The Pepper Tree

Cheap and Cheerful and a lot of MSG

20 May 08, 21:51 As expected

Have always loved this place; great for a quick good meal but over the years the quality of the meat has gone down hill and the dose of MSG will keep you up all night.

However, it's still tasty and is a great place to meet friends to help fuel a night out in clapham without breaking the bank.

Cheap date-tastic!

17 Apr 08, 11:40 Beyond expectations

I took a date here and we were both on a budget. I insisted on paying, however! So - for just a main (Pad thai for me, Thai curry for him) and a bottle of house vino, I shelled out £12... including tip! The service is great - really swift and friendly. The venue is brightly lit but seems really intimate and... it scored me a few decent points! Enjoy.

Great food, great price

15 Jan 08, 10:51 Above expectations

I love it here! Addicted to Thai food, I find it a quick and easy place to visit any day of the week. Very rarely have to queue, if so, it is no longer than 5 mins. Definitely not a place to take a date as it is VERY loud chit chat, sometimes overwhelming. Still, I can't fault the food and the efficiency of the staff. Would definitely recommend The Pepper Tree for starter, main and drink for two within a £25 budget.

the key is the timing

30 Sep 07, 18:09 Above expectations

The reviews before me are spot on. Good food, no booking and often a busy place so expect queues. The key is in the timing.

The good things about this place. The staff are great at getting you drinks to enjoy whilst you are in the queue waiting for a table. The food is good and reasonably priced. And with the bench seating you'll be able to get close to strangers, not always a bad thing.

The downsides can be the waiting (especially if its not great weather), and sometimes you feel the pressure to eat quickly and rush. The bench seating, is no good for intimate dates.

The food is good, so get the timing right and you're sorted.

Cheap & cheerful

05 Aug 07, 00:08 Above expectations

Wagamama-esque but with an element of individuality that somehow makes it more appealing.

Ideal for a quick, cheap meal after a bit of afternoon drinking, especially if you can get in before the rush. The queue can stretch out the door on Friday and Saturday nights but in ts defence, it moves quite quickly.

Communal seating, a no bookings policy and a high turnover of customers mean it has a bustling, canteeny vibe.

Once inside, the menu offers basic Thai dishes that are well executed and tasty - and generally served very quickly and efficiently. Gourmet Thai, this ain't, bit for around £6 a head, it hits the spot for a flavoursome and filling pre or post drinking meal.

Does what it says on the tin

04 Aug 07, 09:42 Above expectations

Small and compact with the emphasis on a fast, good quality thai meal. It's not a place to sit and chat over a leisurely meal and this is reflected in the decor which is Wagamma in concept. Long tables which means communal eating. This is fine as everyone really uses it as a place to go before hitting the bars or the cinema.

A well known clapham haunt now, meals cost around £5-6 excluding alcohol.

The concept - pile them in feed them, churn them out - means that the staff can be a bit abrupt and occasionally appear rude. They do their best though. Thai green curry is great and generally the food is tasty and served quickly.

Certainly one to consider for quick, cheap and cheerful meal. There is often a queue - sometime streching outside - on the weekend evenings but as there is no booking you'll just have to take your chances.

Cheap & Sociable

29 Jun 07, 11:33 Above expectations

Pepper Tree is a small, basic Thai restaurant on Clapham Common set out very much like Wagamama's (long communal tables) but without the flashy chain atmosphere. It's an ideal place to go for a cheap, quick and tasty din-dins with a bunch of friends on a spur-of-the-moment whim, perhaps before hitting the bars nearby.

This place is always very busy, which is of course a good sign. Prices for a main course average at about £5, and good sized portions mean you won't need to fill up on starters if you just want the basics. The food tastes really good - it's not high quality Thai, but it hits the spot. The only thing I would question is the "coconut" rice - it doesn't actually taste of coconut at all, but hey, it tastes ok and I still order it! Lovely with the green curry...

Every time I have eaten here the food has come out very quickly too - obviously this means they have lots of dishes pre-prepared but hence the cheap prices from high customer turnover. The multinational (i.e. not all autentically Thai...) staff are fairly rude and primarily interested in getting you in and out as quickly as possible - once you have finished eating expect to feel obliged to drink up asap. However, if there's a group of you it's easy to ignore this, and it's a good thing if you are the ones waiting for a table: even when the place was packed our group of 6 were found a spot almost immediately.

In short, this is not the place for a romantic dinner (too noisy, no privacy, too much hustling) or to take your parents, but it is good value, tasty and fun, and well-worth a visit if you find yourself hungry in Clapham.