Tucked away in the town centre, on Dame Flogan Street, the venue opened last year but is back with an all new menu of Thai, Chinese and Malay food for 2008.

The interior of the restaurant is pleasant and spacious and the friendly waiter seated us quickly as we were the first diners to arrive on a Thursday lunchtime.

There is an extensive wine list and menu with a wide range of dishes – including a good vegetarian selection – as well as set menus.

We opted for the set lunchtime menu of three courses for £6.50 and our starters of spicy samosa and shrimp and sweetcorn soup arrived promptly.

The food itself had a good flavour and there was plenty to keep us going until our main course arrived.

For my main dish I opted for chicken Thai red curry, which consisted of generous-sized pieces of chicken in a rich and spicy sauce and was delicious.

Meanwhile, my dining companion chose beef in black bean sauce, which I was assured was also tasty and full of flavour.

The portions were very generous but we still had room for a tea and a coffee, which rounded off the meal perfectly.

The staff, who were very polite and discreet throughout, made my dining experience extremely enjoyable and although the restaurant was very quiet this was not a reflection on the quality or service.

Overall, the Thai Palace is a good place to go for an intimate meal as a couple or in a larger group as part of a night out.