Giggling Squid Leeds: When Dinner Comes With Its Own Sense of Adventure
There are restaurants you walk into and immediately know what you are going to get. Then there are places that make you stop just inside the door because, quite honestly, you weren't expecting quite so much of a spectacle. Giggling Squid on Park Row in Leeds is firmly in the second camp. Tucked into a striking former bank building in the city centre, it is a restaurant that has clearly decided that going out for Thai food should be about considerably more than what arrives on your plate.
And that is probably the first thing that struck me. Before we'd even looked at the menu, the building had already done its job.
The high ceilings, glass domes and masses of greenery give the dining room a wonderfully theatrical quality, but somehow it doesn't feel like a restaurant trying too hard to impress. There are soft lights, floral details, mint-green touches and comfortable seating, with the whole place feeling warm and welcoming rather than overly polished. Giggling Squid describes its restaurants as Thai food “with personality”, and in Leeds, that personality is impossible to miss.
It is also rather clever how the space works. You could walk in after a day of shopping and sit down for lunch without feeling as though you need to have made an occasion of it, but equally, the setting has enough drama to make a dinner with friends or a celebration feel special. There is a large separate bar area too, which adds to that feeling that this is somewhere to linger rather than simply eat and leave.
Thai food with a story behind it
What I hadn't really appreciated before visiting is that Giggling Squid has a story of its own. The restaurant was founded by husband and wife Andy and Pranee, who wanted to bring what they describe as the buzz of Thai mealtimes to the UK: energetic, informal, adventurous and welcoming. Their first menu was developed in the basement of a tiny fisherman's cottage in Brighton, which has since become one of their restaurants.
Pranee has also spoken about deliberately wanting to do something different from the traditional Thai restaurant aesthetic. Rather than simply reproducing the carved wood and temple-inspired interiors often associated with Thai restaurants, she wanted to create something surprising and contemporary, while still subtly representing Thailand. That thinking explains quite a lot about Giggling Squid once you know it.
The food follows the same philosophy. There is plenty that will be familiar to anyone who loves Thai cooking, but the menu is designed around sharing, with dishes inspired by Thailand's ingredients and flavours and created by Thai chefs. Giggling Squid's Thai Tapas Sets, for example, are built around the idea of ordering several dishes for the table, allowing everyone to try a little of everything.
And that is exactly how we approached lunch.
We started with drinks, choosing a Samui Colada and a Lychee Collins, both of which gave the familiar cocktail format a distinctly Thai twist. Then came the difficult part: deciding what to eat when the menu seems determined to make you want everything.
The Salt & Pepper Squid was an obvious choice, and it is easy to understand why it has become one of Giggling Squid's signature dishes. The squid is coated in a light, crunchy golden batter and seasoned generously, giving it exactly the sort of moreish quality that makes sharing rather difficult because everyone suddenly wants the last piece. It is officially one of the restaurant's Giggling Squid favourites, and it has earned that status for good reason.
We followed that with a Thai Green Curry, rich and fragrant with just enough heat, alongside a Street Food Sharing Platter, which gave us the chance to work our way through a selection of smaller dishes and dips rather than committing to one enormous plate.
That is probably where Giggling Squid gets the balance right. Thai food is naturally suited to eating together, and the menu encourages you to order for the table rather than retreat into your own little dish. It makes the meal feel more social, more relaxed and, inevitably, slightly more competitive when everyone decides they want to try the same thing.
More than just a pretty restaurant
The temptation with somewhere as visually striking as Giggling Squid is to focus entirely on the interiors. And, admittedly, they are difficult to ignore. There is something wonderfully transportive about sitting beneath those glass domes and surrounded by greenery in the middle of Leeds city centre.
But the reason the restaurant works is that the food doesn't feel like an afterthought to the Instagrammable setting.
There is a genuine sense of purpose behind the brand, from Pranee's childhood food memories and the couple's original idea of recreating the atmosphere of timeless Thai mealtimes, through to the way the restaurants use bold interiors to create a sense of place. The company has even produced its own cookbook, drawing on Pranee's memories and the dishes that have become part of the Giggling Squid repertoire.
Perhaps that is what makes it stand out from the many restaurants that have discovered the value of a photogenic dining room. At Giggling Squid, the room isn't simply the backdrop for the food; the two are part of the same idea.
You come for the colourful room, stay for the food and, if you're anything like us, leave already discussing what you would order next time.
For Leeds, that makes Giggling Squid a rather welcome addition to the city centre dining scene. It is vibrant without being intimidating, stylish without becoming stuffy and, most importantly, the food has enough personality to match the room.
Giggling Squid Leeds isn't just somewhere to go for Thai food. It's somewhere to go when you want lunch or dinner to feel like an occasion — even when there isn't one.
Practical Information
Giggling Squid Leeds
27 Park Row, Leeds, LS1 5QB
Opening hours: Monday–Wednesday 12pm–10pm; Thursday–Saturday 12pm–10.30pm; Sunday 12pm–10pm.
Food: Thai cuisine, Thai Tapas, sharing dishes, cocktails and desserts, with vegetarian and vegan options available.
Setting: Former bank building with high ceilings, glass ceiling domes, botanical interiors and a separate bar area.
Good for: Lunch, dinner, celebrations, family meals, drinks and sharing food with friends.
Location: Park Row is in the heart of Leeds city centre, close to The Headrow, Victoria Quarter, the Henry Moore Institute and Leeds Grand Theatre.
Website: Giggling Squid Leeds
Book: Giggling Squid
