Thai Elephant in Richmond upon Thames

The food was absolutely delicious, in particular the scallops were divine. Service was amazing, I will defo be returning again soon!!!

This place is an amazing authentic thai restaurant. The food was fresh and packed loads of flavour with good portion sizes. Staff are very friendly and attentive. I really enjoyed my visit and look forward to trying the rest of the menu :-) 5* highly recommend!

Lovely Thai restaurant, a mere 2 streets away from the main part of Richmond. The people who run the place are lovely and the food is always incredibly tasty. Hidden gem and highly recommended

Unexpectedly found this after turning a corner. Wonderful kitchy interior .. Hosted by genuine and lovely staff. Food was beautifully presented and reflected all the subtle but complex flavours you expect from Thai food. Wonderful ... Highly recommend.

Just the 2 of us in tonight. Yet you dont feel like you are rattling around. Highly reccomended.

We ate here pre theatre. Had 2 starters - won ton and fish cakes. Both really good Then 1/4 duck which was great with 10 pancakes! Then Pad Thai and a chicken salad. All in plus a bottle of NZ SV it was £106 including service The best thai we have had in ages. Everything delicious. We will be back. Thank you.

We went on a Saturday night and it was fantastic. The customer service was great and the food was delicious. I highly recommend this place and will be back. Thank you!

Very friendly people, great service, great food in general, but omg the best panang (better than the ones you get in Thailand!), best spicy aubergine and best chicken cashew. Tried several Thai restaurants in London and nothing comes close to Thai Elephant.

Had a great meal here with friends. The service was excellent and friendly. The food was very authentic. I would recommend it.

Quiet restaurant. Pleasant service and food.

This place is at least 40% too expensive. 17.50 for a pad Thai? it's robbery. There are areas of London with rent far more expensive than Richmond where the food is cheaper but in this area some places like this just milk the fact that the clientele is on average more wealthy around it, shame not all of us are swimming in money. Food is alright but I would never come back here to pay so much for miniscule portions. There is another Thai nearby called Raitakrai where the food is a lot better and it's cheaper (although still pricey)

Food was over-sauced & gave me an upset stomach - avoid the mixed seafood stir fry at all costs! While the service was fine, the atmosphere was spoilt by some piles of household effects near the door e.g. old kitchen chairs. Rather expensive given the quality 👎

Had a red beef curry, tiny portion, beef strips were very hard and chewy. Asked for a rice, cup sized Total came to £20.15

The worst thai food I've ever had, I honestly believe that the people who gave 4/5 stars had never been outside of their neighborhoods because there's another thai restaurant on the other side of Richmond station that's at least 100 times better. The lady working there was super nice though, so I gave two stars, the food should have zero stars.

Excellent service and very good quality of food!!! Quite spacious and good to be staying with family. Strongly recommend for Thai food!!

Very good Thai in Richmond. My go to place. Friendly owners and staff.

We got there about 6.15pm on a Saturday & we were the only ones there until 8.00pm. When we left around 9.00pm, there had only been one more couple there. So the atmosphere was lacking a little. That said, the decor is lovely, great service & good food!!

Delicious food with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. The staff were really lovely friendly and helpful, I would definitely come back again!

Friendly service, excellent food. Would definitely return if here again

The food is average and the place is rather shabby.

So we made the mistake of coming here on a Saturday evening just before 9.30pm. Google said they were still open, so we went inside. My partner is mobility impaired and went straight to the loo while I got a seat. Unfortunately, a rather unpleasant exchange happened when the female cleaner told him to get out, he is dirting the bathroom after she has just cleaned it. She continued to be incredibly rude to him. I couldn't believe she was speaking to him like that, as if he was less than. Unbeknownst to her, I came over and recorded the insident. There are other places that are open at that time that doesn't make people feel that unwelcome in the area. Disappointing.

Great food. The staff were really friendly, polite and knowledgeable about the menu. Vegetarian options available. It was quiet the night we went ( on a random Thursday), but we preferred the space on a normal sized table and a normal sized portion compared to what you get at other restaurants in Richmond. Reasonably priced. I will definitely recommend and be going back.

Not sure what this place is, were only 3 other tables occupied, waiters serving in casual clothes, no ambience, opposite a bus garage...left after one drink.

The girls at the till are very rude, I just went to buy mineral water from the store. They gave me suspicious look making me feel that I am a wrong person. They charge me more the MRP. I request the manager that this staff should be terminated as both of them judge the person by its skin

Wonderful gem of a place , beautiful freshly cooked amazing food ,lovely staff Highly recommend

I use to live around the corner from Thai elephant and went there all the time. Amazing food and great service. Definitely suggest going here !

Really great family business. They genuinely want you to have a great experience and are very hospitable. Enjoyed the quality food and atmosphere. would recommend this place for sure. will be back soon for date night.

I grew up in Asia so I’m pretty familiar with Thai food and this is the ONLY place I will order from ever and have been for maybe three years. Even when they’re closed on I think Wednesdays and I’m craving Thai I’d rather make my own food than get Thai anywhere else. The food here is just that good. Staff are always super friendly, when ordering delivery they’re prompt, and you can always call them, they’re so polite over the phone.

Our local favourite - a family run restaurant serving authentic Thai food. Our go-to place to celebrate occasions and we’re always looked after by the most wonderful hosts / staff. Takeaway is also good.

Lovely fresh Thai food in a quirky setting. We'll be back!

Had a lovely family meal here last night for my dad's 93rd birthday. Everyone enjoyed it, very tasty food and great service in a very cosy setting.

We have visited a few times over the years and the food has always been great. Most recently, we found the restaurant to be extremely cold inside. A few other customers were complaining that they were cold. Hopefully they have now sorted the issue out.

It was a great experience. Tip the hostess was a delight to talk to and very courteous and accommodating. Food was great as always. A must visit place

The best Thai in Richmond. Delicious authentic flavors and friendly staff. Thank you. We will be back!

Just had dinner here with a friend and it was amazing. Real authentic Thai food.. great atmosphere, and quality food. Was far to hungry to take pictures of the food. But took a couple of pictures after digging in. We had prawn satay, lemon seabass and tilapia dish with Jasmin rice. The food was just superb. And I will return. Highly recommended for lunch and dinner.

Great restaurant ,bang smack in the middle of Richmond. My husband and I ate here for a date night evening. The service was spot on, the owners wife Tip was very polite and helpful re menu choices, great variety of dishes. Taste was superb. Highly recommend.

Delicious meal, charming service, very pleasant ambience.

Good little Thai restaurant located in front of the bus station in Richmond. Friendly service, and spicy Thai curries. Just how I like it!

I have been remiss publishing this review, but the Blue Elephant was a great find off the beaten tracks of Richmond. Very good for bus links (the station is outside) and a short walk to the train. From the street it looks very pretty, with a flower garden and a conservatory. It was late on Friday and the venue was half empty. The patron explained that Covid had hit business hard, but she was determined to continue, so I hope this establishment does continue. I hope to be back. There were four of us, all made to feel more than welcome. Back to the food: we chose a set menu because it was easier than matching tastebuds and it did not disappoint. A great collection of starters including - unusually we thought - crispy duck. For the mains a green Thai chicken, another duck dish, a spicy beef noodles and a concoction of crisp fried vegetables. All we're fragrant and flavourful, the garlic and the spring onions particularly pungent. We left very happy and satisfied. Thank-you and congratulations to all at the Blue Elephant.

Great tasting food with friendly service. Second time here and still a great experience.

Not great for vegetarians. Despite some dishes being flagged with a "V", tofu is apparently cooked with fish sauce.

Food was really very good. Decor needs to be updated.

Lovely staff (I suppose the lady might be the co-owner) and delicious food. Tbh, the restaurant could look more inviting from the outside, but once inside we were pleasantly surprised by the service, the speed, and the taste of food. My husband knew this place as being very good from many years ago. Whatever they may lack in exterior and ambiance, they make up for in food quality and friendly staff.

Nice food and service is great.

Classic dishes. Delightful staff. Just didn't understand why only 3 tables at 8 pm on a Friday night. Been here for years.. hope it keeps going.

A very authentic family run Thai Restaurant with traditional dishes & decor to prove it. As a group of 6 they were very happy to amend portion sizes etc to make our meal into a sharing banquet with dishes coming out continually. The quality of the food was exceptional and the flavours were out of this world. I cannot wait to go again.

Lovely resturant. Friendly staff anf delicious food.

Tasty curry and lovely service.

Friendly staff, big smiles, roomy light restaurant space. Typical Thai cuisine.

Highly recommended this restaurant both the food and the service is excellent

Came out of here praising the delicious food and service. Best meal I've had in years!

Delicious food, super attentive and friendly service. Very clean too. I strongly recommend this place.

Undercook food pad Thai long wait rude staff also the kitchen is apparently very dirty

Amazing food but the service is absolutely shocking If the service improved, this place would be fantastic

Delicious food and absolutely amazing service, would definitely come again and recommend to others ☺️

Really great! Fantastic food and super nice hostess. Thank you

Incredible food, calm and cosy atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff. Can’t wait to come back! Also has really great options for vegetarians!

This was a really good meal at a reasonable price. The place only had one other table seated and I hope people start visiting. The exterior needs a little upkeep, but the food was fresh and they fulfilled our requests (sauce on the side, no aubergines). She had the Tamarind Duck with sauce on the side. I had the Green Curry Chicken with no aubergines and Egg Fried Rice. We also had the Duck Roll (not pictured) and it was quite good (two rolls).

Loved the decor, the food looked and tasted great too. Also received a friendly and caring service

Great food unusual location but nice surroundings.

Food is amazing, great welcoming staff, nice vibe inside. Totally recommend 👍

Lovely food, and they had some good allergy friendly and gluten free options - would recommend the prawn salad. Generous portions too.

Excellent service from both the very young waiter who showed us to our tables and the other waitress who was very friendly and helpful. Duck curry was really good.

This lovely restaurant is right by the bus garage, but once inside it's very enjoyable. Excellent food and service. Particularly enjoyed the jumbo peppered prawns and the steamed dumplings. This place obviously does a good takeaway trade but it is well worth sitting down to experience the fine food. As others have commented it isn't the cheapest, but we felt the pricing was OK. Tiger beer at £4, Prawn dishes between £13 - £17.

Over the last months, I have regularly ordered take away there as I consistently find that the food is of both good quantity and quality, plus the staff is always helpful. My favorite is the pad thai, and dumplings as a starter :) I warmly recommend to thai food lovers

The food is really not up to a Thai standard. I would be highly doubtful that the cooks or the owners are actually Thai. Overpriced, overcooked rice, starters are doubtully cooked on the premises so you may as well buy frozen & do yourself, mains not that great & menu not fully Thai either. This is for people that don't know good food.

So this was an absolutely delicious Thai takeaway - shame they delivered chicken instead of vegetarian as per order - otherwise all good but quite expenisve.

I really miss the Thai Elephant, can't wait for restaurants to be allowed to reopen. Their takeaway is great but make sure you visit when they reopen. Brilliant

Pedimos por take away y en casa nos sorprendimos de tan poquita comida, nos parece caro para tan poquito, y el sabor realmente nada Thai.

Very nice restaurant. Buena comida y servicio.

Food ok. Very very expensive for what it is. £16.95 for beef stir fry - and that was take away! Can get the same quality for half the price elsewhere

Ordered takeaway last night. Food quality just ok but extremely over priced. Can get the same quality for half the price at other thai restaurants in the area

We visited for my husband’s birthday and had a lovely meal. I think I had the best tom yum soup there. Lovely staff and the rest our dinners were super tasty.

Great food and service well worth trying.

I’m shocked at how revolting the food was tonight. Each dish we sent back. Restaurant empty. Service very very slow. Paid bill £95 ate practically none of the food. Total waste of money.

Absolutely amazing experience. The food was fantastic and tasty, prices are very affordable especially for the food quantity. It was very busy at the time when we came but the staff handled it amazingly. We came, relaxed and enjoyed our time there. Definitely a must visit if in Richmond ☺

Although both are very good, Thai Elephant probably just edges Time for Thai - although it is more expensive. Food here is always great and staff always friendly. The owner Jack can be cranky sometimes but all other staff are always top notch

Rating for food only - very disappointing visit (August) been several times to this restaurant pre covid 19. Very surprised on my latest visit non of the staff were wearing PPE - tables placed just as before no sign of social distancing.

Food is good. Not sure why others complained but we aint in and enjoyed it. Service is slow mind but if u call the waitress she comes running over.

Food was very nice and served quickly, and it was very flavoursome. However, we’d requested a Thai Red Mushroom curry and were told by our server that they had run out of mushrooms. When our main dishes were served we found there were mushrooms in 2 of the dishes. Although on a positive note our server Thip was very happy to help and attentive.

Had a lovely dinner here this evening for Eat out to help out scheme. The food was delicious, all fresh and good quality ingredients. All staff were very nice and friendly. Would highly recommend the Tamarind Duck!

Nice food and service Pad tai is really delicious but i don’t recommend green curry. It’s too spicy to feel origin tasty. Compare with the other Tai restaurants, it’s quiet small amount for one potion. The staff is very kind

We ordered two beef Massaman curries. The meat was too taught. One of the ingredients was incorrect. In description there is sweet potatoes but they put normal potatoes. Nuts weren’t crushed. The price was very expensive for the such curry. Ordered via Deliveroo.

The food arrived piping hot and well packaged. I'm not sure what the previous review meant as our dishes were filled in abundance with fresh vegetables and meat. We also ordered the Prawn Pad Thai which I always feel is a true test of a good Thai restaurant, and the flavours were rich, there were several pieces of large King Prawns, and the ingredients were all freshly cooked. Would recommend and we'll definitely be ordering from them again.

These guys are our local heroes during the lockdown. We ordered four different curry dishes for collection last weekend. Brilliant quality and so tasty. I’m happy to order from them on a regular basis and to give them my heartfelt thanks every time.

Ordered from here through Deliveroo. Took over an hour to arrive and most of it was cold. Plus the aubergine basil and chilli dish was tiny. Way overpriced. Won’t be going back.

Rubbish food ordered via deliveroo. Food cold and tuff.. rubbery. Over cooked and no taste. Glad they put a few chilled on it. Spiced it a bit. Won't order from them again or go on there restaurant. Change you chef...please

Great Thai food at a reasonable price and the restaurant is nice inside as well.

The restaurant was empty as we arrived and throughout- and we can see why!The service was flat, and slow.The menu is extensive and the food is served on decorative plates which look appealing however the Thai green curry had barely any chicken and tofu for us both. The vegetarian option made my friend sick through the night. Didn't even bother to complain as I wouldn't return even for a free meal!

Restaurant was empty during our entire visit however the service remained poor. Food presentation was nice however both myself and my friend were unwell in the night. Would not return.

Great friendly staff and fantastic food

This restaurant never fails to impress, the food is outstanding and the staff give you 5* treatment everytime.When me and my colleagues are all in Richmond this is always our first choice restaurant to eat. 👏👏👏

It was fantastic night brilliant staff. Would love to go back again

Really poor quality cooking. Soup was over salted and fish main was pretty much inedible. The sticky rice was so tough I could have made golf balls out of it. Feel pretty rough after what I did eat. Very disappointed. Will not be going back.

Waiting time for food and quality wasn't good.

Horrible experience. Waited for ages for our food. Order came wrong then when the duck came ot was cold and dry. The pancakes came in a sealed plastic bag( heated in the microwave i guess). The mains, after nearly an hour of waiting were even worse, the chicken was uncooked and slimy and noodles smelled rancid. Horrible Night wasted

I have been meaning to come here for years the food was lovely very happy

Delicious prawns...had to go back the next day for a second helping. The noodles and chicken with cashew nuts was lip smacking as well. The service is excellent and the people running the business are so sweet and take good care of you. Highly recommended.... Best Thai food I have had in London !

Very delicious, proper food, friendly staff. Would definitely recommend the aubergine!

I wouldn't have rated 1 star, if I were given the option of 0 star. The exterior look of the restaurant is really Thai style, but the food and service we got is far below the average of what I experienced in Thailand. First of all, the service is unreasonably slow. We waited for 40 minutes after we finished the starter, thus we asked to waiter when our food shall be ready and we were told to wait for 20 more minutes. Secondly, the portion of the food is surprisingly small, the smallest I've ever had. I would say, for westerners, this is an exotic place for a try. However, for those who know and appreciate Thai food and service, definitely a no go.