Being a South London boy, I always like to try out something a little different in my own back yard. Forbidden Temple is certainly that; the exterior stands out from the surrounding shops and bars and looks bright, vibrant and welcoming.
Interior
Step inside Forbidden Temple and instantly you are greeted by a smart, chic, bamboo fronted bar and lounge area which, although not breath-taking, certainly looks the part and makes for a good first impression. The dining area itself is intimate but not crowded, with space enough for smaller and larger groups to eat comfortably. Past the bar is the Jigsaw area (suitable for 40 or so people) with nice leather seats perfect for drinks with friends; Forbidden Temple also have the Taboo Private Lounge (50 person capacity) which is equally smart with more leather seats for guests to sit and enjoy drinks in company.
Clientele and Atmosphere
When we arrived at around 8:30pm there were a few small tables of people drinking with the main activity taking place in the dining area where groups sat chatting and laughing over their meals. The tables ranged in sizes and the audible buzz created by the diners was ideal for either a birthday meal or a more intimate affair. The clientele ranged from maybe 21 to around 40, although there were definitely some older customers that defied that age range and seemed to be having a great time. The bar really filled at around 11pm, due partly to a large birthday booking and also because the tables had been moved back the resident DJ had started his set of laidback RnB that had my two companions singing in between sips.
Food and Drink
Let’s start with the food; the menu is fairly small but there is a nice mix of meat, fish and vegetarian Thai dishes nonetheless. For starters two of us had Thai Fishcakes and my other friend had Chicken Satay; both were meaty and flavourful and the sweet chilli dip had the perfect kick to accompany the fishcakes.
For main course we opted for a trio of curries, in a bid to get a real sense of what was good. I can safely say that they were all great. My Thai Red Curry in particular was fragrant and fresh with that extra pinch of spice that any Thai food fanatic loves. The Thai Green and Beef Malay were also very tasty and come highly recommended. One particularly greedy friend of mine also opted for dessert (I didn’t want to be too full for the cocktails); the waitress recommended the Date Pancakes, a nice touch which always wins me over. They came out beautifully presented and didn’t touch the sides!
After dinner we worked our way through a few alluring items on the cocktail menu and were served up some fresh and punchy drinks. If you want a big cocktail with some serious clout then go for a ‘Blood Of The Dragon’ (Vodka, Gin, Brandy, Bourbon, White Rum, Gold Rum, Triple Sec, Orange Juice, Lime, Sugar Syrup, Grenadine), if you’re after something a little more refreshing then I’d recommend the ‘Okinawa Island Tea’ – crisp and tasty.
Summary
In summary, I was pretty impressed with Forbidden Temple, as you can probably tell. The food and drinks were really good with an atmosphere to match. A special shout must go to their staff too; we were looked after really well all evening, by both waitresses (cheers girls) and their bar staff. Forbidden Temple is perfect for dinner and drinks and with a 3am license on Friday and Saturday nights, you can party till the early hours. We’ll definitely be going back, and we encourage you to visit too.
