We're giving you the chance to win back the value of your meal - every time you dine this month!

SquareMeal Review of Cafe Spice Namaste

Bronze Award

High ceilings, Victorian brass lamps and swagged curtains in spicy shades create a blend of east and west that's as seamless as the fusion in Cyrus Todiwala's "lovely, unusual Indian food".

The high-profile chef is also a renowned champion of British produce, which appears in everything from the homemade pickles and chutneys to the prime fillet from the Duke of Buccleuch's estate that goes into a fiery beef tikka.

Elsewhere, Goan flavours are to the fore in dishes such as a classic 'white' king prawn curry with organic red rice or spicy Chiltern pork vindalho, although regional riffs range from a luxurious Parsee-style chicken curry with puréed nuts and coconut to tamarind-marinated duck tikka from Kerala.

Café Spice Namasté has long championed the pairing of wine with spicy food and there are helpful tasting notes on the list, which includes a Soul Tree Shiraz from India's Nasik Valley.

Read more +

Good to know

Average Price
££££ - £30 - £49
Cuisine
Gluten-free options, Indian, International, Vegan friendly, Vegetarian friendly
Ambience
Cool, Fun, Lively, Quirky, Romantic, Unique
Food Occasions
All day dining, Brunch, Dinner, Lunch
Alfresco And Views
Great views, Outside seating, Waterside
Special Features
Chef’s table, Dog friendly, Wheelchair access
Perfect for
Birthdays, Celebrations, Child friendly, Dates, Group dining [8+], Romantic, Special occasions
Food Hygiene Rating
Food Hygiene Rating 5 for Cafe Spice Namaste

About

It's time to rethink everything you thought you knew about what an Indian restaurant looks, feels and tastes like. Cafe Spice Namaste is a must visit for Indian cuisine, based in a fantastic location on the edge of Royal Albert Wharf in the Docklands, with views spanning the Thames.

Its home takes the form of a modern, new build complex which boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, bringing in tons of natural light and creating a contemporary, airy space to get stuck into the forward-thinking menu. You'll love the decor, too, which includes a statement bar covered in colourful tiles and complemented by rustic bar stools. Around the space, industrial pendants and plants aplenty create a stylish design concept, which makes this a great spot for enjoying with friends, family or colleagues. 

Now, onto the menu; the a la carte offers a curated selection of street food-inspired smaller plates which are designed for sharing. There's a good mix of both meat-based and vegetarian dishes, as well as a selection of signatures to choose from. For example, we love the sound of the halloumi shaslik, which brings together classic tandoor marinated halloumi with grilled with cubes of onion and peppers, perhaps combined with the masala spiced roasted chicken in a mild white curry with coconut and cashew, flavoured with cardamom. 

As for sides, we dare you to turn down the caramalised onion rice or the chilli cheese naan which is filled with an impressive mix of five cheeses and blended with fresh green chilli. As for signatures, the team recommend trying the classic goan pork vindaloo, or the signature beetroot and coconut samosa chaat served with chutneys and chickpeas vermicelli. 

Finally, Cafe Spice Namaste has an indulgent selection of desserts to try - we like the sound of the multi-layered Portuguese-inspired Goan coconut pancake warmed and served with vanilla ice-cream - yum! 

Read more +

FAQs

What kind of food does Café Spice Namasté do?

The cuisine is Parsee, a subcategory of Indian food.

Cafe Spice Namaste is featured in

Details

Get directions to Cafe Spice Namaste Get directions to Cafe Spice Namaste
Location
1-2 Lower Dock Walk, Woolwich, London, E16 2GT

020 7488 9242 020 7488 9242

Website

Opening Times

Dinner
Mon Closed
Tue 17:00-22:00
Wed Closed
Thu Closed
Fri Closed
Sat Closed
Sun Closed
All day
Mon Closed
Tue Closed
Wed 13:00-22:00
Thu 13:00-22:00
Fri 13:00-22:00
Sat 13:00-22:00
Sun Closed

Reviews

Share your thoughts with other diners

Write a review


14 Reviews 
Food/Drink
Service
Atmosphere
Value

Andrew W

26 May 2025   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 4.5
Service 3.5
Atmosphere 3.5
Value 4.5

I have mixed feelings on Cafe Spice Namaste; Firstly, and on a positive note, the food was excellent, with a diverse, descriptive and interesting menu of Indian cuisine. The restaurant offers good value for money. However, the service and general ambience on our visit was a bit lacklustre. The restaurant is rather hidden away and likely suffers therefore on rather inconsistent patronage.

Andrew W

26 May 2025   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 4.5
Service 3.5
Atmosphere 3.5
Value 4.5

I have mixed feelings on Cafe Spice Namaste; Firstly, and on a positive note, the food was excellent, with a diverse, descriptive and interesting menu of Indian cuisine. The restaurant offers good value for money. However, the service and general ambience on our visit was a bit lacklustre. The restaurant is rather hidden away and likely suffers therefore on rather inconsistent patronage.

Andrew W

26 May 2025   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 4.5
Service 3.5
Atmosphere 3.5
Value 4.5

I have mixed feelings on Cafe Spice Namaste; Firstly, and on a positive note, the food was excellent, with a diverse, descriptive and interesting menu of Indian cuisine. The restaurant offers good value for money. However, the service and general ambience on our visit was a bit lacklustre. The restaurant is rather hidden away and likely suffers therefore on rather inconsistent patronage.

Andrew W

26 May 2025   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 4.5
Service 3.5
Atmosphere 3.5
Value 4.5

I have mixed feelings on Cafe Spice Namaste; Firstly, and on a positive note, the food was excellent, with a diverse, descriptive and interesting menu of Indian cuisine. The restaurant offers good value for money. However, the service and general ambience on our visit was a bit lacklustre. The restaurant is rather hidden away and likely suffers therefore on rather inconsistent patronage.

Anon

27 October 2022  
Food & Drink 4.5
Service 4.5
Atmosphere 5
Value 4.5
All-round excellence, worth opening your mind to.

I've visited Cafe Spice many times. It's my favourite all-round restaurant. The food is always excellent, Cyrus Todiwala is often on-hand running the kitchen, and Pervin Todiwala is the consummate host. Some of the reviews seem to miss the point of Cafe Spice. It's a Parsee Indian restaurant with European (often Portuguese) influences. The word "fusion" doesn't really fit - it's more about awareness of the history and provenance of the dishes. As a birthday treat, I also did the Masterclass with Cyrus. He's incredibly well-informed and generous - and seriously cares about producing amazing meals for his guests. If you're hoping for a posh version of your local Indian, this isn't it. It's not supposed to be. It's about smart dishes of sometimes delicate flavours, or bombastic spice combinations to challenge the palate. The Goosnargh Sausage and "mash" is a brilliant take on a classic pairing. The Venison Tikka Aflatoon is always excellent (it's been on the menu for a long time). The Chilli & Cheese Naan is a fiery beast of a bread. These chefs know what to do with a lamb cutlet too - they're always crispily seared but perfectly moist inside. 

I've eaten better food at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons (but that's got two Michelin Stars and costs many times over what dinner at Cafe Spice costs) and a few other VERY expensive places (only ever as a treat - I can't afford such ridiculousness often!). But taking everything into consideration, this is the restaurant I'd choose 9 times out of 10.

Matt G

28 June 2019  
Always good food and relaxed atmosphere.

Rustam D

28 June 2019  
This restaurant provides you with delicate flavours of India. The food is top quality and Cyrus always tries to have British ingredients for his dishes. The service is excellent led by Pervin Toddywala and for me very good value considering some other Indian restaurants are more expensive, but the quality is not as good.

Dev A

21 March 2018  
Love Cote. Haven't found one that isn't good. Cocktails, food and service. Brunch is very good.

Lloyd S

12 March 2017  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5
Fantastic Indian
A fantastic Indian meal in east London and so different to your local restaurant here we experienced such an amazing array of stunning Indian flavours and spices that enhanced each dish. On arrival you get a nice friendly greeting then you get to see the menu and believe me you want to order everything as it all sounds fantastic. We in the end decided to go for the Tasting Menu which includes 3 glasses of wine and was also told that it is actually unlimited food so when you say stop they will then serve you Dessert to finish . The one thing is that you don't know what you get until it arrives which to us was great . We managed to survive 10 courses before surrendering and having Dessert . So it all started with popadoms & dips followed by Samosa , potato cake , fish fingers , a sweet and crunchy rice , duck , chicken , prawns with spinach , salmon and cheese then to curry dishes of chicken and lamb that forced us into submission so we're then served dessert to finish to which on was a delightful spicy creme brûlée. Most of the dishes were brought to us by our very friendly waitress Martina .

Sean M

13 May 2016  
Exceptional food, particularly liked the Haggis Samosa Chat! V friendly, great meal.
Reserve your table

Find a table

Sorry, you cannot spend SquareMeal vouchers here yet.

Other restaurants we like near Cafe Spice Namaste

Shampan Welling
Welling

Shampan Welling

CRATE - Wood Wharf
Canary Wharf

CRATE - Wood Wharf

Hawksmoor Wood Wharf
Canary Wharf

Hawksmoor Wood Wharf

Cafe Spice Namaste
Close