Spice Merchant - Henley on Thames in South Oxfordshire - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Excellent Indian food, tasted very fresh and made with care. The service was great and the ambience good with nice lighting and tasteful decor, very comfortable seats and subtle music. All in all to be recommended!

I wish I could give this restaurant more stars than 3... But from the beginning it was just getting worse and worse... we waited 10 minutes at the bar for someone to even greet us and check the reservation. Then 20 minutes to get the order. There were 3 waiters and about 6 tables at that time. Starters arrive an hour after our arrival. Mains? 1h and 47 minutes. We were already exhausted as there was a family with 2 little toddlers crying all the time. Food would be great if not for the fact that a medium rare steak was actually blue! We would love to ask for that to be corrected, but waiters were nowhere to be found.. Fish was amazing. Vegetables as a side? Disappointment. Lazy flying flies all over the place didn’t help eitherm so we decided to get a dessert in another place, though. Paid at the bar to avoid wasting another half an hour. Such a shame...

Sadly a very poor meal - lamb so tough my husband had to send back. Booked a table online and only online availability was at 6 so booked - only 3 tables occupied still at 19:10 Been going for 10 years and sadly no longer the special meal out it used to be :((

Table reserved for 25 people on a Saturday. Nobody asked for a pre-order, which is strange… I still trusted. They managed to turn a happy day into a nightmare after entering at 5:30 in the afternoon and being served from 8:45 at night… 25 chances to grab customers… no interest

Don’t expect decent lamb Don’t expect to be able to go to the toilet (there is only one) Don’t expect them to be treat you well. Do expect to pay a lot Do expect to be crushed next to the next table. Eaten at this restaurant for over 10 years but unlikely again.

Service was appalling. Waiters did not come and ask us even once for an order. We had to call someone to take the drinks order after being totally ignored for half an hour. The drinks never turned up and my husband had to go to the bar in the end. Had to get the reluctant waiters again to order the mains. We decided to skip starters as the Service was slow. The meal was mediocre and an hour late. We were left to our own devices the entire time until I'd had enough and went to fetch the desert menu myself. We were there from 7.30 pm till 11.30 and had to again walk up to the bar to ask for the bill where 4 waiters were congregated. Strange, when not one of them had a smile to offer or the courtesy to ask us if the meal was OK. Never again.

No friendly welcome. Surly service from both male waiters. We had to ask for bread basket (as ordered) 3 times, to accompany our starters. Excellent food. Beautiful view from bay window. Wouldn't choose to go again because of unsmiling, unfriendly service.

We really searched for a place we could have prawns and thought this was “it”. Had starters that were nothing too fantastic. And then the Prawns which were super excited about thinking they would be amazing “Tiger Giants” as this was a Portuguese restaurant … well, what a disappointing experience - they were 6 x 1/2 prawns (so 3 prawns each). Dismal 😩, “dirty heads” with the roe or whatever that orange strip along the back was. Total rip off for the price we paid.

it is the best place I have eaten and been served in the UK. 10 points

We booked a table for dinner last night and turned up with our assistance dog Zeus. The owner of the restaurant refused us entry saying they could only serve us outside sitting next to a busy road. I made clear to the owner that he was an assistance dog with a legal right of entry and that we had ID for him. They refused to honour our booking. As a restaurant owner you should be fully aware that assistance dogs have a legal right of entry to any premises open to the public - shame on you!

What a surprise find. Stumbled across this place, it was a day trip for us to Henley on Thames - a good 1 hour drive- and I would do it again just for this restaurant. Not pretentious, just down to earth good seafood! Great portion sizes, wonderful menu, tasty food. Good value for money. Loved that the kids menu had grilled fish options and not just fried standard kids food. Very kid friendly too! Thank you for a lovely lunch!

First visit for Sunday evening dinner. Friendly, efficient welcome and service. Starters of sardines and ratatouille baked aubergine really nice. Pork and clams great. The portions are generous too. However, cod fillet although beautifully cooked was over seasoned ie tooooo salty which spoilt my entire main course....and I do like salt! I didn't complain just left half the portion! So not sure about returning as it's not cheap.

Where do I start about this awesome place?! Extensive wine list, cocktail list and menu of fish, meat and other options. Cocktail was lush (Passionfruit Martini), ordered the Mussels to start - kitchen decided the first batch wasn’t good enough so although I waited a little longer than the rest of my table, it was well worth it, they were stunning. Main: Monkfish medallions and Prawns. Chose the veg side to go with. Absolutely beautifully cooked, prawns were dressed so not as messy as it could have been and I was given extra serviette and lemon wipe, veg side was also cooked to perfection! Didn’t need a dessert but having seen the table next to us have one, I couldn’t not and it did not disappoint. If you were questioning whether to try this place, you’d be mad not to! Thank you for the best meal out I’ve had in a long time!

I was slightly apprehensive about going here because there are quite a few negative reviews. Luckily I didn't pay too much attention and I have to say I enjoyed the visit immensely. I had the curried lamb shank which was fantastic. My friend had the Malai Prawn curry and she loved it too. The rice was perfectly cooked, nice and fluffy and the condiments were delicious and fresh (always a good sign).

Spice merchant used to be the best take away in Henley but always expensive. I was happy to pay a premium for great quality and reliable delivery . Now the prices have gone up to an unacceptable level, the portions sizes done and the delivery late. This is a great shame Come on Spice Merchant get your act together and give us better value for the prices you charge.

Portuguese food, we had soup and fish. It was absolutely lovely and delicious. The service was exceptional and gluten-free (coeliac friendly) was handled amazingly and knowledgeably. The wine list is great and very reasonably priced. All in all, it is just a great place and a lovely evening out was had.

Unfortunately the food is rather underwhelming for what is a high priced Indian restaurant. I’ve tried this restaurant a few times over the years, but each time I’ve enjoyed the food less, and felt like I haven’t had value for money. Needless to say I won’t be trying again.

Brilliant and tasty Indian food. Very flexible and nice staff. Good choice of drinks and wines. Very good recommendations by the waiter.

Very disappointed limited menu the famous onion loaf very dry seen most sent back the price is not a problem if you get the quilty of what's being served but it isn't. Very average.

The food is spectacular and the menu extensive. The only problem is that the restaurant is freezing! The heaters seem not to be working and staff advised nothing could be done, so the few tables that were there on a Friday night were all wearing scarves. Wouldn’t return until the summer.

We have eaten at The Spice Merchant on the River at Henley many times. Never never been disappointed. They have moved to Hart Street. The restaurant is now very narrow and small. The food was nothing like it was, most dishes were too spicy whatever we ordered. The lamb dish I ordered was a dark brown mush. The restaurant was cold although, they did turn up the heat for us as we were right by the door. The waiter removed our table cloth just after we’d finished eating and split a pint of beer over three of us. Our plates had to be passed over the table with knives and forks covered in curry, flying everywhere. Very very disappointing - the waiters certainly need a course in how to wait at table. We will not be going to this restaurant again.

Loved the mixed fish grill and grilled cod. Excellent fish cookery from a friendly, family restaurant. Will return when next in Henley.

Had high expectations of this restaurant. However, no atmosphere, not a single Christmas decoration so lacking in festive spirit. A cold restaurant with an icy blast every time the door opened. Interior doors have a gap so a constant draught. Staff unhelpful when I said our table was cold. Food mediocre. Service slow.

The food was amazing and so was the service. We had ne er eaten there before but we will definitely be going back. The Lobster was the best we've ever had.

Competent enough kitchen working with a large menu and friendly staff one day after lunch service. Did not care for the Super Bock Portuguese beer.

Really good authentic Portuguese food, pleasant and welcoming staff and a great atmosphere. Thank you for the nice experience. Strongly recommend.

I’ve read all the other negative reviews and can honestly say I am really surprised. Our experience was more than great. We visited Henley today and decided to pop into the Spice Merchant for lunch, the food was delicious, & service was excellent. Best poppadums and Nan breads I’ve ever tasted. We chose a selection from the vegetarian thali menu and it didn’t disappoint. People on another table ordered a huge onion bhaji which they shared and it looked amazing. Lots of interesting dishes on the menu. We left full and satisfied

Nice food ,good service at a good price would definitely visit again

hmm dont really know where to start on this one, worst indian meal i have ever eaten and the most expensive also, £119 for a starter a curry x2 1 rice and a nan bread , one bottle of water and one small bottle of lager! the starter was nice the seafood indian style pricy at £17 each , rest of it not good at all, chicken tikka massala sauce looked like / tasted like tomatoe ketchup and looked like it too! I would say avoid as much nicer curry even from the freezer in wetherspoons ! ( and you get a drink with it !)

Excelente comida, ótimo atendimento, boa seleção de vinhos e uma atmosfera muito positiva

とてもヘルシーで美味しい。 シーフードスープは細かい具が入っています。新鮮な生牡蠣とチーズのフライ。 pod riceは野菜のスープリゾット(大きい鍋で来るのでシェアがおすすめ)。寒い日には身体が温まります。

We love it here! The staff are always so friendly and welcoming and the food is incredible! I

Best Portuguese Restaurant without any doubt in South England! Better than many in Portugal itself, I am portuguese so I know what I am talking about 👌

We thought this must be good. Having ordered our meal we waited nearly an hour for our starters. Sardines good but fried anchovies decemated. Three out of four mains good but Dover sole very poor and over cooked. Waitress very poor and never once asked us if things were ok. Will not go back which is a real shame. You know something is wrong when the staff won’t look at you and avoid your gaze. There are much better places to eat in Henley 🙁🙁🐟🍤

An excellent early evening meal, sitting outside. Food was high quality and plentiful. The authentic bhajis were impressive. Pleasant and professional staff. Recommended.

Our worst Indian restaurant experience ever anywhere in the world. A combination of bland, too salty and watch the bill for extras not ordered. We never before paid additionally for chutney etc with popadoms!!

Always excellent food and fresh fish good wine and great value

Such a great family owned restaurant with impeccable food and service. Easily the best restaurant in Henley and heaps better than the plethora of chain restaurants frequenting the town!

Great seafood, perfect service.

We left Ssssooooooo long to place order, receive drinks

Very nice Indian cuisine, which seemed to be popular with I assume regular customers. Friendly staff, and a recommendation of a dish, that I can’t think of the name?

We ordered a home delivery (delivery charge £6). Promise of delivery within the hour. We live about half a mile from restaurant. Food arrived 1hr 45mins and 2 telephone calls later! The restaurant were disinterested when we called to ask where food was - they had their money and delivery wasn’t their problem. Never again

Went on recommendation and we're not disappointed. Good central location Excellent varied menu, and extremely good, well presented food. No hesitation in returning, highly recommend

Lovely Portuguese birthday meal for my daughter. Food was delicious and service was great.

f you're a seafood lover, look no further than this Portugese restaurant. Despite a bit of a wait for the starters and mains, the food turned out to be well worth it. For starters, we opted for the Grilled Sardines, a classic dish that proved to be a delightful introduction to the meal. The sardines were perfectly grilled, with a hint of smokiness that complemented their natural flavors. Served with a light drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of herbs, each bite was a burst of coastal goodness. For the main course, we ordered the Grilled Fish Fillets & Monkfish medallions. The dish consisted of three generous portions of fish, expertly grilled to perfection. The fish was incredibly flavorful and moist, a testament to the chef's skill in preparing seafood dishes. The portion size was quite generous, ensuring that we left the restaurant feeling fully satisfied. The Monkfish Medallions were exceptional, tender and succulent, perfectly complemented by the juicy and flavorful King Prawns. The dish was artfully presented, and the combination of textures and flavors was simply exquisite. The restaurant had an excellent selection of Portuguese wines, and the Port wine was a perfect way to cap off a great dinner. While the food itself was exceptional, I must mention that the service could have been a bit more efficient. The wait time for both the starters (almost 30minutes) and mains was longer than expected. Have to admit that the restaurant was fully occupied. However, once the dishes arrived, the quality and taste made up for the delay. In conclusion, this Portuguese seafood restaurant offers a true taste of coastal Portugal. From the grilled sardines to the flavorful fish fillets, every dish showcased the restaurant's dedication to serving authentic and delicious seafood. Despite the wait for the courses, the overall experience was delightful, and the addition of Port wine as a grand finale made it all the more memorable. If you're a seafood enthusiast willing to trade a bit of waiting time for a mouthwatering culinary adventure, this restaurant is well worth a visit. As it is s popular place ensure you have a reservation

We had a most delicious meal here. We ordered monk fish and grouppa fish. The monk fish came in a large generous chunk with many large prawns. Two large grouppa fillets came in a gorgeous tomato sauce. Our vegetarian friend ordered the vegetable rice pot and said it was absolutely delicious. It was a huge pot! Great service and wine list too. Highly recommended.

Very expensive for a very run of the mill Curry., £130.00 for three people (one drink each and no rice). All the curries we just “chilli- hot” with no subtle spicing. Didn’t even look appetising. The side dishes are the same price as a main course in most other restaurants. It’s not even very nice in side, feels cramped. If I were you, I’d find another restaurant. Don’t say I didn’t warn you when your bill arrives!!

Disappointed would be an understatement! We were served main dishes with four small pieces of meat, lots of sauce - chicken tikka masala, chicken rogan josh looked the same. Both lacked taste and both looked like butter chicken with the only differentiating factor being a uncooked chopped tomato was added to the rogan. Waiter couldn’t distinguish between the lamb dishes, would appear sauce is just poured on top of meat for speed. One main dish was delivered within less than 5 mins of ordering! When we complained re the lack of meat for a £17 dish, the answer was but it’s HRR week! The owner did not care and was not interested; all they wanted to do was to clear the table (attempted 3 times, whilst we were still eating, putting us under pressure to finish) small cramped restaurant, clearly wanted to turn the table and overcharge the next customer. The service, portion size, quality is shameful and based on this experience I would NOT bother with ANY Spice Merchant restaurant again. We used to go to the Cookham restaurant where the food, service and quality was fantastic when Rohel was the manager but we stopped after he left. The OWNER does not deserve the business and Henley Regatta week is NOT an excuse for substandard food & experience when the restaurant was a quarter full. If you want FAST FOOD not even at its best this is the place. Don’t normally, do reviews as reputation good or bad speaks for itself but this was very poor!

Oh, dear, where do I start with The Square in Henley? I swear, I've seen glaciers move faster than their waiters. I had plenty of time to contemplate life, read a novel, and write a sonnet while waiting for my food. Now, let's talk about the food. If you're a fan of tasteless surprises, this place is a hidden gem. The only thing consistently bland on the menu is their commitment to mediocrity. I'm pretty sure my taste buds went on vacation to a more flavorful destination while I attempted to chew through their lackluster creations. But wait, there's more! The staff at The Square deserves a special mention. I've never encountered a group of individuals so committed to making you feel like an inconvenience. They perfected the art of the "unfriendly face" and brought it to a whole new level. If disdain was an Olympic sport, they would be gold medalists. All in all, dining at The Square felt like entering a black hole where time slows down, taste evaporates, and smiles vanish. If you're looking for a restaurant experience that tests your patience, makes your taste buds yawn, and leaves you feeling like an unwanted guest at a funeral, this is the place for you. Bon appétit!

Always a lovely meal and always looked after..

Food is OK but quite basic. When I asked for them to make a vegetarian pasta they did, but I didn't feel they really wanted to . And they don't gave American Express in oj of the wealthiest areas of UK. Not good business sense.

Excellent service and food. Big portions and beautiful portuguese flavours. Would highly recommend.

We drove two hours to try this Portuguese restaurant as a friend told us about it. Unfortunately we weren't very lucky as we were disappointed with the majority of the food but even more with the service and staff attitude. We were a big group and order a lot of starters, mains, desserts and drinks. You would think that the fact that you book a table for a big group would be an indication that the restaurant should appreciate the customers visiting, but we had the exact opposite idea from the staff serving. At one point the lady was rolling her eyes at my husband just because we asked her not to take a starter plate that still had some food in it. Or when we had to keep going to look for the staff in order to ask for more things, because no one was coming to see if we needed anything, for long periods of time. Food took a long time to arrive, from the starters to the mains. Asking for an update on the food was received with an impatient almost rude answer and a sight. That's a good way to lose a client. About the food: Bread, butter and Portuguese fresh cheese are very good. The Chouriço Assado is a must, but needed to cook for a little longer. The flame wasn't enough and we asked for it to be re-kindled but gave up after around 15 minutes waiting, so we just ate it as it was. Very good chouriço, I imagine that if the flame didn't put out so soon the chouriço would be perfect. The Biqueiroes were tasty, although I would like to have them more fried. But they were good and I recommend them. The Amêijoas were very tasty too. A thumbs up for the cheese rissoles and the pastéis de bacalhau. Asking for more starters apparently wasn't one thing they felt happy with, as the comments weren't that great from the staff. The Corvina from the "catch of the day" menu was my biggest disappointment. Small, not fresh and tasteless. Tasteless was also how one of my guests described the Bacalhau Assado and another the Frango Assado. They choose the chicken with hot piri piri, except that it was all but hot. The grilled tiger prawns were overdone and dry. And so was the sardines. The Carne de Porco à Portuguesa seems to be the best recommendation from this meal, as it was tasty and well cooked. The skewers weren't bad as well but lacked some seasoning. Desserts were another hit and miss. The pastel de nata weren't that good and seemed frozen instead of freshly made. The chocolate mousse didn't wowed us either. Now the Bolo de Bolacha was the king of the meal, very tasty and full of flavour. We felt very disappointed with the restaurant staff and overall, the food. It took them 4 and half hours in total from the moment we ordered the first starters until we finished our desserts. As a family of 8 adults they could've gained some returning customers, as we enjoy going to places that actually value our custom. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem we'll be back.

We absolutely loved everything about this place,I had the nicest king prawn starter ever, wrapped in Portuguese bacon ,amazing.

The best restaurant in Henley! The food, atmosphere, staff and service are always amazing!

The service was perfect. The food is of a decent standard. Real negative was the noise! Dang it's loud in there!!!

As a Portuguese guy myself, I can confidently say that the food was amazing. My partner had the prawns, and they were so big and chunky. Generous portions and great Portuguese flavours at an acceptable price. I definitely recommend it! Additionally, the staff decorated the desk with banners, balloons, and confetti as it was my birthday, nice little gesture!

Lovely seafood restaurant, great service and food.

What changed my entire culinary experience was having 'sauted' over boiled potatoes. The tune was perfectly cooked. So nice to want to come back again...

Very nice restaurant！Food taste fantastic，the portion is generous and the price is not expensive. Well worth the money！The service is very efficient as well.

Read the reviews & wasn’t expecting too much but the food was very good, tasty, good size portions (onion bhaji starter is enough for 2 !) hot and not too long to wait. Never went to the previous restaurant but it didn’t seem too small....

Wonderful experience. Great Portuguese food, great service in lovely tranquil setting. Look forward to going again.

This refers to Spice Merchant Delivery Service and the same service has been received on numerous occasions. “Harrods Prices with Hermes Delivery and customer service” - you chose a time for your delivery - Feast then decide when they will deliver. Food arrives cold and...

The new home of Spice Merchant is lovely. Although smaller than the old restaurant, this creates an intimate atmosphere. The furnishings, decor and lighting are top quality and the same friendly staff have been retained. The food remains the star, with favourites like the chutneys,...

We used to love this place - then we tried the new Henley venue. Disappointing - first, the space is too small for the number of tables that were crammed next to each other, no personal space left, a dinner for 2 feels like a...

Service was very pleasant and restaurant was lovly food generally lovly apart from my wife was sick after eating a not great prawn starter but overall would recommend

O garçom é MT sem educação, nunca mais volto la

God lunchsallad med selleri, fänkål , päron, mandel och en passande dressing. Fräsch toa och perfekt service.

Locals suggestion as best in town and they were right lovely clean place , great service and fab food. Very pleasant decor and proper liner table clothes and napkins

Food is great, generous portions and we'll made. The staff are a mixed bag. There was a brilliant young woman who was our server for half the time. And then an odd older chap who was a little abrupt and made us feel quite awkward. For example shaking his head at my partner for helping stack and clear the plates away, when they were trying to be helpful.

Great food in their new venue which is very nicely designed even gave the kids an easter egg when leaving.

Love this place. Great food, great staff

We’ve been coming here for many years and we’re looking forward to trying the new venue. We had to wait 45 minutes for our table to be ready. The food was fine, but contained very little other than the sauce - I’d be surprised if...

Such a delightful experience at The Square. Wonderful suggestions from my new friend Jaime. Fresh and quality seafood with wonderful and warm service. Best service in Henley!

Great food - probably slightly pricey but it’s central Henley so in line with expectations. I think they are still getting used to the new restaurant layout as some of the service was a little hit and miss sure this will improve.

Food, service and overall exceptional but on the expensive side

The Spice Merchant vibe we have come to know and love has gone. The new location is far too small for a busy night. Squashed in too many tables. Waiting staff stressed to the point of surly. We were a table of 6 put on a table for 4. Food ok. Lost its magic snd makes it an expensive curry in a sub optimal place.

Delicious meat and seafood, perfectly cooked 👌 Lovely atmosphere, very relaxed

Excellent service and food! Highly recommended!

Not an enjoyable experience, sadly. Cramped, telephone kept ringing for take away orders, food was ordinary. King Prawn dish had 4 small prawns in a thick sauce, butter chicken was too spicy. Onion Bahji was great. wine was good. Service was poor and it was expensive.

Excellent quality of food and service. This restaurant is clean tidy and very pleasant. The staff are considerate and friendly. Most enjoyable

Very friendly staff and the food was great! I would recommend and come back. Felt like we were in Portugal.

Excelente qualidade dos produtos, boas quantidades, cozinha rápida e eficaz! Bife de atum exclente, recomendo e voltarei de novo!

I was SOOO looking forward to last night..I thought the prices might represent top of the arts beautiful food...BUT NO..the food was equivalent to £10 dishes from restaurants I have eaten in in Birmingham, Reading, Gateshead Bournemouth etc ..awful service ..paid £91 for a mere...

Excellent restsurant..Brilliantly cooked Portugues meals, friendly helpfull staff. Love the place.

Love eating here, relaxing, fantastic food and cocktails

I want to give this place a bad review to keep people away so I can have it all to myself, but I can't. It's just too good. We came here the other night at short notice having never dined here despite living in Henley for years. The food was excellent, the staff were excellent and it really gave the feeling of a family run restaurant in Portugal. We will certainly be back to work our way through the rest of their delicious menu.

Great restaurant with very attentive staff, superb food

Amazing food & Amazing service.

New Year’s Eve; food was great, atmosphere not so great and service was very slow. It was not busy, many empty tables but service was poor and very slow.

Good service, decent food. We enjoy it!

The food at this restaurant is excellent and very generous portions. The staff are efficient, knowledgeable about the food and very friendly.

I was only in Henley for one night so chose this place for breakfast, very hard to understand the waitress, they were not able to do toast so between my partner and I we had one egg each with cheese very well baked on top one spoon of avocado and orange juice £27 felt ripped off, not going there again!

Extensive menu with great advice given by the staff. Very good service without being intrusive. Recommended.

We experienced very good service and the lamb chops were excellent

An upscale Indian restaurant with a modern and welcome feel to it. Great food, too!

The Square was perfect: from a warm welcome to delicious food. The waiter was charming and very kind. Seafood was super fresh. Good variety of Portuguese wines too. Sure, my favourite Portuguese restaurant in England.

Have eaten in all the others-in Cookham and Beaconsfield- and this does not match up to them. Mainly because the ambience and decor is poor.like eating in an office. The service was fine,the food ok but not outstanding . It’s not cheap of course but...

Excellent choice as always with friendly service as usual

The service and food here were really good. I couldn't give 5 stars as the ladies loos need a serious overhaul, they let the great decor in the rest of the restaurant down.