Helmsley Spice - York

David P.

Loved it. The restaurant was packed on a Thursday night but we still had great service and delicious food. Highly recommended. We have eaten at many Indian restaurants and this was definitely up there with best. Pls note, it's cash only when paying which we were unaware of however there is a cash machine a few feet away so it wasn't a problem.

Kaled A. C.

Absolutely Incredible! 5 Stars
I recently visited Helmsley Spice in York, and I can't recommend it enough! From the moment I stepped inside, I was greeted with warm, friendly service, making me feel right at home. The menu offers a wide variety of mouth-watering dishes, all packed with authentic flavors and fresh ingredients. Every bite was a delight — the spices were perfectly balanced, and the portion sizes were generous.

The ambiance was cozy and inviting, with a relaxed atmosphere that made for an enjoyable dining experience. The staff were attentive and knowledgeable, offering great recommendations for those new to Indian cuisine.

Whether you're a fan of classic dishes or looking to try something new, Helmsley Spice delivers on every front. If you're in York and craving high-quality, flavorful Indian food, this is the place to go. Will definitely be returning!

Freddi G.

After a fairly alright night of food I asked the waiter for the card machine to pay the bill, only to instantly be interrupted by another waiter to say I’m a regular and I know it’s cash only from him shouting across other tables in a very sarcastic manner. I said to him I’ve never been before as I’m not even from anywhere near Helmsley and here for the weekend! For him to say he knows all his customers and laugh at this point everyone has stopped eating to watch what he was saying to me. There was no indication that’s it’s cash only before the meal and I have never been here before but definitely won’t be coming back. Not once have I written a bad review but after paying for a service I don’t expect to be called a liar when trying to pay the bill and laughed at.

max W.

The best curry in the whole of england! If you are looking for heaven in a mouthful the Helmsley Spice Butter Chicken is what you are looking for. Served best with a pila rice and some popadons it will change your life for the better. The restaurant itself is lovely to eat in but the take away is the best on the planet. I have been all around the country having take away Indians - especially London, I have had 12 different indians in London alone and none could even vaguely compete against Helmsley Spice. If you want to live a life of fulfilment then make the journey - no matter if you live in Kirkby or Paris.

Sophie

Delicious! Lots of variety and some dishes I’d never tried before. Lamb was perfect, melt in the mouth.
Huge kudos to them for being the only place serving food until late - a real saviour at the end of a long day.
As others have pointed out, they only take cash.
I’d also suggest that they get some jugs for tap water for the table - having to ask for a glass of tap water every few minutes felt a bit embarrassing (turns out I can’t handle my spice as well as I thought haha!). But otherwise great!

Irina (.

Overall, it is worth a visit, but there was a few not so good points for us.

We had to wait an hour to actually start eating. Starting from 10 minutes when they forgot to give us a menu.

Ordering food we were said that the recent Putin's business means their suppliers raised prices and lamb is sold at king prawn's values. The place is surrounded with the fields of lamb but ok. My husband used it as opportunity to choose king prawns, but I like the taste of lamb, so chose that. And judging how hard it was, it was born well before Putin. Don't order lamb.

Order more poppadoms, because they are served with a _lot of tasty sauce.

Except of the truly horrible Captain's Choice with lamb, the rest of the food was delicious. See the video I attached with sizzling plates!

The first waiter, who forgot to give us the menu, quietly moved. The other guy was very smiley and served us really well, so got good tip 🙂 Great management.

We came in just before 7pm and got a table without booking. In 20minutes the restaurant was packed. I saw a few people waiting for takeaways, sitting on chairs in main hall among the eaters. They mentioned 15 people pre-booked this rather small place (by the way -mind the wooden beams!). Do book your table early. And, probably, look elsewhere if you are concerned about Covid.

George B.

Good food and a lovely, warm, friendly atmosphere. Staff were polite and good. Food was spot on, and the portions were huge. When I'm back in the area, I will be returning.

Amran A.

Me and some friends were staying at Studford Lodge for a few nights and decided we needed a curry so chose this place for a takeaway… I didn’t know what to expect but the food was absolutely fantastic and they cooked it to exactly how we wanted.. Thank you