Killay Spice
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Quick info
About Killay Spice
On Gower Rd in Swansea, Killay Spice is an Indian restaurant with no reservations, taking walk-ins for anyone dropping by. The menu includes a salmon main course, served with a variety of vegetables in a coconut and curry leaf sauce as an alternative to the standard curry lineup. Portions across the dishes come large, making the format suited to sharing or a hungrier appetite. The counter handles orders directly since seating is on a walk-in basis rather than by table booking. This straightforward approach keeps the focus on the food itself rather than any added formality around how it's served or booked.
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Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention large portions, lamb shank curry, salmon with coconut sauce and chicken tikka masala.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention large portions, lamb shank curry, salmon with coconut sauce and chicken tikka masala.
Customer Review Summary
Friendly, helpful staff are what reviewers raise most, from a waiter who chatted with a family and offered to add paneer to a vegetable biryani, to servers who kept a party of 22 supplied with drinks and brought out the right hot dishes on time. The food comes close behind, with large portions and praise for the lamb shank curry served with rice and a vegetable curry, a salmon main in coconut and curry leaf sauce, onion bhajee, garlic king prawns and the poppadoms and chutney tray. Reviewers also describe some misses. One found the Chicken Tikka Masala too sweet, another said the vindaloo had no heat while the kochi was much spicier, and one felt the cooking sits between authentic and modern. Desserts were called an afterthought with few traditional sweets. One reviewer reports a hair on a starter plate, dried food inside a menu and a musty carpet smell, and another dislikes the naan arriving pre-cut. Wine orders reportedly slow service, though one waiter packed a diner's leftovers to take away.
Customer Review Summary
Friendly, helpful staff are what reviewers raise most, from a waiter who chatted with a family and offered to add paneer to a vegetable biryani, to servers who kept a party of 22 supplied with drinks and brought out the right hot dishes on time. The food comes close behind, with large portions and praise for the lamb shank curry served with rice and a vegetable curry, a salmon main in coconut and curry leaf sauce, onion bhajee, garlic king prawns and the poppadoms and chutney tray. Reviewers also describe some misses. One found the Chicken Tikka Masala too sweet, another said the vindaloo had no heat while the kochi was much spicier, and one felt the cooking sits between authentic and modern. Desserts were called an afterthought with few traditional sweets. One reviewer reports a hair on a starter plate, dried food inside a menu and a musty carpet smell, and another dislikes the naan arriving pre-cut. Wine orders reportedly slow service, though one waiter packed a diner's leftovers to take away.
Featured reviews
- Google user
“Food is delicious. Large portions. Abdul is a great host and the staff are very helpful. Nice buzzy atmosphere. Very clean and tidy. Would recommend highly. The lamb shank curry dish is particularly good and comes with rice and a vegetable curry included.”
- Google user
“Two of us went tried the tikka hubby had garlic King prawns followed by a chicken dopiaza and hubby duck tikka masala. The onion bajhee were fab . Service was second to none without being over powering. Waiter even packed mine up to takeaway”
- Google user
“Staff at Killay Spice tonight I can not find any fault in their service and the food. 10/10 for our overall experience. There was a party of 22 people in one sitting. They made sure everyone was comfortable. Staff made sure everyone had drinks on arrival, and they did not stop all night. Everyone had the correct food brought out to the table. All food was hot, flavoursome and on time. A round of applause to Sami and Leyton the servers for handling such a big party with ease ! Thank you so much for helping the night run so smoothly without any hiccups. It was amazing. The variety of different dishes that were had by all were spectacular. From salmon, lamb, chicken, and vegetarian/vegan options. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed.”
- Google user
“We stopped by Killay Spice spontaneously on a Sunday evening while traveling, mainly because there weren't many other options open. Overall, it was an average experience with a few hits and misses: - Cleanliness & Atmosphere: Cleanliness was just okay. Unfortunately, we found a hair on our starter plate, and one of the menus had dried food stuck inside it. The restaurant has carpet flooring, which feels quite impractical for a dining space and gives off a slightly musty smell. - Food: The food was acceptable, but generally on the sweeter side—especially the Chicken Tikka Masala, which was way too sweet for our taste. - Service & Wait Time: The waiters were friendly, though they acted a bit quirky/weird at times. The wait time for our food was also a bit too long. - Prices were reasonable for what you get. It does the job if you need a quick, spontaneous meal on a Sunday night, but there is definitely room for improvement regarding cleanliness and overall ambiance.”
- Google user
“This was my first time visiting Killay Spice, which is surprising given how long it’s been around. I remember it being there over 20 years ago, so I went in expecting something genuinely standout. When a place lasts that long, you assume it’s either exceptional or doing something very right. After visiting, it’s pretty clear what that is. The service is what carries this place. The main waiter in particular was excellent. Friendly, chatty, approachable, and genuinely made the whole experience enjoyable. It’s not fine dining, but the way you’re looked after makes it feel like somewhere you want to sit and stay. That alone explains why people keep coming back. The food, though, is where it gets a bit conflicted. It’s good, but not as strong as you’d expect for a place with this kind of reputation and history. Some dishes felt more authentic than others, while a few felt a bit middle of the road. It never quite commits to being truly authentic or particularly modern, and ends up sitting somewhere in between. I travel quite a bit with work and eat a lot of Indian food in different cities, so I do have a good reference point for what feels authentic and what stands out. Against that background, this is enjoyable but not particularly memorable in terms of depth or authenticity. Desserts were the biggest letdown. There was very little in the way of traditional Indian sweets, and nothing that really stood out. It felt like an afterthought, which is a shame because that’s an easy way to leave a lasting impression. If this place opened today in the current food scene, I’m not convinced the food alone would carry it. Standards are so high now and there’s so much competition that you either need to be pushing something new or going all in on authenticity. Sitting in the middle doesn’t quite cut it anymore. That said, I did enjoy the evening and I would go back. The service is genuinely top tier and that’s what makes the place what it is. It’s just a case of the food not quite living up to the same standard yet.”
Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Good to know
- AccessibilityWheelchair: entrance, parking lot, restroom, seating
Amenities
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
Show more amenities
- Accessibility· 3
- Wheelchair accessible parking lot
- Wheelchair accessible restroom
- Wheelchair accessible seating
Location
Indian restaurants near Killay Spice
- Raj Kitchen Swansea4.71,1163.3 mi
chicken biryani, chicken lollipop, birthday celebration touches
- Rasoi Waterfront4.41,4783.8 mi
gulab jamun, biryani, lamb bao
- Azad Tandoori4.7953.9 mi
generous portion sizes, poppadoms, chicken tikka masala
| Place | Rating | Distance | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Killay Spice | 4.2276 | — | large portions, lamb shank curry, salmon with coconut sauce |
| Raj Kitchen Swansea | 4.71,116 | 3.3 mi | chicken biryani, chicken lollipop, birthday celebration touches |
| Rasoi Waterfront | 4.41,478 | 3.8 mi | gulab jamun, biryani, lamb bao |
| Azad Tandoori | 4.795 | 3.9 mi | generous portion sizes, poppadoms, chicken tikka masala |
The 3 nearest indian restaurants by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
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