Spice Merchant in South Hams

This place has all the usual standard Indian dishes, but the presentation and quality is beyond what you normally get. Much less oily than many places, and really good tastes. Will definitely return the next time we're in Dartmouth.

I can highly recommend the Spice Merchant in Dartmouth. My friend and I have been coming to Dartmouth for years and we both enjoy a well-made curry. The thing that most impressed me was how fresh the ingredients were, and really well cooked as well. They obviously know what they are doing in the kitchen. The service was prompt and friendly. As you may have already seen from other reviews, it's bring your own booze here as it's not licensed. But we just took some lager and cider from the Co-op and there's no corkage fee. Give it a try, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Had an absolutely gorgeous meal here tonight. We have been craving a good curry for years since moving from brum and this deffo hit the spot. Highly recommend!!

We have been to Dartmouth a few times and fancied an Indian takeaway on our Friday arrival. It was minutes away from our rental cottage and ordered pick up. The whole place was clean and fresh, staff lovely and the meal was excellent. Will definitely be back.

Food was perfect, really tasty!

Great curry, fitted in a table of 18 and service was excellent

Lovely food and everything you could or would expect from an Indian Restaurant. That said, how on earth do you justify £4.50 for a diet pepsi (which is 25% ice) ?! Four of us had diet pepsi......totalling £18. Unbelievable. Would've left a tip but not when I saw this on the bill. You can take your own alcoholic drinks in, but you have to buy soft drinks. So stick to beer or water.

Delish food, couldn’t fault it really tasty. Good service. It was very busy so glad we had booked. Would definitely return

We had a wonderful tasty Indian meal, and friendly staff. Remember to bring your own wine and beer as they are not licenced. Great portions some leftovers for lunch the next day

There used to be a really great Indian restaurant in Dartmouth, but my own it's only this one. The food is good, but not excellent. Quite bland to be frank. We love spicy food and we're rather underwhelmed. We also had to keep asking for drinks because they were forgotten each time we asked. A nice enough restaurant

I ordered lamb vindaloo, not very good. Sauce was ok but the meat was not, very tough, chewy and dry in the middle. Quite disappointing.

Ordered for delivery and it came within the quoted time. Driver was lovely and food was DELISH! Piping hot, plentiful and super tasty! Highly recommend!

One of the best Indians we’ve had, everything was really fresh and tasty. Service was good and staff were friendly.

Amazing not greasy at all. Taking another home after my stay in Dartmouth 10/10 recommended. Great taste.eady to get to In the area.

My partner was craving a curry so we went here for my birthday dinner. We were served by Raza and Ajim, from the moment we went in they made us feel welcome and hats off to the chef because the food was absolutely incredible! I had the chefs special lamb and my partner had the tikka, everything from the bhajis to the pappadums with the chutney and the main courses were a delight! A must try if you visit Dartmouth 💯

Nice curry. Restaurant could do with a bit of a makeover. Friendly staff

Good food served by friendly and attentive staff. Thank you to Raza for the exceptional service. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Dartmouth.

Turned up without a booking but was welcomed and sat easily. Tasty food with friendly service and not ridiculously priced. They don't serve alcohol here but seemed to be more than welcoming to those who bought their own drinks

Nice place. Nice food . Nice people will go back next time sail into dartmouth

What a fantastic place. Great staff and incredibly tasty food. Don’t be put off by the outside. Food was really good. Mixed tandoori grill with vegetable rice was delicious.

First visit here , in Dartmouth for a birthday trip and found this place online ,booked just before we went , can take your own drink which was great .We had starters and mains ,food was excellent as was the service ,friendly staff too ,would recommend ,will be back .

First time here ,great meal and service , took our own wine too ,will be back .

Four friends all enjoyed our meals. Great service and reasonably priced. Good portion size and we couldn't finish it all. One wanted extra spicy which was no problem. Will definitely return if back in Dartmouth

Very good service, lovely food. Would definitely recommend.

Meals were superb, best curry we have had in ages. My paneer jalfraize was absolutely delicious. Service excellent. We will be returning soon.

Best curry I've had in ages. Lamb tikka Rogan was amazing. Chicken tikka sag was also recommended... would certainly visit again

Visited during the Dart festival. Very busy but served in good time. I chose the Mughal-E-Azam. It was superb - one of the best curries I’ve ever had…and I’ve had a lot. We’re going back this evening!

Very nice food and good service

We’ve had takeaways for two persons from here. Best Indian restaurant/take away we’ve had. Can’t praise the food enough. Excellent meal.

New to Dartmouth and so pleased to find a really good Indian Restaurant. Food was terrific and service excellent. Great atmosphere too. Like idea of taking own alcohol which keeps cost down.

Brilliant, I had the same as I do in my local and this is so much better. The Tandoori Mixed Grill is tender and very tasty. Would definitely recommend. Delicious.

I’ll keep this short. BYOB, no corkage. Food is excellent and portions are a good size. This place is up there with the best of them!!!

Wow !!!The food was amazing The best curry I’ve had for a very long time and I will definitely recommend to my taxi clients Thanks so much I was exhausted after working New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day and your curry Rice and Peshawari Naan went down a treat I will definitely get a takeaway from you again 💥🙏🚕

Had a takeaway on a recent visit to Dartmouth. Absolutely fabulous food and service. I can honestly say it was one of the best curries we've had in a long time.

Nan was very good and service was excellent.

We had a takeaway the onion bhajis were very nice not fatty at all then had chicken bhuna lovely I had chicken Madras very nice not to hot with rice and garlic naan could not fault service or meal top marks and thank you to the staff

Amazing food, great flavour and good portion size. They forgot our starters but gave them to us when we went back in.

Excellent service. Lovely food and good sized portions. Taking own drinks keeps the cost down and staff provided glasses for us. Decor a bit bright, but that is an aside really. We enjoyed a lovely family meal.

Not a bad Indian at all. Dog friendly which is rare for an Indian and much appreciated whilst on holiday! BYO is a bonus but would be great if they could keep beers chilled.

Excellent food, all agreed best curry we have enjoyed in a long while. Service was second to none. Would definitely return. Thank you Spice Merchant for a lovely evening.

Our first ever take-away will not be our last! Delivered earlier than anticipated and piping hot. The Pathia was very authentic and the Dhanzak was a treat. Very good Nan breads. Portions were good and no scrimping on meat

Wonderful Indian food. I had one of the chef's specials. Excellent cuisine. The portions are generous. Apparently the magic word is "medium" if you wish to eat a smaller dish. And they allow you to bring your own wine/beer without charging corkage. I can thoroughly recommend Spice Merchant.

Called for a takeaway this evening after a recommendation from a local, as it’s our first visit to the area. We chose a beef balti and a chicken jalfrezi and we’re not disappointed. The food was absolutely delicious, they’d even put in some poppadoms too! We have a fantastic restaurant local to us that we visit regularly and love and this was definitely on a level with that. Thank you!

Lovely meal. One of the best curries for a long time. Hidden away, but a little gem at reasonable prices.

Absolutely excellent food and service the great thing take your own alcohol the staff are so friendly

Smashing curry house tucked away! Very attentive and super food

What a find. Nothing great to look at but the food was up there with the best we've ever eaten. Highly recommend the biriyani.

One of the best curries that I’ve ever had in the UK! So much better than the Mahabharata in Kingsbridge too. Would certainly recommend. The staff are really friendly, courteous and efficient. The food isn’t greasy, it was perfectly spiced and the portion sizes were good. I will certainly order again!

Average food. Quite expensive. Noisy, garishly-lit, canteen-like atmosphere. Won't bother to go again.

The best chicken pakora I have ever had.

Excellent food and friendly service. We had the signature Chicken Bangal, Lamb Tikka Biryani, Sag Alloo and Peshwari. All absolutely delicious. Bring your own alcohol, no corkage charge. Will definitely be back.

Gorgeous food except putting breadcrumbs on a king prawn 🦐 spoilt it really. The service was top notch

Excellent food!!! Delicious. And the team is super welcoming and warm. Definitely recommend for a very good Indian meal

We had one of the best curries we ever had in this restaurant.

Really really good value for money, fantastic food that didn’t always have a base sauce that is common in a lot of Indian restaurants. All our meals tasted different and superb, staff were a bit loud but always enthusiastic, bring your own keeps the price of a great culinary experience down. Been to an up market restaurant in Bristol that was fantastic with up market service and great wine list but this cost a quarter of the price and the food was as good if not better. Give these guys a chance, it is fun and exceptional tastes

Spontaneous decision to eat here, so arrived without booking. Staff found us a table even tho place was busy, really appreciated. The place is tucked away a little, but well worth finding it. It doesnt have drinks license, so it is “bring your own booze”, they DO NOT charge corkage, so thats good, they do however provide glass and bottle openers for guests. The menu is authentic and varied, and food we had was great. Service was swift and friendly. All in all really pleased with this spontaneous choice

Great value fresh food, all dishes were excellent esp the chef specialities. Very busy place so best to book. Unlicensed so bring your own alcohol, they even provide the glasses.

Excellent quality food, friendly and attentive service and as the alcohol ois bring your iwn with no corkage the bill is exceedingly good value. Highly recommend.

We ordered takeout and it was all delicious! Food was ready quickly and came nice and hot! We got free papadoms and a yoghurt dip which was a nice touch too. We will definatly order again next time we're in Dartmouth.

Excellent value for money. Good service. Thoroughly recommend.

Excellent food. Friendly staff. I had the Rudali. So fresh and tasty. Beautifully spiced. Bring your own bottles makes for a great value meal.

One of the best Indian restaurants,we have visited. A very wide menu choice. Excellent food with quality service. They even offered our Grandson that they would provide one of their specials if he ordered it as a takeaway. He lives in Dartmouth

Flawless Indian food and some interesting dishes that you probably won't find anywhere else. It is slightly more expensive than other Indian takeaway options, but given the quality of the food I can't bring myself to say that it is overpriced.

Visiting Dartmouth for a week, we decided to have an Indian takeaway on our first night. What a gem the Spice Merchant is. We had the Chef's Suprise and Memsab Favourite (with chillies) as our mains. Everything was fresh and very tasty. Raj was extremely...

Have been here a couple of times now and not been disappointed. Food is excellent and staff are all over your visit. It is bring your own booze which also helps with the bill

Good service, really nicely cooked. Will definitely be back

Very friendly service, from time of telephone order, until pick up. Gorgeous food, which was still very hot by the time we got home. Would definitely visit again!!

Amazing evening. Really great food and the staff are so accommodating. Bring your own drink, so keeps the cost down.

Attended on a busy Friday evening. Food and service was excellent. Highly recommended for a very tasty curry. It’s bring your own alcohol with no corkage charge 😀

We had a takeaway from here on a very busy Saturday night when the restaurant was full. The staff were really friendly and helpful and the food was so tasty. Really good quality ingredients and one of the best takeaways we’ve had in a long...

Great meal here, had poppadoms, really good onion bhajis, veg korma and the Spice Merchant Special. All were really tasty and prices were reasonable. Remember to bring your own alcohol. Service was good. Recommended!

Tucked away in a backstreet this was the posh Indian in Dartmouth pre covid. Its now under new management and doesn't have a drink licence hence is bring your own booze, no corkage is charged. The restaurant is spacious and clean and the staff were...

We found this by chance you take your own alcohol ,Fantastic tasty food good prices very attentive and friendly, very clean staff hidden little gem

We visited this restaurant that our friends use regularly -we have been here, but before changes -we have to say food was absolutely lovely,staff were great ,very enjoyable evening . Also several other parties seemed to enjoy the evening too. You can take in your...

A delicious meal but fairly expensive for what it was. We had vegetable Karahi and it had lots of different veg in it. The naan and rice were good too. Unfortunately we had fish curry and it was not nice. I had barely a mouthful of fish and it was all skin.

Nicht alles authentisch indisch. Das Butterchicken war gelb und auf Kokosbasis und nicht mit Tomaten.

A terribly disappointing meal. Not quite sure why I’m giving the extra star, but one seems so mean. And there were no rats. We used to come to this under the previous ownership until a few years ago when it was quite splendid. The difference...

needs strong direction, someone with passion to run it. Glum, dull, no ‘wow!’ factor. Charmless. Canteen presentation. The only place on this planet ( including India) I’ve ever seen ‘beef curry’ on the menu. In fact dire. Lighting best used in a petrol station, humidity...

Unfortunately wasn't great, stale chewy poppadoms, chicken tikka wasn't marinated tikka it was just plain chicken, rubbery and plasticy. Worst dish was the tikka masala, which was more korma/dhal than a masala. Onion salad a spoonful in a tiny pot yet still costing £1+ Shame as we spent £90 on this takeaway, we are on holiday here so not a great experience.

Been here a number of times, and usually the meals are good. However this time was different. And not in a good way. Our butter chicken was sweet and sickly, and there wasn’t much chicken. Such a shame as this place has major potential Sort...

We had a very pleasant evening at this restaurant during our recent holiday and found the the food and the service to be good. Both our curries were the right side of hot, and full of flavour and taste. The seating area is also fairly...

Excellent restaurant with a tasteful atmosphere. Someone sang happy birthday to my wife, even though it wasn’t her birthday! If you are in Dartmouth - this is the place to be. Excellent flavours.

A lot spicer than what we are used to at home! Onion bahjis were gorgeous! Service was great. No disabled access though....

Very tasty food! Me being of bengali origin I know my food and their dishes was excellent and equally good service. Friendly.

We wandered around for ages in Dartmouth trying to find a place for dinner without success so ended up in this place although we had read some mixed reviews. So glad we did, super friendly service, lovely ambience and the food was absolutely amazing. Diverse...

Very quiet staff who appeared a little shy but the food was fantastic,very reasonably priced, very clean, toilets spotless but the food was to die for, will definitely return

Excellent clean restaurant and polite staff Food was great and you could taste the spices Buy your booze from Supermarket not across the road £15 for three cans

Had a lovely tasty meal here tonight (a Monday) was busy in the restaurant and also take aways. Heard only positive comments from diners and well deserved. Take your own drink, unless soft drinks ok for you. I had a Biryani which was excellent, other...

It’s not always easy to get decent food on a Sunday night in Dartmouth but our take away from Spice Merchant was some of the best Indian food we’ve had in a long time. Chicken was cooked to perfection and the curries were jam packed with flavour. Service was great with well-priced entrées. Would not hesitate to return.

Biggest points go to the staff here. On our visit they went above and beyond to cater for us. We had two dogs which they accommodated for and my mother had earlier twisted her ankle which they offered ice for. They also get points for being one of the only places in Dartmouth open late and offer tasty food. The food was flavourful and well prepared. They even catered for one of us with a nut allergy despite having predominantly nut based dishes. One thing to note is they are BYOB which if you are staying overnight shouldn’t be an issue.

The best Indian in the area Making the authentic mouth-watering dishes I am just so glad i found this place Professional staff Relaxing atmosphere Great for groups and for intimate dining You simply must visit

When we had a meal at Spice Merchant it was incredible. All the staff were so kind especially to children. The food we had came out efficiently and tasted so good. We will definitely come back again! Highly recommended.

1 poor. Poor poor. TOTALLY!!!! lacking and Flavour something missing. Spice. That’s it. Tasteless. Bland can’t believe I have to sit here and write how poor this place is

A well prepared meal from a talented chef. Onion bajhees supreme and the Staff are so polite and discerning a real surprise as some years ago I felt the business had lost its way. Very highly recommended.

We had a lovely tasty meal. Its was our first visit so had that fear of our food not being authentic or up to scratch. However.... Our Chicken Dansaks was of a high standard, lovely rice and very light, delicious naan bread. Service was spot on so will be back as regular customers from m now on.

The curry was very nice, fantastic flavour and just about the right level of heat. The other reviews on here don't the place the justice it deserves

Can’t fault this place. We had a lovely meal last night. They had the best chicken tikka mossala we’ve ever tasted and the lamb dansak was amazing too. Will definitely be back next year.

Visited Spice Merchant as a previous review seemed positive. That was my first mistake. Staff were at best surly and gave the impression that they just wanted us in, fed and out. The food really wasn’t great but they know how to charge! My local...

Called in on Saturday evening and they found us a table. Had to walk down to Co-op for a bottle of wine as they don't sell alcohol. Our starters were ready when I got back. Main course followed straight away. Both meals were very tasty...

The best food we’ve had in an Indian for a long time. All 7 of us expected standard food but were greeted with possibly the best mossala and salmon weve ever had. Amazing staff too and very friendly. Must be new owners because the reviews...