You can Thai us up anytime

The Warrington is a handsome pub, its high-ceilinged plush interior a blast of undiluted Englishiana. An early adopter of the 'Thai Upstairs' school of cuisine with Ben's Thai, it regularly packs in crowds of appreciative locals.

Not on a Sunday afternoon, however: the Victorianate splendour of the room dwarfed the two occupied tables. Ben's has a worryingly long laminated menu that bodes of pre-prepared food.

In fact, all our choices tasted fresh - certainly good enough for the ambitious prices (with a Chilean gewurztraminer, two starters, three main courses, pudding and a laceratingly sweet liqueur coffee, we paid £25 a head). Moo Yang Pork - marinated strips, chargrilled - and Toong Ngarn Yuoung - chicken 'moneybags' in won ton wrapper, seriously overfried - came with identical bottled sweet chilli dips.

Main courses were far better: duck salad exploded with lethal birdseye chillis and a dressing authentically sour with lime and tangy with fish sauce; massive prawns were chargrilled and draped in a gloopy, garlicky orange sauce; best of all was 'weeping tiger', excellent sirloin steak in a dark, stickily savoury sauce - delicious.

Thick, soft rice noodles - like a tagliatellied version of the Chinese dim sum delicacy ho fun - were slithery and addictive. Not the most howlingly authentic Thai in town but better than your average above-pub beer sponge.

Ben's Thai
93 Warrington Crescent, W9 1EH