Dusit is a popular Thai restaurant on Thistle Street in the block between Hanover Street and Frederick Street.
Booking ahead of time is recommended. My last trip to Dusit was fairly early on a Thursday night and had we not booked then we would not have got a table. Lunch is easier but can still be busy. Times are on their website.
Dusit’s popularity comes at a cost. This is a small restaurant. After all, it’s tucked away in one of the oldest parts of the city. I’ve never been while a large party was present and I can only speculate that such a booking would verge on unpleasant for the rest of the diners. At the best of times, Dusit is crowded and noisy.
This is not to say that the owners of the restaurant have squeezed too many tables into the room. Sure, the tables are fairly close together but there is plenty of room for waiters to get to you and serve large plates and bowls. Dusit is crowded because the seats are often full and the old building is something of an echo chamber. The conversations from the diners all around you are magnified.
Dusit is also something of a magnet for the lawyers and bankers from the surrounding offices. In itself this is no bad thing but this reviewer, having worked in a law office, is no fan of the ‘power banter’ that sometimes follows those crowds.
The restaurant is popular because the food is very good. There’s a decent sized menu that is clearly marked for food allergies. I particularly like the ‘steak’ options which are essentially Thai dishes with thinly cut slices of beef instead of chicken.
The popularity of the restaurant does bring some advantages as well as the noise level challenge. The service is very good at Dusit, very quick and that speed appeals to this impatient reviewer.
Decoration seems to have been carefully thought about. If you eat in the back room, tucked away in the town centre, you are surrounded by apparently rather old Thai puppets. These mythological inspired creations rest in mirror lined cases built in the wall.
Despite the noise and because of the great service and good food, this reviewer would recommend Dusit to any Thai food fans.