Skip to Content

Stunning Thai restaurant Giggling Squid opens in Chichester

Step inside the doors of a striking red brick building in Eastgate Square, Chichester and you’re immediately transported to a cool and relaxing summer pavilion. Soft green tones, Victorian style nature prints, and many more enchanting features bring the outdoors in. As with all branches of this exciting chain of Thai restaurants, the newly-opened Giggling Squid in Chichester, West Sussex has been lovingly designed by co-owner Pranee Laurillard. I had heard good things about the brand but was yet to try it, so when I was invited to review their newest branch I didn’t need to be asked twice.

One of the best Thai restaurant in Sussex, Giggling Squid Chichester,

One of the best Thai restaurant in Sussex, Giggling Squid Chichester,

One of the best Thai restaurant in Sussex, Giggling Squid Chichester,

There are several different seating areas, each delightful but with a slightly different ambience — the somewhat quirky birdcage is the perfect setting for a memorable romantic meal for two. Our table was by an open window adjacent to a busy road, yet the traffic was completely unobtrusive, quite surprisingly so, and we were glad of the gentle breeze on what was one of the hottest days of the year.

Being unfamiliar with their menu we were happy to let the waitress guide our choice and we were thoroughly delighted with the outcome. I had the Starving Squid tapas set (£10.95) consisting of Chicken Red Curry, Thai Pork Dumplings with Jasmine Rice but instead of Spring Rolls, I had Chicken Satay. My friend Sara opted for the Two Giggling Squids tapas set (£11.95) namely Chicken Massaman Curry, Salt and Pepper Squid, Lime and Chilli Beef and Jasmine Rice. They also added a serving of Sleeping Honey Duck, just so we could try it. As each dish is freshly prepared from scratch, each can be adapted to your preferred level of spiciness.

Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free menus are available on request and all over a good range of dishes, particularly on their evening menus. All their menus are available to download on their website. As many Thai dishes contain nuts they can’t guarantee that any dishes are completely nut free.

One of the best Thai restaurant in Sussex, Giggling Squid Chichester,

Everything was delicious I did feel somewhat overfull by the end of the meal. Perhaps the duck was a plate too far, or possibly the tasty prawn crackers and sweet chilli dip (£2.95) we started with, but it was all so good I don’t know which I would have left out. The stars of the show were the Salt and Pepper Squid, which we both adored — tender pieces of squid simply prepared in a light flour coating, deep fried until they puffed up. My favourite dish of all though was the spicy Lime and Chilli Beef, while Sara, who prefers a milder dish, particularly loved the Chicken Satay as well as the Massaman Curry.

One of the best Thai restaurant in Sussex, Giggling Squid Chichester,

I was disappointed not to have room for a dessert — the Jasmine and Toasted Rice Ice Cream sounds intriguing. I did manage to squeeze in a little Pineapple, Coconut and Mekhong Sorbet (£4.95) which was the perfect end to our meal. It’s just a shame it had to end at all.

While I wouldn’t pop into Giggling Squid in my lunch break as our meal took a little while to arrive (because every dish is cooked from scratch), it was certainly worth the wait and far too good to be rushed. All the staff were friendly, helpful and clearly passionate about the brand. With three more branches of these fabulous Thai restaurants in Sussex, namely Horsham, Hove and Brighton (plus Guildford, Farnham and Tunbridge Wells not too far from Sussex) I’d highly recommend you check out your local Giggling Squid. I’m sure they are the best Thai restaurants you’ll find in the south of England. There are 25 branches in all with more soon to follow. Many also offer a takeaway service.

I hope to return soon as I’m sure both my husband and my sister would enjoy Giggling Squid as much as I did.

And, by the way, if you’re wondering why the name Giggling Squid, it’s the nickname of one of Pranee and Andy Laurillard’s three children, a memorable name that the couple rightly thought would intrigue people.

Pin it for later!

One of the best Thai restaurants in Sussex, Giggling Squid #Chichester, #WestSussex, #England

Disclaimer: Our meal at Giggling Squid was complimentary for review purposes. As always, we will only share our honest opinions with you, otherwise, there’s little point.

 

Lucy

Monday 16th of July 2018

Tapas style Thai is such a good idea – I always get such food envy when I see others' food come so this way I get to try everything! There's a Giggling Squid opening in Cheltenham very soon so I will have to go and try it out.

Kathryn Burrington

Wednesday 18th of July 2018

I'm a terrible one for food envy and I love trying different things so it's perfect!

Anna Parker

Wednesday 11th of July 2018

Love the decor and I love thai food. We haven't been to Chi for ages now but this definitely looks like my kind of place next time we do! Just what the town needed

Kathryn Burrington

Wednesday 11th of July 2018

Such a lovely restaurant, not least for the decor. I'm looking forward to a return visit (and so is my tummy!).

Suzanne Jones

Sunday 8th of July 2018

The food looks fabulous and the building is so quirky. I love that the decor is so fresh and summery. Hope they open up one near me soon!

Kathryn Burrington

Sunday 8th of July 2018

It's gorgeous, isn't it! And the food was so good. Can't wait to go back!