Piya Piya

Shocking pink retro-70s seating brings some much-needed cheer to the hitherto rather sombre dining room at the restaurant & bar formerly known as Anakana, though the contrast between the bright, funky cocktail bar at the front, with its huge windows facing City Road, & the glossy darkness of the eating area behind it remains marked, particularly by day; it undoubtedly all works rather better by night. Food is Thai, with a more formal menu served in the dining room & a lighter selection of street food snacks at the bar. For a full meal you could go for crispy chicken won ton with sweet chilli sauce followed by stir-fried duck & Chinese broccoli with spicy tamarind sauce, or a prawn yellow curry, washed down with something under £30 from the European/antipodean wine list; alternatively, nibble on battered squid, chicken satay or deep-fried prawn cakes while knocking back a fragrantly spicy cocktail such as a Ginger Cosmopolitan or Chilli & Cucumber Martini.