An impressive new Indian restaurant has opened in Swansea city centre in a popular dining spot. Castle Spice fills an empty unit on Castle Street previously occupied by Pizza Express, Positano Express and, most recently, AM to PM bar and is a family-run business serving traditional Indian meals and a wide range of drinks and cocktails.
It's the brainchild of Kobi Ahmed, 33, and his brother Jaher Ali, 21, and the pair's father works in the kitchen as one of the two Head Chefs. Manager Kobi previously ran Cinnamon, a popular Indian restaurant in Carmarthen, and had been looking to take on a restaurant unit in Swansea as he wanted to be working closer to home.
"I used to run a restaurant in Carmarthen but I live in Swansea and wanted to be closer to my children," Kobi said. "This unit became available and me, Jaher and Leon Hogan, our business partner who previously ran AM to PM and Positano Express, took it on and turned it into an Indian restaurant."
Read more: Massive queues in supermarkets around Wales as shoppers pick up last minute items for Christmas Day
Kobi continued: "Castle Spice is named after the area we're in, on Castle Street. It's a really busy, popular area so we're happy to be here. We know a lot of Swansea and we have plenty of experience. There's other Indian restaurants in Swansea, obviously, but no others located in this area - so we're becoming popular very quickly."
Castle Spice serves an extensive menu of traditional Indian dishes including tikka masala, podina, butter chicken and korma, and there's a 'set menu' available at certain hours, too. The team are pleased to serve a wide range of drinks including Cobra Beer, NE10 Vodka and cocktails and can also cater to large parties or special occasions.
The restaurant is set across two floors, with a bar on each, and Kobi is particularly proud of how he and his team have arranged the restaurant so it's bright and airy with plenty of space on each floor. Plus, the upstairs can be sectioned-off for private parties and Kobi and his team are happy to rearrange the furniture to suit groups' requirements, if need be.
Discussing his chef's expertise, Kobi added: "Something else that makes us stand out is that most Indian restaurants have one head chef, but we have two very, very experienced head chefs and four other trained chefs. They can cook everything, we have a big menu and a set menu and we can provide for dietary requirements, parties and occasions.
"We use really good quality ingredients and our meats are sourced locally. We've been popular so far, but rates are really expensive so we just want to keep busy! We've been really busy on weekends and we've had a few engagement parties recently."
Asked what he'd like to say to potential customers, Kobi said: "We just want everyone to come and try the place out! You cannot fault our food! Try us out and you'll definitely want to come back! We accept reservations and we are accepting bookings for New Years Eve as well."
Castle Spice is located on Castle Street in Swansea City Centre. It's open for dinner every day and for lunch on certain days. Its full opening hours are: Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 12.30pm - 3.30pm and 5.30pm - 11pm, Tuesdays and Wednesdays 5.30pm - 11pm, Sundays 12.30pm to 9pm. The restaurant will be closed on Christmas Day but is open for the rest of Christmas/New Year.
READ MORE
Popular bar-restaurant company 'Loungers' is opening a new venue in Neath
'I lost ten stone in just over a year after doctors told me I was too overweight to have children'
A boy who banged his head was found to have a dangerous brain infection
Thousands raised in memory of Swansea nurse who died aged 32
Social media is threatening the future of the Welsh language, a new university study has claimed
