The Spice Exchange

Awful place - ordered a mild aloo balti (amongst other things) as a takeaway, food arrived and the balti was full of cream and the potatoes were green! Called to complain and was told it was my own fault for asking for the balti to be mild because the only way to make it mild is to use cream (am I being dense or would less spice make it mild?!) . Have had mild baltis in many restaurants and NEVER been given a bowl of cream!so I asked for some other food to be sent out and was told the driver was gone! No apology for horrible green potatoes and I'm left with no dinner despite paying out £20!! disgraceful place.

I have been going to Spice Exchange for more years now than I care to remember. Located in Cotteridge (which unfortunately I think has a dirth of good indian restaurants) this is a great restaurant. It was probably one of the first smarter Indian restaurants in the city. The food is fresh, interesting and really good and the staff, some of whom have been there for a long time, are friendly and efficient. The best dish they do is the chilli fish - more Indian restaurants do fish now but when they first started, many didn’t and this was really unusual dish for its smokey flavours. They also do fantastic tarka dall.

We have taken many friends here and I can honestly say that not a single one has been disappointed.

After many years of trying the other disappointing restaurants in Cotteridge/Stirchley for takeaways, we have finally decided it just isn’t worth it and now have takeaways from here as well even if they are slightly more expensive. You can’t compromise on quality!

This is a great restaurant really good food, friendly staff and cobra on draft ,decor is modern.I have become a regular for both sit in meals and takeaways,slightly dearer than most, but worth the extra and still great value.

I am used to the kind of Indian restaurant where the decor is rather dated - all dark red with flocked wallpaper and chintz, tropical fish in tanks and the like - so the Spice Exchange came as a very pleasant surprise when I first visited. The decor is modern and vibrant, and the food is fresh and fabulous! The staff are polite and attentive, and able to accommodate requests - for example if you are tentative about a more spicy dish they will take the edge off it with some yogurt. Again having tasted pre-prepared Indian cuisine for many years I was somewhat surprised to taste the range of fresh spices and flavours - a real eye-opener!

Over the years I've been many, many times to the Spice Exchange and have never been disappointed. It is the kind of place that you return to time and time again for a reassuringly good meal, but it is also the type of place you are happy to take visiting friends to to 'show off' something a bit different.