Urban thai has been my lunch break spot since my company relocated to the Center. I go there at least twice a week and I can’t get bored of it. Unlike other Thai places in Shanghai, it's not pretentious (the cook is a very nice Thai lady who recognises usual faces) - Although not a Thai myself, I believe their food is quite authentic and a perfect balance of spiciness for everybody to handle.

They also have reasonable prices as the set lunch goes from 48 to 88rmb - go for the Tom Ga Khai soup - and they even have an “All you can eat” formula at night and during brunch for 150rmb - great place to go after a hard-day's work, although don't expect to do anything after, dishes are rather generous ;-).

THE Deal !
I went to UrbanThai for one main reason. I heard that they were offering a all-you-can-eat deal for 150rmb. This deal included a selection of dish (some dishes are not available compare to the A la Carte menu) + 1 complementary drink (Beer / Soft / Wine).

The Food
The food was really great. Compared to some other thai restaurant where I have been before, the food looks more authentic.

The Place
Urban Thai is pretty small. There are maybe 15-20 seats. It brings a nice intimate atmosphere to the place. I would recommend to reserve before coming. On this saturday evening. All the seats were taken.

The Service
The waitress was very nice with us. She saw that we liked a lot the skewers and offered us many refill. Pretty good for an all you can eat deal. Usually waiters do not try to push clients to get more food !

Final Words
The place is great, the deal is good, I recommend to try Urban Thai

I must say we had a great time at Urban Thai on wednesday night.

We booked a table and it seemed like the waitress was waiting for us. She was busy with other clients but she took the time to show us our table and gave us the menu. The service was prompt, the food arrived super quickly, maybe too quickly but I thought it is good enough for Wednesday night if you don't want to finish too late... I thought the service was professional and the waitress was indeed caring: I liked that she brought us the glasses of water we ordered very fast and then took care of dressing the table and bringing the wine. I liked also that she asked us to clean the table after each course without a pushy attitude.

The atmosphere is nice, everything is clean and neat. The dishes are original and the decor is cozy. It's small but it isn't noisy.

The food was good and tasty even there is room for improvement: but I guess it's a great deal, inside the French Concession and it might become our little restaurant next door. We'll definitely go back there.

I have been to this place few times now and I never get bored about what I try. Even if the menu is not so large you can find all the typical Thai dishes that you want. Such as Tom Yum/Tom Kha Gai(Chicken Coconut Soup)/Massaman Nuea (Massaman Curry with Beef). The last time I went it was for a business meeting and besides the fact that the service could be improved (the waitress was not really smiling and she didn't know the drink list so well)the dishes always come out of the kitchen quite quick. I have never tried it with my Girlfriend but it's definitely a place where I would see myself inviting her. So it's for sure a place that I will continue to go in the future especially if their Lady Thai Chef is still so funny....

The food is very average. I can easily name 10 thai restaurants with much better food. We went for the 150 RMB brunch per head. It is very strange that all-you-can-eat Brunch offers only one drink. When I heard that I already got a bad gut feeling this meal is going to be a mistake. I don't know who wrote those nice reviews about this joint or where those reviews came from but it's time to tell the truth. NOT WORTH THE MONEY AT ALL !!! Go somewhere else. We were the only people there and felt like idoits and left hungry.

Sorry Urban Thai, but I'm not enthralled. The place itself is interesting in a "small and a bit designed" kind of way but that's where all interest ends for me.

The food wasn't much better than food court Thai one might find at a mid-level shopping mall in the US: over-sauced but strangely, not busting with freshness or flavor. They also seem to have some issue delivering the spice - have ordered spicy on a couple occasions and had the food arrive very... not.

Service-wise, I'll agree with one of the other reviews that the owner/staff seem to focus on their "friends" to the point that a non-regular customer like myself feels like he's crashing someone's dinner party.

Overall, if it was very inexpensive I would be willing to accept the above. Unfortunately it's not and by all I've experienced, not worth it.

It was all so sweet, and sweet in this case is not a good thing, Thai food should be a nice balance of flavours, in this case almost all the dishes were too sweet, and if it was not sweet it was too salty.

The Larb should be a nice balance of a sour tang, and spiciness, but in this case it was quite a mediocre dish which miss some core ingredients as well, for the price you'd expect at least the core herbs to be present.

Overall its a pretty mediocre attempt at Thai food, not sure what the good reviews are about. Maybe I was there on a wrong night!

The venue is a bit deceiving from the street, but upon entering one is pleasantly surprised by the simple yet tastefully decorated, intimate interior. The space is small yet cosy and is thankfully devoid of the kitsch found at other Thai restaurants around town.

The food has always been consistently good, tasty, and to quote friends of mine who have since become fans of the place - "the closest thing that you can get to the real thing in Shanghai". The service staff is friendly and also quite knowledgable about the dishes mentioned on the menu (a trait that not all restaurants here can brag about). Furthermore, the fact that the food is cooked and prepared by a native Thai adds to the authenticity of the fare served at this hidden gem.

Thanks Urban Thai for the consistent quality of food and service. I'm definitely coming back for more, and I'll be bringing friends.

This is absolutely my favorite Thai restaurant in town. I've been there several times, with friends of for business dinners and each time everything was perfect.
Serving is professional and friendly, the owner is most of the time at the restaurant taking care personally of her clients.
Food is prepared by a nice middle-aged Thai lady and it is just delicious.
I'd personally recommend to try their steamed fish, the BBQ chicken and the Larb Gai
Better to book tho as the place is quite small.

I had heard this place was great through the grape vine and was pleasantly surprised at how awesome it was. I went for the set lunch menu, which seems like it may be a little expensive for a thai lunch, but in all honesty it was totally worth it. The fish cakes on the appetizer platter were bursting with flavours, and were so fresh, so clean. I also tried the chicken Larb (minced chicken salad) which again were so fresh, with a great kick of spice and herbs. The BBQ chicken was a little disappointing because of the lunch set size, which probably isn't worth the price, but this at least kept the flow with great taste.

This tiny little gem creates a beautiful atmosphere and I have definitely been craving that food ever since I walked out the door. I love the blue paint as well!

I’ve been going to Urban Thai for nearly 7 months now and am sad to post each time the service has declined. So much so that today's visit will be my last.

The establishment is very small, which wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t for the fact the owner sits with her friends at the table next to you and visits the entire time. To the point where it’s uncomfortable to even interrupt to place your order.

I felt more as though I was interrupting someone’s own meal to try to have my own. For the price you pay for the meal it’s definitely not the service I expect. I’d rather walk a few blocks further and go somewhere I can enjoy my meal and also the atmosphere.

I wouldn’t post this if it was a one off, but it has consistently been this way over the last few months and broke me to the point of creating an account on SmartShangai just so I could share this experience with others.

After speaking with a friend who recently visited this place, I echoed their positive sentiments. I checked this page and saw that a review that I THOUGHT had posted actually wasn't present, so I'm re-posting.

In short, Urban Thai is special. For those of us who harken back to the days of La Na Thai back at the Ruijin Guest House paired with the very distinctive Facebar, we now have a place of near remembrance for that beloved Shanghai institution. But what makes Urban Thai special is the specially attentive service, and it's intimately small space. Urban can not reach the same level of popularity as La Na Thai simply for the fact that it is small, and due to a number of things, a place like this therefore becomes a coveted discovery amongst those who find it. Heck, I shouldn't even be writing about it for the simple fact, I don't want it to be overrun. Like a secret tonkatsu place which, for those of you who know about it... giving up such a secret is done only to close friends who would promise not to sell out our "special places". Urban Thai is likely to become one of Shanghai's special secrets, because by far it stands out amongst the other fare around the city.

The Food:
The food is exquisite. It is simple, no frills thai food which genuinely brings reminders of thai beaches (for those of us who have been). It's home cooked stuff, and I get to say this as truth, because the owner's Mom and Aunt are actually the ones running the kitchen I learned at one visit. The Thai iced teas and iced coffees just hit the spot. Like beer pairs well with chinese food, the thai iced teas help cool the spiciness of the dishes. Not everytime I have visited, but on a few occasions I was asked if I would like the dish to be prepared "thai style" or "toned down". I've tried both, and while there are differences in the level of certain spices for the dishes, they both are executed well. It boils down to your specific mood for that evening. The red duck curry is outstanding. A little less thick than what we've had at other places, but the flavors were delicate yet distinct. Mmm, I want some NOW. Complimenting the flavor of coconut is the Coconut Chicken soup. I'd have that every night during the winter, it's a combination of sweet and sour with a perfect balance of (coconut) milkiness make a comfort food that boasts warmth. Also highly recommended is the Larb, minced beef with salad with lime juice and mint (or was it coriander?). The Ah Ka Prow is also delectible but more appropriate as a main (friend minced beef with fresh basil). Standards like Phad Thai, Chicken Satay, Pandan Leef Chicken are all good picks. Yikes, I'm just now realizing how often I've been, cause I've just remebered I've tried two out of the three fish dishes also. The sweet and sour fish which is very much akin to China's Songzi Yu, but it is still slightly different to justify an order if you are in the mood for those flavors. I personally preferred however the tamarind fish which I've never had before in any restaurant. It is on the sweeter side of the taste spectrum, but it boasts a unique flavor inherent with the tamarind fruit. Even though it is a whole fish, it's nice that it is cooked in such a way that the meat easily falls off the bones (which is something that annoys me about some places when you have to consciously separate them).

The Environs:
Urban Thai is small. Perhaps it is meant to be a little "secret". It is nicely decorated in a kind of "tianzifang" feel. It isn't suitable for a first date mainly because I feel the lighting is too bright for that kind of ambiance, but for a partner you've been with for awhile, it'd be a place suitable for sharing with a plus one. The last time I counted they had room for about 18 people, which may not be conducive to small business meetings honestly due to its intimate quarters, but ESPECIALLY due to this, if you were to rent the whole place out say for your management team or something, then it's a guaranteed good night for all. I have a feeling however that if you wanted a more subdued evening or something for a specially romantic date, you could call ahead and ask for candlelights, though it might be a problem since dishes will cover your table (it's better to share of course!). You'd have to ask, but the owners (note, OWNERs, not management) are easily accessible which adds to the appeal of this place.

The Value:
You are getting good portions for slightly less than Element Fresh prices (though the three fish dishes are above the 100rmb mark, those are meant to share with more than one person obviously). Damage can be kept to 60 per person for a light meal, a normal meal about 100-140 per person, but the trouble is with this place is that there is so much to enjoy that (like me), you will just keep ordering thai iced teas, and order dessert regardless of how full you are. It's one of those kinds of places =)

Went in for a friend's birthday dinner last month (okay so I'm a little slow). I felt kind of bad because we were a group of 12 which is a bit too large for this place. It is quaint and just about as cozy as you can get. The decor is exactly what I look for in an intimate dining experience. I would (and will) return for a date or dinner with friends. I am very skeptical about Thai food anywhere outside of Shanghai. I'm a chef and I know how much Thai food relies upon fresh Thai-grown ingredients. Which is why I feel that most Thai restaurants outside of Siam have a very difficult time living up to anything you will experience while actually in Thailand. However, Urban Thai blew my expectations out of the water. Drinks were great, the food was great and service was better than 98% of what you'll find in any fine dining restaurants in Shanghai. Shahla is amazing! I don't know her very well but she made the experience a home-run . I really admire when a front-of-the-house manager takes on a small project in order to concentrate on what really counts... service. Do yourself a favor - go to Urban Thai.

Urban Thai has fabulous quality/authentic food, cold beers and is well priced! It is small but you can book and it's interior and air con blasting makes it a perfect spot for an eat-and-run or settle in and enjoy the food!

Very good Thai food!