Spice of Lyfe in Dudley

Had previously been here with freinds....a few weeks ago meal was good So I returned.... Had exactly the same meal chicken Jalfrezi E f Rice Keema naan Rice..very good! Keema Naan ok Main meal terrible! 1/5 Just chicken in a kind of gravy/sauce. No.peppers....no onions just a sprinkling of raw loose onion on top. Didnt look or taste like a Jalfrezi at all! Ruined my meal... Main meal 1/5 Wont be visiting here again. Sorry...

The no frills decor is more than made up for by the fantastic food.Lovely lamb balti and amazing nan breads also

I have used this Indian for over a year and unfortunately no more. The food is on average 7/10. The service is terrible. Several times orders have been placed and they consistently get the order wrong or forget items from the order. When asking previously to bring the correct items they reluctantly did after checking their order ticket which clearly showed what we had ordered. Once again they have messed the order up aswell as forgetting an item. I would not recommend using this place for a delivery as you will almost be guaranteed some stress aswell as not receiving what you have ordered after a long days work. With the industry crowded, you would think they would get the fundermentals right. Good luck to this restraunt.

Ordered take out from here food was late and when it did arrived it was cold chewy chicken looked uncooked and we didn’t eat and It went straight in the bin. Won’t be eating from here again.

One of the best meals ever. Food was served piping hot tastey and freshly cooked. Decor was very mediocre but food was pukka.

Horrendous food. Things missing. Called to complain and was greeted with rudeness and hanging up. Worst service ever!

Terrible food. Stuff missing and when called to complain received the worst customer service EVER! AVOID,AVOID,AVOID!

Such superb food. Orderd 2nd time delivey food so fresh tastefull and hot and arrived on time. Would definatly recommend. Staff who took my order was very polite and friendly and its one of the very few advertised as halal. Would definatly order again. Thank you for amazing food.

Ordered from here the last 2 nights because it was that good!! Portions and prices are good and tastes incredible! Would defo recommend! :)

Very pleased with the food and delivery. Good portions, well packed and still hot when it arrived. Would happily order from here again in the future.

We have just had a take away from this curry house, May I say the curry was absolutely lovely. After a long shift at work,coming home to such a lovely take away I've thurrorly enjoyed it.

I have used this restaurant for almost 30 years. Introducing many friends and family during that time. Tonight was my last visit. The restaurant has obviously been sold. The food was mediocre and the card machine inoperable. No more for me. Avoud

Friendly welcome but very quiet at 7.30pm. The baltic garlic prawn was a real success. The chicken tikka baltic less so: the chicken had not come fresh from the skewers and so was rather tasteless and dry. The sauce was good. Rice and naan bread fine. Bit disappointed since our memory of the place was of fresh and juicy fresh ingredients but maybe the quiet Sunday night accounted for the issue.

Have been coming here for years and after a break we have returned here over the past few months. The food is excellent. What let’s it down so badly is the cleanliness of the toilets. They are simply disgusting and look they they are never cleaned. Why don’t restaurant staff clean them throughout the night and check them before they open. Why would anyone believe cleanliness is top priority elsewhere in the restaurant with toilets so disgusting. Get a grip and make this a top top place by sorting the toilets please

This restaurant boasts that it has been there for 20 years and it doesn't look as if the decor or furniture has changed in all that time. However, I had one of the better balti's that I've eaten in the area and I'll return.

10 of us went on a Friday night for a family birthday. Free popadoms were a nice touch to start. Everyone’s curry was as they liked. I had lamb Jalfrezi which was lovely and tender meat and nicely spiced.It’s take your own drinks which is also great as keeps the cost down.We didn’t have starters or deserts but mains with sides and it all came in at less than £9 a person! And nobody left hungry!Great service too, outstanding value and lovely food.We have been before and will be again no doubt. Would recommend.

Fantastic balti. Full of flavour without being greasy or over spicy. Knocked a star off as it was cold but can't fault them as we live a bit away and the delivery driver did use a cool box so they tried to keep it hot. A quick blast in the microwave soon sorted. Garlic naan was full of fresh garlic never had it so garlicky! Wouldn't hesitate to use again

We have used one particular Indian restaurant for years both as a sit down as well as a takeaway but we decided to have a change.Due to problems right now in the vicinity of The Spice of Lyefe and also the difficulty with parking we decided to try a takeaway to be delivered. Duly ordered through Just Eat the meal arrived on time and was delivered by a very smartly dressed and polite gentleman.My wife had a Chicken Balti and I had a Prawn one as we knew this restaurant is renowned for its Baltis.This was accompanied by a HUGE naan and free poppadoms with sauce and salad.It was delicious and so much that we have reserved some in the fridge for another day.We will certain try this restaurant again.

I’m unable to leave a review on Just Eat. I placed an order, the minimum required for delivery, the app stated the order was complete and accepted by the restaurant. Delivery time was an hour. I waited the hour, and then the order was cancelled from the restaurant. Frustrating. Especially when you’re hungry! A telephone call would have nice.

We visited this place for the first time for 20 years. The food was acceptable and the service was barely acceptable. The starters we choose were shami kebabs, they must have come out of a packet due to the bland taste. The mains were dry and the contents were burnt at the base of the Balti bowl. These Balti bowls must have been in the oven as I burnt my fingers on the bowl as it was fiercely hot, with out warning. Our bill come to £22 for 4 poppadoms 2 starters nan with 2 mains. This represents good value for an evening meal.

Friendly staff with a great variety to choose from the menu. All the food was beautifully presented and tasted fantastic. Great value for money too!!

I went to this place a couple days ago with my family, I had no prior experience with Spice of Lyefe, but I really enjoyed coming here. I had a half-portion of chicken korma with my sister, who had the other half, the half-portion was pretty generous, and I thought that there was a good amount of chicken in the korma for the fact it was only half of what it could be. The popadoms were good, and the dipping sauce that came with them was not personally to my taste, but other people on the table enjoyed it.

I paid careful attention to the changes the new management have made and I can happily report that everything seems as good as always - except for the garlic naan.

Been going here for years, foods still amazing, some of us like a hot vindaloo however we order mild for the kids and the orders always spot on as well as fast service, its a bonus prices have gone down since the last time we visited.

Family meal at spice of lyefe after a very long time. Food was on point! Service was fast. Kids enjoyed it very much. We ordered the mix grill and 2 currys with stuffed nans. Will definitely be back real soon! Thankyou

Absolutely fantastic meal, the mix grill was phenomenal the aroma was to die for. Main course balti Tawa bhuna with garlic naan. Looking forward to next visit already. People giving bad reviews are just bitter. Highly recommend.

Had the most Amazing food with a Wonderful obieance. I would say definately Family friendly. Guaranteed to go again.

Lovely restaurant, I had a positive experience while I was dining; the setting is great, beautiful interior and very good customer service. Our waiter was very hospitable and came to ask how we were doing many times. The food didn't take long to come. Highly recommend.

Highly recommended for tasty authentic Indian food with a good, professional friendly customer service.

My husband and I visited Spice of Lyefe last weekend after pre-booking. Upon arrival we were greeted with a smile and taken swiftly to our table. Our drinks arrived promptly. The menu was very extensive with some mouth watering dishes. After a contemplating we decided to go with the knowledgeable waiters recommendation of chef special and the venison. As my husband is Asian we wanted our food a little spicy. That was not a problem. Infact we felt nothing was a problem here. Again the service was prompt and the food arrived. The food was as the waiter described and tasted even delicious. Every mouth full was a pleasure. By this time the restaurant was full but nevertheless we received outstanding service. A lovely touch was when the manager came over and asked if the food was to our standard.

My wife and i have driven to the Spice of Lyfe fom Birmingham for the last 20 years also as the food was always outstanding and well worth the drive,however we went tonight Saturday and stunned to see the place almost empty.We were shown to our seats and soon observered that there were more staff than customers and they were running around aimlessly not really knowing what they were doing.The popperdoms arived stale with Yogurt which now tastes pretty discusting immediatly.We ordered our meals and both said at the same time,how the standard of food had fallen alarmingly with pretty poor service Remember the place was virtually empty,so no excuse.I went to the toilet but couldnt dry my hands after washing as there were no towels.VERY POOR FOOD obvious chef change wont be going ever again.Theres a lot of competition in the area so they need to give this serious thought.By the way wife and i left half our meals for the first time ever.On paying our bill we were ask if we had enjoyed our meal,when we said no,we were asked what was wrong and £2.00 was deducted,but then i was informed that the card machine was not working i had to go over the road to the ATM and draw the money out.Not very profesional at all we are done with this place.

Been coming here for many years, new staff has given this place a new lease of life. Food was great as ever.

I've been going for over 20 years but since Abul has retired what a shame all they had to do was perhaps change decor and little tweaks here and there. But what a difference a chef makes if anyone knows where he's gone please let me know. Very quiet even at 8 pm got a table for 12 people no problem, onion pickle was late, yoghurt was late, food took 45-50 minutes and there were only 20 ish people in there.Food was poor, to say the least, staff can't follow the order 2 naans missed off and told not on the order even though we had the order read back to us, even my kids who love going there didn't eat the food and said the chicken was rubbery.Very very poor I'm never going again unless Abul and the original chef go back.

We have been coming here for 20 years and tonight has got to be the worst curry ive ever had. Looked a strange colour no taste and a weird texture. Very rushed they came with popdamons before id even sat down and taken my coat off. All new staff who were very polite but it lacked a warm welcome. Really sad because its always been our favourite place for a curry. Its the end of an era as we wont be back anytime soon.

Returne hee o a change after many years. Food and staff was very good. We did feel a little rushed.. it was a Tuesday so very quiet. I could understand if it was a weekend

Visited on Saturday night, haven't been for some time as the last time we had an argument over the bill. Decided to give it another go. Well what a mistake, the place was very quiet and the waiter walked round in his baseball cap, not what you normally want to see. We ordered the food which came much quicker than expected. The meat was extremely poor quality, tasteless with a weird texture. The sauce was very bland and tasteless as well. We were yet again charged for items we did not request. Won't be returning, now we realised why it was so quiet.

Nice decor; nothing too flashy. A menu I could read every word without putting on my glasses, and service that was efficient without pestering us.In particular, the chicken mango korma and chicken rathia were splendid. Nan bread was soft and tasty, and the bill was amazingly low.

Always fabulous food. Great service.This place is well worth a visit if you are in the Black Country nothing fancy just great food, bring your own drink. Prices are good it can get very busy on Friday and Saturday about 8 pm onwards so you may have a small wait.

Never dissapointed great food my favourite in Lye plenty of choice my favourites are the garlic chilli very spicy and the dansak take you own drinks and good value for money.

brilliant service take your own drinks and you must try a balti the staff will go out there way to make it a pleasant stay

I've been going here since I was about 14. I'm now 32. I travel 30mins to go to this one specifically and I live in Birmingham but nothing compares to the Spice. The food is epic every time we go.Try it, you won't be disappointed.

Really delicious and moorish baltis with fantastic nan breads. Take your own booze. We were 5 people and had starters, baltis, 3 rice, a table nan and a peshwari nan and the bill was £60. Very good value and top quality. Bu your cans/wine from the Londis down the road. So convenient.

Me and family have been coming to this curry house for many years now. Service is always efficient & food is spot on and very reasonably priced.

I've been coming here for years with my family, the food is always good and represents great value...staff are friendly and they always remember my son's name... always a 'hello Tom' and a handshake! keep up the good work...!

Have been visiting the Spice of Lyfe for over 20yrs . The food never disappoints excellent value. The staff staff are always helpful. You take your own alcohol.

Really nice restaurant, staff helpful, food really tasty and large portions sizes. We didn't book and got a table straight away but that was at 6.30 . Would go back adding

Great food and lovely staff. It's always where we go for Indian. Have tried other places in Lye but they don't match up : )

Lovely weeknight meal with good friends where we are all on a budget. Service good and food very tasty and fresh. £8.50 each meant a small tip. Will go back again definitely.

Another visit here with the family, good friendly local service and best of all amazing tasting curry! Chicken tikka karai! Perfect every time.

Not long back home from another visit to the Spice of Lyefe (for the umpteenth time)! Consistently good food at reasonable prices, this restaurant stands head and shoulders above the massive amount of competition in the small area of Lye and once again delivered the goods. Tandoori Fish to die for to start with, followed by a meat Rezalla bursting with tender, succulent chunks of lamb in a tasty, spicy sauce......excellent!The only criticism, if I wanted to be really picky, is the slightly off-putting garish pink sauce that comes with the (un-ordered) poppadoms as soon as you are seated......could do without that. Otherwise - top marks!

Been coming here for about 10 years with my family and have always loved it, waiters are friendly and know us instantly, food is always great and tastey, we have tried many curry houses around the west midlands and have to say this is our favorite by far! Good price and good portion size, unlicensed so bring your own drinks, works out even cheaper.

Arrived without booking and although they were busy they found us a table for four within less than 10 mins. The menu was varied and the prices were very reasonable. When our food arrived the size of the portions were very big, as were the varieties of Nan bread we ordered. We had the benefit of taking our own drinks and so overall an inexpensive night out.The waiters were very attentive and provided a quick and efficient service. Will be going here again on our next visit to the area

We have been visiting this restaurant for the past 6 years. We have always found the food of good quality. We noticed the bill had increased on our last 3 visits for the same meals we had ordered previously. When pointed out our meals were off the special menu and included rice or nan and therefore we should not having been paying for these as extras. We were eventually refunded the £10.00 extra costs incurred for the previous visits. We visited the restaurant again on Saturday evening only to experience exactly the scenario - overcharged by £4.00. We had the same conversation and received the same explanation "the waiter is new" this was exactly the same person who had overcharged us in the lasts 3 months. They then altered the amount payable accordingly. This spoils the restaurant as you do not want to have to query the bill when received as this is quite embarrassing and should not be happening. How many other customers are paying for extras unnecessarily.

I enjoyed my meal here. I ordered a Chicken Madras Balti and plain Naan. The madras was super hot, served with fresh chillies, the chicken was nice and tender. This was certainly the best madras I had eaten in years. When I asked for the bill I was surprised to see a couple of extra 50p charges. Not sure what they were for. I didn't quibble. Service was good, attentive and polite.

Excellent! Nothing more to say. Food is always first class and the service is normally pretty good. They rarely get an order wrong no matter how busy they are.Been there many times and hope to go many more.Rob

We got there early when it was not busy, we waited over an hour for the food, we were not offered a drink in all that time. My friend who is strictly vegan found a piece of chicken in his vegetable Balti. he was told he would not have to pay for that Balti but instead of getting the full amount, they rounded the bill to £50 which knocked about two pounds off. They amended it when we complained. I ordered a chefs special Mix Lajaub, it was more like an Italian dish but without the herbs so it was flavourless, yet cost a lot more than a basic Balti would have cost. They did not offer plates for those who prefer not to eat out of the Balti dish. All in all a very poor show.

popped in one night without planning anything. Wasnt put off by how quiet the place was, it was a very very cold Tuesday eveningfood good and tasty and very reasonably priced, BYOB. Will go again

I have had a variety of dishes, on various days and through delivery and sitting in. The quality of the food has never dipped whatsoever. It is a very humble place, with polite and friendly staff. I feel that this curry house is extremely underrated and much worse curry houses in Lye and Stourbridge are higher rated and I don't understand why.Brilliant experiences every time.

I've been going to my not so local curry house for over 15 years. I travel 30 minutes and drive past 20 different places to eat but this is my home of curries. Very very friendly and the food has never been less than 10/10. Top tip-order a large naan (it's the size of a small island) and get them to wrap it up and then you can eat it for your breakfast

This is a lovely traditional curry house turning out great dishes with spicy authenticity and light on the ghee ! I love their prawn dishes plus they do excellent fish n veggie dishes which all deliver on flavour. Nans are a good size, fresh n fluffy. You are spoilt for choice for curry houses in lye and yet we always pick this one so make of that what you will!

The food was ok. The main curries were very nice. However the paratha was extremely dry. My starter- garlic chicken- was also dry. I would have appreciated napkins instead of tissues aswell but for the price of the meal £25 for two of us, (2 courses), I couldn't really complain too much.

Best curry ever! went with my partner ,Served quickly cant wait to go back and not expensive either i had change from £20.

Lost count of the times we've been here over the years!Food is always good, promptly served and very very good value. Never had a bad meal and as you can take your own drinks (the Spar down the road is handy if you forget) it really keeps costs down. Kids like it too.

Claire and I wondered through Lye looking for somewhere and landed her as it didn't seem overly busy at 7:30 on a Friday night.I had mixed kebab starter and Chicken Jalfrezi she had onion bargees followed by chicken and spinach balti.Starters were really nice, my mixed kebab had large chunks of meat and it was very tasty, Claire's bargees were large and very nice.Mains were also very good, I'd asked for my Jalfrezi to be vindaloo hot, which it was, but mainly because of the green chillies that had been added not because extra chilli powder which would have made it very granular.Would definitely visit again.

Used to go here years ago and it was very good I enjoyed it, but went recently and did not enjoy it at all tasted powdery and I had a piece of string in it! will not be returning!!!

Good foodStaff not too friendlyVery limited eating spaceGood for children`s portionsBest balti`s Restricted parking

The best Indian restaurants are in Birmingham and the West Midlands and this is one of the best. Great service and excellent food, full of flavour. There is a huge menu to choose from with traditional Indian dishes and the adapted English style Indian dishes. There's alsI non-Indian dishes for the less adventurous.

Amazing restaurant staff are very pleasant and helpful, child friendly too even if you have really young infants. The menu has a wide range to choose from plus if there is something which isn't on the menu the staff gladly help to either try and give you an alternative or will cook you that item. Nothing isn't too much trouble for Abdul and his staff.The prices are very reasonable, the restaurant is very clean. If you within the area I would gladly recommend a visit .

The food is exceptional. We live 30 mins drie away but the journey is worth it.The curries are brilliant and excellent value for money. 6 of us ate last night and the bill was £57.I would recommend to anyone. It's brilliant One comment I would make, having been going to the place for 15 years, is that the service has gradually declined and I think the staff need to improve this. I have been a few times in the last couple of months and the staff make little effort - basically noneHowever, food wise it's perfection

Me and 3 others visited this restaurant last Saturday for the first time, as the idea of bringing our own alcohol was ideal. However, all I can say is that this place is the biggest waste of time, money and effort I have ever experienced. Where do I start.. Greeted on the door by no welcome and a very dull atmosphere by the staff. We were led to our table which was just shabby, napkins were paper, glasses were dirty and table was grubby. The staff brought out poppadoms and sauce (the sauce was PINK, and was tasteless)! We had the chicken tikka puree for started and the bread was deep fried dripping with greese - I have never had this starter bread fried before it was disgusting and inedible. The mains (lamb curry) was infact cheap fatty lamb mince meat... sorry but I have never expereinced this before. We never got asked if we would like desserts. The service was appauling - lack of smile, lack of warm welcomes and was totally disinterested in our customer. Never will we be returning, and will be advising everyone that I know never to go to the spice pf lyefe!!!

I wouldn't usually choose a 'take your own beer' place as a venue to eat out, however, we go here with my workmates as it keeps the cost down and makes it easy to split the bill.There are a lot of other places in the same street offering the same kind of food and the decor is not as nice as some of the other places. Nevertheless, Spice of Lyfe does offer consistently decent food across a number of dishes and their garlic naan bread is particularly fine. We always share a 'table naan' of the garlic naan and it is an excellent addition to any meal.The only downside - for me - is that the mint yoghurt with the poppadoms is pink, and only comes with onion salad whereas other places offer a chilli sauce or similar.If you're going for a curry night out in Lye - this is probably one of the better places to go.

I absolutely love going to the spice of Lyfe- really good curry and unbeatable value!I've learnt through bitter experience not to bother with a starter...due to the massive naan breads on offer to accompany the main- mg husband swears by the chilli cheese naan but I prefer the garlic! 4 of us ate curry rice and naan on Saturday night for £30- seriously you can't go wrong!

I've been using The Spice of Lyfe for many years now, and when in conversation, I always use the word 'consistency'. I tend to order a Chicken Jalfraezi on each visit (each 3 or 4 weeks) with it being 95%+ the same as the previous occasion.Abdul, the man on front desk, is very pleasant and obliging and seeming to have been there a lifetime, the waiting staff also. Always leave this restaurant fully contented :-)

I first ate at 'Spice of Lyfe' over 15 years ago, and it has always been an excellent place to go for a curry. Other curry houses in Lye have come and gone, or have been renamed, but Spice of Lyfe has always been there, ever reliable.We went back last night for a curry, our first visit in a very long time. It was a busy Saturday night, but we managed to get a table as a walk-in. It got busier and busier as we ate, so booking on Fridays and Saturdays would be a good idea.I had a nargis kebab to start. To be honest, it wasn't a classic - the lamb patty was a little dry and underseasoned, and was not as tasty as it could have been.For main course, I had my all-time favourite at this curry house, butter chicken, and it was as good as ever - lovely chunks of tender chicken in a gorgeous creamy sauce. We also shared mushroom rice and the best keema naan we have ever had anywhere - it was almost a meal on its own !This place is a bargain, especially as you can bring your own drinks. The bill for two adults having a starter, a main each, and the sides as mentioned above came to around £24, so great value. The service was also very friendly and efficient.Highly recommended if you are in the Stourbridge area and want a good curry at a bargain price, at what is a Midlands curry institution.

In a world where the latest "Fine Dining" and "Contemporary Cuisine" fad is all around us, somewhere the humble Balti was forgotten, but not here!!!Oh no, you want a Balti?? this is the place to come.Sizzling hot Balti pots filled with tasty Balti - CHECKSpice levels that are actually correct (Madras is a real madras!!) - CHECKNaan breads that would feed a family - CHECK (Might I add the garlic naans are amazing!)Can take own booze - CHECKA price that makes you feel like you have robbed them - CHECKIf you want simplicity, quality food that will satisfy then I highly recommend this venue.I shall return very soon!!

I will keep this review simple.... SPOT ON quality never disappointed .. The staff are tradition and shy but the food is 1st class... Go try it and judge for your self

The Spice has been open for many a year in Lye, others come and go but the Spice is always there ....... That should tell you something!The best curry by far, try the specials, if you don't want it hot say, if you want it very hot say, it's easy really. I've never had any trouble with the staff but I do agree it runs much smoother when the main man is on the desk, he keeps a tight ship and the food comes out much quicker. The portion sizes are very generous and it's not just sauce like some places, here you a guaranteed lots of meat, chicken, fish etc.Try it you might be converted.

I had the life changing opportunity in the spice of lyefe, I guess I had what you would call ‘the way of the ninja’ experience. A lifetime of ninjitsu training in a remote Japanese dojo had made me realise the chef was a perfect and relentless killing machine. Eventually, however, I could no longer ignore the ethical and moral implications of his trade. I turned my back on my former life and set about making an honest living. The one thing I could do is enjoy… I had ordered a Banoffee pie- the chef had sliced the banana into perfect, even slices. His work was a wonder to behold.I was on top of the world…I’ve never tasted a desert so exquisite. At first no other restaurant could tickle my taste buds, I had blamed the economy, the governments and paedophiles, but a luxury service like the ‘spice of lyefe’ surely would be the answers to my prayers. I felt pity for the other restaurants for which I had visited, a pity which was planted deep within my soul for some time now, for it was the ‘spice of lyefe’ who have cured my depression and lustfulness for their food.One night, feeling sorry for a mistress, I decided to bestow upon her a gift. i had called upon the spice of lyefe to fulfil my request. How delighted she would be? I thought to myself, when she awoke in the morning and found a perfectly sliced banoffee, just waiting there to be devoured. To my delight, she had savoured each bite of this luxury.For my fellow bredrins on tripadvisor, I truly recommend the spice of life for a prestigious, flavourful and exotic service like no other- for now they are and always will be in my heart and saved on my sim card.

Me and my family came here to eat as a little reunion party. We've tried most of the restaurants on the street and it seemed as though we'd neglected this one, so we thought we'd give it a go. Maybe have a laugh if were to be bad.We we're seated by a handsome chap and we were given our menus. It took only seconds for another young man to bring out our papadums and side dishes. It was nice to munch on while having our casual chats and searching up the menus. But of course this place still had some stuff to prove comparing it to the other restaurants on the street. The handsome chap was back to take away our finished starters and the little Waiter came and took our order.While waiting for our food, my family and I caught up whilst taking in the atmosphere, which gave a very exotic Indian feel. We got our food probably within 20 minutes which were sizzling in their Balti dishes. Nice touch.The food was perfect. It tasted divine. I honestly would say that I've regretted not visiting here previously. The food is definitely worth the money and the best on the street in my opinion. Definitely feel guilty for not coming here earlier.I've haven't had the opportunity to dine there again but I've been ordering out plenty of times and the food is just as good as the restaurant experience. Definitely recommend dining there or at least having a take out.

I came here to celebrate my nieces birthday with other family members. We went in to have a good curry. We mentioned to one of the waiters that it was my nieces birthday. Out of no where a young lad came towards us with an after eight with a lighted candle on top and the whole restaurant sang happy birthday, it was hilarious. Also the food was magnificent, I didn't have good curry in ages and this restaurant made me realise how good a Indian Balti. I really recommend this place as the atmosphere is friendly, and the service was superb.

Me and my two friends came to the restaurant on a Friday night. When entering the facility we were greeted by a gentleman at the counter who stated we would need to wait for 5 minutes for a table. This 5 minute wait actually turned out to be 15 minutes.Upon being seated at the table it took nearly 30 minutes for a waiter to come over to us, however, this was not due to the fact he was taking our order, no, he decided to the take the menu's away from us. After explaining the situation he then took our orders where he seemed flustered and seemed like he wanted to walk away.Once the order was placed it took 15 minutes before the drinks to be served and a further 45 minutes until the starter was served, this is where only two of the three starters were served with a 5 minute wait for my other friend. The quality of the food was okay, however, the portion size was quite small and the salad seemed dry and crunchy,The main course was delivered with a cheese naan, which looked as though a handful of grated cheese was thrown on top of the naan with nothing in between. the main course was a Chicken Balti, which tasted okay, however, the following day chronic stomach cramps followed and required several trips to the toilet throughout the day.This restaurant was recommended by my friend, and I would recommend this restaurant if you like poor service, disorganised staff and average food quality. Furthermore, no alcoholic drinks are served, which is the icing on the cake to such a well built up yet anti climax of a Indian Cuisine.

As a group we eat here at least once a week.Granted ...its not fancy, but the food is consistantly good.We`re always warmly greeted by the manager and staff, and the the service is generally very good .It does get very busy at times but the chef will not send food out unless its right,Take your own drinks and enjoy. !!!

We had booked a table for 9, but when we arrived. The owner seemed to see us, as an added problem, even though we were clearly in his book. We then had to wait 15 mins to try and catch a waiters attention, when we did the waiter, would say 'yes' and just walk off. When we finally did get served, the food was sub standard. Every curry looked the same. When my Rogan gosh arrived, i thought i was in an Italian. It tasted more like a ragu. No spice. My wife ordered a medium - hot curry, which resembled tomato soup. The spice of lyefe wouldn't know what a chilli looked like. Don't go there. You will like we did. Robbed.

Visited with three friends on a Saturday evening. Although we arrived very late for our booking we only had to wait for a few minutes before another table was found for us, even though the restaurant was very busy. Poppadoms and dips were provided very quickly whilst we looked through the extensive menu. Starters were a little slow in arriving, but worth the wait. The waiter was very helpful in assisting us to make a choice of main course, and when they arrived they were delicious, and the accompanying naan breads were cooked perfectly. Our friends were very impressed and thought it was the best curry they had ever tasted! At under £50 for four, with tips it was also good value for money.

Overall a good experience. Poppadoms were fresh and accompanied by a selection of dips. The chicken chaat starter was a disappointment, just a bit of chicken tikka with salad and no puri. MAin courses were good, baltis and house specials. One of our group had the madras which was more like a vindaloo! Chips with it were nice and the garlic naan breads a good size and tasty. I've been before and wouldn't hesitate to go back. For those who want to take alcohol there's an off-licence next door.

We went to Spice Of Lyfe because we couldn't get a table in Harry's a few doors down. I'd heard good things about it, plus it has been here for many years, so we thought it was worth a try. We arrived, got seated fairly quickly, but were then waiting for around 15 minutes for our orders to be taken. The starters were all very good when they arrived, but the mains took a while to arrive. When they did arrive, they were unbelievably spicy. I always opt for the chicken pathia, but I could only eat about half of it. The others in our group had the same sort of problem. While this was happening, there was a table of drunks sat next to us, who weren't exactly quiet! I wouldn't come here again!

I went to this restaurant with my family as a birthday treat for me.We were seated within 5 minutes of arriving at 18.55We had to wait for the menus. They gave us 15 minutes to go over the menu before they came back and took our orders.We ordered our food and 15 minutes later our starters came out. however only 3 of the 4 we had ordered had turned up and then had to wait another 5 minutes after we had asked for the forth one..The mains took over an hour to reach our table. We had only taken less than ten minutes to eat our starters.At 20.55 our main food came out to the table and again had to wait for the forth meal to come out.Two tables next to us got up and left as they were waiting just as long as we were.There was plenty of staff on duty.On the upside The food was very good.Would I go again, maybe, however if I did go again, I would ask how long before we get our main meals.

First visited the Spice of Lyfe in 1998 and continue to return, we love it! On our most recent visit (Valentines night) we arrived but hadn't booked, we were seated within 5 minutes. We had poppadoms and main meals. My husband opted for a chicken Pathia with spinach and as always I had the chicken dhansak, we shared a naan and chips. Both meals were piping hot and delicious. This restaurant is not licensed but you are free to take your own drinks. Jugs of water are available. We will continue to use Spice of Lyfe, it is one of our favourite places to eat and our children love it too. Would highly recommend!!

My second time to visit here in 6 months. I phoned to book a table a few days before but on arrival we were given a table by the front door which is normally used as an overspill area or for people that haven't booked so not a very good start!We both ordered starters which were ok but although we appreciated that they were busy that night we waited over 45 minutes for our mains which is not what you expect!Food was average too unlike my last visit where we thought it was good enough for a second visit!

Been to the spice of life many times. Service always great and friendly . Complimentary popodoms each onion salad and mint dipOrdered pakoras for starter for my partner and prawn purée . The purée was massive could easily feed 2 people as a started was so tasty.Spot on !!Took our own drinks in as it's unlicensed so a trip to spar before hand. Ordered a chicken tikka madras and chicken balti again very tasty with a keema naan and a chapati. Naan was massive too. All in all came to 22.75 bargain !!

We have a large choice of Indian restaurants to choose from in our area... But we do keep getting drawn back to this traditional Balti.. Staff always friendly but not in your face as some contemporary restaurants seem to be these days.. They are a little more formal. Naan's are superb, and the mains are always fresh and tasty..and served in metal Balti dishes that are very hot so watch you don't burn yourself. Soft drinks are available but otherwise you take your own drinks...

Very friendly staff, superb food, beautifully decorated plates !Never had a bad meal there, can highly recommend

Visited on a mission to try again all of the restaurants in Lye. Had not been here for a year or so, and it is not up to the high standard of other places in Lye High Street. Starters, Chicken Tikka and Chicken Shashllk were enormous, but that was all that was memorable. We had four separate main meals but they all looked the same, Staff were friendly enough, but we shall not be back for a while.

Last minute change of plan and a trip to Lye for a quality curryUnfortunately the meal did not live up to expectations, Prawn Puree and Sheek kebab starters were both bland, the Sheek kebabs required seasoning.Mix Lajauab Chef special was not fairly hot as stated on the menu, more like a Bhuna, overall meal, 5/10Cant see the attraction and why the place is busy

Best takeaway in lye quality food, you get what you order, very tasty and large portions.Sagwala very nice, garlic naan bread the best I've ever had.mmmmm, definitely worth a go, not eaten in so can't give an opinion.

We have been going to the spice of lyfe for over 20 years. Had our best meal ever yesterday so had to write a review. Food is consistent and garlic mans are to die for. Others come and go but the spice of lyfe goes strong. You will not regret a visit here.

On the whole I don't rate Birmingham's Balti Belt. Too much of the macho "who can eat the hottest balti" disguising poor quality food. Lye's restaurants are a much better bet and over the years I have tried most of them. In my opinion this is the pick of them and we eat here most weeks. What it does, it does well. It's a balti, basing its food on a small number of pre prepared sauces; that's what baltis do, but SOL does it well. Tasty food, ideal for dunking the delicious naan bread into the delightful balti sauce. We are a mixed couple, vegetarian and non veggie and there are numerous options for us both. Vegetables are not as numerous as in many baltis but it's always worth asking (why is bhindi not on the menu when it is available?) Service is friendly without going over the top. It has to compete with its numerous local rivals so value is excellent, even more so as with most West Midland baltis you bring your own alcohol with no corkage charge.

I cannot enthuse enough at how great this restaurant is. Ok, it's not pretending to be the next Rick Stein's, but it's cheap, cheerful and consistently good. Here's an itinerary of our usual night out in Lye:1 Free car-park round the back of opposite shops2 Trip to Spar for some cans3 Enter Spice of Lyfe, request table and wait (there is a 'front' and back area. The front contains about 5 tables and is a little out of the action so make sure that you can go through to the back. There's also upstairs but I believe this is for 'grande' parties)4 Receive table and FREE FREE FREE poppadoms - the best and largest tasted, pink mint juice - delicious- and onion.5 Order food (if it's a weekend there can be a reasonable wait but the atmosphere is bustling and it'll be worth it!) But don't try to make the waiters laugh because it won't work.6 Eat food. The naans are ginormous so have one between two or even three! And the lamb is suspiciously muttony but the chicken dishes are wonderful and the keema naans are a revelation.7. Pay for two main-courses with a ten and a five. Get two free after-eights off lovely Abdul.8.Get someone to roll you back to the car.If you are offended by the weird decor (wooden brick effect) and if it's quiet enough to hear the intense jangly tunes then don't turn away - you'll be making a huge mistake! Personally I'd go for the murghi makkoni (creamy tomato tandoori chicken) but you can't go wrong with a balti either. Babies and grannies are everywhere too, so bring the whole team!

We have been going to this restaurant for around 10 years and it has never waivered on great tasting food. They're always accommodating with my picky eating and very friendly. The food is yummy and plentiful (I don't think we've ever been able to finish it!) and it is nice and quiet so you can have a chat. The value of the meals is amazing- even between 3 or 4 of us the bill has never come to more the £20. You can bring your own drinks if you like, as most curry houses do in the area.Oh, and they give you an After Eight chocolate on your way out :p

We have been going to the Spice for the last 6 years and wouldn't go anywhere else for a curry. Staff are always friendly, food great, garlic naan breads are out of this world! Fantastic!