A popular Indian restaurant in Liverpool is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month. The Spice City on Stanley Street is celebrating by giving back to the customers who have helped shape the restaurant over the years.
To mark this milestone, the restaurant is offering 20% off dine-in food and drink throughout October.
Before opening The Spice City, owner Niz spent 14 years running a family takeaway in Wavertree, where he built up a loyal following of regular customers.
But when the opportunity arose to take on Shah’s Balti House on Stanley Street, he saw it as a chance to do something he’d always wanted: open a proper restaurant.
Spice City owner, Niz
Niz said, “Behind a takeaway counter, you only get a few seconds with each customer; in a restaurant, you get to actually sit down and talk to people, get to know them properly. That’s what I wanted.”
With the support of his three brothers, Niz opened The Spice City in October 2006. The menu was built on the family’s own recipes from the takeaway, adapted to suit local tastes. Even dishes like Saag Balti and Balti Jalfrezi were developed with direct input from customers.
Two decades on, Niz now works alongside a full team of chefs who execute those recipes daily, supported by a staff of family and friends, many of whom were known to him long before they joined the business.
The Spice City’s 20 years haven’t been without their challenges. The area around Spice City has transformed significantly over the years. The relocation of Liverpool’s Municipal Building to the Pier Head and the gradual move of solicitors’ firms out of the city centre changed customer habits so much that the restaurant no longer runs a lunch menu, now opening at 4.00pm instead.
The restaurant survived the 2008 financial crash, which saw many neighbouring businesses close, but was forced to shut for repairs a few years later when an arson attack damaged the building.
After reopening in 2012, Niz personally reached out to former customers, hoping to rebuild the restaurant’s customer base in a changing city centre. However, just as trade was thriving again, the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020.
The Spice City closed for two weeks before pivoting quickly to a delivery-only service, determined to keep serving customers who still wanted “a taste of The Spice City” during lockdown.
The past four years have brought a wave of new food trends, with an abundance of street food and international cuisines now just “a tap on an app” away for increasingly adventurous diners.
In response, The Spice City recently introduced a small plates street food menu alongside its traditional dishes, giving younger customers the chance to try something different while longstanding regulars can still enjoy the classics they’ve always loved.
Niz added, “We’ve kept our traditional menu because our customers love it, and we’ve added something new for people who want to try different things. We hope there’s something for everyone, without losing the essence of who we are.”
The Spice City is now inviting the people of Liverpool to join the birthday celebrations throughout October, with 20% off dine-in food and drink when booked via the website using the code HAPPY BIRTHDAY in the special requests section.
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Dining and Cooking