Merchant Spice in Braintree

Had the most amazing meal. Tarek was really helpful and knowledgeable as was the lovely lady behind the bar Bashi. Everyone was really nice and the atmosphere was lovely.

Nice and clean, creepy staff, horrible fish tank... food not much better than Tesco ready meal... sorry but very poor!!

We ordered a home delivery on 31st May, we hadn't Ordered from Merchant Spice for over a year as I feel the Chicken Tikka Massala taste like a tomatoes soup with a few bits of coconut added. Never been so dissapointed. Bombay alu, Onion Baji Nan bread and Chicken Tikka Massala, just shy of £30 for me and my husband. It arrived almost Cold, but we wanted it so ate it, however the Onion Baji was Raw yes I kid you not Raw in the middle, the Chicken Tikka Massala taste just like tomatoes soup with some coconut and chicken added. We threw it all away. Never again. Order small to try incase this happens to you. Sorry but this did need writing, things are so expensive and treating yourself to a nice meal, and it's awful after you work so hard I just thought I'd share our experience. We live a 3minute car journey from the Merchant Spice, but I am disabled so ordered a delivery

We visited here with friends. We had not been here for a while . Since then there has been a complete refurbishment. This is to a very high standard. The staff were very helpful and friendly. The food was beautiful and there was plenty of it. We only had Poppadams as a start which we were we were glad of as the main meal was more than sufficient. We all said that the price was good also working out at about £80 per couple which included a few drinks each. We definitely have plans to come back again.

The food was superb, best I've had for a long time. Great service , nice atmosphere and loved the decor. The red wine was also very good! All In all very enjoyable. Well done Merchant Spice! Will definitely be going back & also will also be trying their take away service 😀👍

Takaway ordered online, tasty fresh flavours, we have had takeaways from here before but not anymore! Sadly we didn’t have a single piece of lamb which wasn’t chewy or gristly very disappointing! Also they were 20 minutes after the estimated delivery time.

Quality Restaurant. Very friendly staff from the moment you walk in. The food was exceptional and the decor inside is of high standard. Would defiantly recommend and will go back.

First time in several years and very pleased with the food, service and price. We treated a friend to dinner on a Wednesday night. They offer a deal Starter, main, side and rice or naan for about £17. Although slightly spicier than I'm accustomed to, the food was fabulous. The portions were more than we could manage, although we tried our best. Will definitely return.

Absolute rubbish. Food was 45 minutes late and cold. Butter chicken was tandoori chicken in a korma sauce. Terrible food and really bad delivery. The Taj Mahal in Braintree is 1000x better. Don’t waste your money or time. Will never use again or recommend , not Eve to my worst enemy! No one deserves that!

It's a shame as the food was lovely but not one member of staff had a smile in them! All male and I found them all quite rude. If they put some effort into being a bit more happy then I would say the place would be lovely. Such a shame to pay for a service and the humans ruin it!

Tasty food and nice service. Never disappoints. Reason for 4/5 simply because we had to wait too long for getting drinks at one point which was frustrating.

I am a regular at merchant spice for both dine in and take away. Visited last night was not disappointed. Food was fresh, full of flavour and cooked to perfection. Service was great, made to feel welcome and will definitely be returning soon !

We were seeking a curry and came across the restaurant by surprise.The food was fresh and well presented. The vegetables such as sagg and bhindi was well presented and tasty. Staff were polite .

Really interesting menu and the food was tasty , clearly freshly cooked and interesting. The chutnies with the pappadoms were lovely and my main was superb. Staff were excellent and the freshly decorated modern ambiance works very well.

Meal was nearly an hour late, we had to phone to find out where is was to be told it would be another 25 minutes because the driver was out, why not phone and let you know. Food was not as hot as it could be. The mango chutney tasted awful. Not many king prawns in the curry. We were disappointed as we have had many several good meals in the past.

Beautifully done refurbishment, I felt excited to be there the moment I walked in. It only got better when we tasted the food! It was so fresh and not oily as some Indian restaurants can be. I really liked the smoky flavour of the chicken. The service was also excellent and the waiters ensured we were well attended to and recommended some delicious dishes. I intend to return regularly.

My partner and I have been visiting this restaurant for about 18 months now. They have recently reopened after refurbishment and we decided to pop in there this evening. The restaurant looks stunning! Very modern and spotlessly clean. My partner had a dish recommended to him, the lamb korahi, and he thought it was delicious and incredibly tender. I tried a bit and thought it was really nice, and I’m not a big fan of lamb. I had the chilli chicken garlic masala. It was quite hot, and absolutely beautiful. There was a lovely smokey taste to the dish, which the waiter explained was because the meat is cooked on a bbq. We had keema and garlic naan and keema rice. All were fantastic. The service here is warm and friendly and food comes out from the kitchen promptly. This is the best curry house in this area of Essex and I 100% recommend it.

This is our go-to Indian restaurant every time, even though we live out of town. The staff are lovely, helpful, and very attentive, the menu has some great choices, and the food is amazing! The bright contemporary decor is lovely with giant fish in glass tanks that you can see right through. The toilets are always a good indication of how clean a place, is and the ones in Merchant Spice are spotless!! Thank you all so much for a memorable family birthday get-together.

The food was amazing the customer service was excellent I would recommend it to the queen of England x I will be coming back very soon and will be making a return regularly

I had a bad meal in the restaurant a while ago that I won't go into... but I chose the Merchant Spice for a takeaway as I noticed they do hariyali chicken. Unfortunately, although prompt, the chicken was dry and flavourless. I also ordered poppadoms with all the sauces; I got all the sauces, but no poppadoms. I phoned to mention that they were missing and the gentleman on the phone said he would get some sent back out to me, but alas, they never arrived. I guess the saying goes, once bitten, twice shy... I should have taken heed. Never again.

This restaurant was always good, but it seems that some time fairly recently the decor has been updated and it looks great. Food is really top notch and service perfect. I would recommend this place to anyone, and from experience I have yet to find better in Braintree. Toilets have also been very nicely refitted with no expense spared. Very nicely done.

Having escaped the debacle that going on at Lounge India we arrived at efficient, clean restaurant. They have upgraded their menu since our last visit. The layout has been changed to accommodate Covid compliance. The food was excellent. Really impressed that we will be returning.

Visited in August 2020 as part of the Govt 'eat out to help out' scheme. Needed an Indian restaurant in Braintree as was a convenient mid way point to meet friends. was not disappointed. Very tasty food. Good selection. More than we could eat and very reasonable cost (even without the discount) Polite and attentive waiter. Hand sanitiser available on entry. Waiters wore masks. Bathroom facilities very clean. Best Naan bread I've ever eaten. Will definitely return.

We were looked after so well, every table and menu is wiped down thoroughly, all staff with masks and gloves. The service exceptional and the new menu was delicious. Please go and try you will not be disappointed.

We thought we’d pop in here for something to eat. Service was good friendly staff. Ordered a chicken jalfrezi not much meat in the dish, lemon rice was nice. Reasonably priced, ok for a quick bite to eat.

What is known about me is that I do like a sweet or 3, however given the choice I would much rather Have a bit savoury Indian dish with a punch! The underlying spice flavours at Merchant Spice were there but they were being obstructed by the very sweet tones of SUGAR!! Mr Chef where do you get the recipes which call for sugar in: Saag Paneer? Or Korma? Or Dhansak? Even coconut rice for that matter. The staff here are lovely and when I explained my gripe our waiter did say he would pass it on to the chef. I have to admit I have tasted far worse Korma which had the equivalent of a 2kg bag of sugar added. This wasn’t that bad. I had gone with a friend who had never been to an Indian restaurant in her entire life. She actually preferred the Rogan Josh to the overly sweet Korma. I do intend to return but I will have to select carefully those dishes without the added granules of sugar.

We have not been to the Merchant Spice for some time but were willing to return and were not at all disappointed. The service was perfect and the food was very, very good. The wine was good and at a reasonable price. We were glad that we returned and will be returning very soon. Last time that we were there we were disappointed but that is not so this time, we had a lovely meal and would recommend The Merchant Spice without reservation.

Absolutely terrible. Food poorly presented and overpriced. Rice over cooked. Tasteless curry. You pay for for their entertainment and sorry Freddie has no tune tonight. 3 cans of Diet Coke 10.40.. I won’t be returning. Finally you say you know about food allergies you don’t my wife is currently being ill as we speak..... hence we will not be returning...

Lets just say i wont be using merchant spice again. Ordered a takeaway online at 7.08pm. Rung them at 8.14pm to see if it was on its way, to be told no order had gone through to the kitchen, but they had an email for the order. Was told order would be a priority and sent out in 20 minutes. Phoned again at 9.05pm, to be told order would be another 15 20 minutes. So much for a priority.

We're regular visitors to Merchant Spice, it never lets us down. Service more than excellent, food, absolutely delicious, so tasty and well presented....love this place!! We love sitting next next to the fish and they always accommodate us!! Our favourite!!!

Absolutely first class dinner, amazing service, delicious food, staff couldn’t be more helpful or accommodating, wouldn’t go anywhere else for best Indian in Braintree :-)

We've eaten here and had a take away. Always helpful food and tasty staff. They offer a good selection

Excellent food served here, well cooked, properly spiced and very tasty. Probably the best popadoms and a great selection of dips to accompany. Only having tasted two dishes we can't say if everything else is as good, but every mouthful was delicious. Waiters attentive but not overbearing. You'll pay a little more here than some other places, but well worth the extra.

Had a lovely meal, waiters perfect and attentious. Great food, well served and such a great experience. Will definitely go back

Have just had a lovely meal here, highly recommend. They gave my children some free ice cream, which made the kids happy. 5*

I visited here Saturday evening with friends. The staff were very polite and welcoming. We went straight to the mains, I had Lamb shaslick and pilau rice with poppadoms, naan and chicken samosas. There wasn’t much of a wait which was a pleasant surprise with it being a Saturday night and I’d been out cycling all day. The food was top notch and plentiful. And washed down with a few cobras, it was a good evening. The free shots of brandy and chocolates at the end were a nice touch too. Also, my girlfriend is indian so she’s very fussy when it comes to indian restaurants, but I wouldn’t hesitate in bringing her here next time I visit as I know she’d rate it highly like me.

have been to Merchant Spice many times in the last few months, the food is always excellent, plentiful, good value and the staff are lovely! the complimentary brandy and baileys at the end of your dinner is such a great touch! have also had take aways from here in the past, same high quality food, our favourite place to eat in Braintree by far.

I travel alot for work and always make sure I get to try a curry at least once on my visits as it's my favourite and as you can imagine I've been to a few. The Merchant Spice is the first restaurant I've visited with different items to the norm on the menu and by different straight away I noticed spicy onion bhajis as well as normal ones so quickly ordered those which were one of the best I've eaten so make sure you all order this when you visit. My greatest delight though was the option of having mixed meat of chicken and lamb in your curry which as I'm sure I'm not alone in always never knowing if it's a lamb or chicken curry day and then you always end up getting food envy when someone picks the other meat to you. Can't fault the service either always someone near making sure you are sorted but not over the top that it's annoying.

First time customer and just a small one meal order, one starter of samosas which I’m sure are not home made and out the freezer.

We visited on the first Sunday of March for the Sunday buffet. We have previously visited on a Sunday in the past and enjoyed the food.

Absolutely lovely food and brilliant flavours, we visited this restaurant on 9/2/19 and thoroughly enjoyed the food and the staff are very attentive. I would definitely recommend it

I have been to this restaurant quite a few times now & i can honestly say the food is absolutely delicious the staff are so friendly & very professional. Merchant spice never dissapoints & we already looking forward to our next visit.

We visited merchant spice for the first time after moving in to braintree from london. It is one of the best indian food we have tried so much flavour, the portions are huge & the staff are so friendly. This restaurant will be our 'go to indian' for a sit down meal & a takeaway. Thank you.

After viewing the friendly website that’s states “please call with any food allergies you may have” I was pleased to see the menu plainly listing each dish and the possible allergen ingredients to avoid.

Came here for dinner (a la carte menu), family of four. All very much enjoyed the meal and are keen to go again. Atmosphere was very relaxing and welcoming. Staff very friendly and attentive. All food was tasty and nobody was disappointed with a single thing (including an experienced connoisseur of curry). Also there are regular offers for the restaurant which are always appreciated! Looking forward to visiting again. My favourite Indian restaurant. Many thanks.

First visit, ambience and welcome was good, nice comfortable layout, food was good, not rushed, you get little placard thingies on the table to turn around so that staff know when you have finished your course, but they haven't got one for the I need another drink, that's the same as elsewhere catch a member of staff as they pass, service was very friendly, even jovial. Down side is prices, its an Indian but you could get a good steak meal for less, drink prices also on the high side. Would I go again, yes but not as a regular venue.

Certainty too expensive for what you get. Pickles with the poppadoms were lovely. Sag panir was weird, chana masala nice, lamb royal something was good. Awful Indian muzak all evening. Good service. A complimentary Baileys served in two halves in a laboratory beaker over a flame simply confirmed the weirdness of the place.

I visited with my family today for the Sunday Buffet. I call it the New Sunday Buffet because on my last visit for a Sunday Buffet we were allowed to order off the main menu and everything was freshly cooked and perfect. Today was a true buffet with dishes laid out for everyone to help themselves. Papadums were delivered to the table prior to the buffet with pickles etc. So far so good. Everything else was on the buffet stand.

We normally have breakfast together, but for a change and as our wives were away, we decided to have a trip to this restaurant. The welcome was warm and genuine. We started by having a couple of poppadoms each with the usual selection of chutneys and salad. We both opted for a chicken tikka byriani which comes with a vegetable curry. Very tasty. A complimentary baileys and a small brandy at the end was a lovely touch as well as 10% discount card for our subsequent visits. A return with our wives is on the cards.

I found the Merchant spice by accident, I was wandering round Braintree looking for a place to eat and stumbled across it. Food generally ok, couldn’t fault the service, price reasonable but the Cobra beer tasted funny (not enough to stop me drinking it though).

Order from here every weekend for me and my boyfriend and have never been disappointed! Every week they excel and the food just keeps getting better! Perfect end to the working week every week! Couldn’t fault their service and flavours whatsoever! Beautiful!

We always get our Indian take away from Merchant Spice. Their food is authentic, plentiful and delicious. There is lots of choice and we always enjoy our meal.

I recently came here for dinner with friends on a Thursday evening. I loved the popadoms with all the different dips and the food was really good. The service was attentive but not intrusive. Loved also at the end when you get a little brandy and a glass of Baileys nice little touch to end your meal. Definitely be back soon.

We hadn’t been here for years & now know why! It was the worst Indian food EVER! AND the price was a total rip off! We had frozen veg in what could only be described as a soup sauce, flavourless & to be overcharged! I cannot believe a restaurant can survive providing such poor food - it must be the fact it is the only eat in Indian restaurant in Braintree! Definitely do not recommend!

My partner and I went here for Sunday lunch for 13.95 per person.

I came to merchant spice with my mum and dad for a mothers days meal, there was a magician and I got a free elephant balloon the food was very nice and a buffet and we all enjoyed it very much - Would definitely recommend

Best Indian i have had in ages. Asked for thicker sauce etc and nothing was to hard as im so fussy. Thank-you xxx

My boyfriend and I had take out from Merchant Spice tonight and it was amazing. It's so hard to find Indian food that actually tastes good, their food is perfect! Even their rice is fluffy! Their delivery driver was extremely polite and cheerful. Seriously we recommend this place, next time we're eating in house as the reviews for that experience is immense. New favourite Indian restaurant/take out. You're the best!

Seriously the best Indian Restaurant we have visited. The food is consistently of a high standard delicious!

Having moved to the Braintree area some months ago I made this one of the first restaurants I visited back in April 2017. Back then I went with 2 friends and the food was really good. However, since then I've had 1 takeaway from the Merchant Spice and was back in there last week for a sit down meal. What a let down it was !. The takeaway was average, it was cold when I got it home, only a 2 minute walk away and wasn't cheap either. The sit down meal I had last week was awful, absolutely awful !! I had the Prawn Puree starter which, although quite tasty, was cold. The Chicken Rogan Josh main course was probably the worst I have eaten anywhere in the last 30 years of eating Indian/Bangladeshi food. The sauce was tasteless and the chicken was hard, dry and overcooked. The whole meal wasn't cheap either at over £31....I won't be visiting here again. Next time I'll be trying the Taj Mahal which is also in Braintree and gets better reviews here on Trip Advisor.

Last time I went to this Indian I had the Tandoori Mixed Grill and all the meat was dyed red in colour and was of poor quality.

Attended with some friends and wont vist again, central london pricing with none of the service, decor , quailty of food and honestly just feel ripped off .

The food here is always good wether you eat in or order a take away. The staff are friendly and very helpful.

Friendly restaurant with awesome food! Would highly recommend the chicken tikka masala! It was beautiful... can't wait to be back.

By far the best Indian restaurant I've been too! Unreal food ! Great service ! Would defiantly recommend and will certainly be coming back !

The service was outstanding, couldn't ask for any better. Along side the service was some great food. Very enjoyable evening!!

This Indian has always been favourite

Early evening meal here , third time visiting . As usual staff are friendly and helpful and there is a good choice available , an enjoyable meal .There are special offers on Weds and Sundays so worth a visit on those days especially .To be recommended .

Absolutely love it here, go here at least once a month, beautiful food, excellent friendly staff, very reasonably priced, nice, clean and well decorated restaurant! Best Indian restaurant about by miles!

We visited merchant spice for my son's birthday last week. The food was delicious & the staff were very friendly. The complimentary drinks at the end was spot on! 100% will be going back very soon. 5*

I will never get tired of coming here,definitely the best Indian in town. We went to one of their team night, great atmosphere. But normally go to the Sunday buffet, absolutely fantastic. Make sure that you wear baggy trousers!

We had a lovely family takeaway meal and all was lovely, hot and very tasty, had so much we had it the next day! A friend recommended it and it was exactly as she said just beautiful & tasty meal! We will go back!!

The best Indian in town by far. I have been visiting this restaurant for years & I've never been disappointedExcellent food, friendly staff 100% would recommend.

Came here with a friend for an evening meal, we both had chicken tikka masala and really enjoyed it. Staff were friendly too, overall a lovely meal.

80% water in the rice, in need of a sieve; absolutely swimming, tasteless, needed to add salt ourselves which says something... went in late after a family outing, was told to order quick as they were closing the kitchen but could've saved me a few bob by telling me they'd already closed. Worst takeaway I think I've ever had, disappointing as other family members have had a good experience

Having been to this restaurant before we ordered a takeaway. Told it would be about an hours delivery which was OK. However in15 minutes the meal arrived. The chicken tikka masala didn't look appetising. Sauce had separated by the looks of it.The chicken tikka without masala was coated in sauce?We ate some of it and threw the rest away. Would definitely never order from here again. Have emailed restaurant, no reply.

Well, what can I say, 30 years on the road selling and searching for the perfect curry and I find myself in Braintree, it's midweek, I'm starving, my first choice Chinese restaurant is closed. Turn the corner and what do I find, the most fantastic elephant in a pond all lit up. Must be good I though so with no real alternative in I ventured.I judge Indian restaurants by smell and this one was unique, never smelt anything like it. Well once in Montrose !The staff were welcoming in a rather tired way more like a late Saturday night and they want to go home.They sat me down at the obligatory table for one, usually tucked away in a corner or behind a column.I ordered a pint of lager, thirsty as well as hungry and looked about at the other diners.Looked at the menu which had some strange dishes on looked at the plates and left overs around me and being half way through my drink thought it too late to scarper so I ordered the " chefs special Biriyanj " which is usually a pretty safe choice.This arrived on a small round plate with the rice in the middle, a strange scrambled egg on top with a side dish of bright red runny sauce with huge lumps of potato in and no other veg. Thinking about it every dish around me had red sauce. Well it had hard lumps of meat in, some dry chicken, some small prawns, the little dry ones and some large curly ones which smelt very, very strange. The rice was overcooked and gloppy.I had to leave the rice to hide the big, curly, smelly prawns in.Without a shadow of a doubt this rates as the very, very, worst curry I have ever eaten in my life, even the one in Montrose.I paid the bill, got outside , jumped on the elephant and got the hell out of Dodge To boot the taste stayed with me all night and we won't go into what happened in the morning.People of Braintree rise up and get this place shut down, it is an affront to Indian Cuisine.

Been going to the merchant for years but it's been gradually going downhill since Ali moved to take over their Chelmsford restaurant .Saturday nights takeaway was tasteless, hardly any meat and cold . Even tho we picked it up ourselves as they are hopeless at delivering on time .But that's it nowWe won't be back . It's expensive, poor service and food is bland and tasteless and cold Sad as we loved the place

Great curry but prices have been creeping up for a while.Family of 4,two sharing a meal 1 beer 1 wine and two fizzy drinks nearly £100!!Nice but not wow.As previous comment paying London prices.

If you spend money on copper serving implements if you charge 5.50 for a beerIf you have a ridiculous Brazilian bar b q finished ready to order flip sign if the curry is as expensive as restaurants in mayfair But the quality (just) of brick lane What are you ? You are merchant spice BraintreeAbove average food at silly prices

We have used this restaurant for years and never had a bad experience. Until last night,the service was very poor very, food ok but not hot, plates not hot, usually get complementary drinks but nothing. And the bill was £40 each for two course meal and two drinks each. Very expensive for a poor experience.

Great restaurant, food was amazing - all 3 fussy eaters loved it! Quick service even though the restaurant was very busy. Highly recommended.

Naan bread was cold and the food tasted like it had been reheated several times. very unfriendly .I took my 80 year old father for lunch who is rather slow at eating an we asked for coffees he replied " its to late we shut in a minute .If that's how they treat elderly people I wouldnt use this restaurant again very disappointing as it used to be so nice.

V v poor show. Ordered online via a 'partner' site, whatever that is!! Placed order at 9.20 and received confirmation from merchant spice and from site that had taken payment. 10.15 arrived and still no delivery. Phoned merchant spice and they had no trace of order. Phoned 'chef online' partner site and they said it was merchant spices fault....!!Complete farce. Awaiting refund but best advice, call them for your delivery or collection to avoid disappointment.

A party of 8 of us went to celebrate a birthday. My wife and I got there early so bought a drink, a glass of zinfandel and a small coke. I gave the guy £10 and then insisted we go to the table and he would bring the change over. After 15 minutes, no change! So I asked a waitress for my change. They guy came over and said the bill was £10.20. What? I challenged this and he insisted but then another guy came over with the till receipt for £7.80 and my change. I asked why the other guy wanted an extra 20p but never got an answer. The food was okay. The bill came to the fat end of £200 and helpfully they had divided the bill by 8, there were 8 of us, which was handy. Nope! In fact the amount for each x 8 was £20 more than the actual Bill! They had tried to rip us off again. I can perhaps excuse one slip up and put it down to a bit of confusion but to do it again to the same people is reckless and dishonest. Will I eat there again? Not on your nelly!

Went last night and as always it was fabulous. There were 8 of us and the food was gorgeous. Service was great but it wasn't very busy. If you like curry this is the place to go. We are so lucky to have it in our town.

A group of 6 of us visited this restaurant without reserving a table. The staff were polite and managed to squeeze us in. We were in a hurry as we only had 1 hour before our concert started. The service was fast and friendly, the food was good. We will certainly be returning.

Went for a family meal took over an hour to get served & then forgot half the order's when finally got what we ordered there were still things missing

Good tasty food at an average price. Myself and a friend popped in on a Tuesday night for dinner.service was ok , food was very tasty. Ask if tastecard was accepted , but it was declined. Two mains with rice or naan , popadoms and two beers came to £23.30 .

Greeting was nice, the Elephant in the fountain outside was interesting, lots of fish tanks on the inside.Menu was interesting service was good, all the food we had was very good and well presented.The portions are very good.They have a mid week deal with a starter, main, rice and side dish for £16.95 pretty dam good. The only disappointment for me was the honey nan bread as it was a plain nan with honey drizzled over it.At the end of it we got complimentary drinks with the brandy even being warmed not something you usually see so that was a nice touch, Would certainly go back.

I was visiting a friend in Braintree this weekend and we ordered a takeaway for collection. The food was prompt and good value and the dishes we ordered (Chicken Dupiaza, Vegetable curry and Paneer naan) were really tasty and obviously freshly prepared. I'll definitely be returning!

Last night I ordered a take-away from MS at 8.15pm. The man took my order and said it would be around an hour to an hour and 20 minutes as they were busy. I said this was ok and I paid by debit card over the phone. At 10pm (1 hour 45 mins later) I rang to ask where our food was. It took another 10 mins of discussion for them to tell me my order was ready and waiting to be delivered but there were no drivers. I said that if it wasn't with me within 10 mins I didn't want it as 2 hours seems more than reasonable for a 3 curry order. 10 mins later they called me back and said that they had spoken to the chef and it wasn't going to be ready for at least another 20 mins because they had had a very busy evening. I pointed out that they had already told me it was ready so talking to the chef seemed pointless and I offered to come and collect it. The man at the other end of the phone quickly said, no as it wasn't actually all ready, only half the order had been prepared and it would take another 20 mins to finish. At this point I said that I understood that things sometimes got out of hand but 2 hours and 20 mins for a relatively small order seemed ridiculous, and more importantly I didn't appreciate or expected to be lied to when I chased it up. The man was snappy and unapologetic about this so I asked for a refund (which I am awaiting) and got KFC instead at 10.40pm! Needless to say I shall be looking out for my £45 refund and won't be using Merchant Spice again.

Wow!! What a lovely place to eat. The foor was to die for. Me and my husband enjoy a curry every Friday night and we have been to many different restaurants all over the country and abroad, this was by far the best we have ever had! The chefs owe twist on standard traditional curries was second to none! The starters were so delicious and even the dips with your popadoms had there own unique twist, so lush! The service was outstanding too and all the staff were friendly and polite. We would highly recommend this restaurant to everyone one. We will be making the trip from Manchester again.

Me and my husband have a curry every Friday night without failure. We live in Manchester half the week and Essex the other half, so we have traveled everywhere in between and tried many India/ Bangladesh restaurant even when abroad too. This was by far the best we have ever had! From start to finish we could not believe just how delicious every bite was. We had the chefs owe take on Jalfrezi, WOW!!! It was something special. The staff were so lovely and so accommodating, there could not do enough for us (but not in a annoying way) So all in all I'd highly recommend this place. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Third time to the Merchant Spice and again a great experience! The food is consistently superb and the service is great, the table card is a good idea ..

I hadn't been to this restaurant for some time and wish I hadn't on this occasion either. Staff acted as if they did not want to be there and consequently the service was poor. The quality of the food was poor as well; you expect Indian food to be full of flavours but this was just bland.

Have been here a few times now, always try different stuff from the extensive menu and never disappointed. Service always good, nice friendly staff. Really can't fault it at all, they even throw in a few extras and let's face it we all like something for free! Will be regular customers now we've moved to Braintree, spot on.

used the be the best indian in town and could be again...need to redecorate and get that welcoming feeling in the staff again. used to be greeted with a handshake and a welcome but now seems much more impersonal .food was excellent and the sunday buffet is excellent value but ...their sister restaurant in Chelmsford is fabulous and the Indian night take away in Braintree has also excellent food.

Living local around the Braintree area, I have tried all the Indian in town and by far merchant spice is the best around. I have been coming here for a very long time and haven't experienced a bad meal. The service is excellent, and staff are very helpful and recommend me a new dish I haven't tried yet and it was delicious. Keep up the good work guys.

We eat here fairly often, being local.Food is normally good, however quite pricey and keeps going up!Takeaway/delivery gives huge portions!