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23rd St-8th Ave (C, E)
18th St-7th Ave (1)
14th St-8th Ave (A, C, E, L)
Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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Below are the following reasons I can always count on spice:
1. i am always in and out in under an hour
2. the red curry is the best!! (nothing else on the menu compares)
3. i've never spent more than $20 here
What is there not to like. Get the red curry!
People thought this was:
Pretty good for the price. The dining area is a bit crowded, but not to the point where it is uncomfortable. The music is sometimes too loud (which drives me nuts!). I have always found their waiters to be prompt and helpful. For some of their entrées, the flavor can be a bit off. Last time I went, I ordered their salmon special and the fish was covered with a sauce that overpowered the dish. I did not like the flavor.
I would recommend going to Spice for lunch. I wouldn't come to Spice if you wanted a relaxing, laidback meal. The fast music and busy dining area sets a vibe that is upbeat.
"Spiiee..please hole..."
(4 minutes)
"Spiee! Hold!"
Are you f-ing kidding me with their delivery service? It takes forever and is overpriced relative to other delivery options in the area. Moreover, the first thing they adjusted once the recession hit was the size of thier rice portions... at an Asian restaurant??
The restaurant is itself a trifecta of disappointment: Really small, really bad service, and kind of a trashy crowd. Add to this the fact that they do not have a full bar, and well, I'm not sure why anyone would come here.
I've been here a few times and haven't had a bad meal yet. The place is small but I've never had to wait long for a seat. Nothing to write home about but this place has a nice atmosphere, great food, and good service. Plus the prices can't be beat!
It's beautiful inside. Nice ambiance, definitely. Candle lit tables, electro music playing. The food: not bad. Ok -- not the best Thai I've ever had, but pretty decent. I loved the seafood dumplings, pineapple fried rice, and teriyaki-miso salmon. Very tasty! My date and I enjoyed a bottle of wine and had a very tasty dinner. I'd definitely go back. The service was on point. No disappointments here. Thanks NYC!
yum yum, filled me up to the point that i removed my belt dress
If you're in before 3pm, be sure to take advantage of their lunch specials!! The lunch specials offer a choice of appetizer (various things like a cup of soup, small salad, dumplings, etc) and an entree for $7 or $8 depending on which entree you choose. After a hungry afternoon of sightseeing, we came just before 3 and were able to take advantage of the lunch specials. The restaurant is very clean and modern looking. I ordered a fried rice dish and asked for it spicy. I also ordered the shrimp and chicken dumplings as the appetizer that came with my lunch special. I think that what made the dumplings so good was the sauce - it seemed to be some sort of mix of balsamic vinegar and something else - but I definitely enjoyed it. The friend rice came with just the right amount of spice.
The other dishes that were ordered were the pad thai and black bean noodles - I think everyone finished their food! We also ordered the creme brulee for dessert. I was surprised to see it on a dessert menu for a thai restaurant, but hey, it was pretty dang good!
It's definitely a good place to good for good food at low prices. The service is pretty quick too - so yet another plus!
People thought this was:
I never disappointment with this place. they have several locations through out the city. I've been the one in union square few times.
This one in chelsea is a little bit smaller but decent decor. I do want to comment that i feel they changed their menu.. last time I went to the one in union square they had different menu.
I order some mild curry beef. SUPER HUGE PORTION.. love it.. absolutely worth the $
One of my favorite thai places in the city. now i need to go try the one near st marks.
People thought this was:
Spice is just another attempt at modern Thai food. The dark dining room and minimalistic furniture attract a young, fashionable crowd that is willing to compromise authentic cooking for a cool atmosphere. The tight space and often boisterous customers make it hard to really enjoy your meal. Beer, wine, and cocktails are available, though there is no actual bar space at this location. Affordable menu options are a plus, though.
On my recent visit, I shared the Summer Rolls and Jade Seafood Dumplings to kick-off the meal. The dumplings were stuffed with a mixture of shrimp and crab meats, and served clumped together in a tight bowl of massaman curry sauce. These flavorful shellfish buns were wrapped in gummy green noodles that were obviously over-cooked. The light sauce was lacking the intense curry essence one would expect from a dipping broth of this sort. The summer rolls were filled with rice vermicelli, bean sprouts, and tofu. The bland ingredients were wrapped in cold, hard shells that were impossible to chew. The rubbery cylinders appeared to have been pre-made and refrigerated days in advance. The supposed "plum dipping sauce" was watery and tasted more of savory soy than sweet plum.
The mediocre appetizers were saved by my delicious Black Noodle (aka Pad See Ew) with Chicken. I could not get enough of the tender noodles, sweet scrambled egg, sauteed chicken, and savory soy sauce. The meal was perfect, and I was unable to pause my active fork for even a second. However, I also sampled the Lemongrass Chicken Breast, which was marinated in a sweet and sour sauce, with absolutely no lemongrass flavor to be found. The chicken was an oddly tough patty that had little taste of its own. The sauce was also more similar to the fluorescent reddish-orange Chinese sweet and sour than its Thai counterpart.
Spice is a dime-a-dozen when it comes to Manhattan Thai cuisine. Sure, feel free to stop in for a meal, but do not go out of your way.
People thought this was:
Very very over-rated food but hip atmosphere! The only reason people eat here is probably for the ambiance, but if u'r interested in good food, i'd suggest you stear clear.
I can only comment on the late night delivery ..
Thank goodness I didn't pay for this meal, even so, I wouldn't eat from Spice if I were given the choice.
Summer rolls, a normally delicious concoction of fresh vegetables wrapped in rice paper, were unfailingly terrible. It was comprised of dried out rice paper, wilted lettuce, and other forgettable vegetables. The silver lining would be the plum sauce, which tasted all right.
The ginger infused red snapper with Chinese broccoli and mushrooms was equally abysmal. Only a few minutes separate perfectly cooked fish to disgustingly overdone. The fish is already dead, why kill it again? The veggies were pretty tasty though.
The Massaman curry had decent flavor, but pretty watery overall.
What a waste of calories.
I'm not impressed.
People thought this was:
how many people can you fit in a box?
The place is small and cramp the waiter and other guest walk all over you and our jacket if u hang it on the back of the chair
service - HA you wish there was one - you sit give them your order and you don't hear back till you want the check
food - not to bad can you use a bit of pick me up or something my pad thai tasted like bland blah noodles
the metallic tables - that i still don't get just gives that cafeteria sit and leave vibe - so not pleasing
if you just want to sit down and enjoy your time to the fullest just take the time to go some where else
People thought this was:
I liked this place. I can't say it's the best, but it a good place to have a taste of some good Thai food. My friend suggested it and I'm not a NYC restaurant pro quite yet, so I met her there.
First, let me say that I'm not an expert in Thai food. However, I know what I like and, maybe unlike some others, I've been to Thailand a few times and have had the real thing.
My friend and I agreed to meet here at 6:15pm. I got there on time, but she was running a bit behind. When I arrived, I asked the host if I ought to wait or if he could seat me at a table while I waited. He showed me to a table right away. I thought that was a nice touch because there are places that will make you wait .
When my friend arrived we decided to just order two main dishes and share as we'd both had late lunches. She ordered the chicken Pad Thai and I ordered the Basil Vegetarian Duck. Both dishes were quite good. The duck was really delicious.
After that we decided to share desert and had the molten chocolate cake topped with some sort of ice cream (can you tell I was much more interested in the cake?) It wasn't the best molten cake I've had, but it was pretty good.
Overall, this is a restaurant I'd go to again. The food is good, the prices are on the inexpensive end of the spectrum and the service, while not excellent, is pretty good also.
The space is small, but I don't think that's a bad thing. I've been to a few places that make this space look like a palatial suite. If you're sitting along the side of the wall, it's fine. I usually travel with my purse and a bag with my laptop. I placed those items on my side and had plenty of room.
It's not 5-star dining, but for the price point, both the presentation and the taste is very good. I recommend it if you're in the area and like Thai food.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm no expert when it comes to Thai food, so if you're some sort of Thai-food-foodie, I'm sure you can find some hole in the wall that serves up better stuff. But I'm not a friggin' idiot either and I can tell you what tastes good. And I love Spice. I think it tastes good.
I never stray far from my roots as a white bread upstater, and I generally order something vanilla like pad thai. So I can't vouch for the whole menu.
But sh*t's cheap! Lunch specials are 7 or 8 dollars with an appetizer, and just about everything on the dinner menu is under $9 or $10.
I would describe the service as "wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am" where they serve you fast and drop the check. So if you want a nice relaxing dinner, this might not be your place. But if you want to get in and out and are craving some delicious Thai, Spice fits the bill.
Reminds me of Osha, my favorite Thai restaurant in SF. Good food, moderate prices, minimal but fun design and always busy. It's been a couple of weeks since I've been so I can't remember what exactly I had but I remember everything I ordered and my friend ordered was great. This place is my NY favorite Thai restaurant.
Seriously, only because I live in New Haven, where there are a ton of delicious Thai restaurants, I will give you my honest opinion.
Pros: Prices are good for New York. Service is friendly, sometimes overly enthusiastic, but overall good. Also, Spice presents its food nicely, and servings are quite reasonable sizes.
Cons: WHY oh WHY does my rice come looking like it's been stuffed in a (tiny) funnel? It's shaped as a little tiny cone on a little tiny plate. My sister and I had to ask for four servings of tiny, conical rice plates to finish off a spicy bowl of curry. Also, some of the sauces tend to be heavy-- we shared the duck salad, which was drenched in this thick, overwhelming sauce. Sadness. Remember that Spice is a small restaurant. Don't come here if you want to have a calm, private conversation. Instead, think pulsating music, crowded tables, dim lighting. Maybe good for a quick catch-up? Finally, I was hoping for some delicious panang curry, but it was fairly run-of-the-mill. Nothing extraordinary.
Eh. I might come here again, but not anytime soon.
People thought this was:
I go to this place more than anyone else ever should lol. Me and my girls come here weekly for lunch... the lunch special can't be beat! It's basically $7/person for an appetizer and lunch... and all their lunch specials are delicious, not to mention their THAI iced tea. Their food and service is consistently awesome. If you're looking for decent prices and quality, delicious Thai food -- this is your place!
My Fav go-to place for decent Thai at great prices. It can sometimes be a little crowded and you need to wait 10 mins for a table but other then that you really cant complain.
The food is always great:
Curry Puffs: Hands down as good as thai curry puffs get. Incredible
Blackened Noodles with Chicken: Extremely tasty and filling. My fav dish here
They also do a great lucnh special here for $7 or $9 (I cant remember). This location i have found also give you the biggest portions as opposed to the other ones around town.
This is my favorite Thai food in all the city. It's reasonable and quick, if you want it to be. Try the Emerald Vegetable dumplings for an appetizer. I like the Drunk Man Noodle entree. My friend gets the vegetarian duck. Drinks are also cheap (usually $7 or $8) but typically strong so I actually ask them to add more lychee juice to my lychee martini because I'm a wimp! LOL.
Enjoy!
People thought this was:
Are you kidding me? Isn't takeout designed for Thai and Asian cuisine? Spice missed the mark in every capacity imaginable.
After having a wonderful dinner on a date back in November, Spice sounded like the perfect delivery option for dinner when I didn't feel like braving the high winds outside my apartment. Close enough that it shouldn't have arrived cold, I figured a couple blocks would be sufficient time to curb my appetite. The website is great and after a few clicks, I was on the phone...on hold...for 15 minutes. The pushy chic who picked up could barely understand my proper English, let alone stumble through her own version like she was fresh off the boat. Interrupting me several times and not getting the full order, she hung up without so much as a goodbye or confirming my credit card information.
Fifty minutes later my bell rings, and to my astonishment I get a lecture in broken English from the delivery boy about how he couldn't find the address and how I need to be on top of things. He darted back and forth to the elevator several times as I signed the slip, didn't say thank you, and scurried off with a snear. It gets better, folks!
The best thing about my meal was the plastic bag. The meal I had a few months ago was nowhere to be found among the cold rice sludge, chicken with a film of gross, and an odor that smelled like the calamari had been cooked several times in the same old oil vat. It wasn't edible! $40 for terrible service and cold food at a place that knew better.
First impressions aren't lasting impressions in this instance. Go to Hell's Kitchen if you want decent Thai, because this was laughable!
People thought this was:
One of my favorite Thai places in the city. I would have given this place a 5-star rating but recently, their food isn't as good as it used to be. Still a very good place I often take friends visiting me from out of town.
If you are homophobic, go to the one on university or UES.
Try their golden fritter
People thought this was:
My buddy and I have a quick dinner. The price is good and food is OK. Just the right amount on food portion which made this restaurant a good place to get a quick dinner or snack with your date. Then movie or something and more formal dinner afterward before the good ending.
However, I prefer the one at the universal place as least there more college girls.. U Know .
People thought this was:
Spice is just the right amount!...
I like Spice a lot and my family seems to pick this as their "Go To" Thai Spot whenever they are visiting me from Pennsylvania.
Trendy & Cute Decor
Front Doors Are Open During Warm Weather
Fast & Friendly Service
Very Tasty Thai Specialties
Cheap & Filling Lunch Specials
Chelsea Cuties (Of course I mean my diva boys)
Celebrity Spottings
I honestly love coming here for their lunch specials.. such a laid back & trendy-like setting and CHEAP! Lunch specials come with a starter. The Ginger Chicken is a winner!
If your in Chelsea and your craving Thai.. I would suggest you swing by Spice! ;o)
People thought this was:
So, I mention SPICE in all of my other reviews of Chelsea Thai restaurants, as if it's the pinnacle of Thai cuisine....well, it's not, but the sleek Scandinavian-style interior, ambient music, and affordable dishes (mostly $10) make it any easy choice for dinner on 8th Avenue.
This place is consistently slammed at night, the tiny 2-person tables squished side-by-side, making conversation a bit difficult. The best tables in the place are the back corner one that provides both people with a comfy booth-style padded seat, or the front tables with a view of the street. [By the way, I LOVE the picturesque view across the street at night, as it looks like some MGM set of the perfect Manhattan block!] FORGET the tables by the door, as you'll have wind from the front door and people brushing you all night long who are waiting to be seated or leaving...
The waiters are very attentive and work fast, as if serving runners on a marathon. The dishware looks like it's all from IKEA...simple, white, and contemporary.
After eating here 10+ times, my real complaint is that the pasta dishes feel like they were prepared in a big pot in the back and piled on your plate after adding your 'protein' of choice and being quickly reheated for 60 seconds. When you glance over the sea of people who have all ordered the safe choice, pad thai, you notice it all looks the same....heaps of noodles with a monotone orange color on white plates....I always prefer when Thai restaurants place the peanuts, bean sprouts, shrimp, scallions, etc. on top in quaint piles as if your dish were prepared only for you.
All in all, this is the best Thai restaurant that I know of in Chelsea where two people can eat dinner for $30 with 2 entrees, 1 appetizer, and 2 Thai Iced Teas (or $50 with salads, desserts, and coffee) and enjoy a contemporary atmosphere with a young crowd. If you know of a better one, by all means, let me know! ; )
OK...so the service sucked. After waiting to be seated (the place is TINY), it took a while to get a waitress to our table. After having our order taken, we felt like we had become invisible. She forgot my wine, I told one of the bus boys, and he forgot it. I was finally able to call over our waitress and she delivered it a few minutes later. At the end of our meal, I told our waitress that we wanted our check. She forgot that for almost 15 minutes as well. I had to remind her when she came back to our table to ask us if we wanted anything else...duh.
I have an issue with thai food as it is. I feel like all thai restaurants should have pictures of the meal next to the name. I never know what I'm ordering. I got something with chicken and veggies and rice. It was good. My boy friend got chicken with cashews, veggies, and rice. It wasn't what he expected but he liked it. He also got the fried shrimp as an appetizer. He's a big shrimp fan and liked it very much.
Price, not terrible.
Atmosphere was pretty chill. Not too dark. Cool lighting. Comfortable seating. Nice music.
I'd probably try another restaurant when i'm in that area. Wouldn't say no if friends wanted to go there.
People thought this was:
Hip ambience, meat packing district-like atmosphere, good thai food, fast service (most of the time) and $7 lunch special that makes you feel like you getting the meal for free. This place is my favorite considering all the thai restaurants in this area. I would say some of the dishes in lunch special come in smaller portions than others, so keep an eye out for that. I normally order the Fried Rice, Pad Thai, or Holy Basil Eggplant.....all yummy.
Your taste buds will dance the night away after you put a fork or chopstick's worth of anything these people cook in that kitchen into your mouth. They also mix a great mojito. The only drawback is the small size. Be prepared to sit close to strangers as you work your taste buds.
I recommend this place for any occasion. Great prices and great food.
People thought this was:
This is my Thai standard.
Back when Neutral Ground was in Chelsea, I'd usually order from here weekly. When they moved, jokes were made that they might go out of business from the loss of revenue.
Everything I've ever had here has been good. I'll take friends, out of town guests, anybody. The delivery is usually pretty quick. And the Drunken Man Noodle is the best I've ever had.
It's sometimes annoying that there's a wait to get in, and often crowded. But if it's a Friday night, and it's not crowded, there might be something wrong with the place.
People thought this was:
Ambiance is adorable with good decor and nice open front for good summer weather.
Service was punchy, giving very little time for us to decide on what we wanted.
I've certainly had better Thai than I did here. Duck wasn't as crispy as it could have been. Portions generous.
Overall not a bad local haunt, but I'll definitely be seeking out other Thai options before returning.
And here is why i "think not" ... Ive been going there for over three yrs. The last yr has been unreal. The quality and atmosphere have declined. Service? Almost does not exist. Just skip on down the road to "Room Service" (better food, better service)
Sad- it used to be one of the hipper chelsea places....
People thought this was:
Oh Spice, I loved you so. What has gone wrong?
I live basically across the street from Spice and it has always been a great quick place to grab a bite. I'm giving it 3 stars merely for the fact that the quality of the pad thai, which used to be the best I've had, has gone down down downnnn. Now its really greasy and mushy =/ not so fun.
However, the other things are really great still. Thai crepe rolls, drunkman noodles. and their lunch specials are awesome too. Just, leave the pad thai alone.
The service is usually always pretty good. It's a small place and can get crowded sometimes but its expected.
I still have feelings for you Spice, but pad thai is my favorite. I don't know how long it'll take me to ever forgive you.
Fast, busy, crowded little Thai place in Chelsea. Food is good but not spectacular. The place was a bit too crowded and hot when I went there in early June... a bit too had to enjoy a nice Panang Curry without air conditioning.
They need to remove a few tables to at least *some* semblance of privacy for all of the Chelsea queens who are there on gossipdates. Also, the place is so packed that I had my chair bumped twice and a server hit me in the back of the head with a tray of dinners.
People thought this was:
I've only had Spice delivered to my office during the lunch rush... But it's not bad! The lunch special is great because there are tons of options- choose an appetizer and entree for about 8 bucks. The food itself wasn't bad - my chicken pad thai was a bit greasy.. but for $8, delivery and lunchtime - it satisfied my craving. In fact, I can honestly say I was pretty stuffed after eating the lunch special. I was pleasantly surprised. I should probably head in for dinner sometime though. My only drawback is that it the delivery usually takes quite awhile, so order in advance!
People thought this was:
this place was good. It was really crowded when we got there but were sat in about 5 min. we ordered the calamari salad app and it was a good portion size for an app and it was only $6. It was very good and I was pleased with the miso dressing. We then ordered the cashew chicken (not very many cashews in it, but no biggie) and it was good. We finished it all and we were full. I would like to go back and try more dishes, I would put 4 stars but im sure there is better thai and im determined to find it
Error in judgement had me walking uptown on 8th rather than down. Had I done that, I would have come across a completely different Thai spot rather than Spice. It was already after the hour and I had class at a quarter of. Only enough time to order quickly and eat, definitely not enough to trot down a block to a different venue.
The Tom Yum soup tasted lemony but not lemon grassy. The distinction is an important one. I'm coming down with a sore throat so I was happy enough to have some hot soup but good, tasty hot soup would have been so much better.
My beef salad came with two leaves of lettuce sliced in strips. They can slice two pieces of lettuce as much as they like and it's still two pieces. Two pieces does not a salad make. Two pieces is garnish.
My meal came out in a timely fashion despite the busyness of the hour and how packed the venue became in a short time. Service was quick and efficient. That said, two stars is a high rating for the meal I recieved. Will not be returning. Don't you bother either.
People thought this was:
Great prices, great food (it's not authentic Thai by any means and when I say "great food" I mean "great food for the great price"). I always get the Pad Thai (I know I should venture out and try different things but it is so hard when you are so in looove with one thing). The thing is, they get it right, all the time. It is a perfectly salty sweet mix and when I add the chilly sauce I am so happy. The wine isn't bad either.
I have tried other plates- all fish, which are always good but not great (I think I have used the word great too many times already).
Most definitely come to this location and try and avoid the one near NYU. Gross. Poor quality and they are on a mission to get you out of there as quickly as possible! (I haven't tried the UES location though).
People thought this was:
This review is for take-out. I just was not that impressed, nothing was spicy even when I requested extra spicy. The noodle dish I got was kinda sweet tasting too. Blah. I would go to Room Service for Thai next time!
People thought this was:
loved spice for years!
the lunch special is the hotness - appetizer plus one item from the list for under $10.
downside - it can get really tight in that small space (that's what he said!)
my favorites:
green salad
spring rolls
massaman curry
spicy basil
red curry
People thought this was:
I'm sorry, I really can't find it in my heart to give this place more than three stars. It's not me, it's Spice.
One star for them saying the wait would be 10-15 minutes and it being less than that. Thanks. I don't like waiting (though I wonder if my having Jamba as company had anything to do with that...). Another star for very decent portions. I wasn't able to finish my Red Curry dish. But I'll get to that later. And the third star for what I deemed to be good Tom Yum soup. As another Yelper said, I think it was more lemon than lemongrassy but I don't think I know what lemongrass tastes like, so it still gets my nod of approval.
But it really angers me when I have to pay $1 more for brown rice. WHY? Why must I pay more to be healthier? And I would understand if it was a bowl of brown rice, but no. Just a sad pile, in the shape of a sadder cone. I needed the rice to eat my dish, and I'm now wondering if my subpar serving of said rice hindered my mastication. I need to know.
Also... The bill came to $25 for two. Which is great, I LIKE. Except we only had twenties and when my friend gave our waitress the $40, before she was even given the chance to ask for change the waitress said, "OKAY THANK YOU."
No, no. I'm not giving you a $15 tip. So give me two fives back. And give them back now. No THANK YOU.
I think I prefer the University Place location a little better. They didn't try to steal money from me there, even if I was practically sitting on top of someone while eating my dinner.
People thought this was:
Pretty tasty, very cute. We were seated right away and the servers were quick but impersonal. The food was good, but nothing to write home about. The best thing about this place is the lunch special: Buy any entree (around $7), get a free appetizer. Our total for 3 people was under $30! The portions weren't huge, but ideal for lunch. I'd have no problem going back, I just wouldn't go out of my way for it.
Happy hour 12-7
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
Lunch and Pre Fixed Special
Neighborhood: Theater District
Neighborhood: Union Square
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Category: Thai
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