Café Spice Namaste does not ask for attention. It simply exists calmly and confidently beside the Royal Docks. The water creates space. The light inside feels warm and settled. On winter evenings, coats come off slowly, conversations find their rhythm, and the city feels momentarily distant. At Christmas and New Year, that sense of pause becomes part of the experience.
Cyrus and Pervin Todiwala
This is a restaurant built on experience rather than reinvention. Cyrus Todiwala OBE has been shaping Britain’s understanding of Indian food for decades, long before regional cuisine entered the mainstream. His career spans restaurants, television, books and education, and includes cooking for Queen Elizabeth II. Yet prestige has never been the point. Alongside him, Pervin Todiwala brings that infectious smile, continuity and care, preserving and sharing Parsi culinary culture with clarity rather than performance. Together, they have created a restaurant that knows exactly who it is.
The Distinct Language of Parsi Food
Parsi food speaks in a quieter register. It is layered rather than loud, balanced rather than bold. Rooted in Persian heritage and shaped over centuries in India, it relies on contrast. Sweetness meeting spice. Acidity lifting richness. Comfort without heaviness. At Café Spice Namaste, this philosophy runs through the menu. Lamb kheema is slow-cooked until aromatic and tender. Eggs are folded into dishes with intention. Pav bread is essential, soft and always present. Chutneys and masalas are judged carefully, never overpowering. The food feels complete. Nothing rushed. Nothing excessive.
The Monthly Parsi Breakfasts
Once a month, the restaurant opens its doors for its Parsi breakfast, a ritual that has become one of the most anticipated dates on the calendar. These breakfasts offer dishes rarely seen in London, served with confidence and generosity. A Wada Pav arrives crisp and fragrant, its spiced potato centre softened by chutney and a toasted bun. Bombay-style Pav Bhaji is rich and warming, ideal for winter mornings. The Gunpowder Masala Fried Egg delivers heat and aroma, while the Masala Omelette balances chilli, coriander, and the sweetness of tamarind-date sauce. Then there is the kheema. Slow-cooked lamb served as Bombay Parsi Style Kheema Pav, Kheema Ghotala, or topped with a Masala Fried Egg. Each dish feels comforting. This is breakfast that encourages you to linger.
Christmas and New Year’s Eve at Café Spice Namaste
Christmas here is not overworked. The atmosphere remains relaxed, the plates are generous, and hospitality comes first. It suits those looking for something festive without formality, celebratory without noise. A place to gather, eat well and stay longer than planned.
This year, Café Spice Namaste will be open for Christmas Day lunch with a feast of all feasts. Expect some classics like the famous sprouts and a paprika-marinated turkey. Our highlights are a spiced chicken liver parfait and a moreish oarsnip chilli chaat.
As December draws to a close, the restaurant’s location becomes part of the celebration. Set along the Royal Docks, Café Spice Namaste offers space on New Year’s Eve. Open water, clear skies, and a natural vantage point as fireworks mark midnight. It is a quieter way to welcome the New Year. Food led, unhurried and meaningful.
Festive Hampers with Bodha Drinks
The Gourmet Festival Hamper with Mini Spirit Experience is generous and celebratory. Inside, Mr Todiwala’s Mixed Spice Nuts, Rich Fruit Cake and Scotch Bonnet, Apple and Quince Jam sit alongside Bodha Drinks Rose and Cardamom, Ginger Spice and Chilli Lemonade. A Colour Pop Tote adds a playful touch, while mini spirit experiences featuring gin, Patrón tequila and Kraken rum complete the set.
For a lighter option, the Non Alcoholic Festival Hamper offers a compact but flavour-forward selection of spiced nuts, rich fruit cake, signature jam and Bodha Drinks Rose and Cardamom. These hampers are strictly limited. Once sold out, they will not return.
A Restaurant That Endures
Café Spice Namaste has endured because it understands itself. It honours heritage without freezing it in time. It welcomes new diners without softening its voice. In a city that often confuses noise with relevance, that restraint feels refreshing. For Christmas dining, New Year’s Eve celebrations, or a breakfast worth rearranging your calendar for, Café Spice Namaste remains one of London’s most rewarding constants—calm, grounded, and entirely its own.
For more information, visit Café Spice Namaste.
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Photography courtesy of Café Spice Namaste.