Thai Orchid

Someone from this business manages this listing.

#64 of 268 Restaurants in Maidstone££ - £££, Asian, Thai, Vegetarian friendly

+44 1622 681561+ Add website

Write a Review

Hours

Sun

15:00 - 21:00

Mon

15:00 - 22:00

Wed

15:00 - 22:00

Thu

15:00 - 22:00

Fri

15:00 - 22:00

Sat

15:00 - 22:00

Improve this listing

What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.0

487 reviews

#64 of 268 Restaurants in Maidstone

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

Learn More

PRICE RANGE

£5.00 – £35.00

CUISINES

Asian, Thai

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

meals, features

Location and contact

The Broadway, Maidstone ME16 8PB England

+44 1622 681561

Improve this listing

Does this restaurant have a full bar?

Yes

Unsure

Details

Manage this business?

About

We are an authentic Thai restaurant right on the River Medway in Maidstone. We offer lunch specials Monday to Saturday, an all-you-can-eat fixed price Sunday buffet and a full a-la-carte menu. We have a wide range of dishes for vegetarians and can cater well for diners with food allergies and intolerances as our food is freshly-made by our Thai chefs. We also have a day-time menu in our downstairs waterfront Orchid cafe-bar from 12am everyday, including Thai and English food. We have BBQ's on the terrace in summer and live music every Thursday night.

PRICE RANGE

£5.00 – £35.00

CUISINES

Asian, Thai

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner

FEATURES

Delivery, Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Buffet, Seating, Free off-street parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Mastercard, Visa, Digital Payments, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service

Contribute

Write a review

Upload a photo

Ask a question

We perform checks on reviews.

Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews

Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.

When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.

Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.

Learn more about our review moderation.

4.0

487 reviews

Excellent

243

Very good

Average

Poor

Terrible

Richard_A-Sandys

Hereford153 contributions

Tasty food, haphazzard staff - would revisit

Aug 2020 • family

We planned a stop here on our way to Dover, mainly as we could use the Meerkat Meals offer on a Sunday. When we booked, they explained we would have to buy from the Ala Carte menu which we were happy with. On arrival, we liked the position, next to the River Medway and convenient parking outside. The host confirmed our booking and Meerkat Meals, telling us to tell the waiters upstairs before ordering, which we did. At the table there was a buffet menu and we were told how to order from that. For starters we had the platters which were steaming hot and very tasty (though the duck spring rolls maybe not so much). The main courses had good flavour but seemed mostly sauce, maybe as it was a table service for “all you can eat” so being a bit more sparing with the meat. That said I did enjoy my meal! Then came the bill - the Meerkat offer forgotten then when challenged, we were told we had ordered from the wrong menu. No other menu had been offered and so the manager came, told us we should have ordered off the Ala Carte. I politely walked him through our arrival, we had followed all instructions and ordered from the given menu - he eventually capitulated so we had the discount. It was a shame as overall we enjoyed our meal and the restaurant. The staff did seem a tad haphazzard though this only added to the charm of the place!

Written 2 September 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jackson074

154 contributions

Good

Jun 2021 • none

Went for lunch time menu, very busy but the one waitress employed copied very well and could not be faulted and did the work of two with out complaint. . The starter was very bland and only three small over cooked items items, it lacked the wow factor and needs to be better, the main was very good value and tasty. Good for Vegans and wheat intolerance persons, would go again.

Written 29 June 2021

Saimir S

1 contribution

Lovely meal in the garden

Sept 2020 • family

Had a lovely meal here. When we arrived the host explained that they do thai pizzas and burgers on the ground floor and garden area and have a Thai a la carte restaurant upstairs. As we wanted to sit in the garden we opted for the pizza and burger menu and the waiter recommended green curry pizza if we liked spicy and the sweet and sour pizza if we were not into spicy food. Food came out and was very good and at a reasonable price as well. Will definitely return.

Written 23 September 2020

Tim B

Chatham179 contributions

Valentines disaster

Feb 2020 • couples

We booked our table about a month ago and was really looking forward to a very special night out, as my partner had been before and really enjoyed it. When we arrived we thought it was a bit strange that they didn't ask our names and there were a lot of people waiting to be seated. We were told that the table wasn't ready and had to sit downstairs. Finally after about 20 minutes we were allowed upstairs and basically sat where there was a space. There were no table clothes and the table was a bit knackered. We were given prawn crackers and menus and after about 40 minutes we were asked about a drink. Mine turned up then another ten minutes my partner's turned up. It was chaos. Only one lady who looked like the boss was taking food and drink orders. The bar was covered in used glasses and nobody was washing them up. We had our order taken and waited again for the starter to arrive this was cold. Lost count of how many couples got up and left as the service was so bad. Other couples left when they had been waiting two hours for the main and weren't happy with what arrived. The owner was really stressed and was shouting at the only waitress who seemed to be working she ended up in tears We were given plates for our main course and told it was coming... so is Christmas.... it never turned up. I got up and paid for what we had and left. Other couples just left. Extremely disappointing. Only good thing is Mac Donald's is opposite so we grabbed a burger and nice Mac Flurry. I expect with all the customers who use social media and were at the Thai Orchid last night may not be as polite as me. Waiting two hours is not really acceptable

Written 14 February 2020

moomyUk

Maidstone45 contributions

Sad to experience a decline

Sept 2021 • none

We ordered a £40+ meal to be collected last Friday evening 10/9/21 Having dined there many times we had been impressed with the standard of service and food. What we found on arriving home a few minutes after collection was abysmal. The starter platter offerings were floppy, tasteless and oily The fried rice resembled sticky rice in one solid mass The noodle dish too came as one lump. I emailed the following morning detailing my complaint and till now I have not received a reply. We shall not go there again and certainly would not recommend a take out

Written 13 September 2021

Jon G

Boulogne-sur-Mer4 contributions

very poor experience- take away

Feb 2021 • none

I ordered a take away from this Thai restaurant where I have eaten on several occasions and had a good experience. The delivery took an hour longer than promised. The cash machine did not work to take the money and the food was expensive ,cold ,congealed and not as described. When i complained to the restaurant they apologised but did nothing to rectify the problem. Most of the food was thrown away and it cost £50.

Written 22 March 2021

Linda hillier

2 contributions

Takeaway

Jun 2020 • none

We are great fans of the Thai Orchid and eat there regularly, so thought we’d treat ourselves to a takeaway delivery by Just Eat. The food ordered on the 12th June for 18:15 (as stated on the receipt) arrived 40 minutes early. We had only just arrived home, so luckily didn’t miss it. The food itself, I find it hard to believe that it was produced and sent out by the Thai Orchid. The chicken Gai Priew Wan was tasteless The chicken Gai Pad Med Mamuang equally as tasteless Pad Thai Chicken, I would not like to hazard a guess as to when it was originally cooked. Dark brown soggy, greasy, noodles with some chicken. If the above dishes are now the current standard of food produced by the Thai Orchid I don’t hold out much hope of their continued success as a restaurant.

Written 13 June 2020

thaio413

We are sorry that our standard fell on this occasion. We can assure you this was a hiccup and not a long term reflection of the quality of our food. Please order again as we hate to see a customer go

Written 31 July 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Ellie B

Maidstone5 contributions

Never again!!

Aug 2020 • couples

We arrived at 7:30pm and the restaurant was fairly busy. We ordered starters and mains about 7:40pm. It got to 8:40pm and we started getting really annoyed as we had still not received any of our food. We then had a table who were sat next to us receive all of their food before us even though we were there first. In the end, we paid for our drinks we and walked out after well over an hour. So disappointing and really unorganised. On the plus side, staff were very friendly however when we asked where the food was they kept on saying “5 more minutes”. Will not be returning.

Written 28 August 2020

chriscourtney60

Aylesford341 contributions

Bad service

Aug 2020 • family

Booked a table for 7.30pm but when we arrived it was not ready until 7.45pm. Then no one came to the table until 8.10pm. When we ordered the starters they came and they were OK. Mains did not arrive for ages but the issue is that it came out in bits with a meal but no rice or rice with no meal and therefore everything was cold when it came to eating. Asked to speak to the owner or manager only to be told she was busy in the kitchen. The waitress was unhelpful and the owner did come out who was apologetic. After 2 hours we had starters and a drink. Was our first time and will be our last. The restaurant is a nice location and could do well. It was busy.

Written 3 August 2020

Pam T

19 contributions

Gluten Free Meal - Fantastic

Jan 2020 • none

I am gluten and dairy free and for the first time in a restaurant I did not feel that I was causing a problem. It was all in a days work for the fantastic manageress. She knew all the dishes and what was in them. It was also my first Thai meal and what a fantastic surprise - lovely hot, tasty food that was delivered with very friendly staff. Cannot praise enough - my new favourite restaurant!

Written 1 February 2020

futtock21

London17292 contributions

Well priced set lunch

Nov 2022 • solo

A cosy nook this comprising two small rooms one behind the other serving authentic Thai food amidst the usual ornaments including gold praying Buddhas, gongs and flying metal birds. At lunchtimes a very reasonably priced set menu (small surcharge for prawns) is available from which I chose chicken satay and green beef curry. Service was polite and efficient.

Written 2 November 2022

pretty77120

London8 contributions

Authentic Thai Food

Jun 2021 • none

I booked a table online then followed up with a phone call to request a table overlooking the river. The gentleman on the phone was kind and warm. We arrived about 10 mins earlier than our slot and Mark welcomed us (downstairs where they also have a lovely cafe) and said our table was all ready and we could proceed. We took the stairs and stood there less than 1 second before the lovely young Thai? girl greeted us with "2 people? please come with me" and showed us a table not quite where I expected. So I immediately said I had requested one overlooking the river and she willingly gave us one that was. Mark later came up to ask if we wanted to swop to an alternative table as he was aware of my request. We declined as were happy where we were. We found the vegetarian food to be be tasteful and authentic Thai. The only snag was the young girl was the only waitress in the whole restaurant so there was a bit of a wait to get attention. She managed beautifully though, tending to everyone. And she was very very friendly and warm. We were impressed with both Mark and her kindness.

Written 18 June 2021

Eric L

Maidstone22 contributions

poor and super slow service

Nov 2021 • none

we went there for my son’s bday which is book a month ago.wife called in the afternoon to make sure everything was ok, gentleman from reception was cancelling our reservation 3 hours before the booked time. My wife have to fight for the booking and at the end was move in the evening. which compromised our later engagement. we were there at 6 pm for a buffet dinner. j have ti ask the lady at 18:45 that we are ready to order. the first round of starter was not serve until 19:00. we order the second round of starter at 19:15 not serve until 1940 at the end my friend have to leave for work without any mains. i have spoken to lady server that she need to start taking our order fir main because we need to be somewhere else at 8pm, this time i was so upset and angry, apparently its the lady owner who can only take the order and she iwasalso getting involve with serving the food i hope not the cooking as well. because this might explain the super slow service. you loose you appetite before they serve the starter, you will be luck if you can your main meal. you will only advised to ave at least two hours of buffet.

Written 2 November 2021

Thai O

Dear Eric L I am sorry that you didn't have the experience you were hoping for however a couple of things need clarifying with your review. First of all, we were not cancelling your table, the reason for the call was to push what we thought was a table of 6 back an hour, it transpired that you are your wife had made separate bookings for 6 people via our reservation system and we mistakenly thought that this was probably a mix up between yourselves as to who was booking the table. Normally we would get two bookings of 6 in the SAME name or just a note in the special requirements section asking for a table of 12 and we have had this same situation in the past where a husband and wife have both booked and then ended up needing to cancel one of the tables because they hadn't communicated with each other properly. However in hindsight we should not have assumed this was the case and double checked at the point of booking. Secondly, we managed to fit you in as a 12 at 6pm but only 6 of you turned up at 6pm with more arriving between 6:30-6:40 but still not the full table of 12 so the waitresses understandably assumed that not all of your party had arrived and did not take a food order from you until asked. You state that your first starters order was taken at 18:45 and fifteen minutes later you had received your food, next order taken at 19:15 and served at 19:40 which considering the restaurant was packed and we cook fresh food I don't think 25 minutes for your second starter is that long so if your friends had turned up on time like you yourself did then this whole situation would have been avoided and they would have been able to enjoy a main course before leaving for their 8pm engagement. Once again we are sorry for the mix up with your table with regards to thinking it was just for 6 people when it was for 12 however we still managed to fit you in although it was an hour and a half later which you accepted. If you do decide to give us another try either put in the special requirements that you need a table of 12 or just phone the restaurant directly to book and I promise you that it will be a completely different experience. Kind regards Thai Orchid

Written 6 December 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Matt P

15 contributions

Sunday buffet disaster

Sept 2022 • family

Having attended the restaurant before I new there maybe a delay with food. I was shocked to find how bad it was this time. There was little or no trained staff and it was over busy. The food took ages to come over and I felt sorry for the couple next to me who had waited over an hour to get any starters. Each time the staff coming over to them asking if they had ordered. I tried to order some drinks and I got a simple yes and the male waiter then just turned his back to us and Spoke to the next table. I then had to flag down two others to get some drinks. The plates for each course were brought out to earlier. As they were warm at first but then were left getting cold while waiting for food. Our mains arrived. Well some of it. Then had to wait another 10 minutes before the rest came and the dish was not cooked right. As the table was cleared I immediately asked for the bill which again to ages to arrive. In that time the waiter tried to clear the table taking a glass or water still being drunk and my partners sanitiser gel. In this time the table next to us was still waiting the additional started they requested. Terrible terrible service and complete disjointed service.

Written 18 September 2022

susankh1

Maidstone4 contributions

Go somewhere else!

Nov 2021 • family

Went here for a meal last week. Will not be returning. Overall an awful experience. To be fair, the starters were good quality and were very hot, and totally satisfied with those. However the mains came out barely warm and quickly got stone cold. Our plates were slightly warm when they arrived and the plates the food came in were the same. We told the staff about this and they took the food away (minus our rice which just sat in the table and got even colder). When the food came back it was exactly the same as it was when it arrived. We left quite a lot of it. The pad Thai was very poor quality, coated with a dark brown grease. Glutenous mass of stodge. No egg as advertised, barely any spring onions or anything to add different texture. I recommend the pad Thai in Pad Thai Live in the star arcade. Attitude of staff was appalling. They really didn't care at all. They cleared our plates away. No comment on the large amount of food left. Then, despite there being only a handful of other people in the restaurant, and the woman standing behind the counter doing nothing, we were completely ignored. Didn't come back to the table to see if we wanted anything else or the bill. We went up to the counter to pay. Really, they didn't deserve to be paid.

Written 21 November 2021

…

Showing results 1-15 of 485

Best moderately priced restaurants

See all