Rosa’s Soho

Good Thai food in a great location.
This is my second time here at Rosa’s. The food I ordered both times were yummy and tasted authentic. This time I had Prawn Tom Yum Soup, Thick Red Chicken Curry, Roasted Duck Curry, a Coconut Rice, and to finish. Mango Sticky Rice Pudding. The curries tasted so good, especially the thick red chicken curry (penang). I wasn’t disappointed with any of the main dishes. I had Thai Iced Milk Tea to drink, which it my favourite!
The reason for me coming to this restaurant a second time was for the Mango & Sticky Rice Pudding. I didn’t realise this was on the menu the first time I visited so I have been eager to go back. When I was seated I noticed the Mango & Sticky Rice was crossed off on the desserts board so I immediately asked the waitress if they still had them, they confirmed they did and reserved 2 Mango & Sticky Rice dishes for my table (I wouldn’t be here if I couldn’t eat it!!!).
But… It wasn’t good. The sticky rice was perfect, it was as I remember it when I was in Thailand, but the mango. I wasn’t even sure it was a mango… lol. It was orange and very, very sweet. Nothing like the mango I received on the trips to Thailand, so low and behold I have deducted a star (otherwise my score would be ⁵⁄₅!).
When I want Thai food again I will come back to Rosa’s because their main dishes are very tasty and authentic, the service is good and the atmosphere is nice too. You should go try them!

I love Thai food but I haven’t had Thai food in a very long time so… just keep that in mind.
So, I came here on a Sunday afternoon and there was only 1 other group there. We were very hungry and immediately seated. Staff was very friendly and attentive. Overall, the service was excellent! Many groups came soon after and filled up the small restaurant.
We ordered Chicken Pad Thai, Fresh Spring Rolls with peanut sauce, Sirloin Beef, Brown Rice, Thai Iced Tea, Green Tea and Mango Sticky Rice. Everything was delicious «especially the steak sauce.» I think I had to pay extra for the peanut sauce and also pay separately for the brown rice. I’m from California and rice and peanut sauce are usually included. It was quite expensive but I’m not from London, U.K. so maybe it was normal price. About 50 pounds total for everything. We were pretty full by the end and didn’t even get to finish the Mango Stick Rice. It was my first time trying it and I really liked it. Not sure what it’s «supposed» to taste like but it was great!

Wasn’t too sure about Rosa’s Thai Café and it always seemed to me to be a tourist type place because of its location in heart of Soho but I realised they had other branches. One being in Shoreditch which I passed frequently.
My friend reccomended I go and I heard quite good things. Of course me being me I always go for the special. Today was the ‘Gaeng Ped’ — Roasted Duck Curry from the seasonal menu.
Duck breast, with a rich sauce combined with the sweetness coming from pineapple, grapes and cherry tomatoes. It all worked well and gave me a sense of what I had built up to know about a mixture of combinations that Thai cooking has.
The only thing is that I had to order rice separately which when you order a main dish just over £10 is a bit frustrating to me. My friend had a noodle dish that she thought was ok. I think I enjoyed my duck curry better. Anything with duck at an Asian eaterie is always music to my ears so I did enjoy it.
Must add it’s a small place. Upstairs tables were huddled and no more than 4 max I reckon. I waited 10 mins and we were seated downstairs which had a little more space. By he kitchen in the corner. I suppose a ‘café’ should be small and cosy anyway, though it was a strange ambiance downstairs as opposed to upstairs which had more vibrancy (though you can hear each other more downstairs!). Defo one to check out in the tourist part of town.

What can I say,. was rather excited that there was a Rosa’s in Soho as I’m quite a fan of the Spitalfield’s one, however, the Soho branch isn’t quite the same. The service wasn’t as good, I’d ordered the same pad thai with prawns as Spitalfields just to see how they compare, but received no prawns, was given chicken instead. Didn’t really mind too much however this padthai was not very good. Lacked flavour and the noodles were over cooked. Pad thai’s not hard to make so… hmm. Overall a pretty disappointing experience really. Someone did order the pineapple fried rice which was served in a pineapple. Bit of a novelty, can’t say if it was any good though. Won’t be coming back again, but can recommend the Spitalfield’s branch.

Lovely little restaurant for when you’re in need of a Thai fix but don’t want to blow the bank or be surrounded by tourists.
The food here is decent and they have a nice selection to choose from, but just don’t expect to be served the best Thai food in the city. I’m sure there are better places, but for the money it’s pretty decent and a nice chilled out place to catch up with friends.

Schön gelegen mitten in Soho gibts hier gutes thailändisches Essen, Bedienung war nett und ging alles zügig. Der Ingwer Tee war auch sehr gut. Preis ist londontypisch nicht ganz günstig aber im Vergleich ok. Einrichtung ist einfach also nix fürs romantische Candlelight Dinner sondern mehr was um während des Sightseeings oder vorm Theater noch was zu essen.

This café had a good review from a trusted blog online so I was quite excited to see what they had to offer.
Standard Thai fare with the option to have meat dishes with tofu instead. Had a spicy Tom Yum soup which was average and a green tea to follow it up.

The interior looks quite simple but the food makes up for it. We had a green and a red veggie curry — both were excellent. The plates look small and we only shared one bowl of rice but it filled us up after all. For drinks I had a tasty Cooled Lemongrass and my mum ordered the Thai Iced Tea, the latter being so sweet that we had to ask for extra water to dilute it. So I’ll definitely not go back for iced tea but the green curry might allure me again!

I had the pad see ewe. It was delicious. Wide range of vegetarian options including proteins like tofu are available and the service is friendly and efficient!

If the food wasnt as tasty as it what this reveiew may not have been as friendly.
Its a tiny little restaurant but very authentic! A bit cosy as you feel as though your sat on top of the pair next to you so forget it if you choose this restaurant to dicuss any dirty habits or secrets!
The service was what it was and the waiters could have been a little more attentive. We had to ask for more drinks and werent offered.
What really made me chuckle was my friend asked to have his jacket hung up and she just pointed accross the restaurant to a hook and he had to get up and go and do it himself!
The food was lovely and for that reason i would go back again. Id highly recommend the calamari to start and the red Thai for the main!

We knew it was a good sign when it was packed. Crowd is mostly younger gen, but I don’t think anyone would feel out of place. We both had the chicken pad thai and loved it. The spring rolls were great too. The prices were pretty reasonable for the area.
The restaurant itself is kind of small, so if you have a huge group, I would definitely call ahead or have a back up just in case they can’t fit you.

Came to Rosa’s with friends for and it’s been back several times after. I’ve had Thai food all over the world and this is one of my favorites.
There is food simple flavor in the food. There’s a lot to choose from on the menu. The portion size is not huge but it’s filling. I’ve has the Thai green curry, summer rolls, calamari, and the chill sea bass.
They do take reservations so I recommend doing that for larger groups on Fri and Sat nights. It’s a smaller restaurant on two levels and the ambiance and décor are nice as well.
Theres definitely lots of good food in London you just have to know where to find it!

Grabbed dinner here last night, and it was a cold, calculated Thai machine — essentially quality Thai fast food, the equivalent of a Five Guys or In-​And-​Out Burger joint. Portions aren’t large, sauces taste fine, very low protein to carbs ratio (my girlfriends Pad Thai had exactly 4 prawns). Wouldn’t recommend the venison, as tasty as it sounds they cook the beautiful game to death and its chewy when well done instead of succulent and moist when cooked medium-​rare. Fine for a quick bite if you’re in the ‘hood, but don’t head out of your way or bother with a reservation.

We went for a casual dinner, and this place hit the spot for me.
I ordered the stir fried chicken with chilli and basil. The sauce was quite flavourful, and the portion was just appropriate as well. We also ordered the Thai calamari and spring rolls to share. Everything was solid, and the calamari was especially fresh.
Ambience was quite intimate and felt authentic. Not your spacious, westernised Thai restaurant but rather, smaller and lower key Thai kitchen.
Service was kind and prompt. I felt like the staff was very accessible, though they weren’t the fastest in filling up our water glasses.
Would definitely go back for some of the other dishes!

Had a light lunch here. was so so. Vegetable pad thai did not taste very thai, was quite sloppy and wet. The thai milk iced tea was made with whole fresh milk rather than evaporated milk as it should be, was too sweet and sickly

Before coming to London, I was overwhelmed at how many times I was told about how bad food in London would be. Soho gave me the completely opposite experience, with more hole-​in-​the-​wall food options than I have time to handle! Rosa’s Thai is just that, a homey yet hipster spot serving up traditional Thai food.
We started with the tom yum soup, which had some of the best flavors that I’ve had in tom yum ever. The lime flavor was really strong, which made every bite of vegetables and chicken extremely vibrant. The pad thai was also made very well, not adding any strange ketchup flavors to cater to foreign tastes. The stir fries were a little on the greasy side, but overall the meats and vegetables were seasoned and cooked well.
Being used to American-​sized portions, it was a little difficult to pay double the price for half the portion, but it really is more satisfying for the palate to eat just enough and enjoy a homey meal!

Lots of people have how good Rosa’s is and I haven’t thought to try until this week when we were looking for warm gloopy comfort food and my friend said that she was recommended this place too (provenance unknown).
Man, we were lucky to have been able to secure a last minute booking at 9 on Friday evening. It was HEAVING! Like seriously, my little chair stuck in about a foot of «space» between 2 tables was SO uncomfortable.
But the food was good. Roast duck curry and the summer rolls were extremely toothsome as was the pad thai (not the best I’ve had though). Papaya salad was a tad hot (yes, I’m a wuss) and the chicken satay a little dry (needed basting?!?). Oh and the coconut rice could be coconuttier.
Service was a little spotty and we had to repeatedly ask for our prawn crackers, beers, water etc. as well as taking some quite expert and assertive grabbing of waitress to make the order in the first place.
I could imagine this place would be better if we weren’t so hungry that we were about to descend into cannibalism and it wasn’t a friday night so I’d say… –½* for being too hungry and +½* to factor in for friday night. Making it a 3.5* rounded up to a 4* because I did really enjoy my meal.

I went to Rosa’s for a quick lunch today and the café is easy to miss, it’s all black outside. I have walked past Dean Street many times and did not realise there was a Thai Café here!
The first thing that immediately impressed me when I walked in alone was the smiling Thai lady at the back of the restaurant. That was the welcoming anyone could ever hope to receive! Service was attentive, quick to take orders, quick to deliver orders, and quick to clear dishes away once it was obvious we were finished.
I ordered their thick red chicken curry (less chili) and Thai iced milk tea. The curry was pretty sweet tasting and not really chili anymore so I was content (but don’t say less chili if you want it to still be noticeably spicy) with rice. The sauce is very nice and the chicken pieces are a decent size. I loved the iced milk tea, it was not too sweet and came in a big jar with a straw, value for money right there at £3!
My lunch mate ordered the Fresh Summer Rolls, this was a bit disappointing as there was nothing crunchy enough inside to counter balance the limp outer wrapping and the vegetables inside. It also came with the sweet and sour dip rather than the peanut dip.
My lunch mate ordered some sort of veg salad with less chili. There was almost no chili which made the salad too sweet to the taste. I tried a little and felt the salad was pretty fresh and the sauce pretty good, but I suppose she ordered two dishes which were both sweet tasting and so it did not go down very well for her.
The décor is quite homely and comfy, the tables are really close together so you have to squeeze between tables to get out of your seat if you’re sitting inside. (I am a size 8 and I had trouble squeezing out!). The plates are simple and I do not mind one bit since this is more like a café than a high dining restaurant.
The bill came to £20 per head. The food is pretty good here so I don’t mind it, although I feel it could be slightly cheaper to cater for more people.

I’ve been here twice now, both times ordering the Chilli & Holy Basil stir fry with chicken. It’s a great little find in Soho, which of course has lots of different cuisines but you can’t go wrong with this Thai establishment. The layout is quite cozy and full of 2-​people tables great for catching up with a friend over a quick bite. Their service is also very fast; we came in at 7:15 and had to leave by 8, but we ordered quickly and food came no more than 5 minutes after. Great for a cheap and relatively quick bite in Soho.

I wasn’t decided between three and four stars, just because the food was great, but the place itself didn’t impress me. Don’t get me wrong, the interior was nice, but it kind of is missing a soul. You just have your amazingly good meal and leave. So yes, it’s fairly a quick place to eat, not exactly comforting. Great for a lunch during a busy day.
But when it comes to the food! It’s completely different story! I had Rosa’s Green Thai. It was super tasty. My sauce was light, soft, full of taste with rich lemon grass taste and the beef was tender, almost falling apart. My friend’s lamb was also amazing! Slightly sticky sauce and tender.

Hi Rosa, it’s me, Mike. How’s it going? Thanks for dinner the other night. It was pretty good. In fact, I would say it was A-​OK. Remember what you made for me? I understand if you have forgotten. I’m sure you have many people dining with you. I had a Tom Yam soup that was very nice and for my main dish I ordered chicken Larb, though it was called something entirely different at your restaurant. This is probably for the best, as Larb is a very gross sounding name.
Overall, I was glad I came to see you, Rosa. I visited with about 10 of my closest friends and we all had a pleasant experience. That said, I do not think I will be visiting you again in the near future, as there are many Thai restaurants in the neighboring area and I would like to spend time with them as well.
Say hi to your mom for me.
Love,
Mike

Sehr anständiges Thai Restaurant tolles Essen zu vernünftigen Preisen.
Wir sind mit drei Personen, ohne Reservierung, an einem Fraitag Abend hinein gestolpert. Der Empfang war freundlich und schon nach 10 Minuten hatten wir einen Tisch.
Die Atmosphäre ähnelt eher einem Schnellrestaurant, dafür ist das Essen richtig lecker. Wer ein Restaurant sucht um den ganzen Abend dort zu verweilen, der ist im Rosa’s sicher falsch, aber um kurz etwas zu essen um dann gestärkt Soho zu erleben, dafür ist es sicher genau richtig.

Mit 6,50 für set Lunch (Hauptgericht plus Getränk) sicher eine der günstigeren Optionen in Soho.
Leider lief trotz Reservierung (wir waren zu 6t) nicht alles glatt:
Lange Wartezeiten, sowohl auf Getränke als auch aufs Essen. Keine zwei Gerichte kamen zur gleichen Zeit, ein Gericht wurde falsch serviert und abschließend auf der Rechnung wurde ein Lunch zuviel abgerechnet… Nein, da erwartet man in Soho mehr, selbst bei dem günstigen Preis.
Das Essen selbst war ok, aber nicht berauschend — die süß und saure Sauce war zu süß und vom Pad Thai hätte man sich geschmacklich mehr Komplexität erwartet.
Née, nicht nochmal zu Rosas.