Singburi 2.0: Opening Date Confirmed For East London’s Favourite Thai

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The cult restaurant is relocating to Shoreditch

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Last year, beloved Thai restaurant Singburi announced it was taking a sabbatical. However, it seems this was just a guise, as we now have word that the Leytonstone hotspot is reopening in a new Shoreditch location, which will open its doors on 19 June.

Singburi Is Reopening In Shoreditch This June

Singburi 2.0 is being helmed by chef Sirichai ‘Siri’ Kularbwong, who has taken over the baton from his parents after they formally retired last year. Kularbwong has brought in two friends to help him: Nick Molyviatis, founding chef for Kiln, who helped with the launch of buzzy Borough Market restaurant Oma, alongside hospitality extraordinaire Alexander Gkikas, co-founder of Holborn’s popular Catalyst Cafe and Roastery.

The original Singburi opened back in 1999, quickly garnering a reputation as one of London’s best Thai restaurants. It was renowned for its affordable, authentic fare, with unique daily specials listed on a blackboard. Staples included moo krob (crispy pork belly with chilli and basil), clams with roast chilli cham, salted fish rice, and traditional curries like goong pad cha plu. It was cash only and BYOB, and bookings were notoriously hard to get, available only by phone.

The family-run restaurant secured numerous awards over the years, including a spot on the National Restaurant Awards Top 100 List in 2023, coming in at number 71.

So what can we expect from the reimagined version? Well, the space has been designed in collaboration with Bangkok studio Physicalist: think terrazzo flooring, industrial accents and an open kitchen with 19 counter seats, offering a front-row view of the action. Once again, the menu will focus on Southeast Asian cooking, and the famous blackboard will be returning, with signature dishes set to include wild ginger chicken thigh, dill and lemongrass pork sausage, and prawn and betel leaf southern curry.

And while guests will still be able to BYOB, Singburi will offer a drinks list for the first time. This will offer a ‘sharp, non-dogmatic’ rotating selection of 14 wines, all available by the glass and hailing from all over the world. There will also be cocktails created by esteemed bartender Vassilios Kyritsis, founder of Athens bar The Clumsies and Line: think makrut lime leaf gimlets and Bloody Marys.

‘We’re so excited to open our doors, it’s been a long time coming,’ says Molyviatis. ‘At its heart, the menu is an evolution of the Singburi blackboard menu, and a reflection of what we love to eat and cook. Thai food is communal – dishes are served all together, and they should complement each other. Something hot needs something bitter, which needs something sweet, which pulls you back to something sour… and before you know it, your glass is empty again. That’s how we hope you’ll eat here – with rhythm, curiosity and joy.’