Restaurants in Sussex: Trying out the new menu at Giggling Squid in Horsham

Its first ever restaurant was in Brighton, and now there are Giggling Squids in Horsham, Chichester and Hove, too.

To celebrate the launch of the firm’s latest menu, I was invited to the Horsham restaurant for dinner.

My first impression is that it is beautiful. Pretty pink flowers line a trellis and the ceiling as you walk in, with the natural theme continuing through the garden-green seats and floral prints on the walls.

My husband called it boujie – and he’s right, the Insta crowd must go mad for taking pictures in here – but I loved the delicate designs, giving a subtle nod to Thailand with its more exotic climate.

Our friendly host seated us by the window, a perfect spot for watching the world go by and enjoying people-watching in Horsham’s busy East Street.

Presented with a fairly extensive wine menu it was hard to choose, but in the end I plumped for the Leefield Station Pinot Gris from New Zealand (£30.95 a bottle), which promised ‘fragrant aromas of yellow apples, grapefruit and green tropical fruits with a hint of ginger spiciness’. It didn’t disappoint, and was the perfect addition to the spices of Thai cuisine.

A basket of crunchy and moreish prawn crackers (£3.75) quickly appeared on our table, accompanied by a sweet chilli sauce.

And not long afterwards, the starters we’d chosen arrived.

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I’d plumped for the Thai Spice Rice Balls (£6.25) which were red curry spiced rice balls with a mushroom and sweet water chestnut filling. Served with a Thai salsa of red chillies, orange segments, jicama and Thai shallots and a drizzle of tamarind chilli sauce, they were absolutely delicious. I loved how sticky they were.

My husband had a Giggling Squid favourite, the Salt and Pepper Squid (£7.99). He said it was the nicest squid he’d ever had – and he’s had a lot – so it was very high praise, indeed.

It was tough to pick main courses, as so much on the menu sounded so good, but I ended up choosing a Vegetable Massaman curry (£11.95) served with Jasmine rice (£3.50). It’s simmered in coconut milk and perfumed with cardamom, cinnamon and star anise with crunchy cashew nuts. The sauce is thick and unctuous, and I loved the unexpected addition of tofu in there.

My husband had the special Lamb Shank Massaman (£18.95) served with Sticky rice (£3.75). The lamb couldn’t have been more tender – it literally fell off the bone. He said he’d highly recommend it.

He was too full for pudding, but I took one for the team and ordered the Pineapple, Coconut & Mekhong Sorbet (£4.95). It’s the ice-cream version of a Thai Pina Colada with a dash of Mekhong (a favourite Thai spirit – bit like a whisky and rum combined). And it was exactly as described – a super refreshing way to end the meal, and it really did taste like a pina colada. I could have eaten a bucket-full.

We had such a nice evening in the Giggling Squid. It had a lovely, buzzy atmosphere, and the meal was tasty and served at a relaxed but not drawn-out pace.

We’ll definitely be back.