Thai restaurant chain Giggling Squid have chosen Bristol for the 11th branch of their successful concept, with the new restaurant opening on Princess Victoria Street in the premises currently operated by Strada shortly after Christmas 2014.
Co-owned by Andrew Laurillard and his wife Pranee, Giggling Squid’s name comes from the nickname of one of their three children. Their formula is to serve “rustic” Thai cuisine, with the emphasis on sea- and street food.
Since opening the first Giggling Squid in 2009, the pair deliberately set out to look and cook different – using drift wood and reclaimed timbers to create a modern, chic environment.
Meals are freshly prepared from scratch, and the healthy Thai tapas menu proves universally popular in their other restaurants – particularly at lunchtimes.
The lunch menu offers a choice of six tapas-style ‘tasting sets’ that allow diners to sample several of different dishes in at a single sitting, costing between £8.00 and £10.50 with 16 individual dishes priced under £4.00. “Big” dishes with rice cost £6.50 to £7.95. “Combi” meals with starters are priced between £6.00 and £7.25.
The evening menu is more extensive with over 50 dishes available. The ever popular Thai Green Chicken Curry is £8.95.
Says owner Andrew, “I’ve wanted to open in Bristol for quite a while – it’s a great city with possibly the most exciting restaurant scene in the country right now – I can’t wait to become part of it,”
Giggling Squid will replace the 88 seater Strada restaurant on Clifton’s Princess Victoria Street, and is expected to open after Christmas 2014, creating around 20 new jobs.
Does clifton village really need yet another chain restaurant? when will it stop?