LATE and should have called. I felt like leaving the restaurant but I didn’t do so due to curtesy and kids were quite hungry. I was utterly disgusted by the rude behaviour and experience we had. The food was ok but the experience ruined it for us. I was not happy to tip this service. We spent around £200 on bill. I don’t think I will be back to this restaurant for any meal again.

We went for the Japanese feast night. Excellent value & lovely food & wine to match! ……………………………………………………………………………..

Mike our waiter was lovely, very efficient and the food was absolutely perfect at a great price! It was very nice to just go out for breakfast and it hit the spot!

Authentic, absolutely delicious and wish I could eat here every day. We've visited so many times and its consistently wonderful. The food speaks for itself and the staff are the 🍒 on top. Just wish my belly was big enough to try everything at once

So brilliant. Incredible food and brilliant service. Cannot believe I haven’t been before. So many vegan options. Will definitely be going again.

Excellent meal as always and very friendly staff. The dining experience is always great in The Limes

We went to the vegan gluten free banquet last week and once again, did not disappoint. This place is one of our favourites. The staff really know what they're doing, know all the dishes and are really personable and friendly; The restaurant is small with a lovely feel; But I have left the best til last... the food is out of this world and with every mouthful we're oohing and arhing. I can't rate them highly enough and strongly recommend this place!!

This was absolutely the best Thai food I have ever eaten and definitely one of the top restaurants I have been to. The food is fantastic….the Thai chef creates dishes that are on another level. Her enthusiasm for what she does is beyond anything you could imagine. We recently visited for a birthday and had the best evening. Trying different dishes was a delight. Limes is a must……put it on your restaurant list !

If you’re as serious about good food as I am, you want to eat at a place where the kitchen staff are knowledgeable about what they’re doing, of course. But more important, you want a restaurant where everyone, chefs and servers alike, cares deeply about the food they serve, and displays a real dedication to getting things right. Yesterday a colleague and I had lunch at a small restaurant called Limes in the high street at Lindfield, not far from Haywards Heath in East Sussex. Bit out of the way, but don’t let that deter you. Limes is the purest embodiment of the advice the Michelin Guide reserves for the very best: vaut le voyage. Well worth the trip. The chef, herself a native of Thailand, prepares everything from scratch, on the premises. No bottled sauces or tinned ingredients. No matter what we ordered, each dish was the fullest possible expression of itself. I have never eaten a better meal at any price in London, or New York, or Paris. And the prices at Limes can only be described as modest. We had a feast of a meal, with several glasses of wine, for a mere £59. The experience was so extraordinary, I had to restrain myself from leaving a tip of equal size. Highly recommended, do go.

Great food choice and very helpful efficient staff. Quality but not excessively expensive. The amuse-bouche was a nice touch. Some dishes are hot so take care ordering?

Delicious food. Very helpful staff. We had a two year old with us and had no problems. My massaman was very tasty and the chicken was very tender.

We set out for an 11 course tasting menu on the Thai feast night. It started off very well with (albeit with VERY small servings of wine on the meal “flight”) but the appetisers and starters seemed nice. Really hated the mackerel with noodles dish - so overbearingly salty and fishy, it wasn’t nice to eat at all. Then came the mains and they were so underwhelming - duck salad with two shavings of duck per person, the salad part the very same as had been served earlier in the evening. Chicken wings (yes, they were plump and juicy but tasted just a bit garlicky, nothing special) and then how they could call this curry is beyond me… it was a broth with a few floating cabbage leaves. We already had a lovely hot and sour soup in the starter dishes… so to take something tempered down as dish water colour-wise with a few insipid vegetables floating around… it was hardly a main course. As a group of four we said the experience was average and given the question, would we return? The answer was no. Then we asked for the bill, only to see they’d whacked on a hefty 12.5% service charge. We’d already figured £55 per head was expensive-ish for the night but that little sting in the tail we thought really took the P. The service was fine but we would have left a generous tip had it not been for the invoicing of it on the bill. And nor did it say discretionary. Bottom line, let the diners judge you accordingly. A £30 tip for many so-so courses wasn’t appropriate or justifiable.

Our first time here and we'll definitely come back! Amazing food and a really friendly atmosphere. I'd like to try lunch next time.

Warm and friendly arrival. Made to feel special. Knowledgable about the menu items and guided us in selecting some lunch options. The food was excellent, ingredients fresh, and the portion sizes were great. A really lovely atmosphere. “You get what you pay for”. Will definitely be back! Thank you Stefan for looking after us.

Come here regularly - lovely food and friendly, attentive staff. Cannot recommend enough. The different genres for breakfast, lunch and dinner are all done extremely well.

Took my friend here for a birthday lunch. Paid top prices for two exceptionally tiny meals, that wouldn't have fed a sparrow. I had a massaman curry, it was a chicken thigh , all skin and bone, 2 pieces of potatato and not much else. My friend had a green curry, which was all sauce and not much else. We had 2 glasses of wine, the bill was a whopping £41.63. NEVER AGAIN. It was our first time here and our last. We came out still hungry and went for a coffee and cake to fill up.

Excellent food ( incredible flavours), friendly staff and very good service, very good selection of drinks, good decor but a little too warm.

We live in Lindfield and have been to the restaurant many times, usually the experience is 7/10. The food is usually very good , the service also good, as you would expect for a restaurant charging a top end price ( by local standards). Tonight changed that. The service was chaotic ( too few staff) . We had a table of 8 and main courses were spread sporadically. I was left with the remaining dish, which bore no resemblance to what I ordered. The waitress who brought the meal, but did not take the order, on 5 occasions told me I was wrong, despite at least 3 of the table wondering if they had the right dish. Mine was tasteless, and eventually, and reluctantly, they agreed to change it. 10 minutes later a replacement dish arrived. I ordered mine with chilli. As though to teach me not to complain and inedibly chilli hot arrived ( I eat vindaloo). At which point I left my card and departed. No words exchanged. I don’t blame the inexperienced person serving. The owner hides in the corner staring at his laptop the entire evening. Always has done. At no time did he decide to speak with me and resolve any issue. We certainly won’t be returning

We enjoyed Limes Thai monthly Japanese set menu experience. What a surprise! The food was incredible, wine pairings were spot on so interesting and the service friendly and efficient. The decor is modern with gentle lighting that complements the coat atmosphere. It’s not that big which also lends to the ambience. I highly recommend this for a small group of friends or a date night!

Outstanding. Holy Snail Sauv Blac Fru Kolsch Prawn Temp Salmon avo tobiko roll Chicken katsu Lemongrass Creme brulee Alfogato Toro de Piedra Late Harvest £70 including service Brilliant front of house Fantastic chef Lovely dining hall

Had a really lovely veggie meal with sesame and tofu--nicely spiced, good service. The mango pannacotta dessert is wonderful. Service always good.

I was invited with friends to the vegan tasting night at The Limes and it was absolutely delicious! There were lots of different courses, all paired with excellent wines. The flavours were authentic Thai and I absolutely loved every dish; with the added bonus that...

Awhile since we visited Limes but it certainly won’t be long before we visit again. Family from USA and me a local, could not believe the presentation and quality of the food. Every item of food stimulated the taste buds! The service was quick and...

The most amazing authentic Thai food in Sussex served by two very friendly gents always willing to help!

Absolutely supebr meal and fantastic service Honestly could not fault. Great wine at reasonable prices.. Well done.Limes

We had a very nice meal. Our meal choices were chicken PadThai which was delicious! My husband had the chicken green curry equally very tasty. Would highly recommend this restaurant for the quality of the food and presentation was excellent! Atmosphere was ok, but some...

Amazing evening here. The thai food was devious. Service was great and the food was very tasty with generous portion sizes! Would recommend going.

A little gem in a lovely village. Excellent food and service in a very well presented venue. Faultless. The Morris Men outside the local pub was definitely a Brucie bonus 🤣.

Had a lovely lunch with my wife, the food was excellent and the gentleman who served us was very friendly and knowledgeable.

Thoroughly recommended. Great staff and superb food. Seafood both starter was especially tasty and the duck main course was excellent

We loved their Thai dishes, fresh ingredients good quality and authentic Thai food. We will be back soon.

Stingy tiny soft drinks (slammed down on the table), grumpy hostess seemed like she hated us. Food was nice

Loved trying new dishes! Second time we’ve been. The staff are incredibly attentive and amazing. The food was delicious.

Visited with friends for their ‘Japanese Feast’, a themed tasting menu. It really was not great, bordering on bad. The appetisers were OK, as were some of the starters. As we went through the courses the food became increasingly average, culminating in a dessert which...

We ate in on a quiet Wednesday evening after a recommendation from a friend who lives locally. Thai is our favourite food and we were delighted with our meal. My husband had the Chicken Penang which was excellent (nice and spicy) and I had a...

Our third, maybe fourth visit. Limes never fails to deliver on exquisite food. So tasty and the food portions are generous. Stef, the waiter, who’s worked here a long time is excellent. Thank you.

Had lunch with a friend a couple of weeks ago and the experience was pretty underwhelming. The service was good enough but the food was so average and definitely needs more thought - who’s ever heard of bland Thai? The food should be bursting with...

Absolutely delicious food, served quickly and really fresh tasting. Staff were friendly and welcoming and the restaurant had a nice atmosphere. Even the decaf coffee had a decent flavour which is rare in restaurants these days. We were pleasantly surprised when the bill arrived as...

Visited last night for my mums birthday and it was very disappointing. The service was terrible - had to wait ages to even be offered drinks. Staff didn’t really have much knowledge of the drinks available (and many weren’t available) The food was poor with...

As a Lindfield resident I have ordered several home deliveries from the Limes, all have been excellent and delivered at the agreed time . I therefore arranged to have dinner with my wife and another couple in the restaurant. It was a disaster, it took...

We had lunch here recently. The service was friendly and attentive. We ordered sushi starters, the portion sizes were very small. Two tiny pieces of salmon on top of rice, the sushi rolls were also smaller than I’ve had at other Thai restaurants and did...

Had a marvellous full English breakfast. Extremely tasty and not overcooked or greasy. Service prompt and pleasant without being intrusive. Brilliant start to the day

Absolutely blown away by how amazing/authentic the food was at Limes. Very last minute lunch with a friend, we are both massive ‘foodies’!, and wanted a light meal. Could not fault a thing, from the Holy Snail French Sauvignon to the delicious prawn/crab gyozas to...

What a wonderful find. Pre theatre meal so needed to be on time finishing. The waitress was so pleasant and professional nothing was a problem. Timing, spice level in each part of the meal, WiFi help etc etc. The Cher delivered our meal and checked...

I brought my father here for a celebratory dinner and we had a wonderful evening! Although we are quite indecisive our server was ever so accommodating and recommended a myriad of dishes, with wines to match; after a mouth watering ‘amuse bouche’ we received the...

our food for 4 was absolutely delicious. We'll deffo be going back. Ignore the tiny minority of poor reviews, if anybody leaves a poor review they must be the opposition.

We had a wonderful evening meal. The food was amazing. Really fresh and beautifully presented. Service was excellent and the staff knowledgeable and friendly. Will definitely be going back this a real gem.

Really super food, excellent service, generous portions and a good selection of veggie & vegan options. Can’t wait to return and try some different options!

We decided to try the Limes last week and we were really disappointed. Loads to choose from on the menu, but everything we had was mediocre. We started with crab and prawn gyoza and pork belly , the gyozas were over cooked and dry and...

So 1st time here and I'd like to start with that I don't leave many good reviews 😂 but let me tell you this place is amazing, from the start we had a great welcoming, the staff are extremely good at dealing with different types...

This was a first visit . Fabulous welcome . I’d taken my 94 year old mum for her birthday and two glasses of bubbly were produced on the house . Our server was excellent and explained the menu and advised us superbly . We chose...

Dont understand what went wrong on the night of our first visit, but we had very high expectations of experiencing authentic Thai spices and very flavoursome food. We had no.budget so chose 3 courses including the special steak at over £90 for 2. The vegetables...

Excellent lunch for four of us. Two had the salmon teriyaki, two had the katsu curry with chicken - superb flavours. Good deserts too!! Cosy resturant, great service although virtually every table was in use. Very popular venue, quite rightly so!

Exceptional and authentic Thai food. Kind and attentive staff. Overall, a fantastic experience. Easily the best restaurant in the area.

We thought we would revisit Limes with our Granddaughter as a celebration of her Graduation, our Granddaughter does not like to spicy food but was certainly surprised of the flavours and quality of her chosen meal and indeed it was perfect, not to hot but...

We were at the Ardingly antiques fair and staying overnight in Lingfield and happened to come across The Limes, food was excellent, service really good, nothing really to fault.

We used to love coming here for lunch but were very disappointed on our last visit. The food used to be subtly spiced; our favourite was the massaman curry. This time there was so much chilli in it that we found it inedible. I hope...

We wanted a quick meal, and found that Limes offer a take away service, that you book on line. It is possibly the simplest on line booking I have ever used! Very easy to follow, and the conformation email came through in seconds. The collection...

We moved to Lindfield 2 years ago and finally got around to visiting Limes, wow now we know what we had been missing, absolutely the best Thai meal we have ever had. The Atmosphere was cosy and special, the service was beyond belief, and the...

We visited Limes Thai restaurant last night for the first time. Service was excellent from the start and we all enjoyed the prawn crackers and mixed starter sharing platters. The lamb shank main course was delicious with the meat so tender it just fell off...

Our first time in this restaurant and indeed Lindfield and so pleased we visited. Our friendly and attentive waiter gave us great advice on the menu and we opted for a mixture of sushi, snacks and salad. Just wow! Incredible flavours and beautiful presentation. Would...

Small unit, small menu - and not likely to be anything you've ever had before! The presentation is immaculate and the food is very high quality, though portion sizes are not that large and prices slightly on the high side.

We were taken to this restaurant by friends as we hadn't been there before and my only regret is that we've only just discovered it! The staff were very friendly and helpful and the food was absolutely delicious including a tasty Thai appetiser with the...

Stunning authentic Thai food with friendly service. I had the Tom yum with seafood and Penang chicken curry and both were a flavour sensation. My partner had dumplings and pad Thai which was equally delicious. Would definitely recommend a visit!

Perfectly cooked and spiced food, lovely atmosphere. Friendly service The Aubergine, chilli, garlic & crispy basil was an amazing dish in a great selection Will definitely be back

A very extensive menu with great service. The food was excellent and well balanced. All the courses were presented well and the total experience was excellent. Prices are very reasonable and service not rushed.

The best - and most beautifully presented - Thai food Ive had outside Thailand ever…!! Brilliant! Just sort out the service!

We've had a few delicious takeaways from The Limes over the last year or so but dining in was such a treat. Super service, fab food and all Covid compliance rules observed. Thank you 😊

First of all I have to shout out to Stefan! He saw in the diary that one of our party (me) has a coconut allergy, he printed off a menu and ticked every dish I could safely have and crossed off every dish I couldnt,...

Friendly welcome, delicious food, inventive menu, knowledgeable staff, attentive service, all in all a perfect evening. Highly recommended

Enjoyed takeaway meal. Generous portions of well cooked food. Definitely better than the average takeaway offering!

I opted for the Eggs Benedict (but with bacon rather than ham). Absolutely delicious- so flavoursome, bacon was slightly charred & hollandaise was beautiful. Staff were so accommodating & friendly. Just fantastic, thank you!

Very nice takeaway, delivered on time. Good range of veggie options! Food was delicious but sadly nearly cold on arrival. Will definitely try again though as lots of delicious options on the menu!

We had a take away last night and it was amazing! The food was incredible and came piping hot, would definitely go there again! The staff were also really attentive and lovely!

Just finished, it was awful, even with 15% off not worth half of that. Had 4 prawns in nasi goren, had more heads than prawns. Stodgy! Duck curry not good. M & S meal for 2 much more tasty! Won’t be going back. Sorry, trying...

Exceptional takeaway, best Thai we’ve had! Absolutely made our lockdown birthday that much more special. Shared sticky pork, panang, masaman, green curry and panko katsu, all delicious and big portions! Will definitely order again, thank you!

Ordered a pre-Christmas takeaway: Avocado and tofu sushi rolls, hot rice soup and yaki soba. ALL absolutely delicious and top restaurant quality. Very good value, very friendly staff - as I went to collect it - and probably the best takeaway I've ever had! THANK...

Can’t believe we’ve waited this long. The food was sensational, the delivery turned up early which was even better. We will be back. 5*****

Have just had a wonderful takeaway meal from The Limes . Very impressed with the meal , and such large portions ! Excellent value for money .

Last time we ordored we were blown away, unfortunately this time the beef was tough, and noodles very salty in the ‘drunken noodles’ On a whole, everything was not up to the usual standard this time.

As someone who is very picky about Thai food, been to Thailand, and has close friends from Thailand, I was forever spoiled back home in the U.S. with incredible Thai cuisine... and it’s been a struggle finding good authentic Thai food in England since I’ve moved here. My partner and I decided to try Limes for my pre-birthday dinner since lockdown prevents us doing anything else, and we are so glad we took the chance! Before placing our order online, I called to ask about my food allergies, and the gentleman on the phone was wonderful and helpful. Ordering online was super easy and effortless. Love their schedule ahead option and comment section to help with dietary requests!I ordered gluten-free vegan pad thai with tofu, and my partner got pork drunken noodles. He loved his dish and said it was the best Thai he’s had. I loved my dish as well! It’s a different style of pad thai than what I’ve had in my travels, but it was delicious and had all the right Thai flavor notes.Food arrived warm and fresh. Portions are plenty. We loved our order so much that we ordered again for two days from now because of their current 15% off discount for a Monday order! We also can’t wait until we can go in restaurant after lockdown and hope for a more expanded menu. Please offer pad see-ew! :)

This has to be the best take away we have eaten. It felt like restaurant quality. We had beef skewers and thai fish cakes to start and then sticky pork and chicken katsu curry for main. The food was so tasty and very reasonably priced. Highly recommended eating here. We will not order Thai from anyone else now

We had a delivery. The positives- we booked a time slot and it arrived on time. The red curry was tasty. The negatives- I paid £3 (yes that is no typo!) for prawn crackers and they were not in the bag. The prawn toast had sweated in the box and was soggy. The chicken wing satay were boney with little meat and there were only 3. The beef skewers were bland, as if they had missed the teriyaki sauce entirely. The Masamman curry was a chicken leg rather than pieces of meat which was so messy to eat and tasted like a chicken stew. Not like any I have ever had, certainly not in that delicious almost creamy sauce it should have. Blindfolded I could not have told you that anything apart from the red curry was from a Thai restaurant. Would not recommend or return.

Quite simply the Best Vegan Thai food I have ever tasted. Add the delicious wine “ The Holy Snail” making this eating experience just fantastic. Can’t wait to go again as soon as this Lockdown ends. What a treat 😁

I went on a recommendation from a friend that there was a good sushi menu. I like Limes, I wanted it to be nice.I ordered the spicy tuna roll which the waiter said was very good. But it wasn't sushi - it was tinned Tuna in a roll. It was utterly disgusting. They didn't ask me how my meal was and in my British way I didn't say, but I'd not have paid for it given the option. Really disappointing. They are nice people, the rest was fine, not remarkable, but serving tinned tuna and claiming it's sushi is not on.