Riverwalk in Durham has become the hottest place to eat in the city and that’s even more true with the opening of the new Zaap Thai Durham. This new kid on the block has opened its doors to roaring success right off the bat and I think it’s only going to get more popular! But if it’s your first time visiting Zaap, you might have a few questions.
I got to go along to the new location to give it a whirl, so I’ve got all the info you need to know. Take a look at the rest of this blog post to learn more about the opening times, parking, my thoughts on the food and more!
Where is the new Zaap Thai Durham?
The new Zaap is part of the Riverwalk complex in Durham. The specific address is Unit 21, Riverwalk, Durham, DH1 4SL and it’s a great option if you’re going to the Odeon Luxe cinema just down the way!
When is Zaap Thai Durham open?
Great news, you can get your Zaap Thai fix whenever you start to feel the hunger pangs! Zaap Thai Durham is open now (as of Thursday 26th September 2024) and is open every day from 12pm to 10pm.
Where’s the best place to park?
For the quickest and easiest access to the restaurant, park in Riverwalk car park (1 Framwellgate Bridge, Durham, DH1 4SL). This car park is located right underneath the Riverwalk complex, so all you need to do is head up the stairs and you’ll be by the river with Zaap Thai Durham a few steps away.
If the Riverwalk car park is full, you can try the Walkergate car park (30 Freeman’s Place, Durham, DH1 1SW). Access is via the main roundabout linking the A690 and New Elvet Bridge, taking the westbound A690 and following the slip road under Millburngate Bridge, or via Freeman’s Place. You could also try The Sands car park (Freeman’s Place, Durham, DH1 1SL). Both of these options are less than a 10 minute walk away.
What sort of food can I expect?
The Zaap Thai Durham menu is absolutely huge. The image above is just one side of the menu – there’s a whole other side with even more options on! There are over 80 authentic Thai street food dishes to choose from, with choices for those who love it spicy and those who like a little milder.
You’ll have to visit a few times to work your way through the menu, but there’s absolutely loads of incredible-sounding things. There’s bao buns, curries, soups, dim sum, salads, noodles and so much more. There’s also veggie and plant-based options, so there’s something for everyone.
My review of Zaap Thai Durham
I was impressed with Zaap Thai from the off. Approaching the unit, it was alive with action and it really stood out, thanks to its brightness. The neon signs hanging on the walls and from the ceiling, the cute little tuk tuks and the music really made me feel like I was in the hustle and bustle of Bankok. It was a great atmosphere!
We were impressed by the extensive drinks menu and actually found it hard to choose. I chose a watermelon bubble tea, which was really sweet and refreshing. Matthew wanted to give a cocktail a go and he can never resist an espresso martini. At first, there was a little difficulty with ordering the espresso martini with the servers thinking he wanted just an espresso, but we got there in the end!
As for the food, we were overwhelmed by the menu. We knew we wanted to get a good selection of stuff, so decided to share some starters. To make things easy, Zaap Thai Durham has a Bangkok platter that offers a taste of multiple things, including pork and prawn dumplings, vegetable spring rolls, chicken satay, chicken gyozas and Thai fish cakes. This was a great choice from us and we loved dipping into different bits to try. The chicken gyozas were definitely my favourite! We also got a side of chicken toast and I absolutely recommend you get this… it’s beautiful.
For my main, I tried the pad see aew with chicken. This is a dish that originates in Malaysia and Singapore, but Zaap Thai put a street food spin on it. It’s made up of flat stir friend rice noodles, meat and vegetables in a sticky soy sauce. It was so rich and delicious, and was lovely with the prawn crackers we had on the side. It was so filling too!
Matthew chose the pad gra tium prik Thai with prawns and jasmine rice. This was a lovely fresh dish with the prawns marinated and stir fried in garlic and pepper. The prawns were lovely and juicy, and again, it was another dish that was great when scooped up with a cracker.
We couldn’t leave without trying a dessert and I was instantly drawn to glouy tod – fried banana in crispy batter with vanilla ice cream. It was utterly sensational – we made a great pick! The fried banana tasted just like hot dinky doughnuts and paired so gorgeously with the cool, sweet ice cream. I could’ve eaten a mountain of these and I’ll definitely be going back for another round one day!
My thoughts
I think Zaap Thai Durham is a fantastic addition to the city and the Riverwalk. The area is already really popular due to the amazing mix of restaurants there, so Zaap fits in perfectly. It’s going to be a busy spot, I have no doubt about it. I’m looking forward to going back and trying more of the menu, and I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone else thinks!
Will you be trying Zaap Thai Durham?
This meal was gifted to me by Zaap Thai Durham in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own.