Review The Spice Room - Sydney

Friendly staff. Loved the ambience of the space. Staff was friendly. The samosa chaat was great. We enjoyed the seekh kebab as well. The Dhaba style chicken was a little less spicy for the medium spicy that we ordered but the meat was cooked very well. The food was not too heavy and seemed very fresh. We loved out experience here and will definitely go back to try more of their menu.

A group of 5 friends and I came for a pre theatre dinner. Service was slightly slow at the start, however it picked up later. Curry dishes are standard sizes with a great variety to pick from. Quite liked the Gulab Jamun, easy to share and although, sweet, balanced well with the ice cream. The naan was freshly prepared, but wasn't as soft as some that I've had. Staff was friendly and the atmosphere was buzzing. A good traditional Indian restaurant to have and visit around the precinct.

The staff were friendly and helpful. The ambience was great for the dinner. Two friends of mine and I booked ourselves for dinner with “Grand Emperor Banquet" dishes. The first course was not very impressive, but we loved the pani puri shots. The second course had  Cocktail Samosas, Chicken Tikka, Seekh Kebab Peshawari, and Paneer Pakora. Samosas were crispy and tasty, and paneer pakoras were mildly spicy and soft inside. We enjoyed the second course thoroughly. The third course had Spice Room Butter Chicken and Lamb Rogan Josh Beef Vindaloo, Paneer Tikka Masala Laccha, were accompanied by Butter Naan and Saffron Rice. All the gravies were excellent in taste. The rice and naan were ordinary. The butter chicken stood out from the rest. The creamy texture was loved by all of us. We ended our dinner with mango cocktails and Gulab Jamun. The drinks were splendid. If you want to hang with friends and have a good Indian meal and amazing drinks , this could be your place.

This place is decorated with all the historic photos and items. It's small and cramped and there is not much distance between tables (especially with current situation). The dishes are well over-priced for the quantity that is offered, this might be because of the location and lack of competition in the nearby area. The Amritsari fish fry cost $20 for 3 pieces, chicken curry $28. Taste wise its ok, nothing worth mentioning. Good to visit once, but i will try to stay clear.

I liked the interiors and particularly the toilet interiors and entrance were really good and rustic. The palak paneer was good but nothing special. The high prices were understandable as it is located at circular quay but the place was too small and compact to sit around people so close. The paneer sizzler was not actually how a paneer sizzles and was a total disappointment as it was just 4 pieces of paneer cubes without any prominent flavour. The service was also decent. Overall nothing too special for the price to come back.

Positive experience overall Place - Looks good and cozy place. Ambient lighting and good interiors which shows has character and culture to it. Food- Food is tasty and flavourful. I definitely recommend. There is a perfect balance in the taste which satisfy the Indian tastebuds and foreign tastebuds. I love how they serve pappadums when the customer arrives. Price- I think the prices are pretty fair for the location and the quality of food, place and service. Usually every restaurant charges almost same price. Quantity is also good.

Came here for my birthday on Tuesday. We had booked online for 8:45pm and had arrived a little later but within the 15 minute mark. The waiter didn’t have our booking and then asked if we booked online. Once he confirmed he said the kitchen was closing in half an hour. We ordered quickly and both the starter and main came out together. I know they wanted to finish up but it felt a bit rushed even though there was still plenty of people in there. I felt from the minute we went in they wanted us out. Maybe don’t let people book in for 8:45pm if you don’t want to serve them. Some of the staff were nice but some were grumpy and didn’t so much as smile. They give us the bill without asking if we wanted anything else. I was really disappointed as it was my birthday and this was mentioned when it was booked but the waiter didn’t even mention it and I doubt they would have done anything if my partner mentioned it to them. Unfortunately we don’t be back. The veggie korma was too spicy. The onion badji was a bit overdone.

Very congested and some staff members seems unhappy with their job. Food is ok, nothing special. Curries have slightly sweet flavour which is not found in authentic indian food.

Main course served was average in taste. Appetizers were great. Quantity is also less

The most famous place is Circular Quay, CBD area for Indian food is The Spice room!<br/><br/>The ambience is very warm and welcoming...<br/><br/>They serve you papadums when you take a seat..<br/>We ordered the Non veg tandoori platter, the Samosa Chaat and Dal makhani with Roti....<br/><br/>The prawns in the platter were juicy and very tasty’<br/>I liked the lamb as well...<br/>Chicken was obviously good...<br/><br/>The quality and quantity was above average and really good.<br/><br/>Would love to visit again for some more dishes!<br/>Highly recommend!!<br/><br/>Food- 4/5<br/>Cost- 4/5<br/>Quality- 4/5<br/>Quantity- 4/5<br/>Ambience - 4/5<br/>Service- 4/5

Good ambience, mostly crowded and great service. For a quick bite to start with, the onion bajji is good. The Dhaba style chicken curry is a very tasty main dish and goes great with the plain Naan. <br/>Enjoyed the restaurant experience.

The food was good but the service was the worst I've experienced in Sydney so far. The service was so bad that I decided to write my first ever review. When I made called to make a booking for a Friday night (28/6), I was told that the only slot available was at 9:30 p.m. and I said I'd take it. The waiter then told me that the last order would need to be placed by 9:45 p.m., so we could only make one order. I expressed my concern regarding whether we would have sufficient time to enjoy a meal, especially since the website said the last order was at 10 p.m., but the waiter reassured me that 15 mins is sufficient as long as I'd make up my mind quickly. I was slightly taken aback by this but had heard from a friend that they were quite busy so I decided to go anyway. I then got a call at 9:10 p.m. saying a table was ready and we could come in. I told them I was on the way and get there asap. I reached by 9:20. At 9:30, the waiter came up to us for the second time (we told them we weren't ready to order the first time) and told us he'd be back in 5 mins and we absolutely need to order by then since it was the last order for the night. I then told him I was told we'd have time till 9:45 but he just asked us to make it fast. We placed the order in the next 5 mins. The food was brought out 10 mins later - the mains were brought out first. 20 mins after that, we asked them how long the starters would be and were informed it would be another 5 mins. When I didn't reply to that, the waiter immediately said he could cancel the starter if we liked. I was very upset by then and asked him to cancel it. 2 mins later, our starter was brought out to us by another waiter. I then asked the first waiter what was going on and he said "oh, I said we could cancel it if it doesn't arrive soon". I then told him that the service was unacceptable and to sort out backend communication issues, to which he rudely told us that we weren't listening very well to what was being communicated. Overall, I have never been to a restaurant where mains come out first and been spoken to like that. They service was terrible from the minute I called to the minute I walked out. They charged us the full amount for the starters as well. DO NOT RECOMMEND GOING THERE.

Today had a really awesome Indian food experience at Sydney. The restaurant has been designed in an authentic tradition way and the food has the authentic Indian taste. We had a great time and would recommend you to definitely try this out.

Underwhelming experience and mediocre food! My husband and I visited The Spice Room yesterday for our wedding anniversary dinner. Little did I know what was in store for us! To start with our reservation was at 7.45pm on a Tuesday- we knew we were running late and tried calling them at 7.15pm to see if they can move our reservation. No one from the restaurant answered our calls as their mail box was full! We reached at 7.50pm and were hurriedly walking to the restaurant when we get a rude voice message from them saying if we don't reach within 20 min they will cancel our booking (in spite my husband mentioning it is our anniversary dinner and hoping they can make it special). They did apologize when I asked them but it did not help when they seated us at a table saying this has the best view- the view in question were dustbins being emptied outside. I wasnt sure what he meant by the 'view'.<br/><br/>And now the food- we ordered a 'Mumbai papdi chat' and what came out was a stale plate of papdi with cold potato chunks and very stale tamarind and green chutneys. When I returned the dish back, they replaced it with samosas (safe bet for them I suppose) and we were told its better we do not order any chats as all of them are made with the same chutneys!! For the mains we ordered a 'Paneer Kurchan' and the 'Beetroot raita' which was way too salty. The only saving grace for the evening was their 'Saffron rice' and breads. We hardly ate any of the food and packed whatever was left over. This is my first time in a restaurant were even after the booking was made for a special occasion, the staff were least bothered to offer anything let alone offer anything complimentary. On top of it when the bill came out, we were charged for the stale chat. NEVER EVER going back to this place again and would never recommend this place to anyone I know of. Hard to see how they have these ratings in place which made me book them I suppose. I have dined at several Indian restaurants in Sydney and the food is way below average here. I thought the service was a let down until the food came out which was further disappointing. Never again.

The food was good. However, according to my experience with them, the service was very slow. Took more than one and a half hour to bring our food.

Butter Chicken, Naan and Mango lassi was all I needed the last weekend. This place is unbelievably good!<br/>We had the special gulab jamun in the end and it was just so good. Everything served was just great!<br/>Definitely coming back for more.

Ambience : 5 star<br/>Food : 4 star<br/>Hospitality and staff Behavior : 4 star<br/>Average : 4.5 star<br/>It's hard to believe in such a hectic and busy location near the bus station, you have this beautiful Indian restaurant. Must visit even if your stomach is full, a glass of lassi does no harm.

The place is great and offers a nice variety of Indian dishes although it may get crowded sometimes and I would suggest you to call ahead of your visit. My recommendations will  be Hot Malabar Fish Curry & Yellow Dal (Staple part of north Indian diet). The food is average however the interiors are great and add to the overall vibe of the outlet. The outlet is surely worth a try

The place is nice and clean and food has always been good every time I visited. However, if you are intending to plan a dinner for a group and want to be organised, I suggest making at least 5 calls to confirm your reservation. Maybe make sure they send you a written confirmation as well. <br/><br/>While the food is great, the table booking service is appalling. I called to confirm a table for Friday about 3 weeks ago. Earlier this week, I called to move the reservation to Saturday 7pm instead. I was told that my original table booking does not exist. Ok, maybe my mistake, I could have forgotten. But please put me down at 7pm Saturday anyway. <br/><br/>I called again on Friday afternoon to check if it is possible to move the 7pm booking to 6:30pm. Again I was told my reservation does not exist. And that they cannot have possibly taken my booking because they only take 6-8p.m, 8-10pm slots. And no, they cannot fit me in because it’s fully booked. At this point, I was getting annoyed but genuinely beginning to question myself if I’m being absent minded. With the group dinner being the next day, I had to find a new restaurant again and correspond the new arrangement with everyone. <br/><br/>So Saturday came.. we were starting our dinner at a different restaurant. I received a called from The Spice Room at 6:40pm asking if I am still coming for dinner as I have a reservation with them. I mean seriously, one mistake maybe you can pin it on the customer. Two mistakes you can say it’s system error. But 3 mistakes? You are lucky your food is great.

Very average food. Not worth it. Don’t order the strawberry lassi or the paneer and mirch salan - both were extremely disappointing. Bad customer service as well.

Overpriced. Mango and cardamom lassi tasted like a mango juice. Something in the curry was burned, which made the curry very bitter. Service was good apart from rushing clients (when I arrived at rhe restaurant, first thing I was asked was “are 40 minutes enogh for you?”). Walk a mile towards surry hills and can get good indian food for half the price.

I was there with my friends and we tried the indian food there and all I can say that this is one of the best outlet to try indian food in Sydney . The breads were soft and all the vegetables were fresh and tasty and dessert were also very tasty.

Very nice location. Very good food. Although the place is small and on a busy weekend you will have to wait for your table. Good pricing. Vegetarian snacks are a must try. One of the top rated indian restaurants in Sydney downtown.

Amazing experience overall.<br/>The staff is friendly and the food takes time to be prepared but it is worth the wait.<br/>Beetroot Pattie is a must and Kulfi flavours need variation and improvement.

Amazing indian authentic food. I really enjoyed the place with real indian taste. Food service is really quick and hot served. Ambience is ok and gives a feeling of being at traditional Indian restaurant with obvious Australian touch.

Best indian restaurant in the city. Not too expensive as compared to other restaurants on the quay. At most of the other indian restaurants, the taste is not so indian - everything is sweet. But the spice room gives you authentic Indian taste.

Spice room is sometimes a difficult place to make a reservation because of it's seating. It is located close to Circular Quay station and the interiors are as rich and fancy as the outside view. The staff are friendly, boasts a huge menu, for both appetizers and mains. But it doesn't really justify the taste of food. Although they have put the history of spices on their menu, the food really did not ring harmony. Maybe because we expected more of it because of our friends' review, but it wasn't quite there with other Indian restaurants. <br/><br/>We started off with Beetroot tikki bengali as we hadn't seen more beetroot related appetizers in other similar restaurants. What we got was the standard cutlet we do and get at smaller cafes back home. Although it tasted good, it wasn't as spicy as they told us it will be, and frankly not a new taste. But I do think it is a better choice than a samosa or a pakora as it shows different flavor. We ordered a cheese naan for our kid, few garlic naans and Paneer & Mirch salan for main course. The cheese naan had good stuffing, but thoroughly lacked salt. So did the garlic naan. The cashew-tomato gravy was good, but lacked that spicey-ness the dish promised. All of the taste was in that lightly fried green chilli. All of this in rather questionable portions really made us not enjoy the food. Sure, the ambiance is great, but is it really worth paying for that? I am not so sure. Overall, the food was good, but not great. They do boast of a tandoor room and ocean room which we haven't tried. Maybe we will try it the next time around.

Food is pathetic and Overrated. I would not suggest anyone go there and waste money. It is in the middle of the City but never thought the food would be so bad.

The ambience itself caught my attention. The soft bollywood music added to it as well. The menu has a variety of options and the taste is very much Indian, being an Indian, I can give you assurance for the same.<br/>It was a delightful experience to see even the washrooms highlighting the famous people of India.<br/>If you wish to get a taste of India, this is the place to be.

I found a piece of sharp plastic in the Masala. Thank God I only injured my throat, it could've been worse. This type of incident shouldn't occur at fine dining restaurant.

Love this place, great food - awesome decor and the staff are second to none. Friendly and attentive but not overbearing. <br/><br/>Love the fact that they give you poppadoms and raita on arrival (it is unusual for Australian restaurants to give you anything for free). <br/><br/>Butter Chicken was amazing, the best Keema Naan and the Palak Paneer was cooked to perfection. <br/><br/>Less than $60pp for two courses and plenty of drinks. <br/><br/>Highly recommended.

Lovely food... First Indian restaurant tried in Sydney and it's the best. Good ambience good crowd.. awesome location...<br/>Will come again.. with family..

Pretty good service with delicious curries! A couple of the entrees were very average so wouldn't be getting them again, but I think their specialties are the curries. They were so good and spicy!!

My husband chose The Spice Room to celebrate my birthday. We made reservations a week in advance. The menu was pretty elaborate with a good choice for vegetarians. Presentation skills were unique. The staff were friendly and food was served promptly.

Worst customer service with the rudest staff. Won’t recommend it to anyone. There is only one female staff and that lady has no manners. Most disobedient of all.

Our friends from NZ visited Sydney and they had booked a table for the catchup. The place is situated in the heart of the city I would say! But to my surprise the food was average I would say. We had achari chicken, pakora platter and aloo tikki chat for starters - out of all the achari chicken was well cooked and the chicken was very tender. In the mains, I was excited to order butter chicken as it was highly recommended but it was damn disappointing- the chicken was chewy. The servers were not friendly. In all a decent experience.<br/>Food - 3/5<br/>Service - 2/5<br/>Ambience - 3/5<br/>Value for Money - 3/5

If you want to eat authentic Indian food then this is it!! Great taste and suits our taste bud of less oily and less spicy food! We had ordered Chicken Malai.. Fish Moilee.. along with many others.. but these 2 were perfect!! The desserts.. Gaajar ka halwa and Gulab jammun are must try when you go there!

Really good tandoori dishes, my favourite was the tandoori mixed platter which gives you a taste of a variety of different meats, (tandoori prawns were amazing), beef vindaloo was pretty good too and for dessert the ras malai was delicious!

The best Indian food I’ve eaten (so far) in Sydney. Really authentic flavours, quality fresh ingredients with a restaurant interior that “feels” genuine. The curries are priced on the high side at around $27 and the service is usually functional and efficient rather than friendly. Located right next the Circular Quay won’t help operating expenses so I guess if you’re after curries that are real in an atmosphere that brings India to Sydney then you’re going to pay for it. The chefs are also on display and if you’re lucky enough to get the “window” table then the kids will be in for a treat.

Hello All, We happened to visit the spice room for a team lunch.<br/><br/>Reaching there 👍👍👍 : The place is very close to Circular Quay station and is very convenient to reach. Thumbs up for that .<br/><br/>Ambience 👍👍👍 : The entrance and the ambiance is very traditional indian with old bycycles, lunch boxes (dabba's) and old haveli doors and archs. It's a dim lit place and gives a very upbeat feeling.<br/><br/>Food (Starters) 👎👎 : For the starters we had panipuri shots and mini samosa vegetable triangles. They were pretty average and not something to wow. Starters like these are always flavourfull and punchy but that was missing. It was too toned down to meet the western taste buds which took the whole indian spice away from it . The masala was not tasty at all and just seemed like simple potatoes. The mini samosa shell was too thick and potato was very bland and not spicy at all. The good part was that samosa was sprinkled with <br/>some chat masala which gave it some tangy taste.<br/><br/>Food (Main Course) 👍: For main course we had plain naan, garlic naan, palak panner, Rice, Yellow Dhal and Spinach, Spiced Masala Okra. The plain naan was cooked nice and was fluffy. Garlic naan was not well flavoured with garlic and was not much different from plain naan. The palak panner were very bland, yellow dhal and spicy okra were OK. I believe the mains could have been much more tastier.<br/><br/>Service 👎👎👎 : I could not have been more disappointed. When you go to these upbeat places you expect awesome service. The staff serving us was not smiling at all and seemed like she was not at all happy serving us. Our order for drinks was missed and we had to ask again. The service was a total disaster.<br/><br/>Overall Verdict 👎👎 : If you are looking for a place to have basic indian food near circular quay you can visit this place. However if you are just going there for lunch/dinner I would not recommend this place. Also this place is not worth the money. There are much better options in this price range with much better authentic indian food. Also the name of the place is not justified as the food is not spicy.<br/><br/>Note: There is a difference between spicy and hot. Spicy means flavoured with spices and aromatic but not hot with chillies. Hot means food with lots of chillies. The food in this place was not spicy.

The best Indian restaurant in Sydney (sophisticated though). <br/>What I ordered:<br/>Dahi Batata Sev Puri <br/>Cauliflower Pakora Pops<br/>Masala Spiced Mushroom <br/>Tandoori Wholesome Roti<br/>Red wine<br/>Passion fusion mocktail<br/><br/>Taste - 3.75/5<br/>Ambience- 5/5 (washroom is quite attractive though)<br/>VFM-2.5/5<br/>

What kind of staff greets a customer with you should ask me and sit the kitchen is about to close in 5 minutes are you serious is this the hospitality you guys are giving I left immediately bye bye to your business if this kind of staff is hired soon your doors would be closed forever.

This is a nice spot for Indian food super close to Circular Quay. I had the Spice Room Banquet ($49pp) which had a nice selection of dishes and a variety of flavours. My favourites were the butter chicken and the mix veg korma curries. The naan bread is really soft and moist and went really well with the curries. You can also ask for more complimentary naan bread too!!

First big thanks to the chef - awesome food matey.<br/><br/>Rant time.<br/><br/>Now reason of my negative review. <br/>Yes you management listen.<br/><br/>When it's valentine, and on top we as customers are running late but at same time have enough courtesy of being polite to let you know in advance of our lateness. <br/><br/>Instead, you throwing 2 hour booking window in their faces not once, but many times is bewildering.<br/><br/>Moreover, while having dinner your staff need to access their Demeanor, tone and mannerism. When customer is YET going through their mains and ordering desert and please duely note, two to three tables on side are empty and no one in sight waiting, remember NOT to throw clock and booking time framework in their face AGAIN. IT'S simplly RUDE.<br/><br/>Nevertheless, you work around their needs, and the whole reason of going to restrautrant is to be relaxed, forget about the day and enjoy a nice meal without being hassled.<br/><br/>Moreover, what's with the shared table. You just don't force shared table on your customers. It's pure rort specially for couples it's pure awkward they can't talk freely.<br/><br/>In the end, That's what makes a big difference between a restaurant worth visiting again and YES once I went there and No thanks never again.<br/><br/>Change your attitude and stop treating your customer as some cash cows and do it right and thank you with all due respect.<br/><br/>Ciao "Never to visit again Customer"

Ambrosial Appealing and Aromatic Authentic Indian Cuisine Located Very Close to the world Fous Sydney Opera House at Circular Quay <br/><br/>This Joint is a must Visit for all Indian Food Lovers <br/><br/>The interiors and the Food both are truly Authentic. Small Intricate designs have been taken care of in the making of this Restaurant <br/><br/>The Staff is courteous and friendly <br/><br/>You NEED PRIOR Reservation To Be to this place so please call the restaurant as they are having Bookings for reservations every day <br/><br/>The Must Try's here are the Samosa Chaat, Alu Parathas and a range of Excellent Delictible Authentic North Indian Gravies, Daal and A Variety of Indian Breads<br/><br/>Highly recommended to try in Sydney

Great location , near to pubic transport.<br/>You must book a reservation especially during weekend, to avoid high wait time.<br/>Had fish fry, lamb rogan josh and paneer curry. <br/>The food was well prepared and nicely served.<br/>Overall a great experience.

Probably the worst restaurant in sydney serving indian cuisine.....zero on service.<br/>Couldn't check their food or ambience.<br/>Asked for a takeaway around 10:15 but they refuse to do so, as the chef has already left at 10pm <br/>There name on google and zomato says that they shut around 10:30 thats probably when they take their last orders.<br/>Highly unprofessional behaviour.

This place is amazing 👍🏻👌🏻 the service is great, the food is even better. I would recommend this place if ever coming to Sydney. All the food was a hit

Hello Folks, <br/>So it was a good Monday where I survived the stress of office and headed to spice room. I usually am not fuss about rating good, however I do not like staff rushing you to take food. <br/>I do not deny that food is good edible, indianish, but seriously, asking you to clear your plates when you are half way through food !! When you can literally see there is no space on the table ! <br/>Sorry folks, I need not be harsh but it is an experience and it was no way near good. <br/>Cheers, Binay

Great place for some Indian. Went here for the husbands birthday and it was totally worth it. Loved the goat curry and rolls. Kulfi was much better than I have ever had in Sydney - so definite recommendation

I had the banquet, which includes an array of dips with pappadums (including banana rolled in desiccated coconut, so simple but so delicious!) that come out immediately to get you in the mood for the beautiful plate of starters that comes next. These include samosas, paneer cheese covered in pastry and then fried, coriander and garlic chicken, a kind of lamb sausage, and a couple of other things that I can't remember but were all delicious! I paired the vegetarian options with the tamarind as per the waiter's recommendation and was not disappointed.<br/><br/>Then I had the main, which was a selection of three curries - lamb rogan josh, butter chicken, and vegetable korma - with rice, and garlic and butter naan. What can I say but that I was in heaven! The lamb was fall apart tender, the butter chicken spectacular and the vegetable korma so good I couldn't believe I'd gone so long without trying it. This plus a perfectly cooked, flaky soft naan bread and amazing rice.<br/><br/>And then dessert! I had the gulab jamun which is a dumpling covered in rosewater sugar syrup and deliciously soft and sweet. Melts in the mouth... and then I had the sweet cardamom chai tea which made me feel ashamed that I ever thought I could make a decent cup of chai.<br/><br/>I'm in an extremely elevated state of bliss and so excited to eat my leftovers tomorrow!<br/>

Went here with the family and had some good food. I asked for Do-piazza (beef) made with chicken,(Indian hot) the chef had no problems making this for me. The meals came out together and the service was great. Good sizes, recommend the platter for 2 for starters. Yum. A nice touch with the window through to the chef, Usually you can always tell its going to be a good meal when you can see the chef cooking and they are proud to show you. My relation lives in Sydney and also eats here. He comes in from Cronulla just to eat here! Agree with the King fisher beer also. On tap!

1.5 for the ambience. The food and service is not worth the money. Big disappointment!! <br/><br/>1. Big fat chilli okra= below average bhindi pakoras<br/>2. Paneer tikka lacked taste, was not marinated enough and hard. <br/>3. Chicken gurcha was a fancy version of chicken kadahai but bland. <br/>4. Tiffin goat curry = just a quick goat curry put together and garnished with tomato...why!!!<br/>5.Bread was just fine!<br/>6. Rasmalai with an overload of rose syrup was not worth the calories. <br/>

Right next to the circular quay station, we have a Indian restaurant, took some of our clients for dinner.<br/><br/>The service was prompt and the staff pleasant and the food was hot and delicious.<br/><br/>Ordered the Dal Bukhara (makhani) this was delicious went great with vegetable pulao..which was also a great saffron rice ..also ordered Paneer Makhani and some bread..they have a open Kitchen and the tandoor is live in action..<br/><br/>They serve Kingfisher beer that's great accompaniment with Indian food.

When a bowl of pipping hot "Saffron rice" has no distinct saffron smell or taste and a butter chicken that is made from paste, the Spice Room at Circular Quay is simply another tandoori tourist trap. <br/><br/>The Spice Room is famous for their butter chicken. A popular Punjabi dish where chicken pieces were marinated in yoghurt, gram masala, ginger, garlic, cumin, turmeric among an array of spices, the Spice Room's butter chicken is bland, tasteless and resembles some haphazardly prepared dish where the chicken is not marinated long enough. <br/><br/>Similarly, the tandoori chicken lacks all the familiar tandoori masala, cayenne pepper and red chilli powder. I also doubt if the chicken was placed on skewers and prepared at high temperatures in tandoors. <br/><br/>Last but not least, the saffron rice does not have a single tinge of saffron. Cutting costs? <br/><br/>

As a curry lover always wanted to try this restaurant, well first impression was very squeezy place, ordered chicken roll, dahi puri to start with which was ok, for mains ordered chicken in coconut sauce and dal with rice and breads but all was nothing very good, seemed an average indian food in cramped place.

Walked up to the restaurant. Looks amazing. Nice and intimate and really nicely decorated.<br/><br/>Was shown to a shared table. <br/><br/>Immediately the waiter cane and have me some water. Asked what drink I felt like and when I wasn't sure asked what I was eating and recommended an amazing wine.<br/><br/>Love the free starters best I've ever had. Flavour was awesome and had a really nice dipping sauce.<br/><br/>Ordered a medium chicken tikka masala with plain naan and riata. <br/><br/>Wow blown away by the flavours and taste of all of it. Masala was delicious, right amount of heat and heaps of meat. The naan was just divine sooo fresh and really nicely cooked.<br/><br/>Must recommend this restaurant. Really enjoyed sharing the table with a family from Dubai and having a chat about there holiday.

I had been to this place multiple time. Fantastic service. Friendly staff. Superb food.<br/>Serving per plate is good.<br/>Overcrowded throughout the week irrespective of lunch or dinner.<br/>Need to book it prior to going.

And finally...found a place that comes close to Indian biryani and chicken tikka.<br/>We chanced upon it when we were in the area for vivid show and immediately decided to try it.<br/>We were quite satisfied with our order but made a mistake of not asking them to make it spicier. They tasted authentic just without the right spice.<br/>Bit expensive and quite oily curry too...but until I learn to prepare a good biryani, I have to shell out extra cash 💰!! 🙆🏻

Came here on a Thursday night and pretty sure without a booking, we would have to join the queue. <br/><br/>We sat right next to the kitchen and saw the chef making tikkas, he was friendly and playful :P we got pappadams with a coriander dip as we sat down. <br/><br/>We ordered the tikka share plate and a vegetarian snack plate for starters. It was smaller than i have expected. The meat was very flavoursome and the vegetarian snacks were interesting. <br/><br/>For mains, we got naan, lamb roganjosh and chicken korma with rice. Loved the korma, chicken was tender. Naans were super fluffy and smoky, loved it! <br/><br/>We each got mango/rose and strawberry lassis. Everything was delicious. It wasnt too pricey for a nice place like this, it cost us around 35 dollars per person, and everyone was happy with the experience. The menu is so big that we might need to come back a few times :)

Ambience -- Intriguing charming and vintage !! Slightly cramped space for larger groups.<br/>Reservation needed on weekends especially. Location is great - opposite the Circular quay, close to Parking and train station too.<br/><br/>Service - Staff is extremely polite and courteous. We had little kids and needed some help to move around and they obliged.<br/><br/>Food - We started with Pani Puri shots, Dahi Bateta Sev Puri and Papdi chats, all delectable and got finished in seconds.  Next up, were Tandoori platter and Chicken Tikka Platter, it was good, not very extra-ordinary.<br/><br/>Main Course -  Andhra curry chicken - not a big fan of coconut dishes, but others liked it.<br/>                          Chicken Khurchan - I would have it liked a little more spicy and tangy.<br/><br/>Desserts - Trio Kulfi -- it was good, served in a cool way too<br/>                   Gulab Jamun - delicious !!<br/><br/>Will definitely visit again :)

Heard a lot about the place and finally made it for lunch. Had the chicken tikka hyderabadi, dhaba chicken curry, emperor's chicken biryani and naans. Everything was really delicious and we enjoyed our meal. The only feedback I'd have is to relook at the strange pink sauce served with the chicken tikka.<br/><br/>The ambience and location are great too.

I noticed they had an Okra curry on the menu here which is something one rarely finds in Brisbane. I ordered it with extra chilli which surprised the wait staff. It came to the table perfectly spiced & I actually couldn't fault the dish. Ambiance was serene & relaxed, & service was of course efficient & gracious

The interior of this little gem may be small, however for me this added to its charm and ambience. The food was authentically Indian (at least from my experience in India) and really tasty. Not so much hot, but rather spicy and flavorful. The naans are fresh and the portions are more than adequate. I would sufferers ordering a few things for the table to share as there are so many options available to choose from. Prices are also not bad for such a well located spot in the hub of Sydney.

Review sites and restaurants intrigue me. How does the Spice Room consistently make it into the Top Ten restaurants on TripAdvisor, when it’s not a particularly known restaurant, say, in other listings or guides? Is it that TripAdvisor’s clientele all stay near Circular Quay and need a good restaurant to go to?

Best in Sydney CBD. Price on the higher side but given the location just beside Circular Quay, this is expected. Some of the food items were even better than big brands back here in India.

I like the feeling I get at the Spice Room. It's that comfortable feeling you have where you know that pretty much anything that is ordered off the menu will be good. And it's always a good sign when you can see the kitchen, and in this case, that includes the tandoor. All the smoky spicy magic is visible through a large glass window in front of which is a table that seats six - request it if you can. We started with the Chicken Tikka Hyderabadi (13.90/25.90), succulent morsels of tandoori spiced chicken. Order plenty of these. We also began with King Prawn Gulmohar (16.90/29.90), prawns marinated in Tandoori masala flavoured with rose petals, hung yoghurt, cream cheese and mustard oil. Delicious, but it's definitely not the largest entree you'll ever see. Railway Canteen Goat Curry (28.50), is goat meat on the bone simmered in a rich tomato and garlic sauce, with just the right amount of heat. Palak Paneer (24.90) was textbook, pillowy cubes of cheese in a rich spinach sauce. As I said, it was hard to fault anything at all. Order plenty of breads and rice, and enjoy. You're in safe hands.

I went their with my family on my Birthday last year... Excellent food and superb service to match up with it.... One of the very few Indian Restaurants that I think serve food that is very close to the original Indian food... And that you can imagine is coming from an Indian herself... I am going back there for sure....

We had a 25th Wedding Anniversary Party for 40+ people and The Spice Room was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Ramesh and the team were incredible. The ambience and decor set the scene for the evening, the food was beautiful; but the SERVICE! You are easily the best Indian Restaurant in Sydney. The food is and perfect blend of trad and new. The Restrooms are amazing too! Out of this world! We simply can't thank you enough! SP

The Spice Room offers authentic Indian food on an Indian-themed backdrop which makes it a good dining experience if you’re after that extra bit of ambiance. However the interior space is rather small and there's limited space, if you have a pram it'll be challenging to whiz around the tables or find a parking spot. The entrance is also presented with a staircase unless I missed a ramp or lift somewhere. <br/><br/>We ordered the Grand Emperors Banquet for Two which provided 4 Entree's, 4 Starters, 6 sampling mains in addition to 2 desserts. The first Entrée serving was tasteless& boring and I think the owner should change the selection, however the next round of Starters provided a very nice Samosa which was crispy and fresh (the best of the selection). As for the mains, the Shahi Paneer (cottage cheese) and the Dal were the top. The Rogan Josh contained too much Tumeric and the chicken in the Butter Chicken wasn’t all that, I expected a nice chargrilled taste which was absent. Finally after a decent serving of food and fresh garlic Naan, we only went for the Gulab Jamun and skipped Kulfi. The Gulab was hot and sweet with a very soft centre which was a pure delight. Unfortunately I’ve set the standards too high this time as I’ve returned from India (Delhi & Mumbai) this week so I didn’t get the aromas and spicy notes that I had back there.

Visited this place twice, had different experience on both occasions.<br/>on my 1st visit, no doubt the food was amazing, but the staff was a bit careless on their part. For eg: On one occasion Clearing plates with asking us. This incidence was done unintentionally but was slightly rude.<br/>But to cover that up, we were served with some really delicious food.<br/>On my 2nd Visit, the food was not up to the mark as it was on my 1st visit.<br/>All in all a good place.<br/>Friendly advice: Reserve your tables 2 days prior, you will never get a table booking for the same day.<br/>Cheers

The food and service was great! Ordered black daal and paneer khurchan and the flavours were on point!<br/><br/>Ginger masala tea however could have been better, the tea itself needs to be stronger. <br/><br/>Overall, a great experience and will definitely be back!

Certainly one of Sydney's best Indian eateries, which surprises me given its touristy location. You'll need to book in advance if you want a table. Otherwise, the food is just as complex and tasty if you order take-away

Ordered the 2 course Banquet , everything was pretty good. The medium spice level is actually not spicy at all. The cocktails are pretty good, my friend found Queen's necklace absolutely amazing, I'm sure the name helped in that too. The white wines are just average. Decor is absolutely fantastic!! Reservations are a must any day.

Very good food, we ordered Dal makhni and paneer salan. I had best dal makhani in sydney. Cost wise its lil bit upper side but completely worth it. We had al-karte otherwise they have option of buffet plate with full three course meal which has good options for non vegetarians. Must go place.<br/>Cheers

Love this place! I've been a number of times for dinner and lunch and the food is always exceptional. The restaurant space is very small so can feel a bit packed when it's busy but the staff have always been friendly and attentive. There are a lot of options for vegetarians as well as meat dishes. The House Black Daal is the best I've ever had... We order every time!

Excellent Indian food, good ambience, quick service on a busy night. Only downside expensive. Really good for a special evening out though would recommend booking a table even if it is a week night.

Best place to get Indian food @ Sydney.<br/>Quality of the food is better than some of the best places back home.<br/>This is the place to go.<br/>Great service

I don't eat enough Indian food to really critique this place. I enjoyed the dishes we ordered but can't really say if it was authentic and the best versions. Can comment on other aspects though. Service was friendly and decor was dark but comfortable.

Awesome Indian food amidst the hustle and bustle of Sydney CBD and it doesn't burn a hole in your pocket. Be sure to try the phuchkas / gol gappas - absolutely lip smacking. As are the other dishes we tried. Good decor - the dim lights set the tone for a romantic evening. Been here multiple times and left feeling good!

We turned up without a reservation but were graciously accommodated into an already packed venue. We chose to have only the tandoor dishes with naan and were not disappointed. The tandoori mixed platter was delicious, the best I've had in a while. The portions could be a little more generous given the price. The naan was fluffy and light, not rubbery or greasy. The meal was rounded off with a serve of rasmalai which was simply delectable. Overall an extremely satisfactory evening. <br/><br/>The only thing that marred the experience was the waiter who was trying so hard to speak 'australian', he was mostly incomprehensible. The other waitstaff were lovely though. The food is good and warrants a return trip to sample their other fare.

装修比较有异域风情，味道马马虎虎，菜量太大，我们两个人点了55刀每人的套餐，分量简直够四个成年人吃，最后剩下了一大堆，浪费是可耻的。菜里咖喱比较多，印度特色吧，主食的印度饼蘸酱味道不错，米饭没有味道。服务员非常热情，时不时就过来招呼。朗姆酒味道一般，感觉加了冰后更接近于饮料而不是酒

The food was very disappointing to be honest. However the staff were very friendly and attentive. I ordered some yellow lentil and spinach with classic naan, but the food was very bland, no flavors or spices. I have tried much better dhal dishes at food courts. <br/>I'm not sure if the same goes about their other dishes, since I'm Vegan. So that's just my opinion based on a single experience, but still, dhal's the easiest Indian dish that's so damn easy to pull off well!<br/><br/>Also, I hesitated whether or not to write this, but here it goes: one of the waiters smelled pretty bad that even though he didn't serve me, every time he passed me by I could smell really strong body odor. I'm not picky but it was pretty bad. That's just not something you expect to get at a restaurant that has pricy menus and Harbor Bridge views!

Amazing paneer dishes and fantastic service! They had no room for us when we first arrived (no booking) but as we were walking down the street to find something else one of the waitstaff chased us down as they had made some room for us at a table. I'm so glad they did! It is often hard to find a nice paneer dish but The Spice Room has several. I had the paneer skewers with capsicum and the shahi paneer. Both were delicious. The strawberry and rose lassi I had with the skewers was perfect to balance the slight spiciness of the dish. Such a convenient location as its only a few steps from the Circular Quay trains and ferries.

Picked up the Yellow Lentil & Spinach Dhal as take-away and it is delicious! Not too heavy and lots of flavour. Inclusion of fresh spinach and tomatoes are a nice touch.

To say disappointed would be an understatement... After hearing some good reviews i had high expectations. Service was excellent (hence the 1 star) but food was rubbish. Goat curry as a specialty was badly cooked goat with no flavour and some curried gravy purée poured over it. Beef vindaloo was equally bad. All pre cooked sauces/gravies, all pre cooked meats. Absolute rubbish, chucking out meals in 10 mins max of u sitting down. Can't believe I couldn't get a table there last time I tried....

The reason desi people travel abroad is so that they can try Indian restaurants there and judge the country. And if Australia was judged based on The Spice Room, it'd be rated very high. The food is just very good there. The Dhaba Style Chicken Curry is what I'd suggest along with their extremely soft classic naan.

The Spice Room came highly recommended from a friend. Although the food was good, it was missing a bit of punch that Indian dishes should have. More spice and flavour. The prawn dish that I ordered was a bit too watered down for my tastes. Having said that, I have a high spice threshold. So this may be the perfect venue for others. The atmosphere in the restaurant was warm and the setting was very traditional which was lovely. The service was warm and friendly.

A very delicious option down at the quay- where is can be hard to find a place that isn't a tourist trap. Not super cheap but fast, efficient, convenient and very tasty. We started with vegetable pakora and had butter chicken, a chickpea and potato curry, veg korma and various naans. It was delicious- well recommended and staff were knowledgable. <br/><br/>Slight issues around bookings and their organisation at the beginning but otherwise, great experience.

Tasty, authentic Indian food. Was not too greasy. Good service. Reasonably priced. Portions were reasonable too. Will definitely go back there.

The place is frequently busy, and I had planned beforehand and had reserved a table for two. Upon arrival, it came to no surprise that the restaurant was truly packed. It was buzzing with the sounds of joyous conversing and the distant tunes of traditional Indian music in the background. An added touch was the beautiful decor, the detail was amazing. The walls resembled beautiful tapestries.<br/>After great deliberation, I ordered one of the specialties, King Prawn Gulmohar as my entree, the Chicken Tikka Masala for my main, with a side of butter Naan, of course. As for a drink, I settled for the staple Mango and Cardamon Lassi. It didn’t take too long for the food to arrive, but something worth taking note of was the “joyous conversing” that initially added to the vibes, quickly became loud and noisy. The prawns were okay, they were cooked and seasoned well, the dipping sauces that accompanied them, did little to add to their flavour. Overall, they were average. Contrastingly my chicken was superb. The spices weren’t at all overwhelming, and went astonishing well with the buttered naan. As for the lassi, it was standard. The Chicken Tikka Masala was the hero of the night.<br/>

Had a lovely evening here, enjoying a banquet meal with 4 friends. Service has helpful & prompt. Food was quite delicious especially the lamb roghan josh and entree tasting plate. Will definitely come back (but will ask for more spice in the curries), but note that we had to make a booking 2 days in advance for a Wednesday night! This place is popular.

Hubby and I decided to book a table for two. Best decision ever. The food was fantastic, ambience soothing and excellent customer service. Would definitely recommend everyone to at least try it.

I will highly recommend this restaurant to everyone who's just not craving Indian food but also the taste from home.<br/><br/>The look and feel of restaurant is totally Indian. We could smell the aroma of Indian food across the street.<br/><br/>And the food , the cutney served with complementary papad is very tasty ,<br/><br/>We ordered paneer mirch salan and garlic herb naan and veg it was delicious and the spices were well cooked being a vegetarian can't comment on nonveg dishes but my non vegetarian friends looked quite happy and full too; the daal was as tasty as a daal from Indian kitchen .<br/><br/>And the mango lassi , amazing!<br/>

My fiance and I, on an off chance walked into this beautiful restaurant for dinner last night. Couldn't have been happier with either the food or the service. We had the Spice Room banquet for two, which was a great range of starters and mains and choice of desert. The staff were friendly, helpful and professional.

Excellent food and incredibly accommodating of dietary requirements. As a dairy intolerant patron I usually find eating at Indian food restaurants difficult however, my visit to The Spice Room this evening was fantastic. I was in a group of 8 (6 omnivores, 1 vegetarian and me, the dairy intolerant one). After briefly explaining our dietary requirements the staff advised that there would be no problem accommodating us. We went for a banquet. The whole table started with some tasty small vegetarian-friendly and dairy-free nibbles. Then we moved on to the entrees - the table got a generous helping of 4 different types of entrees, I got a separate plate with about 6 different but delicious dairy-free entrees and similarly the vegetarian got a plate with his own entrees. When the mains arrived, I was also given my own little dairy free portions, the vegetarian was given a few vegetarian portions and we could both also eat a couple of the main dishes provided to the rest of the table. I even got my own dairy free roti! A dessert choice was also given - I don't know if there was a dairy free option as I was so full at this stage that I elected not to have any. In general, the food was pretty mild in spiciness and even the vindaloo was mild, however all the food was incredibly tasty. I was extremely impressed with how accommodating this restaurant was for me and my vegetarian friend - I'd highly recommend it and will return. The banquet is excellent value and I would advise going with a healthy appetite. Though initially reluctant, we also managed to convince the staff to split the bill, so all in all, it was a very successful night out!

First time, when I had indian food and it was really, really nice in this place. The decor there, atmoshere - fabulous. The best naan bread and butter chicken.

A nice Restaurent offering Indian food . ended up having dinner here while walking around in touristy circular quay area of Sydney harbour . seems to be a popular place as it was packed - surely we were lucky to find a place without having a reservation . food was good and service was very friendly. I ordered dal / palak and lachdedar paratha for my main course and both were good ( better then I expected ) . I am going to try other dishes in my next visit as the hotel where I am staying is at a walking distance .

Really great food, in an awesome location. Decor is very pretty. Smashed samosas is a must. I loved the experience of a somewhat more 'upmarket' Indian restaurant. And the little 'spice sprinkles' (no idea what the name is now) was a really cool idea that always keeps this restaurant in my mind.

Really nice decor, our photos looked like we were eating in a temple. Crowded, though - two shifts at dinnertime, & diners are cramped in squashed against the wall. <br/><br/>Had the banquet menu, a great variety of dishes. While the usual favorites were good - beef vindaloo, lamb rogan josh, butter chicken, pickles & dips including an addictive mint yoghurt - the highlights were the street food dishes. <br/><br/>Pani Puri shots were crisp fried balls with potato filling, that you fill with tamarind & mint water & eat whole - delectable! Jahl Muri was savoury puffed rice with all sorts of textures. I'll definitely brave the crowds of tourists & be back, for a Kingfisher or two & a table of street food!

Excellent, polite and confident well informed service. Awesome decore. Amazing range of Indian delights on the menu. Smokey tandoori 1/2 chicken and olive nan bread were standout.<br/>

After a long day, we saw this Indian restaurant on the way back to our hotel. While we normally wouldn't choose somewhere so 'touristy' the reviews all mentioned the food was good - and we love Indian, so went inside to make a booking. <br/><br/>It was really busy and I asked if there was a table free, or we could come back later, like around 9pm. I was told there was no tables and we wouldn't be able to make a booking for later as he wouldn't know what time the other diners were going to leave! Huh? Isn't that the issue with any reservation being made....? So, he gave us the restaurant's card and told me to phone back at 9pm to see if there was a table free. I'm not sure this guy understands the concept of reservations being made in person.... So, we leave on the advice that we ring back - at 9pm. So, we get downstairs and phone the number and ask if I can make a reservation for 9pm (this was at 7.30pm). It was the same guy, and there was no worries - of course I could make a reservation for 9pm!! How many people? Under what name? <br/><br/>God knows what that was all about, but we were laughing and shaking our heads down at Circular Quay at the same time. <br/><br/>We arrive and the food is good - not the best Indian we've ever had. And I'm not sure what a hot vindaloo is to them, but what we got was pretty mild. The selection of starters and entrees was excellent, though. We had the vegetable pakoras and beetroot patties. Both really good. The parathas were excellent too.<br/><br/>The tables are too close together, so keep in mind you'll be involved in your dining neighbours' conversations, and there's in yours. The main photo on Zomato shows tables under a mirror - that's where we sat.... It looks like one table, but in fact, there's three - all for two, apparently....<br/><br/>While we took issue with this first guy (and unfortunately we had to deal with him a few times while dining - he wasn't at all friendly) the other wait staff were incredibly friendly, helpful and seemed to like their jobs.<br/>We were only visiting Sydney, but when we return, we won't go back here....

We came up from Melbourne for a long weekend and absolutely loved it. We had a big group booking of 10 and the banquet was the best choice. So delicious and so much food. The staff were friendly and the atmosphere was buzzing. It's so close to circular quay but without the expensive price tags. If only i could find an Indian restaraunt like the spice room in Melbourne. :)

Located in Circular Quay and so close to Opera ! The Spice Room is Fancy Vintage theme Indian resturant,Impressive decor, Nice Ambience..<br/>Negative point is table are too close so privacy is an issue.<br/>We went on a Friday night and this place was full,you need to make a reservation in advance.<br/>Luckily I had made a reservation on yumtable ,which was declined by the restaurant later on.. But when we went to the restaurant they were kind enough to accommodate inspite of the rush.<br/>After reading a lot of reviews on zomato we decided to try this place.<br/>Ordered for Paneer Tikka- it was the worst I have had in ages- Paneer was hard n oily.. Its unacceptable to have hard rubbery Panner..<br/>Dal Bhukhra - average,<br/>Aloo Paratha- was good but Butter Naan was thick and not very crisp..<br/>Service was decent !<br/>Great ambience but food is disappointing😣<br/><br/>

"Customer service is just a day in, day out ongoing, never ending, unremitting, persevering, compassionate, type of activity." - Leon Gorman<br/><br/>Sadly the manager of this place does not believe in this saying. During my stay in Sydney i noticed that most staff are friendly but the managers are arrogant, cocky and rude. Anyway my review is based on my overall experience of the place and not just food. Everyone sells a curry these days so you can't possibly wow me with one unless its really good and unfortunately this place is nothing close to good. To me this place is all HYPE and its possibly because of its interiors which is quite nicely done. However, people seem to be handing out their 4s and 5s quite cheaply to this place. <br/><br/>I tried the Veggie Korma and the Paneer and Mirch salan. One was poorly seasoned and ultra creamy. I felt sick after overdosing on the creamy milky curry. The other was heavily spiced with cardamom and saffron. Again, the overpowering taste put me off. We had 4 naans all of which were significantly burnt on several areas giving it a heavy charred flavor. <br/><br/>The food was overpriced. But i guess u pay for the getting Indian cuisine at a prime location near the opera house. Lastly, this place is incorrectly marked/tagged as a place serving Pakistani cuisine. I am not Pakistani but I eat loads of their food and the flavors in this restaurant are nothing close to Pakistani food. Please stop misleading people. Just because Japan is near China doesn't mean a sushi joint can be tagged as Chinese :)