Bengal Spice in Islington

Cash only - no wonder it’s empty!

We had a family take away so did not eat in. Loved the okra (Bhindi), and spinach in particular, but all meals were freshly cooked, aromatic and a joy to eat.

"‎ حلال Bengal Spice is one of the best Indian restaurants in London (Islington and Archway) , though we take pride in specializing in authentic Bangladeshi cuisine. While we offer all the classic curry house favorites, we also have a diverse selection of unique village-style dishes, including Shatkor, Borfi, Lebu Bengal, and Jera—each bursting with incredible citrus flavors and much more. Our staff is always polite, efficient, and eager to help customers explore new flavors beyond the usual choices. We love making recommendations to introduce you to something special. The owner personally ensures customer satisfaction, often inviting guests to sample their dish as soon as it arrives. If you’re not happy with it, we’ll happily adjust it at no extra cost within minutes. Vegetarians are especially well catered for, with nearly every dish available in a vegetable or paneer option. Whether you dine in or order a takeaway, we are passionate about serving authentic Indian and Bangladeshi food with exceptional service. At Bengal Spice, we take pride in our expertise in balancing and blending spices to create bold, delicious flavors. Enjoy the real taste of Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine, all with a bring-your-own-drink policy. We always welcome feedback to help us improve and continue providing the best dining experience possible.

Some of the worst Indian food I’ve ever had. Every dish was sweet. Avoid.

Very nice service, absolutely delicious and reasonably spicy! Highly recommended

Great food and super friendly staff!

Nipped in for Valentine’s Day’s dinner to grab a takeaway a few weeks ago and we were so happy we did. The owner, of whom is the father of this family run business, gave us a personalised recommendation after overhearing what I would usually go for and instead, offered us a far healthier, incredibly tasty and arguably better value for money option whilst educating us on the ingredients and difference in dishes. I ended up discovering a new favourite dish that I’ll be asking for again. It was great to have someone guide you through your choices rather than just go for what one might usually order. We were even given a taste test to make sure we liked the new recommendation before we left which was such a lovely touch. Food was incredible and immensely favourable. The restaurant was very clean, comfortable and intimate while we waited and afterwards, he gave us a discount on our next visit. Incredible service and so happy we tried out our local.

BYOB, great host, even better food!

If you wanted to feel like you had a private chef, this is it. You ask for a suggestion, and they will help you build your own custom meal basically. Also was asked spice level and was allowed to modify as necessary (didn't need to because it was already perfect heat). The Lebu Roll and Garlic Chili Masala were 10/10.

Food was great. Ali made the night. 10/10.

Excellent food and very friendly service. The Shatkora as part of the house specials section was delicious and its BYOB!

The food from here is excellent, unfortunately I wouldn't recommend ordering a takeaway. Every time I've ordered from here, I've waited so long (over an hour each time) that I had to call the restaurant to find out what was going on. If they had a better system and shorter wait times, it would be perfect.

Ali is the curry master. What a boy. Tasty. Bit spicy mind.

Mate best bloody curry I have ever ever had. Ali is phenomenal at whipping up a spicy cuzzaaa, big love to my bruvvas

I was sceptical being Indian, but was super impressed! Everything was amazing — food, customer service! Hope you be back soon soon!

My favourite curry after watching Arsenal, see you Saturday!

Amazing BYOB indian food, good flavours and vibe

We love Bengal spice. Very personal service, in a relaced setting. The meal was very good value and the place does BYOB. So will be back with friends real soon.

Five of use went to Bengal Spice on a Friday evening, hungry for good curry, and we weren't disappointed! The curries were all excellent, as well as the side dishes (my peshwari naan was potentially the best peshwari naan i've ever had), and all plates were clean by the end. The customer service was excellent as well - our waiter was very knowledgeable of the dishes on offer and helped inform our decision making, and we didn't have to wait long for food. Will definitely be going again for my next curry.

Great BYOB Indian restaurant, really full flavourful food. Recommend the prawns starter and the tandoori lamb chops too. Tasty mains and sides followed with top notch nan bread. We enjoyed our visit and will return. Bonus that you can bring your own drinks

Avoid this place unless you’re looking for the WORST hospitality experience of your life. The person who served me and my friend was shockingly rude, disrespectful, and aggressive. From the moment we asked for advice on the menu, he responded in an unbearably patronising manner. When we requested an extra plate for our starter, he flat-out refused, then proceeded to come to our table, pick up my fork without asking, and divide the food himself - as if we were toddlers. It was so absurdly rude and condescending that the man on the table next to us actually laughed in disbelief. And as he got up to leave, he turned to us and said “Good luck”. This man has no business running a restaurant and clearly has no respect for his customers. A quick glance at other reviews confirms that this kind of treatment isn’t a one-off it’s a pattern. He single-handedly ruined my evening, and I have no doubt he’ll ruin many more. If you value good service, basic respect, or even just a normal dining experience—AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS.

Posiblemente mi peor experiencia en restaurantes indios. Lo siento, posiblemente mi peor experiencia en un restaurante. Esperé una hora 10 minutos para nuestros entrantes a pesar de que solo había 6 mesas en uso. Luego esperamos una hora más en nuestra red. Sin embargo, no tuvimos que esperar mucho tiempo para nuestra factura. No podía esperar para darlo y sacarnos. El tipo detrás de nosotros se durmió esperando su comida, no es broma. Comida muy pobre. Seguro que eran gambas congeladas en el entrante, no frescas. La comida principal estaba destinada a ser muy picante, pero solo sabía a tomate, patatas fritas también. El restaurante también estaba helado. Horrible experiencia de principio a fin

Good 👍 -food was warm -food tasted good (flavours) -delivery man was very friendly and kind Bad 👎 -dark black hair in my garlic naan ? Things happen but still has to be mentioned -chicken was dry - the man who took my call gave me a rant about food cooking times when all I was asking for was an estimated delivery time

Fantastic staff, work really hard to ensure you get what you need. Bit pricy but food is clean and tastes like authentic Bangladeshi food.

Just discovered this place despite it being around the corner. I noticed their ‘home cooking’ sign outside and decided to try it. This place is great. The manager and family take great care when making the food and it’s super delicious. The price is good. With all that, I would say this is the best byob Indian place in Islington, IMO.

Great food best curry's in London 👌👌👌👌👌☺☺☺☺☺☺

We are regulars at Ali's and have taken many friends and groups. Food is always excellent, extensive menu. He will adapt spiciness to your taste and if you are not sure what you want will help you choose. Plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. Still unparalleled value for money. Owner provides personal service and takes great pride in his cooking. I've been to many Indian restaurants in London but always come back to Bengal Spice.

Never again the place was empty and no heating on the food was Lukewarm and awful never again dont have the tikka chicken as it was like a blood bath thick red horrible and very expensive had a coffee and that was even warm and instant rubbish steer clear

Good very good starter didn’t disappoint and the main course was as good, staff very professional and knowledgeable about the menu. Will definitely be back.

Very kind and great service. Outstanding Indian Bangladeshi cuisine, shaktora, staff lamb curry are delightful.

A busy Saturday night after an Arsenal game (as a visiting Evertonian) and they fitted 3 of us in. The food is exceptional. My 13yr old son is a fussy eater and he polished the plate clean as did his mate. Service was excellent, so friendly and made us feel very welcome. Honestly, we've found a real gem of a place and will be back. Our bill was paid for by regular customers of the restaurant Steve and Parm (excuse my spelling of that), two proper Arsenal fans who where more than happy to chat about today's game and make football rivalry dissappear after the final whistle. Respect to you both. I'd love to repay your hospitality. This place is a must visit for stunning Indian food - ill never forget it.

Solo comida increíble. La comida más sabrosa, fresca y deliciosa. No podía culparlo. Somos de Liverpool y estamos pensando en maneras de volver lo antes posible.

Best curry I have ever had and the best team!!

Great food, lovely staff. Very knowledgeable about the curries and advised us on some delicious curry’s we’d never tried before!

Birthday, family Meal of pleasure and great taste Welcomed but not cheap

Best curry in the area. Service was incredible and I loved that we were asked exactly what flavours and tastes we liked before being served something that perfectly matched that. Such a lovely friendly neighbourhood feel where we befriended people on other tables and shared stories over truly delicious curry. They also went the extra mile and refrigerated our wine for us on the byob offer

Okay, I know I said the Indian restaurant in Glyfada Greece is one of the best I ever had and it is, but this place… OMG it’s all the familiar spices you know with new and extra levels. It’s like going from an old 1080p to 4 or even 8k. Every dish has so much more depth. I highly highly recommend this place!

Had a great experience! Chicken was perfectly cooked, curry was spiced just right, food tasted fresh, and my server was kind enough to help me find a dish that fit was I was in the mood for. There is lots of variety to return to try!

Possibly the best curry in north London. I’ve never had a bad meal here and the staff really know what they are talking about. Every dish is made to order and they are keen to make sure you’re happy with your order. Which I always am. 10/10 recommend

The begal spice is one the best experiences I have had. Ali asked me how I wanted my food to taste and did it just as I said. Couldn't fault how amazing it tastes. Definitely don't miss this place

Really tasty food with the perfect mix of all kind of flavors!! Greetings from Germany

I brought a group of about 20 people for a birthday celebration. Our group got personal service from the owner and we were very well looked after. There was lots of positive feedback from the group. I recommend everything on the menu. Dishes are prepared individually with much care and attention. The arrangement here is that you purchase your own alcoholic drinks from the well-stocked corner shop two doors away, and as a result get a cheaper than usual drinks bill. The restaurant will keep your drinks in its fridge if you ask. If you book for a group on a quiet night you can get excellent cuisine and an almost private dinning experience with very attentive service, not to mention the lower than usual drinks bill. Details can be arranged with the restaurant owner who goes out of his way to do what the customer wants.

Estábamos en Londres para una boda familiar y buscando un lugar para comer la noche anterior, pero tuvimos un bebé de 3 meses con nosotros. Nos habían rechazado de un bar gastronómico The Tollington Arms ya que no dejan entrar a los niños después de las 7 pm, , , incluido un bebé? Su pérdida fue nuestra ganancia ya que encontramos “Bengal Spice” restaurante indio y honestamente no podría haber tenido un mejor tiempo, una mejor comida o conocer gente más amable. La comida era increíble e hicieron lo que todos los grandes restauranteros hacen y nos dieron sugerencias alternativas sobre qué probar basado en cómo dijimos que nos gustaba la comida - en sus palabras “por favor, no pidas lo que siempre pides déjame ayudarte a descubrir la India” , , , , , , , , ¿y lo hizo? ¡Wow! Este lugar es maravilloso, les encantan los niños, las familias y la diversión, pero sobre todo les encanta que sus clientes salgan felices del restaurante. No sirven alcohol pero puedes BYO y hay una tienda Off Licence al lado (que ahorra dinero), pero tienen un montón de refrescos. Si estás en algún lugar de Finsbury Park o Holloway me dirijo fuertemente (y quiero decir fuertemente) a Bengal Spice y tener una de las mejores experiencias culinarias al curry en cualquier lugar Disfruta!

Absolutely one of the best curries in town

Best local curry house by a mile

Une cuisine très goutue avec des herbes et des épices fraîches, un délice ! Un cran au-dessus des autres restaurants indiens dont j'ai pu avoir l'expérience

such a cute little restaurant with lovely staff! really appreciate the curry recommendations - delicious. will defo be back!

Bengal Spice is an excellent restaurant with very attentive staff. The food is all very well prepared and tastes so fresh. Highly recommend.

Overall I liked this quirky small restaurant. Marvellous food, wide ranging menu. There were 20 of us and after more than hour's wait we were all served at the same time, a feat of organisation in itself. I personally had mixed prawns medium hot, but I wish now I had ordered them 🔥. My fellow guests were all impressed with the portions and freshly prepared dishes. Will come again. I would have liked linen napkins instead of paper ones. But the value was in the food, not the trimmings. Bring your own booze was a compelling selling point! Easy parking locally as well. NH.

We had a great meal We were asked what we were ordering Then advised to try certain dishes based on what we liked, The Manager was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable of the ingredients and dishes! We were very satisfied and the bill was very reasonable Highly recommended 👌 Only gave 3 for atmosphere as it was a quiet Thursday night

This is a fantastic curry house, the owner personally has so much passion, helps you choose what you should order and makes the experience really fun. The food itself is really delicious, really enjoy coming to this place!

Great food great service top curries

What a fantastic find! The owner went out of his way to describe the dishes and their constituents. We could also specify the level of spiciness we desired. When the dishes arrived, we were encouraged to taste each one and if we weren't happy we were able to return the dish and order a different sauce-we didn't need to do this as everything was delicious! We particularly enjoyed the onion bhajis and the Shatkora. Another fantastic plus of this restaurant is that you can BYOB and no corkage is charged! The whole menu is very reasonably priced considering the excellent quality of the food. This will definitely be our go to place when we're in London.

Had a great meal at Bengal Spice. The food and service were excellent. Will definitely come again.

It has been 15 months since we last visited Bengal Spice and it is just as good as it was on our last visit. Whenever we come to London we will visit Bengal Spice it is absolutely great. 5 + Star. I can't recommend highly enough.

Amazing food, great service, and great atmosphere. The (BYOB) is hardly a highlight when the food is this good. 5/5 would recommend

Incredible flavours and really knowledgeable owner, truly a hidden gem!

Fantastic food and great personal service, would definitely recommend.

The tastes are fine, the atmosphere too; but one of the waiting staff wouldn't even let us ask a question about the menu. He kept silencing our questions with lectures with an added attitude. I had to kindly tell him to instead let me understand the menu in my own way and that I need answers to a few questions first. I felt a bit overwhelmed after this encounter and got the rest of the order takeaway. I think the food is genuinely good, but they should time down the attitude.

Visited about a week ago and the food was incredible! The menu is vast, with so many options, but thankfully the owner was super friendly and knowledgeable about the menu, and gave really good recommendations. We tried more authentic dishes that were similar to popular tikka masala/butter chicken. While it is slightly away from the main hub of the highstreet, it is so worth the tiny extra distance! Note: At the time that we went, the card machine was not working and so they were taking cash only. There are cash machines in the near vicinity, about a 2 minutes walk away.

Extensive and delicious menu, knowledgeable and friendly staff, lovely food and great value. BYOB.

The food was delicious! The owner took our order and gave us recommendations to try something different from our usual chicken tikka masala and butter chicken orders. The dishes were excellent (I would definitely recommend trying the Borfi sauce - reminiscent of a tikka masala with very similar sweet and coconut-iness but with more depth of flavour). We will be back to try more dishes!

Best curry I've ever had! They were so accommodating to everybody's particular taste and what they wanted in terms of spice, flavours... and they have so many options beyond your typical masala or korma. Even I, who cannot deal with spicy food, was able to choose between a good few items on the menu, and the vegetarian and vegan options are amazing as well. Everybody was so kind and helpful and we had the best time. Would definitely recommend!

Am absolutely stoked to have discovered this local gem. Possibly the friendliest service I've ever had - I'm not kidding, the owner helped us select the perfect curries even down to taste-tests to get the right spice level! The food is delicious; the lamb especially was melt-in-the-mouth tender. Cannot recommend this place enough! We'll definitely be back.

Fantastic dishes, great service, a really good restaurant for locals. BYOB which is nice too!

Very nice and authentic food. Lots of original flavours and will recommend to friends and family and will be back again. Ali was very attentive and gave lots of interesting cooking tips and caters for individual tastes. You won't be disappointed. Thank you for a delicious meal

This place is very special. There are few Indian restaurants around London nowadays that take pride in the food they serve as much as this place. Every morsel of food was so fresh - you can tell that everything is made from scratch and to order. The lovely waiter went to the trouble of quizzing us on our preferred tastes and making recommendations for each of us, teaching us a real lesson in how they should be prepared. He steered us away from our tradition tikka masala orders and made us try something new! It was to die for. We ordered three curries and we did not leave a drop behind us. The garlic naan deserves a special mention as it was piping hot and so fluffy and fresh. There was also a nice community feeling in the air as locals dropped in to pick up their orders. I feel very happy to have stumbled upon it and plan on becoming a regular patron! BYOB and good value too.

Muy buena comida y auténtica. Un montón de sabores originales y lo recomendaré a amigos y familiares y volveremos de nuevo. Ali fue muy atento y dio un montón de consejos de cocina interesantes y atiende a los gustos individuales. No te decepcionarás. Gracias por una deliciosa comida

Came to bengal spice for the first time and thought the restaurant looked nice and cosy. Bringing your own drinks was a nice touch to keep the cost down too. Unfortunately after eating the food we had the worst tummy pain from it , messed our sleep up because the food was definitely not right. I think it was something to do with the sauce. Tasted good but this wasn’t something I experienced in a long time

Second time here and equally impressed. The food is great, the owner is lovely and very helpful when deciding the best choice for your taste. Also very reasonable in price, and BYOB available. One of the better Indians I've been to in London

Phenomenally good food with some standout unusual dishes in and a really welcoming owner. This place is indeed a gem. Worth heading to Holloway Road for a meal here with friends. BYOB.

The best Indian restaurant in every way and at affordable prices. The menu is varied and it is authentic cuisine. The staff gave good advice, which allowed us to discover a dish that we had never tried before. We will come back!

Nice menu, but I found the constant interruption by the proprietor regarding the problems with card payments and all manner of other issues uncomfortable.

A dear friend introduced me to this wonderful restaurant while I was staying with him nearby. Ali asked a few questions and then developed a personalised meal for us. What a place! Food was excellent and very good value. Highly recommended!

Only ok item was the rice. The Onion bhaji was so greasy, the paper bag was soaked, then had zero flavour. Both the chicken madras and king prawn dupiaza were bland, both in a bland watery sauce. Never again. Deffo would not recommend.

The curries here are fragrant and aromatic, served with lovely fresh naan and a honourable mention to the bhajis which were crisp and flavoursome. Took a recommendation from the boss and wasn’t disappointed, beautifully tender lamb. Left feeling really very satisfied and planning my return already. Great spot!

Amazing local restaurant! I’ve rarely had such fresh and delicate food, everything is delicious. Please ask the owner for this expert recommendation. Such a great authentic and friendly experience. We come again and again! Always amazing.

Excellent meal every time we eat here. An independent restaurant and local gem. Recommendations from the chef are always on point; ask for them and for help navigating the authentic menu. It is byob. We will be back! Delicious and generous.

Very very sweet and oily food unnecessarily.

Delicious food good service, Nothing to complain about! Would come back again!

This place promises discount offers and does not fulfill them. This is the second time I am being offered a certain discount when ordering food on the phone and am charged full price when collecting it. When the bill is challenged, the tone of the staff gets very unpleasant.

Amazing local curry house. Asked the waiter for a recommendation and he really worked hard to find out our taste preferences before offering us an ‘off menu’ dish which was incredible. Would highly recommend.

Ordered for delivery and had to be one of the best Indian meals we have had for a very long time. Tandoori chicken was perfect and the lamb Madras was so tender you certainly didn't need a knife! Gentleman on the phone was very helpful as originally ordered through Just Eat and for some reason they had cancelled the order!! He rectified that and food was delivered in under an hour. Would definitely recommend and will use again .

Went there with 2 of my discerning offsprings. Like me, they were delighted. Happy to have this in my neighbourhood.

Absolutely the best Indian food I’ve ever had! The owner is very nice and gave my friends and I a mini Indian cooking lesson. If I could order overseas to New York I would. I definitely recommend.

I so sorry being spice but your oil is foul could taste it on everything. Poppadoms orange with it and foul taste, same as half other food I ordered. U used to be good now it needs going in bin. I'm not even being horrible it's just foul.

Hands down the best indian restaurant I've ever visited. Superior taste. Excellent service. Can't recommend more!!!

Delicious food, lovely people running the place! Thanks for dinner :)

Comida súper deliciosa y un gran servicio! inicialmente pedí un masala, ya que es lo que suelo ir por, pero el camarero recomendó otro plato dulce en su lugar y valió la pena.

Absolutely amazing! Definitely worth to go and to try these delicious food. Great staff!

Such an amazing dinner! Our host was brilliant, advising us on the exact curry to meet our tastes, and the curry itself certainly didn't disappoint - delicious food and a great evening all round!

Great good and such warm service. We are all very happy

Amazing food, and delicious fresh mango lassi. Lots of curries I'd not heard of before, and tasted delicious and unique. The manager talked us through different options based on what we wanted. Massively recommend if you want South Asian / Indian food in North London.

Really fun and delicious meal - the host knows his stuff and guides you through the menu to help you perfect your order, and the result was fantastic! Very pleased, would definitely recommend.

A hidden away gem of a place. No need to be overwhelmed by the menu because our lovely waiter asked each of us a few leading questions to understand what we wanted and then told us the perfect curry for us. 6 of us shared our plates and that’s the way to go here. Highly Recommend the tasty food and warm welcome you receive here!

The menu was diverse and contained all sorts of dishes with all sorts of variations. Excellent! The service was also splendid: exquisitely friendly, ensuring we had the very best experience. The gentleman was on hand to explain anything and provided interesting context about our food. Thank you!

Food was an Indian chicken tikka in masala sauce. The first few chunks were definitely lamb and the rest chicken. The lamb was minced kofta and I imagine it was leftovers from someone else’s meal. This is shockingly bad. The sauce was also too runny and certainly didn’t appear to have any cream in it. Also very spicy when I asked for normal. Absolutely would not recommend. Terrible quality food, charged £4 delivery when it’s nine mins (google) from my house, there was a ‘bag charge’ to

Our family loves Indian cuisine and we do not miss the opportunity to visit an indian restaurant when in London. We have visited good number of places here and this one will rank amongst the best Indian restaurants.Versatile dishes, full of flavour and very very tasteful. Warm and friendly staff and great service

We love this place!! It has become our new local. Best tasting Indian we have had in a while and the staff are lovely. 10/10

We just got back from Bengal Spice Holloway. The staff were helpful with recommendations as this was our first time. After the mixed starter dish (a very generous portion) we shared the Borfi and the Nariyal Curry which were delicious. Overall, the food and service were excellent. We will definitely be dining here more frequently.