"The closure of another English pub is rarely something to be celebrated. Unfortunately, actions of brewers, successive Chancellors of the Exchequer, and predatory pricing by supermarkets combined with the growing tendency to drink at home means such closures are becoming all to common. The Dorset Arms in London Road, Sevenoaks is no more. Although it had its fans, if the truth be known they were few in number and it had become more of a music venue than a boozer.

But on the plus side, the site is now home to Thai Square restaurant. The group has expanded significantly since I first dined at its flagship venue at Trafalgar Square nearly 10 years ago. There is currently 17 - 11 in London - in the chain with another opening immanent. Yet despite this the restaurants seem to be able to maintain their charm and high culinary standards. As a recent "Best Thai Restaurants Award" bestowed by the Prime Minister of Thailand will attest.

Authenticity is achieved through daily airlifts of fresh ingredients from Thailand. Restaurant decor is contemporary with a tasteful mix of modern and traditional Thai artefacts and antiques.

Thai Square's cuisine takes its cues from ideas new and old, often adding an invigorating kick of chilli here and there. Diners with a more cautious palette are offer milder but enticing alternatives to the restaurant's spicier dishes.

After an Margarita aperitif in the bar area, we we're show to our table overlooking the court yard, which remained devoid of customers, bar a sole nicotine addict throughout our meal. The 50-cover restaurant was about third full with a well-heeled clientele, which for a Wednesday evening is pretty impressive. Unfortunately we were the only diners in this part of restaurant, robbing us of the opportunity to people-watch Sevenoaks's great and the good.

The restaurant manager at Thai Square, Kay, looks barely old enough to have left school and seems far too nice and coy to be running a top restaurant of this magnitude, although she moved to the UK from Bangkok as undergraduate 14 years ago and took a masters degree before joining the catering industry.

For starters I opted for the Miang Guaw Tiew rice paper rolls filled with prawns crab meat and lime with a cucumber sauce was pleasingly zesty, whilst my companion went for the Royal Dim Sum - parcels of prawn, pork and crab meat with a soy sauce, which whilst spectacularly rendered, she suspected may be a pretender to the throne

The slices of wild boar were succulent and tender in a tamarind sauce with a real kick to it. My partner's leg of duck had a crispy exterior but remained moist inside, although the sweet tangy sauce was a little overbearing.
Vegetables in oyster source were cooked to perfection, just crisp without being al dente.

The sticky rice was very sticky and displayed a solidarity with which Polish ship workers in the 1980s would have been proud.

Despite the rapid expansion of the Thai Square Group, the owner Haim Danous is as much property man as a restaurateur, he has not take his eye off the main focus the food, which remains of a very high standard. I bumped into him at a reception held at the Dorchester on Londons Park Lane. I half joked as to how many new restaurants since we had last met some 8 weeks earlier. "Two" he answered. I've known Haim for many years and he is not one to boast or overstate his case. I asked him how business was. It replied that it is as brisk as ever, otherwise he would not continue to expand at the current rate. He continues to do property deals, although he admits that borrowing money takes more time and effort. He was still selling land and buildings to other developers who he insisted were buying to develop, not to land bank. He cannot understand why the media is obsessed with writing about an economic melt down."
George Shaw

"Brilliant food and service at Thai Square, although tables very close together."
Nancy Goldman

"Very nice food, good service at Thai Square."
Carmen King

"Thai Square in Sevenoaks - Quality fresh ingredients, great decor, brill service."
charlie

"Food great, service not so good on this occasion."
Shakespeare who dined at Thai Square in March 2010

"Table for 2 persons was too small."
Ronnie R - April 2010

"The service was a little slow, but the restaurant was very busy. The food was worth waiting for."
M Sherwood who dined at Thai Square in May 2010

"We struggled to choose a favourite dish; everything we ordered was fantastic! We intend to return to Thai Square with friends, very soon. Truly excellent food."
RK, Gillingham - April 2010

"We had a great dinner at Thai Square. The food was excellent and service very friend. Will definitely come back soon."
Anne N who dined at Thai Square in July 2010