Blue Elephant

My boyfriend and I both love Thai food. We were looking for a treat this winter and chose this restaurant based on all the reviews we read about it.

The layout of the Blue Elephant is great. It feels like you're lost in the jungle - plants everywhere, a little stream running through it and tea lights make it all very romantic...that is if it we were still living in the 80's...

If you choose to eat there, get dressed in your best attire. The place is full of evening dresses and suits and I felt a little self concious in my (very posh) jeans t-shirt and jumper.

I can't fault the service, which was pleasant enough. But the food!!! Had I not known where I was, I would have found it dificult to say what type of Asian food I was eating. To me, Thai food is very distinctive: fine, flavourfull, light, delicious food, full of spice but not hot-to-burn your mouth. What we got instead was non-descript, at best. And to top it all, we nearly chocked on the bill.

If you are looking for a fancy, fun, tasty, youthfull night out, you are in the wrong place. The Blue Elephant however is the perfect place to take your grand-parents out for a night out. But be prepared, this average food is really overpriced.
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Emma
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 1
Monday, June 23, 2008

I went here for the second time on a Thursday after watching tennis at Queens. I love it here, the food is very delicious and the service was great, although it wasn't overly busy.

The restaurant is lovely inside as it is given a tropical feel with water running through it, this in turn gives a lovely atmosphere.

One thing is we sat at a table for four and we were quite a distance from the people opposite us. Also it is very pricey, I can’t remember seeing anything under about £14 or £15 but then again I have never had to pay. Definitely recommend.
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Philip Turner - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, June 17, 2008

We visited Blue Elephant for the first time last month after wanting to visit for a while. The interior is absolutely gorgeous, you really feel like you've walked off Fulham Broadway into a Thai oasis. The service is second to none..

We started off with cocktails in the bar where the waitresses brought us complimentary snacks and then headed into the restaurant. We were tempted to order the set menu but seeing the amount of food brought for other people didn't know if it would be too much!!

Instead we ordered a selection of starters - fish cakes, scallops in seashells (which were heavenly) and vegetarian spring rolls.

My scallops farang was excellent as a main and my husband really enjoyed his chicken curry. The restaurant was heaving (it was a Saturday night) but our waiters were polite and efficient. We also felt that there was no pressure on us to rush so they could free up the table and we ended up being sat in the restaurant for over 3 hours.

Overall a fantastic experience, our bill came to £130 (but that included our cocktails in the bar) and I can't wait to return.
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Sarah - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Friday, June 06, 2008

Went out with my wife the other day this is how I felt

Good points:

1. Magnificent decor, makes you think you are in Thailand

2. Very warm and smart waiters

3. Free prawn crackers

4. Food is well prepared and presented on time, even on a busy night.

5. Waiters sing a great birthday song when requested

6. Clean toilets, with clean hand towels

7. Fair quantity

Bad points:

1. Pricey

2. Very congested. On a busy day you might feel like a sardine in a can.

3. Very small menu to choose from

Overall: To give someone special a REAL treat, this is a good place to go.
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adamnsu - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 7
Monday, June 02, 2008

I agree with the review below. I went to this place quite a few years back (7-10yrs) and each time I went it absolutely blew me away! I adored it, from the amazing decor to the amazing and sumptous food.

So, in Jan - on my birthday - I decided to go again with my partner who'd never been. I was waxing lyrical about the place to him and so looking forward to it. When we got there, the decor was even more lovely than before.

However, I was so saddened by the end of the evening to have lost one of the best places I'd eaten at. The food was no longer delicious as it had been. The menu was different (ok to change a menu) but it was not good at all. The waiters were vacant and we could not understand a single word they said due to mega heavy accents. I did not know what each dish consisted of and asked advice, but I was still none the wiser so went with the royal banquet which was one of the things I'd had before. It just wasn't the same - I didn't even like about 4 of the servings and the meats were chewy and the sauces were too spicy or not very nice for my tastes. I felt cheated that my partner hadn't experienced the culinary wizardry that I had years before.

My father had called and told them it was my birthday and so they also sang me happy birthday and brought out a fruit ice cream thing which I didn't like.(But paid for) We weren't offered a choice of desserts to choose from for this little birthday serenade (which was also a bit embarrassing because they did it with a sort of awkwardness that made me want to disappear) When we asked to see the dessert menu and have them take away the frozen fruit thing, they did not note that it hadn't been eaten or enjoyed and offer a replacement.

It still looks amazing but there must be a different chef or something because it is not the same food that I knew and loved - but it is still more expensive.

So, to sum up.... The quality of the food has plummeted and the price of the food has risen. Not good. Its such a shame, because this really was one of the best thai restauraunts I'd ever experienced in my life - but it really isn't now.
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Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 1
Saturday, May 10, 2008

We first ate there 3 years ago and it was a delightful experience.However we brought my daughter with us from Wales to London for the weekend and she was so looking forward to the Thai meal. The starters were delicious but it was downhill all the way from that. Some of the meat dishes on the Royal banquet were very chewy and were served luke-warm.They rapidly became stone-cold. When we complained we were offered a "special" pudding. We had been looking forward to a special meal.The emphasis was on trying to sell water at £5 a bottle and pushing more wine. Never again, an extortionate price for a rather poor meal.
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piggy694 - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 1
Tuesday, March 04, 2008

On 23rd February 2008, I was taken to the Blue Elephant, from the outside I thought we were going to a normal pub, which served Thai cuisine, but when i walked in the decor took my breath way.

The inside was full of green surrounding it and with wooden bridges with fishes swimming underneath, giving it more of an exotic atmosphere. It was like walking out of the streets in Fulham into Bangkok (not that i have ever been, but that is what i imagine it looks like).

We both seated promptly with a genuine smile, the drinks(from the cocktail list) arrived at our table promptly and we were offered two complementary starters.

We were so into our crackers (the best i have ever eaten), that we decided to take a break as we were eating too many, so we went to have a little walk to see the bar. To our surprise and shock on our return the crackers were gone, but the starters had arrived.

We ordered from the set menu which meant that we would get to taste everything in it, wow hat was a lot of food. Excellent for the price.

The food was presented in a beautiful platter and i was so impressed with the yellow flower beside our food which was made from cauliflower (this was not to be eaten, trust me it is not nice!!!)

3 cocktails latter, the conversation started to steam up and my belly was beginning to get full, so i tricked my ex into thinking hat the rest of the food was his and that i had eaten my part. (It was too nice to waste)

We decided to have another Cocktail, this replaced desert. My favorite cocktail was Red Dragon. Wow.

A bit tipsy at the end but excellent service, food and decor. The £140 bill was welcomed as our experience was amazing.

Depending on what your budget is it might not be cheap for some, but there are some promotions, check out the website for them. www.blueeephant.com

Do not be put off by the price, if you have a special someone to impress then i would definitely recommend it,
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Dina Simoes
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Sunday, March 02, 2008

If you want a restaurant that looks beautiful, with a nice bridge to cross, lil koi fishes swimming around in the inside ponds, and very good service...and you don't mind eating standard food which will create a great big hole in your pocket this is the perfect place for you!

Enjoy!

(the scenery)
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Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 4
Friday, February 15, 2008

probably the most expensive restaraunt i have ever dined at.

food was c**p, the taxes and charges on top of your bill extrotiante.

Even after ordering expensive drinks and main meals for all guests we had taken our own birthday cake

They chagred us 45.00 to bring it out with a few plates and spoons! on top of the 12.5% taxes and service charges

basic bill 140.00 taxes and charges on top nearly 70.00
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Jass
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 2
Thursday, February 14, 2008

Well...what can I say...what an experience. The food was very good...the experience absolutely fantastic. The service was absolutely superb. I was so impressed I have already booked to go again and will certainly celebrate my birthday there later on in the year and travel some 190 miles to get there.

I have read some of the reviews making adverse comments. All I say is try it yourself and make up your own mind...That's what I did and the rest is history!!
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Paul Jaworski
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, February 09, 2008