The Cocoanut Kingston: Tom Holland's Favourite Thai Pub in London

If Tom Holland had to show you around his hometown, you now know where he would take you for food.

During a New York Times interview with Matt Damon, the Kingston-born actor was asked where he would eat if he were showing someone around his hometown. His answer was The Cocoanut, a Thai restaurant inside a traditional pub on Mill Street in Kingston upon Thames.

Holland described it aa family favourite and specifically mentioned its famously dog-friendly atmosphere.

That recommendation is interesting because The Cocoanut is not a celebrity restaurant or a polished destination dining room. It is a neighbourhood pub with a long history, a small Thai kitchen, affordable food and a very loyal local following.

The pub also has a story that goes back much further than its Thai menu. Its unusual name comes from Kingston's nineteenth-century coconut fibre industry, while the current pub retains important historic features from its post-war rebuilding.

If you are looking for somewhere different to eat outside central London, The Cocoanut gives you several reasons to make the trip.

The Cocoanut's history

During the nineteenth century, Kingston became closely associated with the processing and import of coconut and coconut fibre. Mills along the Hogsmill River were involved in processing coconut fibre into products including matting and other goods.

The local industry was significant enough to influence the identity of the surrounding area.

The pub on Mill Street was originally known as The Joiners Arms. Records show that it had become known as The Cocoanut by 1858, linking the pub's name directly to the nearby coconut fibre industry.

The connection is also reflected in the pub's architecture.

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), a UK organisation that campaigns to protect traditional pubs and real ale, notes that the current building dates from the early 1950s and retains several important period features, including leaded glass and the original bar counter. A stained glass window installed in 2005 celebrates the pub's connection to Kingston's coconut industry.

So while the Thai kitchen is a relatively modern part of The Cocoanut's story, the name itself is rooted in Kingston's industrial past.

What to eat at The Cocoanut

The Cocoanut's kitchen focuses on traditional Thai dishes prepared to order.

The official menu currently includes Thai fish cakes, chicken satay, vegetarian spring rolls, yum noodle salad, king prawn Pad Thai, chicken green curry and beef salad. The pub also lists vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.

The menu is broad enough to work for both newcomers to Thai food and regular diners who already know what they like.

Start with Chicken Satay or Thai Fish Cakes

Chicken satay is one of the easiest places to start. The Cocoanut serves chargrilled chicken skewers with peanut dip, making it a straightforward introduction to the kitchen's style.

Thai fish cakes are another traditional option, served with a sweet chilli dip.

If you are ordering for a group, these work particularly well alongside spring rolls and other starters so you can share several dishes before moving on to the mains.

Pad Thai

Pad Thai is one of the most consistently praised dishes associated with The Cocoanut. The official menu currently includes a king prawn Pad Thai made with rice noodles, eggs, carrots, bean sprouts and spring onions, finished with crushed peanuts.

Independent reviews also repeatedly highlight the Pad Thai, particularly the generous prawns and balanced flavours. If you are visiting for the first time and want one familiar dish alongside some more adventurous choices, this is a sensible place to start.

Green Curry

The Cocoanut's chicken green curry is another menu staple.

The official version combines chicken and aubergine in a spicy Thai green curry. It is a good choice if you prefer a richer dish that works well with steamed rice.

The restaurant also serves other curries and meat dishes, giving you plenty of options if green curry is not your favourite.

Seafood and Noodle Dishes

For something lighter, the yum noodle salad combines spicy and zesty glass noodles with king prawns, cashews and coriander. The menu also includes beef salad with fresh chillies and lemon juice for diners who prefer something sharper and more intensely flavoured.

These dishes are useful if you want to move beyond the familiar Thai curry and noodle options.

Vegetarian and vegan diners have plenty of choice

The Cocoanut is notably accommodating if you do not eat meat or animal products.

The official website lists vegetarian and vegan menus alongside its main menu. The team also highlights gluten-free options.

If you are vegan, it is still worth explaining your dietary requirements when ordering so the kitchen can confirm which dishes and sauces are suitable. This is particularly important with Thai food because ingredients such as fish sauce and oyster sauce can appear in dishes that otherwise look vegetarian.

What to drink at The Cocoanut

The pub side of The Cocoanut remains important to the experience. You can have a traditional pub drink alongside your Thai meal, while Singha is a natural choice if you want a Thai beer with your food.

The pub's historic connection to British pub culture also means you do not have to make the evening entirely about Thai cuisine. You can simply stop in for a drink, order some food and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere.

The Cocoanut is also pet friendly

This is the detail that helped put The Cocoanut into Tom Holland's interview. The pub's own website describes it as "incredibly dog-friendly" and explicitly welcomes dogs to dine with you.

Holland went further, describing an atmosphere where people let their dogs off and the pub effectively becomes a dog-filled social space. That colourful description has since become part of the restaurant's identity online.

There is also a resident pub dog called Tony, a Pomeranian who has become a familiar part of the Cocoanut experience.

One important distinction is worth making. The pub confirms that dogs are welcome, but you should follow the staff's instructions about whether your dog can be off lead during your visit.

If you are bringing your dog, the best approach is to treat the dog-friendly atmosphere as part of the experience while still being considerate of other diners and their pets.

Why The Cocoanut feels different

London has no shortage of Thai restaurants. What makes The Cocoanut different is the combination.

You get Thai cooking inside a historic neighbourhood pub. You get a casual atmosphere alongside a dog-friendly environment.

And then there is the history. The pub has connections to Kingston's nineteenth-century coconut industry, retains significant historic interior features and has remained a local landmark through generations of change.

That combination gives the restaurant an identity that is difficult to reproduce.

How to get to The Cocoanut in Kingston

• By National Rail: Take a South Western Railway train from London Waterloo to Kingston station. The journey takes around 30–35 minutes.
• By foot: The Cocoanut is approximately a 10-minute walk from Kingston station. Follow the route towards Kingston town centre and continue to Mill Street.
• By Tube: Kingston is not served by the London Underground, so there is no direct Tube route to the pub.
• By bus: Local bus services run into Kingston town centre, with stops within walking distance of Mill Street.
• By car: Drive towards Kingston town centre. Several town-centre car parks are available nearby, although spaces can be limited during busy periods.
• By taxi: Taxis and private-hire vehicles can drop you directly outside or close to the pub on Mill Street.

Address: 16 Mill Street, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2RF.

Things to know before you go

The Cocoanut is a straightforward neighbourhood pub, so it helps to plan accordingly.

The Thai kitchen operates Monday to Saturday from noon to 3pm for lunch and from 6pm to 11pm for dinner. Sunday is the pub's weekly closing day.

The pub currently says it operates on a first come first served basis. If you are planning a group booking, the team asks you to call directly to discuss arrangements.

A few useful points:

• Lunch: 12pm to 3pm, Monday to Saturday
• Dinner: 6pm to 11pm, Monday to Saturday
• Sunday: Closed
• Dogs: Welcome
• Booking: First come first served, with group bookings by arrangement
• Phone: +44 20 8546 3978
• Address: 16 Mill Street, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2RF

You are getting a historic Kingston pub, a family-run Thai kitchen, a relaxed atmosphere and a dog-friendly setting. The food is also reasonably priced compared with many Thai restaurants in central London, with the official menu currently putting dishes such as chicken satay at £7.95, king prawn Pad Thai at £14.95 and chicken green curry at £11.95.

Tom Holland's recommendation may have put The Cocoanut back on the wider London food map, but the pub has been serving its local community for decades.

If you are heading to Kingston, bring an appetite, give yourself time to explore the town and arrive ready for a very different kind of Thai restaurant.

You might even meet Tony while you're there!