hotel that towers over the slightly run-down Hobbs' Pavilion, but once inside the calmness immediately descends as two huge carved Buddhas, smiling serenely, welcome guests.

With the exception of the golden-robed Buddhas, the interior is completely white, but for bursts of pinks, oranges and yellows from orchids hanging from every vantage point and decorating each table. The bright and colourful interior certainly matched the extensive menu and cocktail lists awaiting us as we were seated by an elegant waitress in traditional dress. From exotic cocktails to even more exotic-sounding dishes we perused the menu whilst munching on a bowl of spicy crackers already on the table.

Buddhism is based on a profound peace of mind and the attainment of Nirvana, but we didn't expect this to stretch to the speed of service, as our drinks took 20 minutes to reach our table despite the restaurant not being busy on an early Sunday evening. The service was confused and overly-complicated rather than slow, but thankfully it was not long after our free bottle of sparkling wine reached our table, thanks to a Mai Thai website offer, that the starters arrived from an apologetic waiter.

We opted for number one on the menu: a sharing platter of Thai titbits, featuring spring rolls, prawns on sesame toast, chicken satay, chicken and prawn pastry bags and fish cakes. Nice, but nothing special despite the price. The saving grace were delightful crispy noodles in a sweet tamarind sauce.

There was a vegetarian platter as well as19 other starters including more veggie options - luckily there were English translations to accompany the delightful local names. Goong shup peang tord, anybody?

Despite the earlier delays, the main course was on our plate as soon as the starter plates were taken away. Choosing the main-course was a mammoth task considering there were almost a hundred options available from salads to stir fries and curries to chef's specials. The chef, from a 5-star hotel in Thailand no less, told us later that the menu was selected from across Thailand, with regional dishes available on request.

We opted for the classic pad thai: thick spaghetti-sized rice noodles with beef, egg and beansprouts, topped with crushed peanuts in a thick gravy-like fish sauce. Interestingly, this dish was listed at number five by CNN viewers on the World's Most Delicious Foods poll in 2011. It was wholesome as well as served steaming hot, but maybe lacked the traditional Thai garlic and chilli-kick we were expecting.

The other-half went for the wonderfully-named pad kratiem prik tai: prawns stir fried in garlic, red and green peppers, coriander and ground white pepper. The pungent and fresh garlic aroma was immediately noticeable and the dish was served with a delicious side-dish of steamed rice cooked in coconut milk. 'A perfect combination' was the inevitable and well-deserved conclusion.

The portions were generous without being lavish and we had plenty of room for dessert. Although the selection was limited, we were satisfied by our choices. The coconut roll was served with vanilla ice-cream wrapped in a green pancake, coloured by the leaf of a panda tree - a staple in Thai cooking. The other choice was fried ice-cream, a big hit with kids in Thailand, not surprisingly. A bit disappointing as it wasn't hot, obviously re-frozen after cooking, but still tasty. Similar to a doughnut, but with an ice-cream centre.

As an anniversary dinner the location was a treat, with excellent views of the vast expanse of Parker's Piece, however the food and service both left something to be desired.