Kaosarn

Regularly acclaimed as serving the best Thai food in London, Kaosarn was the first restaurant in Brixton Village to find fame: partly because of a glowing review in The Observer from food writer Jay Rayner, but mainly because they offer more interesting Thai dishes than most people are used to in the UK. As word of their crisp-skinned grilled chicken, fresh salads and larb gai grew, so did the queues outside the restaurant.

Run by Tanapol Srinimitra and his family, the restaurant is just as famous for its service as its food. If you are lucky, the impeccably attired and glamorous Gisele will be seating and greeting in one of her little black dresses. She, her sisters and the rest of the staff know how to keep the queue moving and the plates coming from the tiny kitchen. Because Kaosarn is never not busy, people are happy to sit outside all year round just to get a table here, but the chilli kick in the food warms them up nicely again. Situated on the corner of the Coldharbour Lane entrance, it’s a good site for people-watching too.