The Chequers

I felt ill not long after eating here. We were disappointed, especially as Thai food is my favourite. They’d run out of lots of menu items, service wasn’t the quickest and drinks were expensive. We wondered why the restaurant was empty. I’ll avoid it in future and try Thai Rack.

We came to ask whether the restaurant offers takeaway and delivery to our area. It does both. The service was incredibly swift, the atmosphere welcoming, and the staff were lovely. My six-year-old loves Thai food and was delighted with the pad-mee, which she shared with me. She’d spent the day eating peperamis, cereal and toast, so it was a nice change, and she ate more than ever before. Excuse her review, she somehow called it Chinese instead of Thai, but she’s six, so whatever! I imagine the lady who complained about slow service may have visited on a busy day.

We found the food disappointing, though it wasn’t awful. The red curry wasn’t red and was very sweet; the beef Massaman was also too sweet, with tiny thin pieces of beef and little depth of flavour. It didn’t taste like authentic Thai food, and £75 for two seemed steep for the portions. The Chequers restaurant had a strange, almost pub-like atmosphere. Most tables were full when we arrived, with people of a certain age. The staff were polite and service was good.

The nutty chicken curry and coconut rice rescued the meal after a terrible starter. I’d never tasted duck so bland and dry. The service was friendly, but painfully slow. Would I come back? Most probably not.