Travel Book Logs

Frequent visits to Bombay in the last few months have given me an opportunity to experience some great cuisine and night life of this great city.  In particular Bandra with its hip and trendy lifestyle has been a lot of fun.  Shopping in Bandra at places like Hill Road, Linking Road etc is always fun.  The Bandstand and the beautiful churches in the area are some of the attractions not to be missed.  Driving past the Chuvim fishing village with its quaint little houses is a pleasure.  Pali Hill and the Pali naka with its little hole in the wall eating joints is always a never miss spot.

Earlier this year while driving on Hill Road I noticed the Spice Tree restaurant near the old Kobe’s.  Walking in for lunch was pleasant and service was friendly.  Ambience is very nice with a spicy theme to the three sections of the restaurant – Cinammon, Cardamom and Clove.   Clove is the open air section at the back of the restaurant with the Cinammon and Cardamom up in front.  Food is a mix of coastal and continental with a reasonable dose of Indian.   Full bar service is available for refuge from Bombay’s sultry weather and I was happy to see that they offered Valet Parking service.  Convenient considering that they are located right on one of the busy end of Hill Road opposite St Andrew’s Church.

This is easily one of the best seafood restaurants in the Bandra area.  I recommend the Creamy Crab Meat Soup which friends and family now fondly call the Dreamy Creamy Craby Soup.  The Koliwada Prawns are what I order along with my Mangalore Fish Curry and Rice made with a choice of fresh fish for the day – Pomfrit, Kingfish or Mackerel.  I order the Bombay Duck fry (which is a fish by the way) along with the drinks but some may like the prawns first.  The squid is also an excellent option with the drinks for those who favour a sip and chew before the main course.  On days when I am looking for a lighter version of the meal I ask for their excellent oppums or Neer dosas.   These come fresh off the pan served in plates with banana leaves at the bottom giving them a touch of the south.

A very attractive option is the fish of the day which Spice Tree tends to push to all customers.  If you are the type that likes to order the best of what the place likes to offer then this is a fun choice.  They bring the biggest fresh fish on a platter along with some recommendations on the preparation.  If you want the authentic Bombay version ask for the fish to be fried with stuffed massala.  They do offer a lemon butter variation for those who prefer a less spicy option.  In May this year I happened to be there during a crab festival and there was a lot of fun with the children enjoying the live crabs on display.  I have to admit the crabs were prepared very well in a superb curry with a coconut cilly peppper massala later.

Restaurant Address and Contact Information:

Fernandez Villa, 95
Hill Road
Bandra (W)
Mumbai – 400 050

Phones: 022 – 26405161, 26405053

How to get there:

Ask for St Andrews Church on HIll Road.
If you are approaching from Bandstand side its on your right.

Dinner for two should cost about Rs 2,500 plus taxes.