Speedboat Bar, chef Luke Farrell’s fun and perfectly chaotic Thai Chinese diner off Shaftesbury Avenue in Chinatown, has opened a sequel – and this time, it’s gone west. The new venue is in Notting Hill, and though it’s inside Soho House’s Electric House, it’s open to everyone, no membership required.
The high-octane energy of Thai speedboat racing has inspired the design – think glowing red lanterns, shrine-filled nooks, Thai calendars and gold-framed portraits of speedboat champions. But for this iteration, they incorporated elements of the former Electric Diner space. The old-school wooden bar remains, as do the leather booths. The centrepiece? A real Thai speedboat engine, gleaming in chrome, perched proudly on the bar.
“The Portobello location reminded me of an [engine] workshop – the ceiling even resembles the hull of a boat,” Farrell tells Broadsheet. “In Bangkok and beyond, engine shops line the klongs [canals] and waterways, fixing and modifying these powerful engines. That’s why we’ve placed one on display here too; it just made sense.”
While the Notting Hill interiors have a distinct identity, the menu mirrors the original, taking cues from Bangkok’s Chinatown, which is located in the city’s Yaowarat neighbourhood. “The menu stays true to our Yaowarat roots,” says Farrell. “It’s the same cuisine you’d find along the Chao Phraya [River] and further out.” To start, snack on crispy chicken skins and fiery prawn ceviche, followed by fresh salads like the citrus-packed chicken and green mango.
Larger plates include the crowd-favourite tom yum mama noodles with squid, prawns and pork –which transports you straight to a night market in Bangkok – and minced beef with holy basil and fried egg, which comes with a spice warning. “At my restaurants, people can just about handle proper ‘Thai spicy’, and that’s important to us,” says Farrell. “We don’t dumb anything down. How else could Thai people and their cuisine be fairly represented?”
Other standouts include a whole sea bream in a rich makrut lime sauce, and the purple aubergine with chilli and Thai basil. Everything is packed with ingredients from Thailand, as well as herbs grown in Farrell’s Ryewater Nursery in Dorset.
Drinks are designed to match. Think towers of Singha beer, punchy cocktails like the Snakeblood Negroni, and whisky sodas built with a house-made fizz. Plus, a bunch of soft drinks, including an iced Thai coffee with coconut, condensed milk and milk foam, topped with sprinkles for good measure.
The tight dessert list has some nostalgic nods to Thai culture. There’s a buttery pineapple pie served with taro ice-cream – a take on convenience store classics – and a wobbly mango pudding with red pomelo and a splash of condensed milk, inspired by the sweet treats of Yaowarat.
While the busyness of the original Speedboat Bar was a key reason to launch venue number two, Farrell says it’s also indicative of Thai food’s growing popularity in the capital. “Thai food in its true form, without being Westernised, is simply the best,” he says. “I’m glad people are finally recognising that.”
Speedboat Bar at The Electric
191 Portobello Road, W11 2ED
020 7908 9696
Hours:
Mon to Thu midday–midnight
Fri & Sat midday–1am
Sun midday–11pm
