Thai restaurants have made a welcome increase on the country’s high streets in recent years, so we thought we’d visit Camile Thai, just around the corner from Tooting Bec station, for a sit-down meal.

Camile Thai opened its doors in February of this year and has already become a favourite of residents in Tooting, Balham, and the surrounding areas.

Sallie, our waitress, welcomed us, got us settled and asked if we were vegetarian, vegan, or required gluten-free options – they cater for all. They also pride themselves on serving healthy Thai food (calorie details are listed for each dish), including a “6 under 600 calories” option.
 

We began with some MSG-free (as is all their food) Thai brown prawn crackers and some Edamame – steamed soya beans in their shells sprinkled with sea salt. We could have happily nibbled on these all evening (erm, and we did). We also enjoyed a couple of very good (and very cold) London Bohemia Lagers (brewed not too far away at The London Beer Factory in Gipsy Hill) with our meal.
 

For mains, we shared a Mekong Duck Stir-fry (made with Asian greens and sweet basil sauce) and a Thai Beef Salad – sirloin steak with mixed leaves and a light vinaigrette, with some brown rice on the side (all recommended by Sallie after asking what kind of food we liked). The duck had a deep, rich flavour, perfectly offset by the veg. The beef salad, a lighter and more fragrant dish, was cooked beautifully, with fresh vegetables cooked just enough to really bring out their flavour. We’ve found that some restaurants really overcook their veg. This was definitely not the case here.

They also have a kids’ menu. My friend, who has a two-year old, commented that it would be a great place to introduce little ones to Thai food. She’s already planning an outing with a group of local mums!

There’s something for every diet here, from mild to spicy, vegan to meaty. All dishes are dairy-free (apart from ice-cream) so it’s fantastic if you’re lactose-intolerant.
 

The atmosphere was really friendly and the staff were genuinely interested in what we thought of the food. Isaac, one of the chefs, was especially keen to chat about what we thought. This eagerness to engage with the customers was echoed by Fotios and Mourad, who manage the restaurant. “We’re loving Tooting,” said Fotios, “and we’re amazed and heartened by its community and all the good work that goes on here. We’re really keen to become involved in the community and get involved in local projects. We’d also like people to know that we offer 20% off for key workers – NHS staff, police and fire services.”

There’s still loads on the Camile Thai menu left to try (and we’ll also be giving their cooking courses a go – available on the last Saturday of every month). We’ll be back soon...

Camile Thai is located at 326 Balham High Rd, London SW17 7AA. Call them on 020 8682 1777 or visit their website at https://www.camile.co.uk/location/tooting-bec/. You can also book online here and order online via their website, their app, or Deliveroo.