The move comes after a successful residency at The Globe Tavern in Borough Market
Mike Palmer, along with head chef Luke Larsson, has been running hot Brighton Thai spot Lucky Khao since 2019 and last autumn, the pair made their London debut with the Khao Bird residency at Borough pub The Globe Tavern (which we loved). It went down so well that they’re now making a perm move to the capital and opening Khao Bird inside a former adult cinema in Soho.
The former screen room will become the main dining room, complete with an open kitchen and grill, alongside a bar with a curved stainless steel counter. There’ll be a second bar, doubling as a music booth, upstairs, with the entire space featuring raw materials, a blue and steel colour palette, and Thai crafts and artwork on the walls.
The menu at Khao Bird Soho will build on the Northern Thai food that they showcased at the pop-up, featuring reinterpretations of traditional techniques from Chiang Mai; dishes inspired by Luke’s time spent at Samuay & Sons, our fave Bangkok spot 100 Mahaseth, and Bo.lan; and plenty of BBQ and live fire cooking. As well as off-menu snacks, like house-made beef jerky with fried lime leaves, you can expect the likes of:
- prawn khanon jeen with cold fermented rice noodles, minced prawn curry and mustard greens
- khao soi with beef brisket
- Burmese fermented tea leaf salad
- Shan BBQ meatballs
- beef larb with Campari
Sommelier Zeren Wilson, who curated the wine list for the pop-up, is back doing the same for the restaurant, with Thai and UK beers, icy slushies and classic cocktails reimagined with Thai ingredients rounding out the drinks offering.
Key Information
Opening date | October 2025
Address | 24 Brewer Street, London W1F 0SS
For more information | khaobird.com
