Secret Alley in Portsmouth

One of the worst experiences—long waiting times, despite their claims of being an authentic Indian restaurant. However, none of the dishes met the expected standard. The prices were very high considering the quality and quantity of the food. We had planned to celebrate a friend’s birthday, but unfortunately, none of us were happy with the experience.

Food was nice, fresh and clean tastes. Initially, we were the only guests in the restaurant and the server was very nice, however she disappeared for (approx) 10 mins to take a phone call (popped her head out of the door a couple of times). One of our orders was incorrect and we were charged double for another. Covers 4: Mains 4 Nann 2 Rice 1 Poppadom basket 1 Drinks: 1 pt beer, 1 x 0% beer, coke, tap water £85.

Had an exquisite variety of food The food was absolutely superb and the fish in particular was delicious and gorgeous The staff was extremely friendly and polite and the atmosphere was pleasant

I had a very bad experience at this restaurant. The food quality was poor, especially the biryani, which was bland and lacked proper flavor. After placing the order, it took more than an hour for the food to arrive, which was extremely frustrating. The staff behavior was also disappointing—they were not polite or attentive. Additionally, the platter was overpriced with very small portions, making it absolutely not worth the money. Overall, I do not recommend this place and will not be visiting again.

ufff my man that kappabiriyani There is no escape Must try

Go with family really disappointed very less quantity, no one liked the food and overpriced

Very bad food experience, High cost less quantity no taste very unhappy 👎🏻

It’s a great option for Indian dine-in in cosham. I have had their Dosa a few times and the quality is really good. Can’t think of any other place for South Indian food tbh. I do recommend this place.

Amazing curry, love every bite!

Excellent food and lovely staff. Highly recommend!

Never been here before, but really glad we visited. Great tasty food and the staff were fantastic. Definitely go again.

This is now our go to when ordering! A bit pricier than others but worth every penny! We get lamb madrass and a coconuty medium spiced chicken one both meats so tender falling apart and the flavour and spice is absolutely insane , we ALWAYS GET A paratha bread now instead of naan because it’s the best thing ever

Secret Alley has truly impressed us with its exceptional service and delicious food. Having ordered from them thrice, each experience has been consistently excellent. The portions exceeded our expectations, offering fantastic value for money. The authentic Kerala flavours were a delight, and the quality of the dishes was outstanding. I would highly recommend Secret Alley to anyone seeking great service and a taste of Kerala cuisine.

The staff were great and welcoming. I never really wanted to try Indian food but this is my first time and wow. Really mind blowing the food was delicious. Would go there again!!

Secret Alley has truly impressed us with its exceptional service and delicious food. Having ordered from them thrice, each experience has been consistently excellent. The portions exceeded our expectations, offering fantastic value for money. The authentic Kerala flavours were a delight, and the quality of the dishes was outstanding. I would highly recommend Secret Alley to anyone seeking great service and a taste of Kerala cuisine.

I stumbled upon The Secret Alley, and it's been a game-changer for my Indian food cravings! Tucked away in a quiet corner, this hidden gem serves up authentic, mouth-watering dishes that will transport your taste buds to the streets of India. The ambiance is cozy and intimate, with warm lighting and vibrant decor that sets the tone for a memorable dining experience. But it's the food that's the real star of the show – each dish is carefully crafted with love and attention to detail, using only the freshest ingredients. I've tried several items on the menu, but the standouts for me are the flavorful and aromatic Biryani, and the crispy and addictive Samosas. The portion sizes are generous, and the prices are very reasonable. The service is top-notch, with friendly and attentive staff who are happy to make recommendations and ensure that your dining experience is nothing short of exceptional. If you're a fan of Indian cuisine or just looking to try something new, do yourself a favor and seek out The Secret Alley. You won't be disappointed!

Authentic kerala dishes for decent price. Portion are also adequate and very good service and quality. Been a regular customer for over a year.

Honestly I can’t think of where I’d rather go for delicious food in this part of Hampshire.. For starters, everything they do with lamb is sublime. I’ve not eaten better anywhere or in any cuisine. Rice dishes are in another league and perfectly cooked.. And anything from the tandoori (evenings only) is excellent. Try the Dry Lamb or the Drunken Lamb Chops. The biriyani is succulent and flavourful with every mouthful, served with a little pot of salty spicy gravy and pickles. A real surprise is the Kerela Paratha - light, fluffy, buttery and sumptuous. This restaurant has enough resonance with trad Brit curry houses to cater for the post-pub party, but go at lunchtime or early evening and just wander off-piste. There’s a distinct South Indian house-flavour that is sufficiently different to make it exceptional and exciting. Ambiance is modern and service is charming and personable. It’s not cheap, but neither is it extortionate. And the true value is that it’s worth it and you’ll probably return at the first opportunity.

Calm and quiet place, food was really nice.

Absolutely love the south Indian meals (pothochor).

Absolutely love the South Indian authentic dishes and the lovely staffs.

This is a nice restaurant with great food and a pleasant ambiance. The service is also commendable.

If you want a way to pass time in the evening waiting for food, this is the place. Waited more than half hour after my pick up time only to be told I waited less than the person before me. Food was ok though although the appetite had died by the time we could eat due to delay

Fish tikka is just 3 pieces Chicken biryani(just a lemon rice added to a few pieces of fried chicken) Idli vada is a good one, the rest of the food is not great.

Surprisingly, it was quite on the last Saturday evening before Christmas, but it worked in favour as we were able to get a table without any waiting. Food tasted fresh and served quickly. Both mains were brilliant, but particularly beef roast and parotta was incredible.

Turns out you can beat a curry, lovely atmosphere but took over 45mins , down hill from there. Tikka flavour not strong and very different from anything else I had experienced previously in other Indian restaurants. Members of our party started to leave as they had to wait so long for the food to be served, the rest of us took ours home as a takeaway got there at 7pm our mains didn’t come out until 10:10pm not impressed maybe don’t over book or get more staff. Wouldn’t return willingly. Good with lamb and do a great dosser though! Thank you for an experience.

Very good. It’s been a while since I last visited and it didn’t disappoint. Diligent service followed up by some great food. I had a chicken biryani with a garlic naan and I wasn’t disappointed. Tenderly cooked and very appetising.

Very expensive food and very less portion of food, even one portion is not enough for per person.

Food was very expensive and very less Portion, not satisfied.

Food was very nice and Delicious

The quality of food is too good. We ordered chilli squid, malai tikka, butter chicken, butter nan, masala dosa, beef roast and 2 kind of lassi...first visit and best impression.

Amazing food. Hats off to chef Nazir. If you want authentic Indian food, this is the place to go. Sunaina was lovely too.

Great place with good staff service and of course good food….. Please visit and enjoy…..

I've been to many Indian restaurants and this one, was recommended by my colleague. This is the best experience overall I had in some time. Food was amazing: starters were great, main dish was absolutely lovely. Spicy and tender meat. Service was excellent. I highly recommend this place and I will definitely come back for some more amazing dishes!

Fantastic food. coustmer service and phone conversation is very good. One girl she take our order and served. Hats Off that gril I don't know she is name but she is dedicated . I am from Wales I went to isle of wight a short holiday. Back to my place. Fantastic all...portsmouth people very lucky you have this kind of Restaurant in you place 😀

Went for the 1st time tonight. Will definitely be going back. Thoroughly recommend. Food was lovely. We tried curries that were from the Southern region of India, different to the usual and very tasty. Service was good. Unusually for an Indian restaurant, dessert was good. They have home made desserts on the menu and we tried them, again, thoroughly recommend!

The restaurant looks lovely from outside, but sadly the food did not live up to expectations. My husband had chicken Korma and it was grey and the sauce was watery. I have never seen chicken korma that colour ever anywhere before I don’t know what they did to it but it was not right. Some of the other dishes were very bland and for the price we were paying we were all very disappointed there was six of us. We were recommended this restaurant by some friends a few months ago but actually upon speaking to them about it they said they would not go back either not sure why they are completely changing the style of the dishes when it obviously doesn’t work and there’s no authenticity to it.

Nothing good to say. Waited 2 hours to get our main course and when it did come the rice was cold. Took an age to get drinks, one rude waitress just ignored us. To add insult to injury a party of 4 came in and were served their food within 30 mins. Even had the nerve to bring the bill without being asked for it. There are far better places to spend our hard earned money. Wont be returning.

Excellent service and Great food

The food was amazing. I am a chef and i had lots of kerala food from different places but this place as remarkable… the food quality and the taste was too good. Enjoyed the food. And the staff were friendly and nice. This place is recommended for who love kerala foods.🥰

Booked a table for 7pm on a Saturday night for 5 people. Met by friendly and accommodating waitress but drinks took 25 minutes to arrive. As we were short on time we ordered only main course. Waited and waited for almost an hour. Food arrived in parts. By the time the final dish arrived, the first had almost finished eating. 1/10 for service and management. The food: could not fault, very interesting and imaginative menu, 5* beats any recently tried in the Portsmouth area. 3" overall because of the service, Will definitely go back or more likely try takeaway/delivery at least then all food will arrive at same time!

We highly recommend this unique Indian dining experience We had a superb meal with fantastic service. Next time we are in town, this will be our first stop.

Authentic tasting Indian food , the best Indian food in Portsmouth area !!

Fabulous food, unique experience you must try

We recently had the pleasure of dining at Secret Alley, and it was a truly exceptional experience. The restaurant perfectly captures the essence of Kerala’s traditional flavors, offering a culinary journey that is both authentic and delightful. The food was a celebration of Kerala’s rich culinary heritage, with every dish thoughtfully prepared to showcase the vibrant spices and unique ingredients that make the cuisine so special. Each bite was a burst of flavor, from the aromatic curries to the perfectly cooked seafood. The presentation of the dishes was equally impressive, reflecting a wonderful attention to detail that added to the overall experience. What truly set this restaurant apart, however, was the hospitality of the staff. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with warm smiles and genuine friendliness. The staff was attentive, knowledgeable about the menu, and eager to ensure that we had a memorable dining experience. Overall, Secret Alley is a must-visit for anyone looking to enjoy the traditional taste of Kerala. With its delicious food, beautiful presentation, and outstanding service, it is a restaurant that leaves a lasting impression. Highly recommended!

We were on holidays at seal bay resort and craving for Kerala food.. ordered Kizhi porotta, potti choru, biriyani and ghee roast.. it was scrumptious and price was reasonable.. thank you so much. A lovely clean ambiance and staff were very friendly …

Tried their chatti choru, and it was absolutely delicious! The beef fry stood out as the best dish in the chatti choru. We're definitely adding this place to our list of favorite restaurants in Portsmouth. The service was fantastic, thanks to the new staff member, Sunena, who has recently joined the team.

I really enjoyed my visit here. Food claims to be typical of Kerala-I wouldn't know but was different from other Indian restaurants. By the time I left it was packed with Indian people so the food must be good. I enjoyed my Jalfrazi.

We had a fantastic experience at Secret Alley in Cosham. The Indian food at the restaurant was outstanding, with rich flavours and beautifully presented dishes. The cozy atmosphere and friendly staff (Genuine) made our visit even more enjoyable. If you're in the area, don't miss this hidden gem!

Ordered a korma for the kids it was grey colour my kids would not even touch it complete waste of money

I was recommended this restaurant by some work colleagues. It’s the best curry Ive had, absolutely amazing flavours. Highly recommend

Slow service and food was a bit bland.

Food was fresh and delicious. Krishna served the food and has good knowledge about the menu and spicy levels. Thank you.. worth visiting 🤤

The food was extremly delicious . Genuine was our waiter who was super helpful . Defenetly came back

The first time I visited Secret Alley provoked me to visit the next time. But the taste of the food has changed a lot since my first visit last december. It doesn't taste like our authentic kerala dishes anymore. Spice level can be reduced to accommodate the native customers but without losing the authenticity.. my humble suggestion

The dinner at Secret Alley became the icing on the cake for our day trip to portsmouth. All the dishes were super delicious and good portion size and had variety of dishes catering to all ages including kids. A special mention to the staff Krishna who served us today. Krishna had been polite, soft spoken and welcoming with a quick service. All in all a good meal in a calming ambiance!!

Ordered food from here as a takeaway with very high expectations as I heard good things about this place but was very disappointed with portion sizes. The food didn't seem worth the price that I paid. I wasn't impressed with the taste of the fish curry. I would not recommend getting a takeaway from here.

Friendly staff and delicious food.

Very tasty food, but wine was not chilled and it took 4 attempts to get a jug of water for the table.

One of the few authentic Indian places around. Nice Kerala style curries and good Biryani too.

Very polite and friendly staff, food was top notch, best I have had in a indian restaurant, even the toilets are emaculate, highly recommended and that's something I don't do often.

Very good food. We all ate different dishes including special platter, Kappa lamb dish and fried beef dish. Staff very friendly and fun. We would recommend it.

Decent place to eat in portsmouth, has potential to be better, i would rate this place 4.5, but no option for it. Had dosa and vegetable biriyani, dosa was good, the sides were average, vegetable biriyani was good, cant complain. My friend had kerala mutton curry, it appeared small portion. Their sweet lassi is good aswell.

Best Indian in Hampshire. Such a great variety of dishes that you won’t find at any other Indian restaurant. Each time I’ve been I try something different and not a single dish has ever been disappointing and the same goes for my friends too. Service is good, restaurant is spotlessly clean and there is just nothing at all to fault. Minor issue with a couple of the drinks but they were just instantly replaced with no fuss. 4 of us visited on Friday night and are already looking forward to the next curry night!

Hidden gem in Cosham! Food was deicious and the waiting staff friendly and efficient. Also so helpful with suggestions and information about the tasty dishes which we were unfamiliar with. Will definitely be back to try some more!

The food was Good but it was Indian food(South). Service was slow. They wrote for the NHS discount but then they denied. The staff(she) was very good, polite and well understanding.

I would say an authentic food u wanna try just jump in....good food, service is amazing, only thing I felt was took a lot of time to deliver the food.

Absolutely disgusting food. Rice tastes of vert strong perfume. Curry has no flavour whatsoever and looks like a plate of baby sick. Pink chicken. Naan was like a poppadom. Do not recommend.

Super delicious food. We had ordered for our association day trip and I must say ' it was a 'hit' among everyone. Good quantity and very tasty. The spice level was perfect too. Highly recommended.

Excellent taste .good service .good ambience. Thank you team for giving a good dinning for our family .

A hidden gem . South Indian cuisine authentically cooked . Welcoming team and nothing is too much . The food is fresh and cooked beautifully and the bread are so fresh I definitely recommend it . We will be back

First time here today lovely friendly staff lovely food the place is spotless definitely recommend it will be going back again.

This was my first time to the Secret Alley. It was not a special occasion just a pre Christmas get together… one of the guys had been there before and suggested it was good. The interior was clean and up together, the staff were nice and the food was good… I would happily go back again, maybe not for a special occasion but definitely for an informal get together.

Definitely worth to go for all Indian food lovers

Very nice experience here. Had amazing food. Good people that served good food. Reasonable price and luckily we had an entertainer in the shop aswell

AVOID!! As someone who have taste authentic Kerala food in India and in UK- this place is far from the real deal. We order chicken kothu for takeaway. The food they gave us was not a kothu! It's more like they cut bits of roti and mixed it with their curry which tasted bland and horrible! They over-charged us- when I phoned up and questioned, the lady on the phone said the website price are the "lunch price" which is a complete lie as no where does it say that! It's disgusting that restaurants resort such cheap acts. Don't waste your money on this place!

Lovely food, friendly welcome, highly recommended.

Lovely food, Friendly atmosphere, will go again. Good range of traditional food, different to the average Indian restaurants locally.

If you looking for authentic Indian taste , you can try this . All the foods were really satisfying .very friendly staff service . Nice ambiance . We had a great experience with family . Expecting more deserts to the menu

I love Indian food so much!!!! First time try the beef was impressed ! 100 percent will come back. I am learning Malayalam now

Their Beef fry is amazing , so is their Paal kappa And the fish kodompuly … finger licking good .

Tried Secret Alley’s new dish ‘Paal Kappa’ on the first day! It was an absolute delight to have and reminded us of home. Safe to say that this dish is one of our favourites from now on. Highly recommend!!

I was craving for Kerala food. Service and Atmosphere is good . Staff were pleasant and friendly. Starters -squid, Main course Masala dosa and parotta with beef roast. I liked the masala dosa.(recommend by the staff). Prices more on higher end.

Thank you Secret Alley Team.We had a delicious Easter meal with your kallappam and duck roast 😋. The food was tasty ; meal was well cooked and tender. I highly recommend Secret Alley!!!!!Many thanks

Great place to savor some authentic Kerala food. Tried porotta and beef coconut fry. It came out great. Great service too. I am a bit surprised with the name. I wouldn’t have guessed this to be an Indian or Kerala restaurant by its name.

Really lovely family atmosphere

3rd visit since it was Wicks restaurant but still disappointing despite offering helpful advice based on 40 years of local customer experience.

Good in taste and friendly staff..

Chicken biriyani , kappa biriyani , palpayasam were ordered none of the item was tasted good . Never had these kind of disgusting food in life . Palpayasam was made with frozen items tasted sour than the sweetness. Pazhampori and beef was kind of okay .The items were not worth for the price. Customer service was poor when concerns raised.

We went for a decent Kerala food experience and we enjoyed it.

Very quick delivery, so well done for that. Sadly the food was just tasty slop. I used to live in Tooting where I could have South Indian food all the time. There is no comparison unfortunately, and for that reason I wouldn’t bother again.

Genuine and the rest of the staff were amazing, the food was exceptional. Very good value as well taste. Would recommend anyone thinking of going to Spice Island, come here instead. 100% better for food and service.

This restaurant supersedes its reputation, based on my own personal life experience’s in India, this place is the only realistic authentic taste of Indian cuisine available, we felt so welcome and appreciated by the staff member Genuine, love this guy and this place

The pothichoru is a great buy. It is big enough for 2 people. There is plenty of meat and rice included. I wish they included abit more veg on the side.

Absolutely disgusting the chicken had a horrible texture really rubbery wasn’t sure if it was cooked properly. Even things like the dips/sauces mint sauce tasted of nothing just green watered down rubbish and as for the purple dip that was horrible as well. I will 100% never order from here again.

Good to find some different regional dishes. Loved the food. Will revisit 👌

Tasty food and nice experience with the staff, awesome service 😇

Very excellent food with awesome service

Absolutely fantastic experience just got back from my birthday meal.hadnt booked as we were on way home from southampton.food was fantastic proper Indian food and my wife mentioned it was my birthday so they came out with cake and sang happy birthday.hope uremember us we will be back soon appreciated your hospitality great restaurant 😁😁😁😁

If minus 5 stars was a option I would still try and choose minus 6, every dish was beyond disgusting everything was over loaded with Aldi chilli powder, couldn’t complete a simple request of bringing us a bottle of wine but where still confused when i noticed it on the bill? Chicken is filth prawns are filth bread is filth. Wouldn’t feed it to my dog