Thai hotspot Speedboat Bar opens at Electric House
Inspired by Bangkok’s Yaowarat Road, chef Luke Farrell talks us through the restaurant’s menu – now found in Notting Hill
Wednesday 16 July 2025 By Emma McCarthy Photography by Nassima Rothacker
Think you know Thai food? While you’re probably familiar with fiery green curries and classic pad Thai noodles, you might know less about Thai Chinese dishes from Bangkok’s Chinatown. That’s where chef Luke Farrell comes in. Having spent 15 years working in kitchens around Thailand and across Southeast Asia, he is the brains behind London’s buzzy Thai hotspot, Speedboat Bar in Soho’s Chinatown. And now, members and guests can try Farrell’s spicy menu of authentic Thai street food at the all-new Speedboat Bar at Electric House in Notting Hill.
Speedboat Bar will be open for lunch and dinner service between 12pm and 11pm from Sunday to Thursday, and 12pm and 1am on Friday and Saturday. Bookings can be made via OpenTable or the Soho House app. To find out more about the very exciting opening, we caught up with Farrell.
Speedboat Bar will be open for lunch and dinner service between 12pm and 11pm from Sunday to Thursday, and 12pm and 1am on Friday and Saturday. Bookings can be made via OpenTable or the Soho House app. To find out more about the very exciting opening, we caught up with Farrell.
‘We basically do what they do in Thailand. We’re not going to dumb it down or substitute anything to reduce that experience,’ he says. ‘The spice level does take some getting used to, but I guarantee the more you eat, the more addicted you’ll be.’
For Farrell, the timing for the collaboration with Soho House was perfect. ‘Our Rupert Street restaurant is closed for refurbishment, so the entire kitchen – including the best of my chefs – were sent over to Portobello for the opening.’
On the menu are ‘dishes that have been perfected’ at the Chinatown kitchen and precision-engineered to look and taste exactly as they should from Bangkok’s beloved vendors. From midday, the kitchen will serve wok-tossed noodles, citrus-charged salads, and rich aromatic curries. Signature bowls of Tom Yam Mama come brimming with squid, pork and prawns, lifted with lime and long-leaf coriander, and drenched in crimson chilli oil; a cult Bangkok late-night soup, recreated alongside crunchy chicken salad with green mango kerabu, and salted duck egg, celery, chilli, and crispy anchovies.
Come evening, the dining room becomes the place to feast, as the smoky aroma of wok cooking fills the air. Fresh herbs and speciality ingredients play a starring role, and are key in delivering true Thai food to the capital. ‘That philosophy of picking fresh, seasonal ingredients from what’s available is very Thai and central to our menu,’ Farrell explains. ‘Generally what you find in the UK is northern Thai cuisine, which is less reliant on fresh herbs.’
For Farrell, the timing for the collaboration with Soho House was perfect. ‘Our Rupert Street restaurant is closed for refurbishment, so the entire kitchen – including the best of my chefs – were sent over to Portobello for the opening.’
On the menu are ‘dishes that have been perfected’ at the Chinatown kitchen and precision-engineered to look and taste exactly as they should from Bangkok’s beloved vendors. From midday, the kitchen will serve wok-tossed noodles, citrus-charged salads, and rich aromatic curries. Signature bowls of Tom Yam Mama come brimming with squid, pork and prawns, lifted with lime and long-leaf coriander, and drenched in crimson chilli oil; a cult Bangkok late-night soup, recreated alongside crunchy chicken salad with green mango kerabu, and salted duck egg, celery, chilli, and crispy anchovies.
Come evening, the dining room becomes the place to feast, as the smoky aroma of wok cooking fills the air. Fresh herbs and speciality ingredients play a starring role, and are key in delivering true Thai food to the capital. ‘That philosophy of picking fresh, seasonal ingredients from what’s available is very Thai and central to our menu,’ Farrell explains. ‘Generally what you find in the UK is northern Thai cuisine, which is less reliant on fresh herbs.’
The secret to sourcing only the very freshest ingredients can be traced back to a greenhouse in Dorset, where, on his lepidopterist father’s butterfly farm, Farrell has cultivated hundreds of seeds and plants from Thailand. What began as cuttings brought back home in a suitcase has grown into what the chef describes as a ‘living library’ of Southeast Asian plants, including rare varieties of basil, Sichuan pepper and galangal, which are near impossible to source here in the UK.
Accordingly, standout dishes on the menu include minced beef with red and white holy basil topped with a crispy fried egg, and whole sea bream flavoured with a delicate coconut choo chee sauce spiked with fragrant kaffir lime leaves.
On Fridays and Saturdays, Speedboat Bar will stay open until 1am, with the drinks offering given just as much attention as the food. Its signature whisky sodas pair perfectly with the big flavours on the plate, while the three litre draft Singha Beer Towers provide an excellent party trick. For those struggling with the chilli heat, Farrell suggests something sweet to quell the fire, like a Drunken Fruit Martini with green mango or its popular Pineapple Pie with taro ice cream – a nostalgic nod to Thai convenience stores.
The interiors have also been transformed, too, combining the gritty, industrial feel of a mechanic’s garage with the rich textures and vivid colours of Thai design, such as glowing lanterns, ceremonial shrines, and ornate gold frames displaying portraits of Thailand’s King and Queen. A vintage Thai speedboat engine serves as a striking focal point on the bar, with a nod to the fearless Thai speedboat racing from which the restaurant takes its name. ‘Historically, Bangkok was known as the Venice of the East, and to move stuff around you would travel by boat,’ Farrell explains. ‘But now, it’s taken on a whole new style as a fast and furious subculture. It’s quite a sight to watch these waterborne pistol heads racing down the khlongs.’
Book a table via the Soho House app or on OpenTable
Accordingly, standout dishes on the menu include minced beef with red and white holy basil topped with a crispy fried egg, and whole sea bream flavoured with a delicate coconut choo chee sauce spiked with fragrant kaffir lime leaves.
On Fridays and Saturdays, Speedboat Bar will stay open until 1am, with the drinks offering given just as much attention as the food. Its signature whisky sodas pair perfectly with the big flavours on the plate, while the three litre draft Singha Beer Towers provide an excellent party trick. For those struggling with the chilli heat, Farrell suggests something sweet to quell the fire, like a Drunken Fruit Martini with green mango or its popular Pineapple Pie with taro ice cream – a nostalgic nod to Thai convenience stores.
The interiors have also been transformed, too, combining the gritty, industrial feel of a mechanic’s garage with the rich textures and vivid colours of Thai design, such as glowing lanterns, ceremonial shrines, and ornate gold frames displaying portraits of Thailand’s King and Queen. A vintage Thai speedboat engine serves as a striking focal point on the bar, with a nod to the fearless Thai speedboat racing from which the restaurant takes its name. ‘Historically, Bangkok was known as the Venice of the East, and to move stuff around you would travel by boat,’ Farrell explains. ‘But now, it’s taken on a whole new style as a fast and furious subculture. It’s quite a sight to watch these waterborne pistol heads racing down the khlongs.’
Book a table via the Soho House app or on OpenTable
