Spice Merchant - Crookham Village

We had a fantastic evening with friends! Even though we didn't have a reservation for a Friday night, the restaurant was able to accommodate us with a table for three. The service, food, and atmosphere were all outstanding—I couldn’t find a single thing to complain about. Thank you for taking such good care of us! Food: 5, Service: 5, Atmosphere: 5.

I ordered a takeaway at 6:30 PM and I live only a 5-minute drive away, according to Google Maps. Being a Saturday, we anticipated they would be busy, but when the food hadn’t arrived by 8:00 PM, we called to inquire. We were informed that they had indeed been busy and that our order was on the way. Reasonably, we expected it to arrive by 8:10 PM. Instead, it showed up at 8:25 PM. Although we are situated in a courtyard, the Waze app should guide you directly to our door. Unfortunately, the driver got lost, and when I stepped outside to help, they asked if I knew where my house number was! It’s a pity it took so long because when the food finally arrived, it was delicious. To improve this experience, a message indicating how busy they are along with a realistic wait time would help customers make a more informed decision.

The food was outstanding, but the service was disappointing. I had to remind the staff twice that they had forgotten a Diet Pepsi from our drink order. Additionally, they overlooked one of our four main course orders, causing the three of us who received our meals to wait until the fourth arrived after a reminder. They did offer us complimentary desserts, but unfortunately, they didn't deduct the cost from the final bill, which I had to bring up again. It's truly unfortunate, especially considering how delicious the food was.

I enjoyed my meal, however, I cannot remember what I had. Parking: At the back of the spice merchant. Price per person: £50–60 Food: 5 Service: 4 Atmosphere: 4 Parking space: Somewhat difficult to find parking Parking options: Free parking lot

The lovely flavours of the penang curry I had were totally let down by the chewy slices of beef it contained. The satay chicken starter was pretty much the same, great flavours but the dry overcooked meat was a disappointment. The young staff were courteous but I feel they lacked training, one visibly rolled her eyes when we changed our mind whilst ordering. Overall could do better. Food: 3