Giggling Squid - Esher

We had a first bash at this place for a quick bite before a wander on Esher Common. The decor inside is bright and lovely, not a typical Thai restaurant decor at all. What really impressed me was their allergies app. You can filter the menu by ticking your allergens. I've got a dodgy reaction to MSG, and their app was a lifesaver. We went for the lunch set menu – decent price, really quick service, and the food was spot on. Definitely worth a go.

We had to ask twice for the bill and then wait nearly half an hour for it to arrive, then the same amount of time to actually be able to pay it. So long as your parking is not running out you are ok.

Absolutely scrumptious Thai food, lovely restaurant and staff are always friendly, helpful and attentive. Really recommend trying lunch - various different options - lots of small dishes to share, or else the four smaller portions of starters and mains which are also yummy. Normal menu also available but fun to try different options. Convenient pay and display parking nearby too.

We visited in December 2025 as Pizza Express was packed. We had a couple of dishes including a minced chicken & basil & a Massaman curry. To my astonishment, the food was as good as anything we’ve had in Thailand. Quite unique! My only complaint is the portions are just too small, for the price charged.

4.5 Food was excellent , far better than what we were expecting as its a chain. We ordered a real mix up, the slow cooked beef and pulled pork was great. Looked beautiful, atmosphere was a little odd. Nice decor, staff where pretty good. No idea if the others are this good but would certainly give them a go based on this one.

Went to this restaurant as the chain is normally a good level of quality. However this particular branch really needs some staff training. We arrived and they were tentative whilst it was quiet. The moment it got busy they forgot about me and my guests. To the point I had to go up and ask them to clear my table. I then asked for a jug of water of which she eventually poured directly into our used cola glasses that were also left on the table. Food was as expected however the service was awful.

Our first visit to Giggling Squid and it was absolutely wonderful. The food was full of flavour, the service was warm and welcoming, and the atmosphere made the whole experience even better. Everything was amazing from start to finish. We’ll definitely be returning for another visit!

First visit and boy was I surprised. On arrival there only appeared to a single person greeting patrons and seating them. It was at least 10 minutes before we were seated in what was basically an empty restaurant. However once seated, the staff were very attentive and friendly. The long wait was soon forgotten once the food arrived and OMG! For what is basically a "restaurant chain", this was some of the tastiest Thai food that I've eaten; the squid was cooked perfectly and the pork cheek just melted in the mouth. The only disappointment was dessert. The "salted caramel soufflé" was just a frozen cheesecake . I will definitely visit again.

Great food - delicious Great service Place pretty and colorful Parking space is the issue

Nice place. Nice service. Food is good but needs a little more Muslim friendly dishes.

Food looked better than it actually tasted. If my review was based on how the food was presented it would definitely get more stars however, I just was not that impressed. The restaurant itself was also very nice. It was nicely decorated. Definitely a more modern approach rather than your typical Thai restaurant. The tables, chairs and lighting were quite the scene. I ended up having to eat here when trying to go to Lemongrass down the street (another Thai restaurant on High Street) was closed. A local told us where there was another Thai restaurant town so I walked over. I ordered the Thom Yum Noodle which I was quite upset about. My sister and I wanted to share this dish. The menu said nothing about containing peanuts. My sister is allergic to peanuts. When the server brought out the dish and when I asked if there was peanuts she said yes and that it was just on top. She offered to scoop out the peanuts which was a kind gesture but it would've been nice to know that the dish contained peanuts. (The traditional Thai dish does not contain peanuts) The rest of the food was mediocre. I did enjoy that they were "tapa" styled meaning smaller portions so we were able to try different things on the menu. We tried the chicken yellow curry, beef with lime and chili salad, salt and pepper Squid and pork dumplings. The pork dumplings were the best among all the dishes! The sauce it came with was quite superb. I much prefer Lemongrass down the street but maybe I just ordered the wrong things on the menu?!?

A really wonderful place for lunch especially! The menu allows for a set menu that includes several items on one plate. My wealthy Squid featured lamb masssaman, spicy shrimp, duck spring rolls and white rice. A beautiful dining room and even prettier food presentation. Open all day, they do not close between lunch in dinner like the Chinese next door.

This restaurant has the most amazing food and the staff are so nice it is typical of Thailand. I have had takeaway meals from them during lockdown and they have always been spot-on. I cannot wait for them to re-open after next week as it will be the first place that i will head to, i have personally never had a bad meal or takeaway from them, also well priced for families. Great place to take my family and they are great with kids as well. Giggling Squid Weybridge - See you soon

Our party of 4 dropped by after a late morning cinema show. It was great finding an Asian restaurant in Escher. One could taste the creamy milk in the curry sauces, though it wasn't as spicy as one would expect. The lamb massamun wasn't as tenderised and didn't seem to have soaked in the spices. The crispy squid's batter was crunchy, though I would have preferred more squid. The prawn red curry was good and spicier. The interior was well designed and spaced, and conducive to catch up. Service was superb

Finally, a Thai/Asian restaurant in the area that isn't too expensive and isn't dumbing it down for the British palette. The Giggling Squid is a chain of about 10-15 restaurants across the South East that serves quite authentic Thai. Since we were away for the weekend in a Champneys Spa, I was reluctant to cook something for the evening. Even then, when I rang at 6:30, they were fully booked and would only be able to do takeaway pickups 1.5 hours later. Talk about busy... But Esher is now becoming known for relatively decent food and so we were willing to wait. Takeaway here is good, and better than most of the Thai restaurants in the area. They have Green Papaya salad which most Thai places tend to shy away from, and it's SPICY! Which is how it's meant to be done and the sharpness from both the lime and the fish sauce is divine. The Phad Thai isn't bad, a bit on the wetter side for my liking, but certainly not flavorless and actually quite close to what I remember street market stalls tasting like (with a little more refinement here than the wok char that you can taste on a Bangkok side street). They also sell 'Morning Glory' vegetables (or Ong Choi if you're Chinese) stir fried with chillies. Simple, but decently done, I think there's too much 'sauce' in it which makes the sauce less tasty, and the chilli is just sliced without much fanfare. For £7.95 I'd expect a little more finesse, but oh well, it's my favorite veg in the world and they didn't ruin it, so I'll forgive them. All in all, the Giggling Squid lives up to it's name of providing authentic (enough) Thai cuisine to the random spots that they have placed themselves in. I'd give them a 5, if 1. the wait wasn't so long, 2. they really did make it 'Thai style' and 3. Made the Ong Choi (Morning Glory) less blandish saucy and added the chillis in a slightly more refined way. Yum. Definitely going back!

Great restaurant. We went for Sunday lunch. The menu had plenty of choice but wasn't overwhelming. The food was superb, especially the salt and pepper squid, which wasn't at all rubbery.