Sea Spice | A vibrant Indian restaurant in Aldeburgh
This year it was one of the finalists in the 'Best International Restaurant' category at the Suffolk Food & Drink Awards and Sea Spice definitely deserves to be up there among the best. Located in the coastal town of Aldeburgh, Sea Spice Restaurant (at the White Lion Hotel) combines Suffolk’s finest produce and contemporary Indian dishes to create an exotic dining experience.
With Head Chef Pratap Singh Rawat at the helm, Sea Spice stays true to the intricacies and flavours of Indian cuisine. Chef Rawat comes from a family of chefs. He began his career in India with Oberoi Hotels and helped them set up fine Indian restaurants all over the world before arriving in the UK in 2005. Prior to joining Sea Spice, he has worked with some popular fine dining Indian restaurants like Chor Bizarre, Benares and Tamarind.
During our recent visit to Aldeburgh, we dined here and it was truly an interesting experience. We let the staff know that we both were vegetarians and the friendly and engaging staff made sure that we had a wonderful dinner.
First to be brought to the table were a selection of nibbles - Crispy Coated Okra, Bhajis and Masala Poppadums with a trio of chutneys - lovely textures and a wonderful mix of flavours. Chef Rawat is a master of spices and certainly knows how and when to turn up the heat. A good case in point was one of the other nibbles - Roasted Cashew Nuts - hot and spicy, the crunchiness of cashews combined with hot spices and tangy seasoning to create a full-flavoured and addictive snack. Delicious!
Next up were the starters. We ordered Samosa Chat (Vegetable samosa with chickpeas and tamarind) and Bhel Puri (Flaked rice with onions, tomatoes, tamarind and chutneys) - popular Bombay street food. Both were beautifully presented and wonderfully flavoured - the right ratio of spiciness, tanginess and sweetness, making the dishes lip-smackingly good.
For the main course, we opted for Paneer Butter Masala (Cottage cheese spiced and simmered with tomato) as it is one of our favourite curries. And we were not disappointed. It was fabulous - incredibly flavoursome, creamy gravy and perfect seasoning. We also enjoyed some sides courtesy of the chef - Tadka Dal (Yellow Lentils with garlic and fresh coriander), Dal Makhani (Black lentils with cream) and the beautifully cooked and very moreish Achari Baigan (Aubergine with ginger, tomatoes and pickle). Our choice of bread was Butter Naan and Chilli Naan, both of which were cooked to perfection.
We were far too full by this point of time but we did manage a desert - the scrumptious Gulab Jamun, a sweet and comforting way to end the meal.
Overall, we loved Sea Spice. The atmosphere was relaxed, the staff friendly and attentive and the service prompt. And the food excellent! We will definitely return when we are next in the area.
Sea Spice | The White Lion Hotel, Market Cross Pl, Aldeburgh, Suffolk, IP15 5BJ
To book a table, call 01728 451800
We were guests of the White Lion Hotel but all views expressed, as always, are genuine and our own.
With Head Chef Pratap Singh Rawat at the helm, Sea Spice stays true to the intricacies and flavours of Indian cuisine. Chef Rawat comes from a family of chefs. He began his career in India with Oberoi Hotels and helped them set up fine Indian restaurants all over the world before arriving in the UK in 2005. Prior to joining Sea Spice, he has worked with some popular fine dining Indian restaurants like Chor Bizarre, Benares and Tamarind.
During our recent visit to Aldeburgh, we dined here and it was truly an interesting experience. We let the staff know that we both were vegetarians and the friendly and engaging staff made sure that we had a wonderful dinner.
What We Ate
First to be brought to the table were a selection of nibbles - Crispy Coated Okra, Bhajis and Masala Poppadums with a trio of chutneys - lovely textures and a wonderful mix of flavours. Chef Rawat is a master of spices and certainly knows how and when to turn up the heat. A good case in point was one of the other nibbles - Roasted Cashew Nuts - hot and spicy, the crunchiness of cashews combined with hot spices and tangy seasoning to create a full-flavoured and addictive snack. Delicious!
Next up were the starters. We ordered Samosa Chat (Vegetable samosa with chickpeas and tamarind) and Bhel Puri (Flaked rice with onions, tomatoes, tamarind and chutneys) - popular Bombay street food. Both were beautifully presented and wonderfully flavoured - the right ratio of spiciness, tanginess and sweetness, making the dishes lip-smackingly good.
For the main course, we opted for Paneer Butter Masala (Cottage cheese spiced and simmered with tomato) as it is one of our favourite curries. And we were not disappointed. It was fabulous - incredibly flavoursome, creamy gravy and perfect seasoning. We also enjoyed some sides courtesy of the chef - Tadka Dal (Yellow Lentils with garlic and fresh coriander), Dal Makhani (Black lentils with cream) and the beautifully cooked and very moreish Achari Baigan (Aubergine with ginger, tomatoes and pickle). Our choice of bread was Butter Naan and Chilli Naan, both of which were cooked to perfection.
We were far too full by this point of time but we did manage a desert - the scrumptious Gulab Jamun, a sweet and comforting way to end the meal.
Overall, we loved Sea Spice. The atmosphere was relaxed, the staff friendly and attentive and the service prompt. And the food excellent! We will definitely return when we are next in the area.
Sea Spice | The White Lion Hotel, Market Cross Pl, Aldeburgh, Suffolk, IP15 5BJ
To book a table, call 01728 451800
We were guests of the White Lion Hotel but all views expressed, as always, are genuine and our own.
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