Insider Pages Reviews for Cafe Spice

4 Stars: Good Food (by JessicaDee)

JessicaDee — Mon, 18 May 2009 09:00:00 GMT

I would definitely eat here again. Food was fresh, tasty, no complaints. It is a bit pricey but not as pricey as some other places I can think of where the food is not as good.

4 Stars: perfect indian bistro (by MarJerr)

MarJerr — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:00:00 GMT

Been here awhile, just went here. They were super cool about seating our large group. the servers were attentive, the food was great, and the prices are fair considering the quality of the food. Definitely want to make a habit out of this place.

5 Stars: great food, worth the wait (by rs p.)

rs p. — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 12:38:00 GMT

As with most New York restaurants, the wait for seating is extensive. However, it is well worth it. The food is fast to come, and is AMAZING! I recently went with a few friends and we scarfed down dinner in under 15 minutes.

5 Stars: Great Indian near Union Sqaure! (by citilivin)

citilivin — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:00:00 GMT

We went to Cafe Spice before heading to Bowlmor Lanes last Firday night. The food we found was really authentic. Compared to other restaurents in nyc, it's an absolute bargain! Service was nice and the restaurant has a nice bistro setting . Definitely will be going back!

3 Stars: Good Indian Food (by roahmed)

roahmed — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:00:00 GMT

This is a good Indian restaurant, nothing out of the ordinary though. The restaurant is cozy, and the service is wonderful. Our waitress was very nice and knowledgeable of the menu, and was very attentive. There are so many appetizers, entrees and side dishes to choose from, that it's hard to pick which one to get. The naan and papadum with all the different chutneys was amazing. My friend ordered the "Achari Tikka" as an appetizer and loved it. I ordered the "Bhindi Masala" (okra) as an entree, which was good, I just wish it was spicier. Overall, this restaurant was good, although if I went back I'd want to try a different entree, because everything else was good.

4 Stars: great menu knowledge (by adamschulz)

adamschulz — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 09:00:00 GMT

I went to cafe spice on a saturday eve with my 3 other friends, restaurant wasn't busy so we got the lovely booth.ambience was ok though litttle dark may be they were trying to make it romantic but we were all guys so didn't matter for us.hostess was really warm and helpful.we had a lovely and pretty server(indian).she knew the menu inside out so we didn't even had to look at the menu. we all got what we were craving for...great indian food...I wanted to have a stew like chicken and my friend wanted a spicy dish and thanks to the server we had a great meal.I would say indian food at its best.will definately go back to try their appetizers, now it's a new place for us to hangout when in nyc.

4 Stars: Love their tandoori shrimp! (by bettyo70)

bettyo70 — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 09:00:00 GMT

Eat in is better than takeout -- like most places. Everything I've had here is fresh and flvaorful.

I especially like their saag (spinach) dishes and their tandoori shrimp. Chicken tikka masala is good too.

Don't expect one of those dark places like in the East Village. Their decor reminds me of Pottery Barn. But to me, it's good food that counts... I like this place!

1 Stars: Possibly the worst Indian restaurant in Manhattan (by janesays13)

janesays13 — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 09:00:00 GMT

This place is completely overpriced, the service is terrible, the portions are smaller than most Indian restaurants, and the food is bland. You're paying for ambiance, but be prepared for apathetic and/or nonexistent staff members, and be prepared to pay EXTRA for RICE. We waited at least 25 minutes just to get a glass of wine, and our server didn't even apologize for the wait (note: she only had two other tables besides ours). After she dropped off our food, we never saw her again, and we had to physically get up and find someone to bring us our check long after we were done eating.

5 Stars: EXCELLENT FOOD AND SERVICE (by mchadha)

mchadha — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 09:00:00 GMT

Went to Cafe Spice with 4 of my friends on a saturday night.We were greeted promptly by the waiter who was very nice and cordial.She was very helpful in suggesting us drinks and helped us in ordering a lot of good dishes since we knew nothing about Indian food. We were fast to order the appetizer platter since we were very hungry. The food looked very appetizing and delicious since it came on a variety of fancy plates. We ended our great experience by having Gulab Jamun (dessert) recommended by the waiter. I thanked my friend who recommended me this restaurant and will certainly recommend it to others.

1 Stars: borderline rude, maximizing clientele turnover (by vic_j)

vic_j — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 09:00:00 GMT

Went on a double date with friend and his girlfriend for a few drinks and appetizers. We couldn't carry our conversation as we were routinely interrupted by waitress and servants asking us to order and hinting that we're taking too much time -- amazing, we just sat down. The entire place and the treatment we received felt as a conveyor belt. In terms of the food itself -- nothing special, we limited ourselves to several appetizers. Yet paired with such rude service, would never recommend for anyone interested in carrying any kind of conversation while there. If just to drop in, quickly stuff yourself and jet out -- to keep their turn-over. Perhaps.

4 Stars: Good food, if you are willing to wait (by xilonic)

xilonic — Sun, 26 Jun 2005 09:00:00 GMT

I've been to at Cafe Spice probably 5-8 times, it is probably still the best Indian restaurant around Union Square. To sum it up:
Service varies from good to mediorce, depending on which waiter you get; generally it is just average Ok. Seating is always prompt, though the restaurant does fill up in the evening. Food is usually very good, though ocasionally I wondered about freshmess of raw vegatables in side orders. As many other reviewers noticed, your order is often slow to arrive - this is particularly true in the evening but is not a problem during lunch time. The decor is vibrant and eye-pleasing with several semi-private boths on the right side of the dining hall, which are great for a date.

5 Stars: My favorite Indian Restaurant (by beautava)

beautava — Fri, 11 Mar 2005 09:00:00 GMT

This place is great. I had a huge group for my birthday and we were well taken care of. The waitress was very patient with us and the food is phenomenal! Service was prompt, friendly and great. Slightly on the pricey side but worth it!

4 Stars: Not your average Indian restaurant (by livinginfrance)

livinginfrance — Sun, 06 Mar 2005 09:00:00 GMT

Cafe Spice is a beautiful restaurant, with a warm ambience (especially the booths). The wait for 2 on Sat. at 9pm with no reservations was only 5 minutes. Service was friendly and fast. The food was very tasty and there were several vegetarian options. Specifically the dahl is some of the best in town. If you order the platters all of your typical Indian side items are included so it is a good value. One of my new favorite Indian restaurants. I can't comment on how authentic it is, but it was pretty darn good! Interestingly I saw 2 tables with kids who seemed to like the food too, so that was fun.

4 Stars: Not for the rushed. (by pandacub143)

pandacub143 — Thu, 24 Feb 2005 09:00:00 GMT

The food here is rather good, but only if you like to wait for it. I like the somosas, chai, and the chole, but the dhosas and dhal were kinda dissapointing. The service varys from day to day- sometimes they're very nice, and sometimes not. The kitchen however, is almost always slow. Also, specify if you like your food spicy- its rather bland if you don't. The ambience is pretty and nice for conversation, so a casual lunch here would probably be best.

2 Stars: Disappointed service (by dooye)

dooye — Mon, 31 Jan 2005 09:00:00 GMT

Sometimes serving good food does not mean your customers SHOULD be happy... I was told I need to pay for additional cup of tea if I want to REFILL HOT WATER, even though what I ordered was just a Lypton black tea. Astonished was how i looked. Feeling ridiculous so just told myself not go there anymore...

3 Stars: Good food, terrible service (by emmastory)

emmastory — Tue, 12 Oct 2004 09:00:00 GMT

I've been to Cafe Spice several times, and while the food has always been good, the service ranges from mediocre to awful. My most recent visit was my last - the behavior of our waitress was almost shocking. When she wasn't being sarcastic or downright rude, she spent her time studiously ignoring our table or pointing us out to the other waitstaff. I've always been an overgenerous tipper, but it was a stretch to justify even the couple of bucks we left her. The food's good, but I won't be back.

4 Stars: Very good (spicy) food (by pearlypg)

pearlypg — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 09:00:00 GMT

I love the food here, and although it is pricey, the entree comes with rice, naan, dal, and salad, which makes it worthwhile. It is better to make reservations because the place is always full. The service is also slow. For appetizer, I like Potli Samosa, but sometimes it is improperly cooked, which ruins the taste. I love the spice content of food, which suits my traditional Indian taste for spicy food!!

1 Stars: Terrible!! (by adalsania)

adalsania — Sun, 20 Jun 2004 09:00:00 GMT

Ordered appetizer and entree and had to wait 40 mins only for us to flag the waitress down and ask her if we were going to get the food. She replies, "You should have told me before". She then goes to to the kitchen, which is in plain view, and grabs the food off the steel shelves. Apparently its the customer's job to remind the waitress to bring the food. As for the food, it was terrible. Being an Indian myself and having been to many restaurants, there was simply no taste. About the only thing somewhat good was the naan, which you can't really mess up.

5 Stars: The Taste of Authentic Indian food (by jyovaid)

jyovaid — Fri, 11 Jun 2004 09:00:00 GMT

If you want to have the taste of India check this out. The ambience makes you feel good. The reasonably priced mouthwatering delicasies would tempt you to dine at cafe spice everytime you are in New york.

5 Stars: Great Service (by jkalia4)

jkalia4 — Wed, 02 Jun 2004 09:00:00 GMT

I dined at Cafe Spice last week with 4 other friends.
Lucky enough to get a booth.The food was great and the servers went out of the way to help me select the right dish.We ordered a platter that was an asssortment of appetizers which was great recomendation.The drink specials(lychee martini) also were great. Making a prior reservation is advisable.

5 Stars: Great Place for Food (by jyot63)

jyot63 — Wed, 26 May 2004 09:00:00 GMT

I have been there couple of times and its a nice place.....good food, quiet and excellent service. I love this place for food as its filling.I would recommend this place for a date or to have fun.

4 Stars: reserve a booth (by chun04)

chun04 — Sun, 07 Mar 2004 09:00:00 GMT

While you kind of have to pump the waitress to identify whats really going on on the menu, this is a great place to take someone who isnt entirely familiar with indian food. Its yummy, its fusion, the cocktails are tasty and if you can reserve a booth, you will probably score with your date.

4 Stars: Yum! This Place is the Best (by karie)

karie — Fri, 03 Oct 2003 09:00:00 GMT

This is one of my favorite restaurants in NYC. It is expensice, but the portions are big and include a side, salad, nan and rice along with your main meal! Great ambiance (I love the mirror above the bar!) and great food! You can't go wrong!

4 Stars: Over pricsed but decent place (by sweettartz)

sweettartz — Thu, 18 Sep 2003 09:00:00 GMT

Indian food shouldn't cost this much, especially when it's a 10 minute walk over to Indian Row...but it's a charming place but the service is decent and it's in a great neighborhood.

4 Stars: better than it looks . . . (by jclabe)

jclabe — Fri, 08 Aug 2003 09:00:00 GMT

. . . because i adhere to the idea that indian food should be cheap, and not at all fancy. that's one of it's joys. but this place is really good - spicy, good taste variety, etc.

4 Stars: Tikka (by qasar3)

qasar3 — Thu, 24 Jul 2003 09:00:00 GMT

The food and portions were really good, although a little bit pricy. The service was decent. Atmosphere is fun. Nice little restaurant for a taste of Tikka

3 Stars: good food (by asidhwa)

asidhwa — Sun, 27 Apr 2003 09:00:00 GMT

good food, service was real slow....our entree took 45 mins to get. Did give us free dessert for that. Would reccomend having a a variety of 3-4 appetizers as they are very good. The Shrimp & achari Chicken are the best!

4 Stars: Great Restaurant.. (by shaifu)

shaifu — Fri, 21 Feb 2003 09:00:00 GMT

I have been to this restaurant many times and I have never had a bad experience. The food is good and the decor is very nice. It can get noisy sometimes so I would't recommend it for a romantic evening or a date. Go with your friends and have fun!

2 Stars: go fish (by jjoneser)

jjoneser — Fri, 03 Jan 2003 09:00:00 GMT

Went there and ordered tandoori fish....was fishy and terrible. overpriced. my date's non veg thali was really expensive and had like one or two pieces of meat in each sauce. the "trendy" atmosphere and high price fooled me into thinking that somehow the food would be innovative. unfortunately overall the food was mediocre at best.

5 Stars: Great Value Great Food (by jeramie48)

jeramie48 — Sat, 02 Nov 2002 09:00:00 GMT

Brought friends there who enjoyed it very much. Large portions for small prices. Had to wait for a bit, but well worth it.

2 Stars: I prefer Indian Row (by yellow99)

yellow99 — Mon, 21 Oct 2002 09:00:00 GMT

The (Indian) food is good but much too expensive. For that price I expect a little more. The food is not Thai as one reviewer suggests. He has clearly dined a couple of blocks down. My suggestion: If you want to get a good deal and good food: Go to Spice, which is a couple of blocks down but is Thai (and not Indian). If you want to get a good deal on Indian food: Indian Row on 6th Street.

5 Stars: Excellent Lunch Deals (by tl373)

tl373 — Wed, 21 Aug 2002 09:00:00 GMT

Great value for authentic Thai food - setting is fun and clubby, service is good too.
Only gripe is poor ventilation - u come out smelling like what you and all the other customers ate.

4 Stars: Very good Indian cuisine (by susanchenelle_citysearch)

susanchenelle_citysearch — Tue, 21 May 2002 09:00:00 GMT

The platters are the best way to go. They're a good value and you get to taste a variety of things. And the food is definitely a cut above your typical carryout curry shop, though maybe still a bit overpriced. The room is gorgeous, and offers intimate seating in booths along the wall. Make reservations; this place gets crowded. One definite negative--the bathroom.