It's the family run business serving up Thai delights in bite size portions.
A Southampton institution for 17 years, Mango Thai Tapas boasts Portswood, Above Bar Street and Ocean Village venues.
The restaurants offer a mix of traditional Thai dishes and creations from their Thai chefs, who mash up Western and Thai flavours to create dishes unique to Mango, like their famous Crispy Beef and Coconut Chicken
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Cocktails come with a Mango twist too, a current favourite being the Thai Margarita, made with yuzu fruit liqueur, homemade lemongrass and makrut syrup.
It all began when Nick Stone envisioned a restaurant concept he'd enjoy himself - delicious small bites, a great drink selection, and a relaxed atmosphere.
Restaurateur Tamsin Stone said: "Time has flown by, and we've been fortunate to meet and serve so many incredible people along the way.
“It was always going to be a family-run venture and it began with my dad. His good friend and renowned Thai chef Sara gifted him some recipes that have remained unchanged since opening.”
Tamsin soon got involved in the fledgling business.
“I joined part-time during my university days, joining full-time after graduating. When our offering is so good and there’s such a wonderful rapport between our team and the customers, I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
Being an independent business has helped during a difficult time for the hospitality industry.
Tamsin added: "It allows us the freedom to inject our personality and creativity into every aspect of our business, from the menu to the atmosphere, so what our customers get is a truly unique and personalised dining experience, rather than a standard corporate template.
“Our teams call themselves Mango family, and that warmth and familiarity extends to our guests. It's this personal touch and genuine care that sets us apart from chain restaurants and ensures that every visit to Mango is a unique and memorable experience.
"There is a lot of uncertainty and vulnerability in this industry. Especially for smaller hospitality businesses like us, there’s big pressure working with high operating costs, low margins, and the unpredictability of the market, but we can be agile and change things when they’re not working.
“Ultimately the job is about making people happy, and that's incredibly fulfilling."
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