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Hours
Sun
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Mon
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Tue
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Wed
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Thu
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Fri
12:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Sat
12:00 pm - 10:30 pm
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ratings and reviews
4.5
Travellers' Choice 2024
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Food and ambience
Asian, Thai, Healthy, Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
“... Kala Thai for lunch,food was good but not excellent(We love our Thai food)”
“We had the prawn crackers to nibble on whilst we decided on Jungle Curry serv...”
“... on arrival and the lamb massaman curry, service exceptional, looking forw...”
“The food was amazing, we both had massaman curry and it was absolutely delici...”
Is this restaurant family-friendly?
Details
About
KalaThai Restaurant and Bar proudly uses locally sourced produce and authentic Thai ingredients to create unforgettable explosive flavours. Our menu includes many traditional favourite dishes and to compliment our food we will also be serving a variety of cocktails, wines and beers.
PRICE RANGE
$18.00 – $55.00
CUISINES
Asian, Thai, Healthy
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Drinks
FEATURES
Delivery, Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Highchairs Available, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Table Service
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4.5
344 reviews
Excellent
283
Very good
26
Average
10
Poor
15
Terrible
11
skrajicek89
Bournemouth8 contributions
Oct 2020 • family
We went with friends Saturday just gone and the food and service was outstanding, that good that we decided to go back with our daughter Monday night. At first we were a little apprehensive as our daughter is 4 and the menu isn’t really ‘suitable’ for little children. However we ended up ordering her crispy chicken starter, which she absolutely loved!!! So anyone in the same predicament as us I’d highly recommend that dish for little ones they also did fries so she was happy which meant mum and dad could enjoy some good Thai food! Everything was 10/10 the food and service. We will definitely be back soon, and have highly recommended to friends and family.
There was one tiny thing that upset us slightly, and that was, we paid our bill with the waitress and then left (with a very happy 4 year old saying thank you to the chefs). As we got to the front door the bar man came running out after us asking if we had paid our bill. This was in front of other customers and really embarrassed us, putting a slight damper on what was a great evening! Hence only 4* not 5. Sorry. Other than that great job guys 👍🏼
Written 28 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kalarhys
Hi skrajicek89
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review, we are thrilled that you enjoyed your meal with us not once but twice! We try to cater for all needs and your feedback about your daughters meal is something we will use moving forward. With regards to the end of your visit I can only apologize and imagine the embarrassment that it must of caused. I can assure you that your feedback will be passed on to all of the Kala team to prevent this situation happening again and hope that you feel comfortable visiting us again soon.
Written 29 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
BucksOzzie
Aylesbury196 contributions
Aug 2020 • family
We had come down to Bournemouth to look around as my son is coming to the Uni soon. Only found this great new restaurant by chance as we walked from our hotel to his halls but we are so glad that we did. Quite simply the food is delicious, service ultra friendly and the atmosphere is lively and fun. It was also great that we were able to take our little dachshund along. We hadn’t realised until talking to the owner that the restaurant has only been open a week (which helped to explain the longer wait than usual for the food to arrive). Despite this, we still thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend. We look forward to coming again the next time we are down in Bournemouth and wish this new restaurant every success as it certainly deserves to be a big hit!
Written 15 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vicki_8989
Aldridge21 contributions
Aug 2020 • couples
We came here on Wednesday 19th August and would not have guessed it has only been open 10 days. The whole experience was great from start to finish. There was a queue to get in but we had booked a table online so we're taken straight to our tables and drinks were got straight away. We ordered food and as people who eat thai regularly said it was the best we had eaten - actually as good as the food in Thailand! The part owners wife was very attentive all night and was working so hard to keep everyone happy which she did successfully. We are only down here for a short break but will definitely be back to try the lunch menu!
Written 20 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Essex Lad
Maldon168 contributions
Aug 2021 • none
Nice surroundings, attentive and polite staff, good selection of wine & beers so we were looking forward to our favorite dish, "Weeping Tiger" which historically at other restaurants was slices of marinated steak in a sauce with the addition of a bowl of extra dipping sauce. Our food arrived and to our surprise, we recieved one piece of grilled steak and some grilled asparagus, and a tiny bowl of dipping sauce. The steak was cook as requested but was a little dry and lacking in any sort of special flavoring. We also felt that the asparagus did not complement the meal. The meal was more what we would have expected to receive in a Steak House and not an "Authentic" Thai Restaurant.
Written 13 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amy M
10 contributions
Jun 2021 • none
I was pretty excited to try this restaurant and as we walked in, I liked the atmosphere and the decor. The waiting staff seemed quite friendly. The menu looked pretty good too!
I'm vegetarian and I don’t like tofu, but as it was the only option for me, I thought I would give it a try. It was a bit pricey with having to order a curry and rice and the prices being separate, but I assumed it must be good for the price.
For starters I ordered vegetable spring rolls, and my friend ordered the duck ones. The service seemed pretty good still at this point. the waiter told us which were which and gave the to the appropriate people. Vegetable ones for me. The restaurant must have been just under half full. When our food arrived, it looked tasty! I started eating my spring rolls and thought something was a bit off... Ends up the waiter gave me the meat ones and was wrong when putting them on the table. I was absolutely devastated. It was my friends leaving meal, so I did not want to put up a fuss, but I have been veggie for 4 years and in all that time this had never happened before. When we told the staff, the waiter came over and said he struggled to hear the kitchen staff through the mask. This excuse is not good enough. If he did not hear then he should have asked again. The incident turned my stomach and when my main arrived I could not eat it. We got the starters for free but by then the damage was done. I would have hoped we would have got a free drink so I could drown my sorrows in a nice cocktail, but no, this was not the case and then the staff did not come back over to the table for about 30 minutes after we had new starters put down.
From there on the staff took an hour to take our main meal orders and took around 40 minutes to get us some water. I would have thought given what had happened that the staff would have been even more attentive to our table, but it was the complete opposite. I understand for the staff this must have made them feel uncomfortable but given we did not make a fuss at all and in no way kicked off I expected better. The two of us who ordered rice said it was not worth £4.95 for a portion, and that price given the vegetable and tofu curry was £13ish plus the price of the rice, it was more expensive for me to eat than those who had duck.
And just to top it all off, I had an upset tummy the next day and had to call in sick for work.
They have lost the company of the four people at our table, which is a shame because everyone’s main meals looked great, and the cocktails were super tasty. I will be letting my friends and family know not to come to the restaurant and will be writing this review elsewhere so other people with allergens/intolerances do not make the same mistakes I did.
The music was banging though. Playlists were on point.
Written 3 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kalarhys
Hi O4182UKamym
Firstly I would like to clarify what actually happened. I personally delivered the starters to your table and announced the dishes to your table, one being a portion of duck spring rolls and the other being the vegetable spring rolls at which point they were grabbed out of my hand. Upon learning of the confusion I went to your table and apologised stating that I did announce the dish, but as I was wearing a mask maybe the wrong dish was taken from me and I did replace the starters (free of charge) as a gesture of good will, at that point the whole table seemed happy??
I can assure you that we take allergens/ intolerances very seriously, at no point throughout the meal was our allergen book or advice requested and we have numerous vegetarian/ vegan options available on our menu, we are a local independent restaurant and do our best to accommodate to everyone's requirements especially during these testing times.
I hope you can appreciate that with lockdown being lifted and the weather being as nice as it was Bournemouth is a very busy destination so I am sorry that your tap water and main order took a while
(normally guests who order starters first then mains later are not in a rush?)
Our prices are competitive to local restaurants and are clearly marked on our menus.
It's a shame that you feel you have to 'tell the world' and threaten negative reviews over something that could have simply been discussed about and resolved on the night.
Written 3 June 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
bettybee3
Dorset1322 contributions
Aug 2021 • family
Came here for a family birthday meal we booked well in advance.
Within minutes of sitting down and whilst one member of our group was not even seated someone was over asking to take drinks order.
We had not even lifted a menu at this point!
Then again a few minutes later, we were asked for our drinks order! We had only 2 cocktail menu's and their were 5 of us!
So if they want to rush customers at least provide enough menu's.
The same process followed with the food order.
Before even receiving our cocktails, we were approached and asked several times, whilst clearly all still looking at the menu!!
Food was average at best.
Starters arrived extremely quickly, and sweetcorn cakes appeared to be reheated.
Chicken satay was chewy chicken.
The curries were all sauce with approx 4 peices of chicken in.
My daughters chicken penang curry was cold yet piping hot on the inside, we had to send it back.
My chicken dish which was under the kala house special section was a mound of fat. Served with a salad which was warm and soggy.
I left almost all of my dish, and only ate the coconut rice. However i was not even asked if everything was OK with our meal.
After all of this being rushed, we were then left and struggled to even find someone to get the bill.
Terrible service and not worth the money. Did not pay the £20 service charge.
Disappointing birthday meal.
Written 29 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RealityCheck2013
Bristol897 contributions
Aug 2022 • none
Visited here for second time and the food is good and a nice selection.
I had the Chicken Penang and a similar Salmon Dish.
The portions were not great as served on a dish of which half of it was salad which meant only have of the dish was the chicken, the same with the Salmon dish which had a small piece of Salmon at £13.95 not great value.
The venue is in a good location at the top of the high street in Bournemouth and the atmosphere is relaxed and the service was good.
Written 17 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rachel M
4 contributions
Jul 2021 • couples
Absolutely fabulous place. I'm a bit of a Thai novice but my husband enjoys it so let him pick - he did good! The service was quick, efficient and so friendly. The lady in charge that evening has the patience of a saint! The food was hot, tasty and light (my husband can be a self confessed snob at times but it was the best steak he's had!). The drinks are fresh and delicious. You could argue it is expensive but as a treat and for the service received we feel it was very good value for money. Thank you Kala Thai for a fantastic evening!
Written 20 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leo-of-the-barbican
Portsmouth55 contributions
Sept 2020 • couples
An excellent meal and good service. My wife had the duck spring rolls to start followed by the weeping tiger steak and sticky rice, while I had the Kala prawns followed by the duck in honey and tamarind with vegetable pad Thai. Plenty to eat and excellent quality, definitely a go to restaurant for Thai/Asian food.
Written 25 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kalarhys
Hi Leo-of-the-barbican
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review, we are thrilled that you enjoyed you visit with us and I will be sure to pass on your kind comments to the kitchen team.
Written 6 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sammy509
Abergavenny1062 contributions
Sept 2020 • couples
Nice table location so we could watch the world go by, The lunch menu was limited to a few choices but a great deal for 2 course £10 Lunch. The beef red curry was fantastic , my wife had the green curry and loved every drop , a couple of nice cocktails to help the food go down. Service was good and overall a lovely lunch
Written 5 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nickylock10
Birmingham10 contributions
Sept 2020 • none
This is a really difficult review to write as the food was delicious. Beautifully presented, with fabulous table ware, good wine and a fabulous ambience. The. Issue was the lack of Covid procedures and we couldn’t find an email address to advise the restaurant privately so unfortunately it will be public.
There was no track and trace employed and because we were ‘Walk-ins’ and hadn’t booked the restaurant would have had no details for us.
Also the waiter who was really helpful and Friendly unfortunately had no concept of social distancing and I had to keep moving way from him as he leaned in with no visor / mask etc.
It’s such a shame as the food was delicious , I’m hopeful they read this Review and rectify the issues
Written 14 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David W
1 contribution
Sept 2021 • none
Ate here last year and it was good, Food was amazing. Went again on 6th sept 21 and not so good.
Waitress couldn`t wait to get away from our table. Out of the two mains we ordered they managed to get one totally wrong. I wanted another drink and had to go looking for the waitress, the drink took nearly ten minutes to arrive. They were not busy either, only three tables were occupied at the time. When we finished our meals, which were delicious by the way it took 25 minutes for anyone to come and clear the table and ask if we wanted anything else. I pointed this out quietly and politely. We had planned on ordering desserts and cocktails but decided not to.
Won`t go here again. Why is it so hard to get good service in the UK?
Written 7 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pam P
Solihull6 contributions
Jul 2022 • friends
This was the worst Thai restaurant Iv ever been to. I ordered a tofu pad Thai. The tofu was tough and chewy, the sauce was awful and the dish was just a sloppy mess overall. My friend ordered a lamb curry and the lamb was tough and flavourless. The service was poor and the staff were disinterested when we gave them feedback about our meal.
We definitely wouldn’t recommend it!!
Written 7 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Prive S
1 contribution
Apr 2022 • business
I held a work team meeting over lunch, the lunch time menu is very good and great value for money! The staff were really friendly and welcoming. They’re soon to launch a new cocktail menu and so they asked us if we would like to ‘try’ a couple which was a really nice touch! The food is always delicious as I’ve eaten here many times before. Thank you Kala Thai for yet another great experience. See you again soon.
Written 4 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bettybee3
Dorset1322 contributions
Apr 2021 • family
Sat outside due to the new rules, but had a heater overhead which was nice.
We recieved a polite welcome and shown to a nice clean table and pleasant seating area.
We all had various different dishes which were all delicious.
Quality food with plenty of chicken versus sauce in the green curry.
Lovely cocktails.
I had pina colada which was very authentic and not watered down with ice like some places.
Our server was friendly throughout and the atmosphere was really nice.
Portion sizes on a couple of dishes were just a little underwhelming for the price which is my only reason for not scoring excellent.
The experience and food was overall very good and I would definitely return.
Written 21 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kalarhys
Hi bettybee3
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We a thrilled that you enjoyed your meal and drinks with us. I'm sorry that you felt some of the portion sizes left you feeling a bit underwhelmed and I have passed oyur feedback onto our kitchen team. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Written 22 April 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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