Serendipity is a wonderful thing. When I walked past the old site of Creeler’s the other night, and spotted that it was in the midst of the refit, my initial reaction was, “ah, so that’s where Mark Greenaway is moving to.” And how wrong I was, as when I walked past the place, today, what did I spot but a newly opened Indian, by the name of Royal Spice.

Exterior

I took a little glance in the window, spotted that their lunchtime menu looked keenly priced, and decided to forego my planned trip to a nearby bratwurst stand to play the role of their first ever lunchtime customer, instead.

The place is fresh and smart, with their large digital print of an excellent spice selection set against more traditional items like paintings of the Taj Mahal.

Starter

Service was incredibly welcoming, with excellent banter throughout. I was full of questions, given it was a new place, and was delighted to here how it is a new venture for the former manager of Khushi’s on Broughton Street after eight years of devoted service as their restaurant manager.

They have a couple of different lunch menus, with options starting from £4.95. I opted for their set three course menu for £6.95. I started with a dish of tandoori chicken wings, served with a simple salad, then followed with a classic lamb bhuna with naan.

Naan

The starter quickly arrived, with three chicken pieces looking nicely spiced and succulent, and so they proved. I picked them up and used my fingers to shove them faceward, ensuring that when I happened to bump into MJ, directly after lunch, my fingers were practically glowing orange. The dish was a really good opener.

The highlight of my visit was, for sure, the garlic naan that came with the lamb bhuna. As I explained to the owner, the lamb was a trifle too lean for my taste, but otherwise the dish was exactly what you would expect of a good bhuna, with lovely fragrant coriander topping it off. The naan, which was incredibly a) huge and b) light, elevated the dish to a really enjoyable level.

Bhuna

After further good discussions and a decent coffee, it was time for me to be on my well-fed way back to the office, for an afternoon of workaday joy.

So I was rather pleased with my visit to Royal Spice. For lunchtime value and very decent quality, this is a really good option. It is worth a visit for the naan, alone, but the other items are guaranteed to please, as well. I can see this becoming a really well-used venue for me, so look forward to visiting again, soon. I’d recommend you do so, as well.

Scores

Blythe scores Royal Spice
4/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
3.5/5 for service
3.5/5 for setting
giving an overall 14/20

Today’s quester was: Blythe

I ate: tandoori chicken wings, lamb bhuna, garlic naan

I drank: water, coffee

I wore: pinstripes

Total bill: £6.95