In July, chef Luke Farrell will open a second branch of his Thai restaurant Speedboat Bar, bringing the concept to the Electric on Notting Hill’s Portobello Road. No exact date for opening has yet been given.
The original restaurant, located on Rupert Street in Soho, is inspired by Yaowarat Road, known as Bangkok’s Chinatown. The new site will serve a similar menu to its predecessor, described in publicity material as “fragrant curries packed with heat and herbs, zingy salads that hit with citrus and chilli, wok-tossed stir fries, and slurp-worthy noodles served from lunch right through the night.”
The Soho original, which opened in 2022, was given a rave review by former Standard critic Jimi Famurewa, who wrote: “It is an adult playground of gaudy, aggressively-themed accents, lurid cocktails and roller-coaster Thai-Chinese fusion flavours quelled by tableside towers of Singha beer. It is screaming exuberance incarnate; determinedly unsubtle... It is also, unquestionably, one of my openings of the year.”
Farrell said of the new opening: “A Thai speedboat racing team isn’t driven by one person. It’s the whole crew — tight, fearless, and tuned to perfection — that tears down the khlongs in spectacular fashion.
“That spirit defines Speedboat Bar. From sourcing ingredients directly from Thailand, to growing the seasonal herbs in my tropical greenhouses, to building a team that can faithfully recreate everything from Bangkok’s Chinatown and beyond.
“Now, we’re proud to announce the opening of a second Speedboat Bar this summer on Portobello Road. Not a Bangkok shophouse with a clubhouse above, but the engine room. To build, tune, and roar these beasts into life.”
The Notting Hill branch will feature a real Thai speedboat engine as part of its design. “We brought one in — a real Thai speedboat engine, decked out in chrome,” said Farrell. “It’s about reconnecting with petrol-head heroes and our kitchen crew, both bursting with wok-fired fury. We’re ready to rocket down Portobello with the same explosive flavours.”
As with the original, this Speedboat is backed by JKS Restaurants, but is operated as a partnership with the Soho House Group. It open from noon to 11pm Sunday to Thursday, and noon till 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
191 Portobello Road, W11, speedboatbar.co.uk
