City Spice Review

Having worked in East London for a couple of years, I must admit I’m guilty of not always taking advantage of all the amazing London experiences literally on my doorstep. With a guest visiting from abroad looking to see the best bit of my local area, taking her for a curry on Brick lane was a bit of a given. This was the perfect opportunity to visit the ‘The King of Brick Lane’, City Spice, known for it’s celebrity following with guests such as Michael Bisping, Meera Syal and Dominic Littlewood, praised for its ‘world-class food, jubilant atmosphere and unique recipes’. The restaurant takes inspiration from the food of the North Indian Murghal Empire, and recently picked up the prestigious Masterchef curry award, which really is high praise in the curry world. Nestled on the corner of Woodser Street and Brick Lane, right opposite The Truman Brewery, we were greeted by suited waiters with broad grins and warm welcomes. With the restaurant looking pretty full at 7pm on a Tuesday night, the spicy aromas and mouthwatering dishes in front of other guests was already a hint that we’d made the right choice. We were politely shown to our seats with cold glasses of white wine in front of us within a couple of minutes.

As we could see the portion sizes were pretty hefty, we opted for fresh poppadum’s and dips in way of a starter instead of the full whack. My friend who has bizarrely never tried proper curry house poppadum’s was in awe of rich sauces ranging from a tart pickle to a delicious mango chutney, all freshly prepared and served in generous portions. We then moved onto our mains. Curry’s can sometimes be a bit of a difficult one for a vegi, but the selection here was so vast we both chose a meat free main to share, despite my friend being a great meat lover. Despite wanting to try absolutely EVERYTHING, we went for two of my favorites. Matter Paneer is my absolute favorite, and City Spice certainly did not disappoint. Huge chunky paneer in a creamy coconut and pea sauce, it was the perfect mix of spicy and creamy indulgence. The Dahl Makunee complemented it perfectly, adding a bit of a salty kick. Mushroom rice packed with delicious vegetables and pashwari nan filled with coconut and almonds finished off the whole meal perfectly, leaving us comfortably stuffed and satisfied with the excellent choices we had made. Finishing with another glass of white wine (I’m happy to say this is one of those restaurants where the house wine is genuinely delicious and doesn’t taste of vinegar) we were shown to the door with the same warmth that we had been greeted with, with promises that we would be back in the near future!

Lovely staff, vibrant surrounding and a menu, which offers something for absolutely everyone, City Spice is not to be missed. If you want to offer someone the true Brick Lane experience with emphasis on hospitality and class, City Spice is the one for you.

Address: City Spice Review
138 Brick Lane
E1 6RU

Written by Jordan Crowley