Todiwalas announce closure of Café Spice Namasté after three decades
The East London Indian restaurant, which moved to Royal Albert Wharf five years ago, says the closure is not a permanent goodbye but has yet to give details of its next venture.
Cyrus and Pervin Todiwala have announced the closure of Café Spice Namasté, the Indian restaurant they have run in London across two sites since 1995, according to BigHospitality.
The restaurant told customers the closure was not a permanent goodbye. It framed the move as the start of a “fresh, exciting new chapter” and pointed diners to its social media channels for news of what follows.
BigHospitality did not report a final service date or how many staff are affected. Further details of the next venture, including its timing and location, have yet to be announced.
Three decades, two sites
Todiwala’s London career predates Café Spice Namasté. In the early 1990s he worked as head chef at Namasté, an earlier restaurant on Alie Street.
He then partnered with restaurateur Michael Gottlieb, taking the roles of executive chef and partner when Café Spice Namasté opened in 1995. Its first home was a former magistrates’ court on Prescot Street, a Grade II-listed building, meaning it is protected for its historic interest.
In 2005 Todiwala and his wife Pervin took full ownership of the business.
The restaurant remained on Prescot Street until its relocation to Royal Albert Wharf in the Royal Docks, which took place five years before the closure announcement.
Menu and recognition
According to BigHospitality, Café Spice Namasté had held a Michelin Bib Gourmand since the award’s introduction in 1998. The report does not set out how that recognition carried over following the move to the Royal Docks.
The kitchen drew on Goan and Parsee cooking. Dishes on the menu included:
- Goan prawn curry served with unpolished red rice
- smoked cured duck breast with soy, ginger and honey
- Parsee lamb dhaansaak, which the restaurant presented as a traditional Parsee Sunday lunch
- Bombay crème caramel
For operators, the case is a reminder of how long-running independents can use a closure announcement to hold on to a loyal following: rather than a final farewell, the Todiwalas have asked guests to stay connected ahead of whatever they open next.