Patara Oxford Circus (Restaurant)

Top 10 things you need to know about Patara Thai restaurant:
 
1) I collected my dining companion from one of the many art galleries in Mayfair, the suburb in which Patara resides. It’s on-brand for the area; the entrance is studded with ornate faux antique Thai stone reliefs that frame the door and usher you into the glowing light.
 
2) The flamboyant and welcoming maitre-D’, Napoleon (his namesake a patron of arts), greeted us. We were steered into a low-lit room decorated with warm colours. The walls are a canvas for amber-hued wood and Thai decorations. 
 
3) The carefully curated wine list is tilted towards choices that complement spiced food. Our waiter recommended a bottle of Pinot Noir, light enough to pair with the curried elements that followed.  
 
4) Thai food is a visual as well as a culinary endeavour and Patara's starter platter – heaving with satay; fish cakes; translucent skinned dumplings with the bright colours peeping through; and some artistically boned chicken wings - was framed with carved vegetables.
 
5) We had to order what the menu describes as "the best green curry in London". It was creamy and subtly hot with a scattering of verdant sweet Thai basil adding splashes of interest. It was exhibited on a brass hot platform to keep it steaming while we dolled out rice.
 
6) Upon our waiter’s recommendation, we were served a chargrilled sea bass fillet, with aromatic Thai curry painted on top of its crisp skin. Sculpted shards of ginger provided crunch: a masterpiece.
 
7) A wise man once said, “Eating is necessity but cooking is an art”, and even the most simple of vegetable dishes presented and chosen well can be wonderful. At Patara they elevate Thai food to it’s visual and culinary heights. 

8) Chinese water spinach, tossed with fresh chilli and garlic, was a triumph in the art of simply-prepared vegetables tasting very special. Simple porcelain transformed the food into Eastern still lives. 
 
9) A platter of fruit with fresh ice and spiced syrup was geometric yet organic, a composition worthy of any Cubist artist, but equally palatable and alluring in flavour.
 
10) Patara was filled with relaxed and happy diners rubbing elbows in the soft light. It had the calm atmosphere of a gallery and the food, with it’s careful spiced and artistic presentation, was a feast for the eyes and the taste buds....read more