Foodie Review: Mango Tree Thai, Belgravia

Last year I visited Mango Tree Harrods for the first time and to this day it remains one of my all time favourite London restaurants. And so, when I was invited to join Fran at the Belgravia Thai branch, I was more than excited to give it a go and try out a new menu. Here's a look at our evening...

Located just a short walk from London Victoria station, fellow blogger babe, Fran, and I popped along after work for an evening of fine dining with some serious spice. Much like its original restaurant back in Bangkok, Mango Tree Belgravia* offers an extensive range of Thai cuisine and sharing plates - all served within a relaxed, modern venue. Having taken our seats and had a good look at the menu, it was time to sample the delights.

One of the things I'd say is a must when visiting Mango Tree is the sharing or smaller plates. With so many amazing dishes, it's great to try little pieces of everything; which is why I loved the Harrods branch so much. To start, myself and Fran opted for the signature Mango Tree Sea Food Platter, £16.95pp - an assorted plate of seafood appetisers including fresh king prawns in tom yum sauce, grilled scallops in garlic butter sauce, soft-shell crab tempura and prawn satay (pictured above).

For me, this was the ultimate seafood dish although I felt like I could have eaten the entire thing on my own. The prawns were fantastically meaty and fresh whilst the crab was soft and malty. Combined with the sauces and seasonings, these were a 10/10. The satay sauce also contains a subtle Thai vinegar which really brings the armour and flavourings to life. My favourite of the platter, however, had to be the scallops which were incredible although in short supply at just one each. I would have loved to have had a little bit more between us but overall, a fab starter and easily a must-have when visiting the restaurant. It was time for the main event...

For mains, I opted for the Weeping Tiger Neur Wagyu, £49.99 - grilled marinated wagyu beef steak (cooked rare on my request) served with Mango Tree signature spicy, sour sauce and side salad. This was outstanding. Being waygu, the cut was brilliant and the plate featured a whole host of flavours. The spicy/sour sauce was really interesting and worked beautifully with the meat. A great tingle of the senses. I'm so glad I got to try this. Fran's dish was Talay Pad Cha, £19.95; spicy wok-fried mixed seafood selection of king prawns, scallops, mussels and squid with fresh chilli, garlic, thai herbs, peppercorns and kachai root. I sampled a few spoonfuls of this and, whilst it was crazy spicy, it was absolutely delicious and so fresh. I couldn't help, however, at get some food envy from the next table who had curries - I'd love to return to give one of those a go.

Despite having a starter and a main, we felt pleasantly full and it seemed only right to finish up our amazing meal with something sweet. Of course, it had to be their famous Chocolate Sphere with Salted Caramel, £8.95 (pictured above); a hollow chocolate sphere with vanilla-pandan ice cream core, melted with warm salted caramel sauce. I LOVED this. The combination of bitterness from the chocolate, sweetness of the pomegranate with the fresh vanilla-pandan makes for a real amuse bouche and a palate cleanser. Outstanding. Despite being rather full at this point, I forced myself to finish and savour every bite.

Naturally, being located in the more swanky end of town, Mango Tree is certainly not cheap but it is easily one of the best places to dine in London. Our bill would have come to £190 for starters, mains, dessert and drinks so whilst you may not pop in weekly for a casual bite to eat, it most definitely makes for an awesome location for a special occasion or special date night. If you think about it though, you get what you pay for. One more thing I will say is that, unlike the Harrods branch, it does make for a very relaxed environment despite being an upmarket restaurant. Personally, I think that the only way the Belgravia one could be made even better is if they start selling my favourite dish from the Harrods branch - the unforgettable Fried Lobster Popcorn. Best thing I've ever eaten.

Well, that's it for another foodie review. Huge thanks to Fran and Mango Tree for a lovely pre-birthday meal. But tell me, have you been to Mango Tree yet? What's your favourite Thai place to visit? As always, I love reading your comments so please do leave me lots of lovely ones below.

Until next time fellow foodies,

*Disclaimer - This meal was provided to us free of charge in exchange for a review. As always, all opinions are my own and do not reflect those of the brand.