I'm not the kind of girl that usually approves of anything that even mildly feels like gentrification. AND I hate the sterilisation of Spitalfields, which makes me immediately feel quite contrary towards new establishments in this neck of the woods. That said, my dinner tonight at Rosa's was the shiznid. Simply decorated, really great service (they even played audience to a magic trick done by my step-daughter) and delicious food. Special mention must go to the seafood curry stuff in the butternut squash. Deeeeelish. Big up this place. Go there. Be merry. read more

Ate here yesterday (Sunday afternoon) after a schlepp around Columbia Rd, enroute to Spitalfields. It's ideal for a cheap bite on a Sunday afternoon; by the time you've walked from Hackney Rd to Shoreditch via the flower market and Brick Lane, you're ready for a cheap bowl of good noodles, which is what they do best. Pad Thai for three, ginger tea twice, green tea once, all in 25 minutes for £25. Not quite as cheap as eating off a stall, but on a dreary midwinter day, a good deal better. Try Rosa's II on Dean St, currently masquerading as Noodle: the PopUp restaurant, next to the French House. Makeshift until the January refurb, the restaurant sports pine trestle-tables and - get this - semi-private booths at the rear. Look out for the photo of two kings, on the wooden wall facing the window, bought at Chatuchak Weekend Market. read more

Would be 3.5 stars if that was possible. This place and the Japanese next door gets busy with lunchtime crowds during the week. It does fairly decent Thai food but nothing that's going to blow you away. The selection felt a bit limited to me, considering the range of Thai food out there. There are four of five types of curry with a choice of meat, a few fried noodle dishes, noodles with different types of soup, or satay. A few more salads would have been nice, and maybe some pork with basil or a couple of seafood dishes. The beef red curry we had came with strip of meat that were really tender sunk into a very, thick and rich red sauce. The sauce tasted homemade and had a good strong flavour, but lacked any particular herb or spice hints to add complexity. Its consistency reminded me more of heavy Indian curries than a lot of the lighter Thai ones I've had, but don't know how it is supposed to be done. There a few green beans accompanying the meat, but I personally prefer my Thai curries to use a lot more vegetables and less meat, with eggplant, mushrooms, adding their own flavours and textures. It was all served on a plate, with accompanying egg-fried rice, and designed for a dish for one person. Put it in a big bowl to share instead, and make it slightly more soupy in consistency, with rice served on the side. The soup noodles were reasonable, although the tom yum goong lacked those really potent basil, golangal and lemongrass flavours that make it taste so healthy and good. Again, a few more vegetables in there would have been nice. And, maybe it's just me, but I'm also a bit unsure about using tom yum as a broth for vermicelli style noodles. If the soup's strong enough in flavour, it's probably more enjoyable eating it on its own. Still, I feel like I've complained slightly too much about this place. All in all its not bad Thai food at a very reasonable price. Neither dish did really glaringly wrong, but they just didn't do anything that dazzling either. read more

Went to Rosa's yesterday and because the sun I suppose the place was nice and empty. Compared to other Thai places Rosa's seems little more traditional, and the food is fresh, and wholesome. No complaints about the food at all, no better or worse than any other Thai int he 'hood. If not ram-packed, definitely worth the meal, but when busy it seems Rosa's is not the place to go based on other reviews here. read more

Went for dinner with a friend and shared the prawn crackers and chicken wings. I didn't enjoy the prawn crackers much but my friend liked them (he also eats them more often than I do). Chicken wings were really good and worth it! For the main, I had the Chili & Basil Stir Fried Flat Noodles with chicken and my friend had the Salmon Red Curry (plus a side of rice which you have to order separately). I loved my main. It was delicious and not overly spicy. The Salmon Red curry came with 3 giant pieces of salmon and from his reaction, tasted way better than it might have looked (since it was just 3 pieces of salmon partly submerged in curry). We also ordered the Mango sticky rice which was good. I actually enjoyed the Mango pieces a lot more than the rice because they were fresh and amazing! The service was fast and friendly. It does get pretty warm on the main floor (went in June) so try to go for the tables near the open passageway to the right of the entrance. Definitely a gem worth visiting! read more

Rosa's Spitalfields - Chill and basil stir fried flat noodles with chicken - Thai Near Me - London, XGL

Love Thai food and always looking for a great Druken Noodle anywho stop by this place before heading back to the states. I arrive 5 mins earlier than the restaurant opened. Dispite their door being unlocked, I was instructed to wait outside for the 5 mins with multiple bags. Then once I get in I was brushed of by the waitress. Feeling a little tension due to our initial exchange. The Noodles were great. Overall would try again at another location. read more

Very good food, but not the best of places to go for a work lunch: slurping up noodles in front of co-workers hmmm, and had to stick to faffy fruit juice cocktails. It's also rather noisy, as the wood panelled walls bounce the sound around. Don't expect any quiet conversation. A meal out with friends, yes: forget the smalltalk and concentrate on the food. A quiet date, no. Unless you don't have anything to say to each other, of course. read more

Meh.....unfortunately everything about my experience here was average. We got squashed at the end of a table, the little stools were really uncomfortable, the food didn't have much flavour and I felt it was overpriced. I won't be rushing back. read more

Me and my girlfriend took a break here on a rainy Sunday in London. We only had some tea and got chocolate so I can't say anything about the food. The atmosphere is good and the service is friendly and pretty far. Their menu is pretty varied but most of what they serve looks kind of pedestrian or unoriginal. The hot chocolate we got seemed like the kind of powder you pour into hot water that you can have at any sainsburys or Tesco, and the Green tea was a bit anonymous. Maybe other parts of their menu is better, but what we got does not get them further than 3 stars. read more

Little restaurant around Brick Lane. We pop in on Saturday around 1:30 and it wasnt really busy. I got the lamb satay for starter. It was really good. The prawn pad thai was okay, nothing specially. Price is reasonable. read more

Food was terrible, "beef salad" was just steak pieces on broccoli and carrots. They kept telling us they were closing..An hr before we sat down. Do NOT get any cocktails there. Their cocktail menu seem elaborate but the drinks themselves are not. Staff were pretty rude, but I guess it's London. Everyone is rude at restaurants read more

Meh! Just ate here and was not impressed. Had summer rolls which were fine and like most others I had. Then I had a pumpkin red curry: apparently a signature dish. The pumpkin wasn't cooked enough - it wasn't raw but still a bit too hard. And the curry didn't have much flavour. Coconut rice was pretty horrible and had a waxy look to it like the coconut milk had just been poured on at the end. Overpriced too. summer rolls £6ish, coconut rice £3.50, pumpkin curry £9. All veggie too. The service was good until we finished and then they forgot about us and I had to ask twice for the bill. When we left, I walked past two waiters and neither said goodbye. read more

Went with a group of 9, sat in the basement part of the restaurant. Ambiance is nice, both up/downstairs. There is a large selection of dishes to chose from. Interesting was the availability of duck and lamb in a number of dishes. Across our group we had ratings from 3.5 to 4.5. I had the lamb curry - it was excellent. Presentation of the food is great. Quantity is ample but not excessive. Staff was friendly and attentive, and despite it getting quite crowded we didn't feel hurried. Clientele was vibrant - average age probably around 30. Due to the relatively small size, it felt cosy but not too loud. Had an excellent cold Ginger drink. Drawbacks - pay extra for side of rice and only one beer on the list of drinks. Also there are no desserts available. They have coffee but no Espresso machine. read more

We know we ordered too much by accident but it was all fantastic. We shared Tom Kha (coconut and chicken soup), Tom Yam (chicken soup), Pad Kra Prow (chilli beef), Moo Yang (chargrilled pork), Gaeng Kiaw Wan (chicken green curry), Broccoli Nam Mun, Santo Isid (white wine). The first two are spicy soups and we were surprised how much meat was in these dishes - there was a fair amount of good meat whereas soups usually have less quality and quantity of meat - this felt like a decent course, more substantial than a starter. The food was very fresh - as if it had just come out of the ground; all the meat was very tender. The spicy flavours of the food were very balanced by there not being any flavour that was too pronounced and a mixture of sensations that really a feeling one needs to experience to understand: quite like instruments of an orchestra blending together and some playing solo but with food flavours. If we had to take one dish away it would be the Gaeng Kiaw Wan (chicken green curry), not because it was not as good but because it was a standard Thai dish that you'd expect at a Thai restaurant and seemed the least interesting. The experience as value for money was worthwhile being not too overpriced. I'd expect to pay just over £20 per head for a decent feed. On the whole an outstanding restaurant and really friendly staff that were so welcoming, polite and looked after us as if we were family. The restaurant does get busy by 8, so it's best to go early if you don't want to queue. The restaurant met all our expectations. read more

I've never had a bad meal at Rosa's. If you're looking for your standard Thai meal then this is a great place. It has all the usual suspects plus a few more dishes for people wanting to try something new. Calamari, the duck stir fry and coconut rice are always my faves. Only thing that left me confused was the use of cucumber in their green curry. Hot cucumber ain't my thing. I don't think it should be anyone's thing. Shared starter, main, rice and drink for £20. Not bad! read more

My favourite Thai restaurant in London, Rosa's is where I go when I think I deserve a treat. I've been here enough times to know that you should always try and get seated downstairs, and that there's usually a bit of a wait. But I'm fine with that. My picks: Soft-shell crab to start Duck red curry/Pad talay for main, sometimes both Perfect for dates or groups of friends, they also deliver locally, which is great when you're working late. read more

Good quality Thai food. I believe this is the original restaurant in what is now a 7 restaurant chain. The food is tasty, good value, and the staff are generally friendly. The place looks tiny, and always appears full, but there are more seats downstairs, so it's easier to get a table than you would think. read more

This place is ridiculously good. All the ingredients taste fresh, and I haven't had anything bad from the menu. I've been to a lot of Thai restaurants in my life, but I have to admit that Rosa's is better than any Thai restaurant I've been to in my hometown (Los Angeles). Everything is SO fresh and light AND inexpensive! I have yet to try their pad see ew, but I'm sold on everything else! read more

I absolutely love this place and have actually been twice now during a 4 day trip to London. Amazing curry and great place to grab a casual lunch. The service leaves a bit to be desired, but have been so happy with the food that still feel comfortable giving 5 stars. I can't speak about too many things on the menu, because I have had the green curry both times! Yes, that good... read more

Modern Thai food that will rock your socks off! Seriously. I couldn't believe how good it was for the price they charged. My favourite Thai restaurant in London... because it's just like being in Bangkok :-) read more

The food is OK but nothing special. The service is not particularly quick but is nice. The restaurant is nice as well. Overall it is an OK restaurant but there are better options around. read more

On Yelp reccommendations, and being a tourist in Brick Lane, I along with a friend decided to try Rosa's culinary delights. On approach, well all I can say is looks can be deceptive, we entered and then the joys began....with one exception, the drinks. The food was the best Thai food I have tasted and I have frequented the likes of Mango Tree in Belgravia, the drinks however, leave alot to be desired. If this venue introduced a bring your own bottle policy, my rating would have been a 5! Well done Roas's, I will be returning, again and again! read more

Another delicious meal at this gem of a restaurant. Service is always nice and prompt. Love the fried spring rolls, always a must. Had a few of the stir frys and currys, all of which have been splendid. read more

My first visit to Rosa's was some time ago when they first opened. I remember the flavours to be a refreshing revelation amongst the endless strip of cookie cutter curry shops. So you can understand my disappointment upon returning recently to find that standards have most certainly dropped. I found my pad thai to be pretty lifeless and lacking in the zing that characterises good Thai cooking. My friends green curry was no better. It did not have any of the depth and complexity that I have come to expect from good home cooked thai food. The staff were perfectly pleasant and it was indeed popular, however for the price I was expecting far more from them. Maybe I got you on an off day. I do hope so. read more

I arrive at this rating using the law of averages. Th food gets a 5. I ordered the duck red curry and it was fantastic. Very rich and flavorful. And the duck was tender and lovely. They gave you a good portion of duck too. I am pretty sure it was the only tender piece of meat I had on my entire trip to the uk. Here's why the rating gets downgraded. The service gets a 1. What a disaster. I arrive asking for a table for 1. First they tell me it will be a wait. Ok I don't mind. Then they seat me and I order. Then they ask me to get up to another table because mine has been booked. But oh, my new table is not ready yet. I stand at the bar. Idiotic. For a meal that ended up costing 28 pounds, this is not ok read more

Really yummy thai food at not too expensive prices with eager hungry customers battling at the doors to get in. Service is really great and the restaurant itself is quaint and unpretentious. Portions are generous sized and you won't leave feeling unsatisfied. Beware of going close to closing time however as the staff have a habit of really trying to shove you back out of the door, rather annoying when you've paid £15 for a bottle of wine. read more

I love Rosas and go there a couple of times a month. It is cosy, friendly and awesome food. The portions are a perfect size and very tasty.

I really, really dig Rosa's Spitalfields. Great location on Hanbury, with a really nice and trendy atmosphere. The modern thai cuisine is amazing, and will not disappoint. Decently priced for the quality of food. Service can be slow, but nice enough if you don't mind grabbing your server for the bill. read more

A delicious meal. We shared lemongrass chicken, the texture was so soft and the taste was wow wow wow. The Thai green curry was the other dish we split. The sauce was so tasty that we were lapping it up like soup long after our rice was finished.The starters were OK but perhaps we ordered boringly. I liked the staff, they were friendly, didn't hurry us at all. Perhaps they were too busy as we had to ask twice for the bill and one of us was in a rush. Will keep coming back again and again. Xx read more

There are lots of Thai restaurants in London, so what makes Rosa's stand out? Well for one thing, it's head and shoulders above other restaurants in the neighborhood in terms of quality and service. It's always busy but there is always room at Rosa's, even if you have to sit downstairs. The menu is simple but every item is delicious - from the soups to the curries to the Thai spaghetti dishes. And the service is fast and friendly. I'm a big fan of their ginger tea - it will cure whatever ails you, be it a cold, the weather, or a hangover. read more

Great modern Thai food. Of course, it helps that it's next door to my office so I'm there all the time. I will say that I tend to get one of a few of the same things every time I go, and it's consistently good. I'd give it 4-stars but it's overpriced so -1 for that. read more

I ate at Rosa's a few years back, and was really impressed with the food there. However, on my visit today, it was very disappointing. The staff were more interested in turning around the tables for the next sitting rather than providing us good service. And the prices have gone up too £12 for a small bowl of curry, and you have to pay extra (£3!) for a small bowl of rice! Starters were around the £6.50-£7 mark, equally expensive. Summer spring rolls were OK, nothing compared to those from the Vietnamese restaurants just up the road. The pineapple rice was actually pretty good. The pumpkin red curry was disappointing, considering it was a signature dish. The pumpkin was still hard and not sweet at all, the curry was quite bland. Overall, the standard has definitely dropped from a few years back when it was one of the best Thai places in town now it seems they just want to squeeze as much money as they can out of their past reputation. Avoid! read more

This place is a little cramped seating wise and cafeteria-esque, but the food is excellent. We had a plethora of appetizers and entrees, all delicious. read more

I was not impressed. It's an attractive place (but I'd say more form over function - not too comfy) and that's about where it ends. I wouldn't say the food is bad. It's just not tasty. Even most mediocre, watered-down-for-western-palettes Thai food seems to have a little bit of yumminess about it. Rosa's (or at least the dish I had) was kinda bland - something I never thought I'd say about Thai food. Oh well read more

If I am completely starving I normally choose to pop into this restaurant. Every time I do the food is delicious and comes out in less than 10 minutes. This is a quick stop over though, the place is always super busy, so don't expect to hang around for more than half an hour and rather finish your evening somewhere relaxed close by. read more

http://hungryinlondon.com/2010/06/rosas-spitalsfield/ Since Rosa's has opened its first branch in Spitalfields a couple of years ago it has consistently been featured as one of the best cheap eats in time out. I have given Rosa a chance twice and I tend to disagree with time out. I don't think the food is that great and I don't think it's that cheap either. I am not so keen on the place itself, it feels claustrophobic and very loud, especially when you go there at peak times. We had Yam Som O (7.15) as one of the starters, a rather generous portion of pomelo salad with prawns and deep-fried tofu. It came with some nice but quite heavy/creamy sauce. Even though we really liked it, it was very filling, something one is not quite used to from Thai salads. The vegetable Tom Kha (5.10) was served with loads of fresh vegetables and even more lemongrass. Not the best Tom Kha I've ever had but really quite tasty. As a main we went with another classic Pad Thai with prawns (8.25) which was light and very nice even though there was something not quite right with the consistency of the prawns, we left most of them behind. And then the disappointment of the evening: The Thai Green Curry with chicken (9.50) was one of the worst Thai curries I've had (if I don't count my own attempts to cook Thai curry) watery, bland, not at all spicy it was lacking any depth or flavour. Green Thai curry is one of my all time favourite dishes so this made me quite unhappy. 3 ok dishes and one that didn't deliver at all clearly no recommendation from me for Rosa's They have recently opened another branch in Soho, I haven't been there. Not sure I necessarily need to go though.. read more

Very good thai :) good food, price are okay for the quality you get.

Once a proper workers caf this place has just had a facelift and looks more like an old school diner. Haven't had the chance to pop in yet but it looks nice and cosy from the outside and rally inviting. read more

Good Thai food, should have gone there more when I worked close by. Authentic flavours instead of the usual stuff rolled out at many "Thai" places read more

Rosa's is SO cute! It's quaint and the staff is very friendly. I loved their Tofu Pad Thai, but hated the Pad See Ew. Also right on Hanbury Street and near by anything I could ever need, really. read more