David Thompson’s Long Chim finally set for London debut with Soho residency

Located on Rupert Street, Long Chim will take-over the ground floor of Hovarda and serve a menu of ‘authentic and accessible’ dishes inspired by the food stalls and markets of modern Bangkok.

The residency will be something of a homecoming for Thompson, who is best known in the UK for his Nahm restaurant at The Halkin, London hotel, which opened in 2001 and traded until 2012 and was the first Thai restaurant in Europe to win a Michelin star.

Back in 2022​​ Restaurant ​revealed Thompson’s intention to open a permanent iteration of Long Chim in London having secured a site in Chinatown​​, but those plans subsequently fell through​​.

Chef Patipan ‘Pae’ Jipromma, who has worked alongside Thompson for more than five years and is currently head chef at his Michelin-starred Aksorn restaurant in Bangkok, will lead the kitchen team throughout the Soho residency, which will run into early 2025.

“Long Chim is intended to be fun, 'sanuk' as they would say in Thailand, with food and drinks that everyone loves,” says Thompson, describing the concept.

“Our menu has all the dishes that Thai’s miss the most when away from home.

“Pae and I are looking forward to opening our residency in London with our Hovarda partners.”

Thompson opened his first Long Chim in Singapore in 2015. While that restaurant has since closed, the chef has gone on to establish two Australian outposts in Sydney and Perth, as well as a location in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.