Thai Chef in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

Great food and service, will definitely go back again.

We have been coming here for a few years while visiting for a holiday. I decided to write a review given the mixed reviews and scoring this lovely place has. We visited midweek out of school holiday times and the restaurant was full. We enjoyed the most lovely meal that isn’t expensive and also helps as you can take your own drinks with you. Give it a whirl while in Hayle.

We visited this restaurant twice now in the two weeks that we've been on our holiday can't recommend this restaurant enough, food was A1 as was service will definitely come back next year.

Have been visiting the Thai Chef for many years and although not an authentic Thai restaurant more of a Thai cafe the food has been ok but nothing to write home about. The quality of the food has been going down over the years whilst the prices have been going up. They must up their game and start offering more authentic Thai food if they are to survive. I can see this restruant closing if they don't. Most dishes seem to be oyster sauce infusions and the pad thai lacking basic ingredients. The curry dishes aren't really curries. More watery soups. A finger bowl should be offered with the chicken wing and spare rib starters. It can get rather messy when eating these dishes. The staff are and always have been friendly as you would expect. It would be such a shame if they did close. They need a visit from The Hotel/Restruant Inspector.

One star food hygiene rating don’t take the risk like we did stomach ache

One star food hygiene rating avoid like the plague.

One star food hygiene rating awful practice.

Took wife here for our date night rarely get a night away due to flipping kids😂😂 Food was amazing highly recommend all day everyday. Staff are friendly. 10/10

Cash only but there is a cash point just up the road. Unlicensed but I actually preferred taking our own drinks & not being charged £30 for a £5 bottle of plonk! We had medley of starters which were all delicious & generous portions. We each chose individual main meals & everybody cleared their plates. You can choose a level of chilli ‘heat’ for the curries. This was my first visit but will not be my last. The food was brilliant- lovely authentic, fresh & tasty flavours and not swimming in oil like some.

Was passing by Hayle and decided to order some take away …The order was curry and some steam rice,reached home to find steam rice missing called the restaurant he just said eat with something else and hung up the phone …

I’d seen some of the bad reviews but thought surely if I keep it simple it can’t be that bad, wrong it is that bad . There are 2 Thai women cooking in the kitchen that look the part but what there churning out is just disgusting, they can’t cook and are using cheap cuts of meat plenty of it but it’s all just nasty . My husband ate some of the starters as he was hungry , the ribs were disgusting, the spring rolls cold and his soup he left ,it was that bad , no flavour and old mushrooms . When the mains came, the pad Thai was just a massive plate of guey mess it had this disgusting chicken broth off the rank chicken infused with it , no herbs or anything Thai, the fried rice was just boiled rice mixed with some pink sauce and lots of prawns , I wasn’t going there trying the prawns or the chicken and my husband agreed and we called the owner over and just said we were leaving and not paying for the main courses and that was that we left.

AVOID . ! i got really bad food poisoning from here which ruined our first day on holiday .

Bring your own alcohol, cash only, if you don’t like that then go elsewhere, food was great, one of the starters was so huge it would have fed 10 of us 🤣 loved it, very authentic & fabulous staff.

Amazing, the food first of all was very nice the spice was nice but very spicy, the waitress was very nice and helping us to what to eat as some of my family is vegetarian,she told us what the best places to go to the beach were. Really do

It was a good experience, good food, and great service. The waitress was really amazing and was more than willing to help. The food is spicy but you can ask them to go easy and they will bring the chilly flakes out if you need.

Excellent food with a friendly service.

Went hoping for a nice Thai meal. Greeted with the words cash only. So had to go and find a cash point. Decor of a lorry drivers cafe and in reading the menu - no alcoholic drinks. Decided to get a takeaway instead. To our surprise, the food was very good.

This is not Thai food 🤮🤮 genuinely the worst food I’ve ever eaten, we ordered chicken green Thai curry that was white in colour and so bland 🤮, 2x chicken penang which was red water and absolutely tasteless 🤮 they don’t serve Thai Jasmin rice ??, we also ordered the chicken satay (massive long hair attached) which was the weirdest taste I’ve ever had served with a white sauce ???, if there had been a genuine review we wouldn’t of ordered from here, if your looking for authentic thai food please avoid at all costs. £40+ on the worst food I’ve ever ordered and such a waste of money as we didn’t eat any of it

Waitress more interested in friends on other table, sarcastic and unhelpful. Food was questionable, more like a Chinese takeaway (and not a great one either)

I’ve eaten Thai food in England, and I’ve eaten Thai food in Thailand! But this was not Thai food !! I’m not sure what it was I was given,but let’s just say I wish I had read the reviews before I ordered.. friendly staff but the worst food I’ve ever been served, it got as far as the car outside and went straight back .. NOT CURRY And I’m always careful of leaving a bad review but this place needs one

Disappointed with the food, not the best quality would not return. Ribs were satisfactory along with other starter’s Mains were poor Be aware cash only

As always, the meal was excellent. The menu was quite extensive, with a choice of meals or vegetarian with each basic dish. The food is freshly cooked andvery tasty. We have visited many times in the past and hope to visit many times in the future.

Won't be going back, worse I have ever had. Staff is friendly, get a new chef

Excellent evening meal, as always!!

Jason Front of House Brilliant very intentive and great host Amazing family run restaurant Food top quality amazing quality and choice 👌

Fantastic night out with quality and vast amounts of food. Highly recommend the ribs and green curry. The staff and chef were fun and the meal was amazing value. Already looking forward to our next visit

Absolutely spot on. Delicious food, generous portions and brilliant service. Can't fault it.

Food was ok, nothing special. Still ridiculously only taking cash payments.... they do take cheques..... I've not had a cheque book for about 10 years. About time they come into the 21st century.

The staff here were nice, the restaurant was clean and tidy, the food was prepared quickly. I would say it tasted slightly bland but it was in no way bad, the prices were really good, I will visit again.

Freshly cooked however the spicing is very bland.

Little choice on the menu but food served is Excellent.

We were lucky enough to discover this place when away for a few days. The service was good and the food delicious If you are looking for authentic well cooked Thai food try this place.

Ordered takeaway from here a while ago now. It was fine but sorry to say not particularly flavoursome and a little watery. Very friendly staff.

Had an excellent meal food plentiful and well cooked and presented Jason front of house was very obliging. And made sure everything was to our liking. Would highly recommend . If lived nearer ( on holiday ) we would be regular customers . Many thanks 😊

Friendly service, food came out fast and all tasted delicious. Our favourite Thai restaurant, we’ve never had a bad one. Would definitely recommend

I've had takeaway several times and its always been good. However, yesterday the food was disgusting! Padthai Beef was so tough I wouldn't even feed it to my dogs! Egg Fried Rice wasn't fully cooked as I chewed on some hard pieces! As I left, I realized they forgot my Prawn Crackers! I will never return!!!

Friendly, cosy, nice food and plenty of it.

We just had a second meal in this week there.Staff very friendly and with amazing smiles,nothing is a problem. Great very tasty food and realy large portions. Worth every penny you spend.We will definitely come back again and again.

Living in Hayle, I have always forgotten about Thai Chef and the option of going here for food. What a mistake that’s been after visiting last night! Food was absolutely spot on, starters cooked beautifully and the mains offering plenty of flavour. To make it even better, the service was 5*. Definitely a hidden gem in Hayle and would certainly recommend visiting.

We were greeted by Jason who immediately made us aware it was a cash only unlicensed restaurant. However, there is a cash machine opposite and an off licence a short distance away. The food was served quickly. I would not say it was the most authentic Thai food we’ve tasted but it was reasonable. Jason is a very lively character who added a lot of humour to our meal. The meal was great value!

Had a great evening at the Thai Chef last night. Food , waiter, lovely ladies cooking were fab. Looking forward to my Birthday party their party of 25 ladies their soon 🎉🤞.

My friend and I went there during our holiday in Cornwall. We did not enjoy the food at all. We ordered the deep fried king prawns and deep fried vegetables as starter. The king prawns were good. But the vegetables were terrible. They were basically small pieces of vegetables covered in 80% of batter. At the end we felt like we were just eating batter, not the vegetables. Neither starters tasted like Thai. For mains we ordered prawn Pad Thai and a stir fried with pork and some vegetable steamed rice. The pork was white and looked like chicken and didn't taste nice. The rice seemed like it's been left for a long time because the vegetables have discolored a little. The pad Thai was not too bad but too sweet. Overall we don't think we would go back again. For Thai food enthusiasts we wouldn't recommend this place.

Service is good, staff are friendly, food came out quick. If you want an adequate meal, this will do. Ran by Thai which is great, but no chef among them. Quality of Thai food was poor. 1. Meat was tough because it was precooked and reheated to order. It really doesn’t take 5minutes to flash-fry sliced meat, so I’m not sure why would anyone want to save time through precooking. 2. Curry was watery and lack proper Thai flavours (galangal ginger, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cloves, tamarind paste). Suggest to spend a few hours to make a proper curry base, build the depth of flavours, then use that at each order.

Not authentic Thai food, no Thai basil or traditional Thai flavors used...

Great meal! Quick and efficient service. Generous portions.. Highly recommend.

Amazing authentic food. And friendly staff. Had a good time.

Great food just bring your own booz and they only take cash (atm on opposite side of the street)the portions are very big and the staff are very helpfull.

Always friendly and lovely food

Our first night where to eat clocked this restaurant opposite where we were staying. It's a cash-only bring your own alcohol venue, good thing there was a cash point opposite. The owner was very helpful on advise on activities to do. The food was lovely and very filling as we had a starter and main course. Happy to recommend

Ok. But absolutely NOT a great Thai. Food average but substantial thus the third star.

Excellent meal, very authentic and cooked to perfection. The service was fantastic and even included free all you can take humour!!😁 will be back on a regular basis, thanks for a lovely evening! Steve and Marie

Great food, friendly service, will definetly return....still feeling full!!

We went to the Thai Chef last night and it was as authentic as it gets. We ended up with an improbable red curry that we took home and ate tonight....it was outstanding. In my opinion don't waste your time with places like the Talay Thai in St Ives. Bland, mass produced food with no soul and over priced. Go for somewhere with a true Thai kitchen that knows what they are doing. You will not be disappointed

Great, friendly service and lovely food. They’re not licensed and don’t take cards but cheerfully directed us to the nearby off license. We had prawn pad Thai and veg khoa pad, both excellent. Would recommend .

I am and a Chef and my wife is Thai. Does not mean we are an authority on Thai food, though it means we eat and cook a lot of Thai food. This place should be ashamed of themselves, they use there own countries good reputation of food to attract customers , than give you absolute rubbish. Beyond poor, a million miles away from Thai food, or even just good cookery done with care and pride. We were on Holiday, staying in Hayle, we were feeling lazy to go St Ives so decided against our usual better judgment of avoiding places like this , and gave it a go. Complete waste of money . Pad Thai was rice noodles with Tomato ketchup ( I'm not joking) pre cooked rubbery ,poor quality chicken. No nuts, lime, or any garnish. Tom yum, has visible old mushrooms and an old flavour (the kind of been in the fridge for 4 days old) Complete joke. Only open as tourists give it a go, as any local who still has the use of there tongue and nose would never return.

I had the worst takeaway I've ever eaten from here. So many things were wrong with it that I would end up writing an essay if I went into details, so I'll just stick to the highlights. Pork dishes: meat was like leather. Chicken satay kebabs: so dry and with a taste that rendered them inedible. Chicken toast: flaccid and oily. Chicken wings / ribs: overcooked and tasteless, but just about edible. Crispy spiced duck: neither crispy nor with any discernible taste. Crackers: very good. Ended up throwing most of it away. Save yourself the pain - don't go here

We had a lovely takeaway from The Thai Chef. The portions were very generous. Starters were delicious as was the curry and pad Thai.

Really hope the owners do something about the poor quality of food. I don’t think it can be described as Thai, not something I’d enjoy if my friend cooked it for me, let alone to pay for it. I hate to leave a bad review but this was really really bad.

Great value Thai food. Rainy Cornwall evening where only food options were takeaway or outdoors, we chose to pick up some food here. The food was produced quickly and was fresh. I watched them cook it whilst talking to the manager. I’m the kind of person who loves watching people cook! The portions were very generous. The fish cakes were very authentic. The Pad Thai had good flavour. Both I’d like a bit spicier but that’s just me. The satay was lovely, though the peanut sauce was pale. Tasted nice though. No complaints. We are both very full abs satisfied.

Just had devine food from here, juicy chicken, authentic tasty dishes. Great value, we don't often splash out on a takeaway so were a little disappointed when a dish was forgotten. However, I phoned & the dish was brought to my home 3 miles from the restaurant with complimentary items & a refund offered...amazing service, they really went the extra mile.

Whilst staying in the area we had a friend visit one evening and decided on a take away. I wish we would have read the reviews on here before making our decision to chose this take away which we didn’t.The staff were very friendly however the food we ordered (3 x starters, 1 x soup and 3 x mains) was so disappointing. All dishes tasted the same and the tempura dishes were heavy and akin to a yorkshire pudding with a tiny bit of carrot or onion inside. No light and crispy batter here nor taste of a squeeze of lime or an authentic thai ingredient in sight. Such a disappointment and utter waste of money. I would take the advice from a fellow reviewer who suggested that a Blue Dragon meal from your local supermarket would most probably be better and save you cash and the disappointing experience.Sorry to leave such a negative review, particularly as the staff were pleasant however this place needs to change. Surely they cannot be tasting the food which is being produced?

Unfortunately very disappointing. Extremely bland and basic food. If we hadn’t have had a 20 min trip to pick the takeaway up we would have sent this back.

Perhaps I’m accustomed to higher quality meals but this was quite honestly disgusting. The Phad Thai was absolutely tasteless, no lime or nuts as I would expect with it. The Red Curry was so unbelievably spicy that I couldn’t even eat it-the sauce watery. The chicken satay was edible but had no real Thai seasoning with the peanut sauce being boring.Such a shame because the staff were friendly. Don’t waste your money going here unless you’re happy to settle for something below par.

Very good quality food. Loved it.

All the years we have used this Thai we have never, yes never, had a disappointing meal. We have usually stuck with our favourite Menu C for two and it always provides a satisfying meal, with plenty of variety, and enough left over for a decent lunch the next day.The chicken wings are especially good and the prawn toasts are very good if you crisp them up in the oven at home.Service is always cheerful and friendly and take-aways can be prepared for a specific time.

Had a lovely meal at the Thai tonight plenty of food great service would recommend good vibes 🙂 great value for money take your own alcohol is also a bonus

No trip to Cornwall is ever complete without a trip to the Thai Chef. Been coming here since the early 90s and the food has always been beautiful. Prices are good and lack of drinks licence means you can eat well, enjoy a good night out and it won't break the bank.

Went there with partner and two friends last night. Crispy prawns in batter were limp. Friends complained that their PadThai had an odd flavour. My rice dish with prawns was weirdly sweet with large lumps of raw carrot, onion and pepper. Did not enjoy the meal. Will stick to The Thai in Town in Camborne in future!

A bit dry but tasty. Very clean inside.

Just eaten a Thai fixed menu from Thai Kitchen and what a good experience too. Great food and generous portions too. Will be eating from there again.

Very good food and bring your own wine ! Very nice staff

Never had a Thai meal quite so bad. The meat was obviously frozen, tough as old boots and had a nasty tang. The sauces were watery and not tasty.

Came to this place thinking that I would get a half-decent authentic meal, did not really enjoy anything. I wouldnt waste your time to be honest, none of my family even finished half of their food... Portion sizes were big to compensate for the simplistic taste and effort put into basic Thai food dishes. Im doing you a favour, a blue Dragon ready mix special from tescos would be a better bet than putting yourself through utter disappointment.

Great little place food good and very generous portions. They don't have an alcohol licence so it is bring your own but they don't charge a fee or corkage to do so. Very good value we have a starter for 2 and two mains with rice and it was £30 which is pretty decent.

Love the food, amazing starters & great main dishes, highly recommended!

Lovely food, freshly prepared and very generous portions.

Dreadful food. Vile service. The only negative review I’ve ever given! Never ever ever again. My friends and I were treated poorly. Couldn’t be bothered to explain the menu. Food was tasteless and the worst Thai food we’ve ever had.

I've eaten here so many times and never had a bad meal. It's simple but the food is so so good. I will be eating there many more times in the future.

.....and didn't apologise and weren't prepared to redress us.We have had takeaway from there a couple of times before and the food has been passable, however when I called about our incorrect order the man was quite short with me, asked me to come and collect the missing order (we live miles away), didn't even apologise and said he couldn't do a refund onto my card as they 'don't do plastic'.Terrible customer service, a very average meal. We won't be going back.

Took my Thai family here this evening and had a wonderful evening and some great food. Friendly staff, and reasonably priced. There is no license for alcohol but they were happy for us to take our own. It’s a small place so booking would be advised. We were very happy with the service and the food was excellent.

Good value, delicious food. Huge portion of fishcakes (starter). Really lovely folks! Thank you very much.

Food was delicious ,the waitress got our order wrong giving us a red curry instead of a green one ,she was adamant that we ordered the red ,decided it was not worth spoiling our eve arguing about it and actually the red curry was just as tasty as the green .resturant was busy but we didnt have to wait to long for food to come out .would recommend .

Amazing food and service would highly recommend.

Absolutely lovely staff, service and food, well worth a visit, nice atmosphere but you have to bring your own wine

I hate to give a bad review to what appears to be a small family run business, however this was a truly awful meal. Battered and tempura items were coated in a substance that was more akin to toad in the hole then a light Asian batter. Main courses had none of the subtlety and nuances of Asian flavours and frankly did not look appetising. That said the chart staff were charming and helpful. Get a new chef and we can try again.

Authentic Thai food with authentic Thai chefs. The whole fish is super fresh and super delicious. The curry is proper rich and creamy. Many thanks to the chefs and team x

Fantastic meal . Very friendly staff . Will be going again ..

Recently had a couple of takeaways which were great and was impressed l was able to vary one of the dishes, restaurant was always very full with a nice atmosphere

Visited this week and had a takeaway. Not knowing what we fancied we had a set meal for £12.50 each.

We did eat here about 10 years ago and it was lovely, fresh food and authentic taste. However we were looking forward to having a takeaway from here and experiencing the same tastes. We ordered one of their set meals and was surprised to hear that it was ready for collection in about 20 mins. We had to order prawn crackers separately and they were our first taste and were good. The next dish we tasted was the chicken wings which were tasteless and nothing special along with the ribs which were fatty and non eventful. We found the chicken on skewers hidden under the minced pork bread ( their take on prawn toast), they were a floppy price of spongy fat which we were able to squeeze the fat out of. The chicken skewers were dry and tasteless. We hesitated to continue to the other dishes but finished off our starters with the crispy duck in wraps, oh what a surprise ...dry chewy duck of sorts even the salad accompanying it was horrid. The green curry with chicken again didn’t surprise, dry chicken with coconut milk and a few beans thrown in for good luck. Needless to say the other dishes had a spoon dipped in in the hope that there was a dish that saved the day but unfortunately it just got worse. We saw no attempt and producing any edible food here. It was a disgrace. If we weren’t as tired and not had that glass of wine to drown our dissatisfaction then I would have driven straight back, chucked the takeaway back at them and demanded our money back. Never ever again. I have never in my life tasted such poor quality food.

Lush food, fab staff. Definately will come again

We ordered a takeaway. Every dish was hot, despite the 20 min drive home. Large wholesome portions. I loved the chicken satay, it had so much flavour. Prices are great. The staff were super friendly and professional, checking the receipt and order multiple times before it was handed to me. We will be back. The restaurant was busy, which is a good sign.

This bistro provides very good food and good service at a realistic price. All food is freshly cooked by the Thai owner. Bringing your own wine/beer makes this bistro even more reasonable.

Brilliant waitress and yummy starters but didn't eat my main and chicken very rough. Enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and very childfriendly in their approach but no high chairs or baby changing. Sorry it wasn't a better score.

Very good food Wetres are very friendly Testy food I will go again

Friendly sevice, good thai kitchen and worth the money. We will come back again on our next trip to cornwall.

Don't go to this place at all costs if you genuinely enjoy the taste and experience of Thai food.

Recommended as top Thai restaurant in the area...turned up and no one around to show us to a table, so we take a seat anyway for a table of 4...there is only 2 of us. We finally get seen too with menus and abruptly got asked to move to a 2 seater table, after telling the woman we were comfortable in our seats she slammed the menus at the side of the table and walked away with a face on her which was not welcoming and made me feel very uncomfortable. There were only one other table in the entire restaurant, so there was no problem in us choosing where to sit to eat. We ended up sitting there with no attentiveness from any member of staff despite being walked passed numerous times, sat waiting for 25 minutes and not even a drink order was made, so walked out! That is not how you approach your customers to make them feel welcome and want to spend money on some Thai food which I could cook much better myself at home but wanted a nice meal out with my partner!! Wouldn’t recommend unless you want to be looked down upon for sitting in a 4 seater table because you would be ordering a lot of food...we shall spend money else where!! Improve your customer service!!

Always a great place to enjoy Thai food..

Just called to place a takeaway order. The guy on the phone was so rude. This is not how you do business. The poor owner should take note and sack this guy because you just lost an order solely due to his rudeness. He wanted to call my husband a female name and thought it was extremely funny!! Strange man.....