Thai Connection in Malvern Hills

On a two day visit to the Malvern Hills we dropped by this place on a Tuesday evening. We were met by Dan, whose knowledge of the menu was excellent. We went with his recommendations and they did not disappoint. The food was excellent value and tasted fantastic. The service was very friendly and we would highly recommend this place to any weary walkers to refuel after a stretch of the legs in this beautiful part of the world.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal at the Thai Connection. The staff were pleasant and helpful, and the food was excellent with plenty of choice. Definitely recommend.

We were on a tour of the Malvern Hills and as tour organiser I had to choose a restaurant that would satisfy six hungry bikers. I had eaten at this reastaurant before so I felt I was on fairly safe ground, and it did not disappoint. Two of our gang had been to Thailand and they were very knowledgeable about Thai food. They said it was easily as good if not better than meals they had enjoyed in Thailand. Four of us shared a set meal for 4, and I could not fault it. It was tasty, served hot and the portions were generous without being intimidating. The other two chose their meals separately and pronounced them to be excellent. The beer was good, the price more than reasonable and it was within easy staggering distance of our hotel. A most satisfactory experience

Visited a few times now to save the drive into Colwall or further afield for thai food. Always great food served piping hot and staff are friendly and chatty which makes a huge difference to a dining experience. Partner and I love it here and we'll always send people in this direction if they ask for somewhere to eat. Keep up the great work!

We ate here after a day of walking in the Malvern Hills. The food was amazing, really tasty, served hot, fresh and authentic. The service was a little sub standard and it felt like the server didn’t really want to be there, a bit like it was too much trouble. Perhaps just having a bad day? Anyway, highly recommended as a really great place to eat due to the quality of the food.

If you enjoy great Thai food with real ales and draught beer in a relaxed and friendly environment then I would recommend this place very highly. We ate outside in the patio area which was ideally situated between the restaurant and the pub. The waiter was really nice and the service was excellent. The food was super, and the whole experience was spot on. A great place to stop off for food and drink after a strenuous walk up the hills.

Delicious food - great quality - best Thai food - authentic and the service great - two brothers - hard working - going again for another family get together Saturday - my favourite restaurant 👍

I thought it was very poor, especially considering the price. Certainly won't be visiting again! Every aspect was disappointing.

Menu had a variety of choices for each of us, and the food and the service were great. Thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Had our first takeaway from them tonight, went with the set menu for two and it was lovely. I like a meal when it makes you feel smug afterwards and you sit there running your belly with a stupid grin. This meal did that. Thank you.

Welcoming server who was able to give good advice to help us choose from a good range of tasty dishes. Delicious food

Not a game changer or stunning, but it's always fine. Decent Thai food, friendly staff. Sometimes you eat in the restaurant itself, sometimes in the Red Lion pub next door. Discount for take away orders.

We had the option to eat our Thai meal in the pub or the restaurant and chose the Pub as a bit more room. Service was great and all the staff really worked hard.. The atmosphere was still good even in the pub and everyone seemed to be having a good night. The food was flavoursome albeit the chicken was a little bit firmer than my poor old teeth were happy with, but it wasn't tough... The rice was lovely and the price great value. Certainly can see us returning...

My partner and I visited Malvern for a one night stay - shattered by our hill climbing we decided English food just wasn't going to cut it and so sought out this tiny Thai gem. The restaurant is a diminutive offspring of the neighbouring pub and upon entry were told there was a wait, but with a couple of diners chipping in their praise as we left we happily grabbed some drinks and waited it out. So glad we did. My partner is a bit of a Thai food connoisseur and gave his high praise. I ordered #38, the Ghai Yang, a dish I'd never had before and was sensational - I'll be seeing if I can find it again locally, definitely advise you try it. Coconut rice is gorgeous too. The portions are generous and we were both stuffed, drinks were cheap too. Staff are friendly and an asset to the business. The two brothers who served us look like they take a lot of pride in the meals they serve. Thank you for looking after us. Good stuff - just sorry they don't deliver to Birmingham!

Authentic Thai meal, freshly cooked, beautifully presented in calm cosy restaurant. The restaurant is small, so book to avoid disappointment.

A very intimate restaurant serving great food with excellent service. Certainly recommend the set meal for 2.

Enjoyed a meal there last night in a nice and relaxed atmosphere. The food was great and the service was spot on - we will be back in the future for sure.

We went here at the end of October and have been here many times before for special occasions and every time had a pleasant meal and ended the evening on a very delicious high. The tables and seating area have an authentic feel about them with traditional Thai items dotted around the room and the table mats and the dark wood really impact on the feel of it.

Another Great Malvern surprise! Food was fabulous and service pleasant. Can highly recommend the pad Thai and stir fries!

Great choice of dishes, cooked with fresh ingredients. The staff were brilliant at explaining all the dishes.The food was amazing.

It was another very hot day and our only decision on where to eat was it had to be outside. We were out walking so decided to take a look. It's connected to the Red Lion pub so first impressions were it's not traditional, but they had outside picnic tables and were happy to reserve one for us.

This was my second visit to this unique restaurant in Malvern and was even better than the first! The quality of the food was unsurpassed and was cooked to perfection with excellent flavours. Service was friendly and whilst not inexpensive it was good value for money. Would I go again? 100% and can't wait!

My wife and I went to eat at this restaurant on Friday night. We were totally ignored until until a seemingly gruff and irate man deigned to speak to us. He eventually told us the place was fully booked and after further questioning reluctantly said they might have a table in an hour’s time. This man’s attitude was so unpleasant ( probably because my Portuguese wife and I were not speaking in English to each other) that we left without further ado. This establishment is a disgrace to the restaurant trade!

We were on a mini break in Great Malvern with some friends and fancied a Thai meal. Thai Connection looked good from the online reviews so we thought we'd give it a try. It had the added benefit of being just opposite a decent sized car park. The restaurant is connected to the Red Lion pub so the range of drinks is literally as wide as the pub's. The food was absolutely outstanding - very fresh ingredients, proper portions and unmistakeably authentic Thai. Service was very friendly and efficient too. Needless to say we went back a few days later for more!

Fantastic meal, very authentic Thai. Portions were a good size too, we came home with some leftovers to enjoy the next day. Also we’re flexible and changed a curry to tofu for me. Particularly enjoyed that we could order from the pub children’s menu as very young children can be difficult to cater for with Thai cuisine. Good food and good service.

Had a takeaway after a busy week and was absolutely lovely. Full of flavour and lots of it. Will go back soon and have a sit in meal. Good value for money.

First time we visited this resturant and we live in Malvern!! Waiter was very helpful and knowledgeable also very friendly. The food is amazing and the restaurant is simple but intimate and we will definitely be back.

Came to this restaurant whilst staying away in the area.

This restaurant joined to the Red Lion pub had been recommended, so I decided to give it a go.

Recommended to me and was not dissapointed Food and service first rate Food not sickly sweet as so many are Starters were amazingly delightful We had several and they were delicious

Up the hill by the Red Lion. Quite small, so worth booking. A decent selection of starters and mains, plus it's vegetarian and vegan friendly. Good service. Also does takeaway which they wrap very well to prevent spillage! Recommended.

Éramos un grupo de 11 y aunque su sistema de pedidos en línea no es genial - no hay opción de seleccionar tu carne sólo los platos, después de ellos llama a pude aclarar todas nuestras opciones de comida.

Un lugarcito, un servicio encantador y la comida deliciosa. Mejor reservar con antelación, ya que no hay muchas mesas y es popular, aunque se puede comer en el salón pub si el restaurante está lleno. Estuvieron encantados de sustituir el tofu para carne en menú para acomodar un vegetariano.

Tenía el menú para dos como no sabemos realmente la cocina. Gran relación calidad-precio y la comida increíble. Los caballeros que nos servía era amable y rápido.

Waiter very helpful, I am no expert on Thai cuisine but throughly enjoyed the food on offer and will visit again

Cute, cosy, friendly, & v.tasty.This is a small place, that obviously has a loyal local following, and for good reason. We very much enjoyed our first visit, the friendly atmosphere and fresh flavours.

Visited after doing a show at 3 counties with work colleagues,superb find and first class food and service,i have a thai girlfriend so am used to the best thai quisine,this did not dissapoint.

Split decision on this one-- I liked my pad thai and tom yum soup, but my wife was not as happy with her food and was a bit queasy; two soups and two mains plus water and a bottle of red was some 56 pounds, which was a bit much for the quality.

One of our favourite places to eat in Malvern. The service is friendly, food excellent and very good value. It does get busy at the weekend so a good idea to reserve a table.

There is a style of far-eastern cuisine that has grown up in the UK that has recognisable flavours but largely local ingredients. It is against that standard I rate this restaurant - if you came straight from Bangkok you'd be a little surprised (the were cherry tomatoes in the Tom Yung Goong along English field mushrooms). The various ingredients had not been cooked together, but placed together and the relevant sauce added. I suppose that is inevitable with a large menu in a small restaurant.The overall experience was good. There was a far-eastern family in there enjoying themselves. If there is a high demand for food from the pub whose kitchen it shares, it can be a bit time consuming. The service was very attentive and pleasant.

My husband and myself had a really delicious meal at this restaurant and really couldn't fault it. Both of us had a prawn dish and the prawns were so fresh and tasty, as was the rest of the meal. My husband had a Thai yellow curry, which he said is the best meal he has had in a long time! It is a small, yet cosy and friendly restaurant. The waiter Dan and James both made the evening, by being so friendly, kind and courteous. Nothing was too much trouble. Will definitely be going again.

Small pub in the centre of Great Malvern with an attached Thai restaurant. The menu therefore has both traditional English and Thai dishes. The Thai part of the menu being very extensive. We all had Thai dishes which were excellent in all cases. No complaints from any of the party of 12 we were with. Friendly atmosphere. Would recommend

Enjoyed the set menu for two. Well prepared food in what felt like an out-building. Strange setup as it is linked to a pub.

This is a small restaurant which shares a kitchen with the Royal Oak pub. On the night we visited things seemed a little chaotic as there were only two staff on duty but then they only had 8 covers all evening so should have been able to manage. That said, the Thai food was very good and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Unusually for us for decided to have deserts, my husband had a Thai dish but I opted for bread and butter pudding from the pub menu as its one of my favourites. Mistake! The dish that eventually turned up bore no resemblance to any recipe I've ever encountered for bread and butter pudding. It appeared to be a chunk of banquette sliced in half, buttered and sprinkled with cinnamon and raisins, soaked in milk and then smothered in custard! Come on folks don't offer something you don't know how to make.

A fab little restaurant small and very intimate. Patron chef lovely lady took our order and the brilliant Dan made sure we had a very enjoyable evening. Great quality freshly cooked food highly recommended.

We have not eaten much Thai food but we know what nice food tastes like. So this review says nice food and good service. Would go again.

Lovely friendly restaurant which serves fantastic food. I've been 4 or 5 times now for different occasions and every time the food and service has been brilliant. Great atmosphere.

Ate at Thai Connection again tonight and it remains consistently good. Fab starters and tasty mains all with beautifully fresh ingredients. We'll be back!

I got here quite frequently as they do great authentic Thai and the service is very friendly. Biggest bonus for me is its dog friendly and they can do tofu instead of meat if I ask for vegetarian alternatives. Would very much recommend!

Went there after a day's hike so the food was well appreciated! This place is right next to the pub and shares a cosy outside area. Menu was good, food well cooked and prices didn't bite. Service was very friendly. However as we sat outside, we been asked to pay for the meal upfront. Understandeable but the overall experience suffers a bit.

We've eaten here a few times now and it never fails to delver, great authentic Thai food and at a very reasonable price. On our last visit the food was a little sweeter than we would have liked, but it was clearly cooked as the chef thought it should be. We'll simply chose something else next time. And there definitely will be a "next time"!!

We were looking for somewhere for a quick meal before going to the theatre on a Saturday night. After finding other places fully booked we followed a sign up a steep hill to find this little gem. The food came quickly and was very tasty - lovely - couldn't fault anything about our experience here. Would certainly recommend it.

The visit was early evening post matinee in the restaurant part of The Red Lion.The room holds about 20 covers and wasn't overly warm at the time of our visit and the reception area was heated by a mobile gas heater.Looking forward to our meal (we love Thai) a selection of starters were ordered but the fish cakes were quite rubbery everything else being ok.A Tom Yung Goong (prawn soup) was ordered and asked to be delivered after the appetizers but was brought first when the mixed selection came. Despite asking it to be extra hot (spicy) there were no aromatics (lime leaves, lemon grass, galangal, fresh chillis etc) included. These can't be pleasantly digested so can sometimes be a fiddle to remove. It was only tepid in temperature and meant that some of the selection had all gone by the time I'd finished my soup.We then had some 30-40 minutes to wait before our main courses arrived (there were only four others in at the time) but the Ringwood beers in the pub helped.Everyone enjoyed their main courses although some seemed closer to Cantonese than Thai in my opinion.Would we go again? The jury's out! Probably try an alternate Thai restaurant in town before making that judgement.

Thai Connection makes some of the best Tom Yum I have ever eaten. I also enjoyed the Pad Seeuw although I think that the crispy tofu is a definite skip--I found it was too oily and even tasted like vegetable oil. The noodles, however, were perfectly cooked and the dish was otherwise very tasty. This restaurant has an authentic feel to it with Thai music playing in the background (thank you!), dimmed lights and decor that made me feel like I was in Thailand. The waitress was very good, always there when I needed her and then allowing me to eat in peace. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending this restaurant!

We had a lovely meal here. The food was lovely and the price was excellent. The service was also really good. It wasn't a very big restaurant so I wouldn't recommend for a large group but lovely for meals with a few friends or partner.

Five of us enjoyed delightful meal at this restaurant on Friday night. We had set meals (one for 2 and one for 3) and had an array of beautifully presented dishes and tasty food. Service was excellent and unobtrusive. The Thai sits within the Red Lion Pub in Malvern and so you can have drinks before and after your meal in pleasant surroundings. We will return there, without a doubt.

Had a brilliant meal and the service was excellent, really lovely experience overall - food well cooked tasty and well presented.

We have rediscovered this Thai (used to go when they were in Bromyard some 7 years ago), and had a lovely meal. The food was very good (much more flavoursome than other thai restaurants in the local city) and was well priced. The staff were lovely and the welcome excellent - being next/linked to the Red Lion pub was also great, and allowed for a nicely laid back meal.We will definitely be back to eat here, and prefer the quality of the food and ambience to most of the other Thai restaurants we have been to.

I have had numerous meals in this restaurant and have also has special treatment with regards to catering for more than 10 people and have found that the food is more than amazing I would recommend anyone visiting the Malvern area to visit the Thai connection for a authentic Thai experience

Outstanding food, service and value. Great menu, and you can even order drinks not listed from the next door Red Lion. Been here a few times, and had the same excellent experience. Would recommend the place to anyone.However, in my opinion-and this is probably not shared by others-the atmosphere is the problem. The walls have some great pictures and eastern artefacts, but the combination of red ceiling, red walls, black window frames and dim lighting make the place almost depressing until it is full of customers, or the waitresses come over. I have been in a variety of restaurants early evening when there have been just 2 or 4 people, and they have felt fine. Décor and ambience are critical.If this was sorted out, the Thai Connection would be beating off diners with a stick!

A special treat for us and we were not disappointed! Lovely food and attentive service. We went early on in the evening so the restaurant was not busy. Interesting setting in the old events room of the pub but cosy. Well worth a visit.

Having stumbled up to The Red Lion on a cold spring weekend evening only to find we weren't in the mood for pub grub, Mr. Librarian and I decided to give The Thai Connection a try, and though we had to wait a while in the pub before we were seated in the restaurant it was very much worth it.This quaint little restaurant is now a firm favourite of ours and we try and frequent the place as often as possible. Booking a table is advisable especially at the weekend (though you can, as we did, have a pint while you're waiting), inside however you'll find yourself nestled snugly in a calm treasure-trove of glinting nick-knacks, excellent service and genuinely delicious food. Couples especially should enjoy the comfy atmosphere, though if you are a large party, they can easily serve you while you sit in the adjacent Red Lion.The food is fragrant, fresh-tasting combinations with vibrant bright Thai flavours, in subtle sauces that vastly surpass the stuff you can buy in jars. We both love the beef and duck red curries and the stir-frys are just as enticing: picking something new each time has yet to lead to disappointment for either of us. Fresh ginger, coconut, lemongrass, chili and other mystical Thai components are craftily merged into tantalising and satisfying meals at reasonable restaurant prices. As others have said, the starters are definitely worth trying every time, though neither of us have had dessert there.We really recommend this quiet little treasure for an intimate, comfortable, value-for-money evening together.

Whilst staying in Malvern visiting family, we had time to treat ourselves to an evening out and happened upon Thai Connection.. which we later found out was an annexe to the Red Lion Pub.It was a Saturday evening and quite busy - as there was a birthday party group over several tables - but we were in no rush and enjoying drinks whilst chatting.The menu selection was lovely and her ladyship chose a Prawn Toast starter and I, Chicken Skewers with Satay sauce. Both arrived beautifully presented and timely, along with further drinks.. hic! The restaurant is smallish with around 30 covers and with the addition of a large party requiring food together, sadly the time difference between our starter and the appearance of our main was 1 1/2 hours.. and required a prompt!The hostess was most apologetic (I suspect they share a kitchen with the pub, who also serve food) a little late (excuse the pun) but hey ho.. was it worth the wait? Absolutely, whether it was our hunger, the drink, the moonlight (joke) or all of the above.. the food again was beautifully presented, ample and tasted stunning.This is a lovely little restaurant serving fabulous authentic food. Timing issues and no reduction on the bill aside, we have no hesitation in recommending you visit.

We had a thoroughly enjoyable evening unfortunately had 2 reduce the numbers last minute due to an emergency.. Even though we had booked in advance the owners were very accommodating and didn't charge us for the additional meals.the food was excellent. Thank u we thoroughly recommend this intimate friendly restaurant.the food was superb,

Fabulous food, small restaurant so worth booking a table but lovely atmosphere. Fantastic service with a smile. Perfect size portions of scrummy thai food :)

Once again in despair at the dearth of reliable and reasonably priced pre-theatre venues in Malvern (we have tried most of those available, some more than once), we decided last Friday (on the basis of the better reviews) to take a chance here. We arrived, despite the traffic and without booking in advance (which we thought might be risky), at 6 pm prompt (with the 7.30 pm theatre start in mind, and my aversion to racing food down) and let the waitress know that we were constrained by time. Fortunately, in her pleasant and helpful way, she managed to deliver both the starters and main courses (all of which were delicious - I am not able to comment on the authenticity - and reasonably generous) sufficiently promptly that (although we didn't have time for sweets or coffee) we did have 15 minutes to get down the hill and be settled in our seats. The atmosphere in the restaurant is pleasant, but would have been more convivial if we had not been the lone diners (even by 7.15 pm) - so we look forward to seeing more of you there the next time!

The Thai Connection adjoins its sister Pub, The Red Lion just on the right of St Annes Road as you climb.The food within is excellent ; easily the best Thai fare in the vicinity and by some measure at that. Its fragrant, spicy with fresh and authentic ingredients cooked by Thai chefs. It can also be fired up to non farang levels of heat when requested. Memorable dishes include all the soups, pork with green beens as well as beef with basil and chilli oil. Seafood fresh and delicate; starters a strongpoint.Whilst the restaurant is intimate with many Thai trappings, Thai food may also be eaten in the pub itself if part of a party might have a preference for British and European cuisine. The menu here is also winning with hearty, well executed pub staples such as a robust beef and stilton puff pastry pie and a very generous mixed grill. Rare that you would find two distinct types of fare sitting so comfortably cheek by jowl.Friendly hosts, well kept beer , child friendly and good value.

This restaurant definately serves the best Thai food out of Thailand that I've ever tasted.Can't recommend it enough!!!!

We did not enjoy the (vegetarian) food at this restaurant and did not find it especially tasty or authentic. Apparently they do not cater well for vegetarians and don't seem interested in doing so. It is also overpriced.

My husband and I order take-away from Thai Connection every now and again, but the food and service is becoming more miss than hit. On one occasion, we turned up to collect our food at the time it was supposed to be ready and had to wait another 40 minutes. We ordered sliced breast of duck stir fried with mixed vegetables, cashew nuts and tamarind sauce with our meal tonight. The duck has an iridescent green sheen (which I believe is not harmful) and has been so over-cooked that it's inedible. No sign of cashew nuts either. Waste of £7.15!The menu is finally going in the bin and we'll be trying Bhan Thai in future.

Fine Thai food. We really enjoyed our pre-theatre meal which was served very quickly. Food was all excellent. As good a Thai meal as we have had anywhere.

well i dont know where to start thai food of the highest orderin my opinion so good we had take out the next night!!!

I visited here again on Friday night and the experience was so good I had to write another review. I have been to Thailand a number of times and the food here is as authentic as it gets. The Thai owner is such a lovely lady, very polite and friendly, and the waitress is very helpful. I am extremely surprised by a couple of the negative reviews. This is after all a small family run restaurant. One review said that her husband had to go home and eat cheese on toast he was so hungry... This is slightly odd especially as the same reviewer made the same comment about another restaurant in Malvern! My fiance has a large appetite and he finds the portions more than adequate, as do I. I appreciate the fact that every dish is cooked to order and if you would like variants of the choice of meat, vegetables or spiciness they will always take it into account. I'll be going again soon!

We looked in on the Thai Connection on a Monday night and enjoyed the best soup we'd ever tasted - made with coconut milk and lemongrass - followed by a very tasty main course all delivered very promptly. Our hostess was charming and the food was good value for money. Well worth a visit?

Visited with some clients on a Saturday night, the pub and restaurant were not very busy. The food arrived after well over an hour after asking the unhelpful staff, and cold when arrived. over priced tooThere is a Thai restaurant up the road go there instead.

Chose to try the Thai Connection in Malvern before going to see the amazing "Blood Brothers" at Malvern Theatre.Had read a very critical review of this restaurant on this site and we were prepared for huge disapointment.Well that certainly wasn't the case, we had a very warm welcome from the waitress and the ambiance of the place was very fitting with the Thai tradition.Starters were delivered prompt and very tasty (fishcakes and satay's) Then it was time for the main.......... well i am a qualified Chef and have lived in the far east for a number of years, and that was the best Thai yellow curry that i have ever tasted!My Wife had the Jungle curry which again was excellent.My only point would be that the portions were on the small side but i say that because it was so tasty i could have eaten a bucket full!!The service was excellent throughout and the young waitress was very polite, friendly and attentive.I would seriously recommend this restaurant, and if you haven't tried Thai before, get yourself down there you won't be disappointed.

I booked this restaurant for a group of us for a Saturday night. We eat out together quite regularly and were looking forward to eating here, but I will never repeat the experience and neither would anyone else in our party. The whole thing was a huge disappointment.Firstly, the service was slow. Extremely slow. We waited over 45 minutes for 2 bottles of wine! And there was no excuse for this, there was hardly anyone in the place (I can understand why!) We booked early. Due to the excruciating pace of service we came out after 11 oclock!!!!!The food was very mediocre. I have had far superior Thai food around the Malvern area and much cheaper. We had a meal for 3 and a meal for 2 and a seperate meal for someone else, yet there wasn't enough food. There were only 6 other dishes besides the rice. Two of our party went home and had cheese on toast for supper as they were still hungry! Also as the service was so slow, when it came to the table most of the dishes were only warm - apart from the rice which was hot.The waitress was more interested in another diner who she thought was on Eastenders. She was so wrapped up in this 'conundrum' she gave us 2 wine lists and 1 menu between 6 of us then left us again for over 1/2 an hour before she came to take the order! We then had to wait another 30 minutes for the starter!I wouldnt have minded so much if it was cheap, but it wasnt. I wouldnt eat there again, and neither would I recommend anyone else to.

Very good experience. Good portion of food. Fast and friendly service. It's a small place, worth trying! Definately recommend it for Thai food lover.

I have been to Thailand a few times and having lived in London for a few years I have eaten in so many Thai restaurants I have lost count. It is my favourite cuisine and Thai Connection is fantastic! I have been with my fiance several times as we live in Great Malvern. The price is standard and the food is amazing! I always have the chicken satay or the vegetable tempura to start and my partner always has the Tom Yum Soup with seafood. The portions are generous, attractive and completely authentic. The chicken massaman main with jasmine rice is to die for! Its only a little restaurant, simply furnished, open 6 nights a week (not mondays) run by a Thai woman. It has not been open that long and I urge everyone to give it a try as it is the best restaurant in Malvern in my opinion!