Expect great food and better service at a new Thai restaurant, writes Katherine MacAlister.

Imagine being invited to dinner at a friend’s only to find that you have to let yourself in, find your own seat, serve yourself drinks and wander about the house looking for your hosts.

Well now you’re getting close to our experience at Pizza Express on Saturday.

But it only goes to prove how important good service is, preferably with a smile. We got neither. Having booked for noon, we made our way upstairs at the Oxford Castle site. The four waitresses were all drinking coffee and talking in a huddle, so we sat at our table for a while disconsolately until I went over to ask for some drinks and maybe the children’s menus.

Instead of an apology, our waitress snapped that the menus were on the table and deigned to take our drinks order. We also had to ask for the free kids’ colouring sets.

It turned out, after asking again, that our waitress, who had as much warmth as a Siberian winter, had put the wrong menus on the table. And after that, however good the chefs were, nothing could make up for the complete and utter lack of interest in our wellbeing or restaurant experience.

If you open at noon, don’t let people slip in and then ignore them. Greet them with a smile, make them feel welcome, it’s worth a million pizzas.

Which made the whole Busaba experience even more delightful because it was a master class in hospitality. Yes, it’s brand-spanking new, and, yes, they are keen to make a good impression, but it worked and I can’t wait to go back.

Busaba is the brainchild of the restaurateur who brought us Wagamama. Think relaxed, authentic, sophisticated Thai dining, and where better than the ever-expanding retail therapy centre of the universe – Bicester Village.

Positioned as far away from Carluccio’s as you can get, Busaba has opened up the vaulted roof and spent a fortune transforming the space into a wooden mecca to Thai food.

Huge teak tables that seat 12 centre the huge lowered parchment lanterns that hang over the tables, creating a sleek oasis of calm. Our Thai waitress settled us in, explained how Busaba works, offered some suggestions, all accompanied by a wonderful smile and a pride in her work second to none.

Food-wise Busaba is perfect for the grazing horders that will wander in and out all day. Everything is cooked within 10 minutes because it’s largely wok based, with a curry, noodle and rice-style menu. But the difference here is how fresh and light the dishes are, compared to the stodgy overwhelming concoctions you find in so many Thai restaurants.

The drinks set the scene – lemongrass tea, and an Earl Grey and raspberry iced tea, awoke our palates which we followed with a guava collins – guava, lime and coconut. There is alcohol if you want, but I find that Thai doesn’t lend itself to booze, its flavours being so delicate and fragrant.

Then the divine Pad Thai jay (rice noodles with vegetables, peanuts and lime for £7.20), the green curry (£8.90) with jasmine rice, Morning Glory veg (£5.80) and the pandan chicken (£5.50). The Pad Thai was so delicious we devoured it and ordered another.

The pandan chicken, beautifully marinated, was the perfect accompaniment. The green curry was rather bitter for my liking, and darker than many I’ve tried in the past, but we couldn’t have been happier as we munched our way through this delicious, healthy Thai feast.

Last orders are at 9pm but luckily, Busaba doesn’t do dessert, its drinks menu catering for the sweet-toothed among us. But they do do breakfast, opening at 9am to offer a selection of lassis, home-made granola, yoghurt, porridge and their take on the Thai fry up.

The opening times might change but, either way, Busaba is here to stay, and is the perfect addition to Bicester Village. But more than anything, Busaba treated us like the Queen of Sheeba rather than the Invisible Man, and it works.

* Busaba is at 50 Pringle Drive, Bicester Village. OX26 6WD. 01869 362700. It only takes bookings for parties of 12 people or more