The Heron off Edgware Road is definitely a case of substance over style. Down in the pub basement you will find a dingy little restaurant known amongst serious foodies for its authentic Thai food. You won’t find the standard Pad Thai or Green Curry here; instead this unusual eatery serves up Asian delicacies such as Spicy Salad of Boiled Pig’s Ears and Marinated Duck’s Tongues!

The shabby, dimly lit venue has become known amongst bloggers and journalists as THE place to go in London to experience truly great Thai food. Specialising in North-Eastern cooking the kitchen creates fiery spicy salads, sour curries, stir-fries and much more. Flavours are vibrant and seasonings are strong. The stir-fried soft shell crab is a must, our whole table fought over the final mouthful, a delightful mix of textures and tastes. Other highlights included the Grilled Chicken Wings, garlicky Morning Glory and Stir-fried Pork with Pepper. The food, though it took a while to arrive (the tiny kitchen also deals with take-away orders) was very fresh and tasty.

Cool down with a Chang beer or a bottle of chilled white wine, don’t scarper early as the real vibe gets going later on in the evening. At 9pm the two TVs go on, the microphones appear and the Karaoke tracks start blaring. Stuffed full of food we managed one Beatles song before staggering off home, promising to return with a big group of rowdy (and hungry) friends soon!

More information here.