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Best Restaurants in Sydney | The Spice Room Circular Quay
Deb:
I had heard some very positive feedback about The Spice Room from other bloggers so was keen to go and try myself. The Spice Room is on Phillip Street, near Wharf 2 Circular Quay. The restaurant is situated near the overhead railway and my friend who had joined me for dinner, said reminded her of being in New York. I had to agree. I’m big on ambience and The Spice Room does not disappoint as it is beautifully decorated with ornate furniture portraying the Indian culture. What I also noticed on arrival was the kitchen is in view and I like that. I also took note that it didn’t take long for the restaurant to fill up with hungry patrons and being a Monday night that’s a good sign.
I’m also big on good service, and again The Spice Room have that sorted with the staff eager to please and explaining the different dishes.
Before I get on to the food, another part of the restaurant that made an impression are the toilets! They are clean (very important) and covered in photographs of Indian Culture, you could in fact stay in there for ages just looking at the photos which I imagine could cause a bit of lineup on a busy night!
Now down to the food, and may I add there is plenty to choose from. On arrival customers are given complimentary pappadums with three condiments, I love mint so the mint yogurt dipping sauce won me over.
We started with the Street Food menu:
Pani Puri Shots (V) $7.90
Crispy hollow semolina puffs filled with potatoes, sprouts and a side of tangy tamarind water. Fill the puffs with the tamarind water and pop whole into the mouth for a burst of intense flavour
Our waitress explained that we fill the puff with the water and pop it straight into our mouths in one bite. I thought this could be a little challenging. I managed to do this without making a fool of myself and was surprised at the sensation of the water ‘exploding’ on first bite in my mouth, it was also quite spicy.
Fat Chilli And Okra Fingers (V) $8.90
Fat green chillies with a potato mash filling and green okra fingers in a crispy Mumbai batter.
These delightful little bites come with a mint yogurt sauce serviced in a chip basket, which I thought presented well. Great tasty little vegetarian dish to enjoy, despite the ‘fat green chillies’ I didn't find it too spicy.
From the Sharing Menu we had:
Tandoori Mixed Grill $22.90
A combination platter with two pieces each of Chicken Tikka, Tandoori Lamb Cutlets and Tandoori King Prawns served with Mint Raita.
Tandoori style cooking with carefully blended spices on both meat and vegetarian dishes, marinated in yoghurt and smoke roasted in to keep the meats tender and succulent. Worth noting the size of the prawns in this dish, they were huge.
Naan Platter with Trio of Dips $13.90
Chicken & Cheese naan and kheema naan bread with three dips.
This awesome dish was served with three dips including a beetroot dip. Great dish and for me a meal on it’s own. I must point out here that I actually only tasted each dish because the food is plentiful with good sized servings, I would never have been able to eat so much food, so hungry people please note this is good value.
From the Seafood Menu we had:
Spiced Coconut Seafood Treasure $26.90 Photo below by Deb Carr
Prawns, fish, calamari and scallop in a spicy coconut sauce with garlic, ginger and garam masala dressed with chopped coriander.
This dish jumped out at me with the presentation. A beautiful blend of flavours served with rice. The coriander gives it that extra punch.
From the Vegetarian Menu we had:
Paneer Khurchan $21.90
Med spiced paneer tikka strips slow cooked with capsicum, onion, tomato and red chillies with hints of ghee and garam masala.
This delightful vegetarian dish perfect for those who do not eat meat, beautifully cooked, not too hot for my taste. I actually thought I was eating TOFU however soon discovered it was cottage cheese. Lovely combination of flavours and textures.
From the Lamb Menu we had:
Railway Canteen Goat Curry $26.90
Goat meat curry slowly simmered in a rich sauce of tomato, ginger garlic, yoghurt and coriander.
Don’t let the thought of goat put you off. This is a tender cooked meat combined with the other ingredients makes a very flavoursome dish.
From the Dessert Menu we had:
Date and Walnut Samosa $9.90
Triangles with coconut Icecream.
Oh my! Oh my! Oh my! More please! This is a sensational desert one of the nicest I’ve ever had. That is chilli in that sweet sauce which added a little bite.
The Spice Room has a well thought wine list, offers fabulous cocktails and mocktails or you can opt for an Indian beer. Everyone is catered for.
With a passionate team of chefs, who believe in absolute perfection you can’t go wrong dining at The Spice Room.
I found the Spice Room to be a wonderful experience, I love the location, atmosphere, décor, service and the food gets a big tick.
Bookings advised.
Disclaimer: We were guests of the Spice Room, opinions are based on actual experience.
