Cafe Spice
35 South 2nd Street, Philadelphia PA 19106Café Spice is a colorful, contemporary Indian restaurant that bridges the gap between corner curry joints and upscale, fine dining establishments without sacrificing the flavors of the former and atmosphere of the latter. Specializing in both Northern and Southern Indian cuisine, the restaurant's open kitchen turns out dishes from all over India that awaken the palate without overwhelming it. Specialty cocktails and tables outside in warm weather make this a popular spot in the neighborhood bar scene but the food draws in discerning diners who seek quality cuisine at reasonable prices.
Old City Likes it Spicy
Review by TableAgent
Owners Sushil Malhotra – who also owns Dawat in New York City – and Rajesh Bhardwaj opened the first Café Spice in New York in 1998 with the aim of providing patrons with a option between upscale fine Indian dining (with high price tags to go along with the high refinement) and low-end, low-ambiance curry shops. The result was a contemporary, casual atmosphere with reasonable prices, great food, and vibrant ambiance. Since opening the first outpost, Bhardwaj and Malhotra have expanded their chain of self-proclaimed Indian bistros to another location in New York, as well as in Jersey City, Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Philadelphia's Old City. They also have several "Café Spice Express" locations where curry fans can pick up dinner to go without a long wait.
Philly's Café Spice is located smack dab in the middle of the Old City nightlife scene on Second Street. The restaurant, like the others in the chain, serves up cool cocktails and solid fare, taking patrons on a culinary tour through India. The restaurant's offerings cover all of the continent, rather than focusing on northern or southern India as its inspiration. Classic North Indian dishes like tandoori-grilled meats and fish, and Indian restaurant staple chicken tikka masala make a showing on the menu as do South Indian faves like masala dosas – rice flour wraps stuffed with spiced potatoes.
The dining room is loft-like, with its high ceilings and exposed ducts, but the large space is made intimate with interior walls painted in bright sari-like colors and a large glass wall at the entrance that could have been inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's windows. The bar scene is lively, particularly on Thursdays, when you'll swear you've been transported to a club in Mumbai as DJs spin Bollywood faves among the more recognized tunes. The post-dinner crowd includes young, cosmopolitan twenty-somethings sipping specialty martinis and cocktails that come in a rainbow of colors. The nice thing about the restaurant is that they do manage to keep the bar scene away from the diners, many of whom are so wrapped up in the flavors of the food they can't hear the music anyway. The restaurant also brilliantly manages to cater to those preferring a more intimate and quiet experience with booths that almost feel like private rooms.
Despite its moniker, Café Spice's fare takes it easy on the American palate, preferring to awaken it rather than set it on fire. Be sure to start off your meal with one of their specialty cocktails. My Citrus Splash was exceptionally tasty and the mojitos are minty, providing a great start to the experience. To go with our cocktails, we had an order of their peppery papadums. These crunchy, thin wafers are so addictive you might just forgo the rest of the meal and have your server keep bringing more of them to your table.
We began our meal with the Lamb Samosas and the Jingha Masaladar, a shrimp dish with a tangy tomato sauce and sprigs of fried cilantro on the side. The samosas, for a fried dish, were relatively light and the wonderfully spiced lamb eliminated the need for any dipping sauce. The potato version is equally as light and tasty, but lacks the depth of flavor as the lamb ones. The heartiness of this dish was offset perfectly by the masaladar, which awoke the other side of our mouths with its tart and tangy punch, providing just the right amount of pucker and punch with no heat. Had there been naan at the table at that point in time, I would have been sure to soak up the last bit of the sauce from the plate. I hardly even noticed the shrimp. It was most definitely the sauce that made the dish so tasty.
The restaurant's most popular dish is its version of chicken tikka, on this menu called Murg Tikka Lababdar. In this dish, succulent pieces of white meat chicken swim in a creamy tomato sauce that is so well flavored that spoonfuls of it over basmati rice would make a more than satisfying meal, independent of the chicken. All of the entrees at Café Spice are served with basmati rice, salad, and dal (lentils), ensuring you won't leave the restaurant with a millimeter of empty space in your stomach.
I am a huge fan of basmati rice, and Café Spice's is no exception. It was so fluffy and aromatic that I found myself wondering how to turn it into a potpourri for my home. I was also impressed at how well they anticipated just the amount I'd need for my dish, without giving me a huge mound of it. My rice to gravy ratio was always perfect with every forkful.
With its perfect blend of spice, coupled with the brightness of coriander, the Chicken Chettinad has so much flavor it might overload your taste buds. The spice intensified over time, so that by the time I was dipping the last big of my naan into the remnants of the bowl for the last of the gravy, I was definitely feeling the heat.
The Tandoori shrimp is a great, lighter option for those who aren't a big fan of heavy gravies and curries. Here, jumbo-size shrimp cooked in the tandoor oven never fail to come out perfectly moist, a feat not many restaurants can achieve when it comes to shrimp. Paired with the aromatic basmati, the delicately spiced shrimp with its hints of ginger completely satisfied as much as the heavier curries.
The naan is fluffy and light, and comes in a variety of flavors including cheese, garlic, onions and lamb. We preferred the plain naan to get at the last vestiges of flavor in the bowl.
Since there's no better way to wash down Indian food (and temper the heat from the Chettinad) than with a classic Indian beer – we ordered a Taj Mahal. This giant-even-by-American-standards beer certainly lives up to its name and is enough for two people to share.
From the dessert menu, only the kulfi (cardamom-flavored ice cream) stood out -- most likely because it was the lightest of all of the dessert offerings and by this point we were pretty full. We chose to walk off some of the meal and I suppose it can't be anything but a good sign that, despite our full bellies, the topic of conversation on the way home was what we were going to order the next time.
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Reservations
Business Info
- Address: 35 South 2nd Street, Philadelphia PA 19106
- Cross Street: Chestnut Street
- Location: Old City
- Cuisine: Indian |
- Cost: | Inexpensive
- Category: Casual Dining
- Star Rating:
- Reservations: Unknown
- Dress Code: Casual Elegant
- Meals Served: Brunch | Lunch | Dinner |
- Parking: None |
- Payment Options: VISA | Amex | MasterCard |
- Corkage Fee: N/A
- Website: http://www.cafespice.com
- Phone: (215) 627-6273
- Features: Full Bar, Live Entertainment, Outdoor Seating, Takeout Available, Lounge / Bar,
- Occasion: Romantic Dining, Dining Alone, Meet for a Drink, Trendy / Hip,
Photos
Business Hours
Reservations Available
- Monday
- Dinner - Main Dining Room 5:00 PM - 10:30 PM
- Tuesday
- Dinner - Main Dining Room 5:00 PM - 10:30 PM
- Wednesday
- Dinner - Main Dining Room 5:00 PM - 10:30 PM
- Thursday
- Dinner - Main Dining Room 5:00 PM - 10:30 PM
- Friday
- Dinner - Main Dining Room 5:00 PM - 11:30 PM
- Saturday
- Dinner - Main Dining Room 4:00 PM - 11:30 PM
- Sunday
- Dinner - Main Dining Room 4:00 PM - 10:30 PM
F.A.Q.s
Frequently Asked Questions- Are there multiple locations for your restaurant?
- There is only one location in Philadelphia, and another location in New York.
- Do you serve regional Indian dishes?
- Yes. Café Spice serves both Northern and Southern regional Indian cuisine.
- Can I wear jeans?
- The preferred dress code is ‘casual elegant,’ suggesting collared shirts, suit jackets, and pants for men; and skirts, dresses, and dress pants for women. Denim, sandals, and athletic attire are not acceptable.