How is the quality of the cuisine rated at City Spice?

The quality of the food at City Spice is rated 9.2/10 by TheFork users.

How is the service rated at City Spice?

The service at City Spice is rated 9/10 by TheFork users.

How is the atmoshpere rated at City Spice?

The atmosphere at City Spice is rated 8.8/10 by TheFork users.

How is the waiting time rated at City Spice?

The waiting time at City Spice is rated 9/10 by TheFork users.

How is the noise level rated at City Spice?

The noise level at City Spice is rated 7.8/10 by TheFork users.

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Reviews - City Spice

Name: City Spice
Address: 138 Brick Lane, London, E1 6RU, United Kingdom
Price range: £15 (Prices have been provided by the restaurant)
Rating: 9

Reviews

9
of 10

Excellent

368 reviews

Ambience

8.8

Food

9.2

Service

9.0

Real experiences from real diners
Ratings and reviews can only be left by guests who have booked with TheFork.

How do we calculate ratings?

Grace C. • 3 reviews
11 March 2025
5.5/10
Although the food was ok, the menu for City Spice was extremely overpriced. I went for lunch, expecting to choose a decent lunch special deal but found very little available for a modest lunch-time budget. I ended up spending nearly £30 for a 1 person vegetarian thali meal including service tax. The quantity of food provided was very modest amount for this price, and the quality nice but not special. There were also no other customers in the restaurant, likely as the restaurant is situated near Spitalfields and many other street food stalls which provide greater value and often higher quality lunches for busy workers.
Karel E. • 1 review
15 February 2025
5/10
Do not rely on the ratings for this restaurant- at the end of the meal waiter offered free drinks for us to give the restaurant 5 star reviews - the food was ok nothing special.
Minhaj I. • 1 review
14 February 2025
3/10
I when he on Valentines day, and the service was abysmal. The waiter couldnt care less about service, all they did was chat away despite the restaurant not being busy at that point of time. Wasnt happy with my experience at all.
Ridho U. • 18 reviews
22 January 2025
9.5/10
food is amazing but the waiters sometimes ask us too much which cause us uncomfortable vibe.
Solène Q. • 1 review
31 October 2024
9.5/10
friendly staff but the music was a little loud and aircon made it alternatively too hot or too cold downstairs. Still the food was excellent and we had a great time, I highly recommend the place!
Tania T. • 1 review
22 November 2024
3.5/10
They looked perplexed when I said I had a reservation… We had high hopes but food was very greasy and not really as requested- I have ordered a Bengali vegetarian dish and initially they brought me one with chicken - after was changed but not spicy at all - I had requested it spicy. Onion Bajis were lukewarm, and the food was overall quite heavy to digest and quite greasy. I was expecting much better from the reviews. The byriany my friend got was actually ok. The ambient is ok and cosy and the staff kind but not very knowledgeable on the food.
niall f. • 1 review
15 October 2024
10/10
Exceptional from start to finish! The ambiance was charming, the staff couldn’t have been more helpful, and every dish was a delight. Truly a hidden gem—I’ll be a regular here and will definitely spread the word!
bruce s. • 1 review
15 October 2024
10/10
One of the best places I’ve been to! Every employee was friendly and genuinely helpful, and the food was out of this world. Such a great vibe too! Highly recommend this spot; I’m already planning my next visit
Abi W. • 1 review
26 October 2024
10/10
Delicious food, quick and friendly service, lovely atmosphere.
beck n. • 1 review
15 October 2024
10/10
Amazing food and service. Proper authentic indian food
Maria H. • 3 reviews
4 October 2024
9.5/10
City Spice was recommended and didn’t disappoint, food was great, i had the meat thali, all the little dishes were delicious, not greasy and perfectly flavoured
Ridho U. • 18 reviews
14 September 2024
10/10
have become my favorite indian place in London. visited the second time and the food is top quality as my previous visit. Ordered not many food as previous which made us food comma but this one just hit right. Will be regular.
Alu I. • 2 reviews
7 September 2024
10/10
I loved everything about this place. The ambiance was incredible, the service was top notch and the food so so dang good! I will back to London solely to eat here again! Very popular, even late at night so be prepared for a short wait
gabriella r. • 2 reviews
7 September 2024
10/10
LOVED IT - FOOD WAS EXCELLENT, DESSERTS WERE GREAT TOO!!
pretty o. • 2 reviews
7 September 2024
10/10
Lovely food and the service was awesome. So glad to have chosen this restaurant for my Brick Lane experience :)
Aisha M. • 2 reviews
7 September 2024
10/10
Best place to dine in Brick lane if you want a curry, chicken tikka masala and lamb rogan are full of flavour.
Raj K. • 2 reviews
7 September 2024
10/10
A proper good curry from a proper good restaurant run by proper good folks.
Mir K. • 2 reviews
7 September 2024
10/10
Definitely a great restaurant to have a celebration in. Food was amazing and the staff were a delight.
DAVID B. • 30 reviews
1 September 2024
10/10
A 20% TheFork discount was applied for a lone single diner which took me aback as it was not featured. I was gagging for an English tea drink as a starter & this was wiped off or bounced from the final bill , which is rare to get something free & 'on the house' nowadays. I had a prawn bhuna curry with steamed fluffy white rice which was delicious (I always think bhuna is just about right for the English palate in terms of spice.) Mother is still observing the brothers from downstairs. Heartily recommend checking it out. Reasonably busy for an early Sunday evening reservation.
Luke W. • 2 reviews
25 August 2024
10/10
We had friends over from the USA and wanted to take them out for a meal . We decided on City Spice , and our friends loved it . We were a group of 8 friends , the staff were friendly and welcoming taking time to suggest both drinks and food for us. The food was amazing ( as always ❤️), especially the house daal. We also very impressed with the indian cider , a perfect dinner drink . Thank you City Spice for another fabulous evening . We will definitely be returning soon
alina m. • 2 reviews
25 August 2024
10/10
A great place to have amazing curry! Really enjoyed the food and it was simply divine!!!
Janet J. • 2 reviews
25 August 2024
10/10
Great indian food, there is a reason why City Spice is the best on Brick Lane by a country mile - the food is simply spectacular.
Sebastian K. • 1 review
25 August 2024
10/10
Fantastic food, absolutely amazing! Great service! We will be back!!!
David B. • 22 reviews
29 August 2024
10/10
Clean & well decorated large family-run restaurant. Various brothers & waitering staff working the rooms & the outside. Mother effigy is downstairs. Ceiling is a rooftop garden. A poppadum bar snack starter with 5 dips was a mere £1.50. I had the tasty prawn biryani which came with rice & a curry for £16.50. Teas & coffees available at a modest price. I had a larger cider for £6. Surprisingly out of the blue I was rewarded with a 20% discount by the elder brother in charge. - something which I have notified TheFork as discounts for single lone diners are hard to come by sadly. Very enjoyable - During my visit - journalists were taking photos of samples of the food & more. Camera flashes.
mark s. • 2 reviews
10 August 2024
10/10
Lunch at City Spice was perfect and delicious. The staff were very friendly, smiling, and welcomed us warmly. I loved the moment they greeted us with such genuine hospitality. It truly was the most beautiful lunch I've had in London, with the excellent service and tasty food making the experience unforgettable. Thank you very much, reception staff
french t. • 2 reviews
10 August 2024
10/10
Sublime Indian food in an amazing atmosphere - busy restaurant but you can certainly see why once you try the food! Great butter chicken, grest korma and the curryleaf lamb was amazing
Lulu A. • 1 review
8 August 2024
5/10
Food was bland, disappointed despite the good reviews it got.
Aisha C. • 2 reviews
3 August 2024
10/10
Lovely staff and food :)
Wirion T. • 1 review
14 July 2024
9.5/10
This was a nice discovery. From the outside, it looks quite simple, but on the inside, the roof is nicely covered with flowers and leaves giving the whole place an exotic vibe. The food is spectacular. Absolutely recommendable.
Lorraine H. • 1 review
7 July 2024
5.5/10
A staff member smoked in the open doorway whilst we were eating our meal. It spoilt the experience as the smoke blew back into the dining room.
jaggu r. • 2 reviews
17 June 2024
10/10
Amazing food and a must visit! Skip all the others in brick lane!
lawrence m. • 2 reviews
17 June 2024
10/10
Super Indian food, best of our meal in London for this trip. Service is excellent. Food is fabulous. Recommended!!!!
nizzy l. • 2 reviews
17 June 2024
10/10
5 stars restaurant.. I loved every dish and drink. Service was great. Fav: Tikka, lamb chops and tea. 1- book ahead, there's a long waiting line if you do not book on weeknds.
pasis l. • 2 reviews
17 June 2024
10/10
Admirable level of organisation, excellent Indian dishes of mutton, chicken and variety of breads ! It is a restaurant in Brick Lane that deserves to visit !
maria m. • 2 reviews
17 June 2024
10/10
Better to make a reservation rather than walk in as sometimes the wait can be kinda overwhelming. Had the shingara, crunchy with spices, love it. The chicken briyani was lovely too
Buda l. • 2 reviews
17 June 2024
10/10
Words just aren’t enough. Literally! The staff, absolutely kind and helpful! The atmosphere, just perfect and the food is the most delicious food I’ve ever tried. I don’t live in England but every time I travel there it’s the first thing I do! Love from Greece!
Ramlul T. • 2 reviews
17 June 2024
10/10
City Spice never fails to impress and is a well oiled machine. From their beers to their tikka, it's a London staple and certainly an East London institution.
Darryl W. • 38 reviews
28 June 2024
8/10
the staff were welcoming and the food was tasty
John H. • 1 review
22 June 2024
9.5/10
Amazing food. Just fabulous flavours. Great service for the most part. Shame about the one sullen worker. But hey still lovely
HARINDRA G. • 22 reviews
22 June 2024
4/10
Food is disappointing and lacking flavour. We expected authenticity from reviews they previously had, but sadly it wasn’t the case. Service is just okay but not up to mark for being charged at 20% of food bill.