Spice Alley Photos
SPICE ALLEY ATMOSPHERE
Recommended Reviews - Spice Alley
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
very popular, very crowded, very loud! if that doesn't deter you, there are numerous food stalls here, most heavy on the rice. We chose to order from Sedap, which advertised itself as selling Malaysian street food. They were out of my first choice, so then chose the babi ponteh and enjoyed it very much. see photo below for ingredients. service is quick. Tap water isn't available here; can't imagine why not.
Cool place to grab an Asian bite. There is a toilet but no water drinking station. They do have a handwashing station. I chose Singaporean food. It was a good roti dish. Reasonable prices. It's all outdoor seating. They had heaters. Order at the counter and pickup your food and find a table.
When I'm on vacation, you won't catch me visiting the same place twice, even if I think it's amazing. There are just too many places to visit in a large city and too little space in my tummy. The moment I sat down and started eating, I said to my family, we are coming back here again, I know it. And what happened? Our first dinner in Sydney was at Spice Alley and our last dinner was also at Spice Alley. I would have eaten there every night except I had reservations to other places. It was super easy to find from our hotel. Once we came through there are a lot of signs that say "Spice Alley" so you'll know. Monday night around 6pm wasn't crowded at all and it was easy to order and find a place to sit. However, Thursday night around 6pm, it was very crowded, mostly with very young people and quite a few tourists and it was much harder to order and find a table. However, the food came out about the same time and I'm all for that. There are so many great foods to choose from and a few drink stations. You can't really go wrong.
One of my favourite spots in Sydney. Bring friends, get all the foods, and share it all! Great outdoor spot but sheltered from the street, rain, and/or sun. Clean, modern, yet all the vibes of Singapore hawker spots. Service was self-serve but was efficient and fast to get food. Can't go wrong!
Of course, coming to city, no visit would be complete without a visit to spice alley. It's down an alley for sure but there's also another side alley that features Italian restaurants. That is not it. Follow the signage and you will find it. Has quite a few options - Singaporean, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, etc. everything you would expect in a Hawker style street food area. I opted to have the hainanese chicken and rice. Very typical of the chicken and rice in Singapore. The rest of my family had some Thai dishes and the crispy stirfry noodles with chicken. We also started with some veggie spring rolls. All the items were outstanding and freshly made. It was a good portion for the price paid, there are two beverage areas at one end of the location - one for beer and one for nonalcoholic. I think overall we spent under $20 AUD. Most entrées are around $13-$15. It is all outdoors so if the weather isn't the best there are some heat lamps but definitely dress for it. Service was super friendly and nice. It's got a cool alley street vibe that's worthy. It's all over social media and you definitely should try it at least once. I would come back and probably try the fried rice with the egg on top and maybe the roti combination. Overall a fun night.
Came here for lunch around 11 am on a Saturday and they were just opening. It was raining so there were not a lot of people there so we got some great pics. This is an Asian food court and is decorated quite nicely. We ordered laksa from Ginger and Spice and it looks like it is the same kitchen as Alex Lee Kitchen which had adds for award winning laksa. The laksa was very flavourful and tasty. We also ordered from Sedap - kang kong and char kway teow. The kang kong was salty but good and the char kway Toew was a bit bland. A neat place to visit and there were so many other foods that I wanted to try.
Came back to this place 2 different occasions. This is the place to be and lots of younger people come here to meet with friends and have to option to choose from 5-6 different stalls. From Malaysian, Chinese, etc. you got a lot of different options here. Food was pretty fast considering that it was always pretty busy but there's a constant flow. Check this place out !
#69 for 2021 Finding Spice Alley was a little bit difficult. There was no sign saying this is Spice Alley. I ended walking through an alley to get to this alley. Felt like it was a hidden world only known to a few with an obsession to finding its' treasures. When I finally got there, It was a different world. Transported in time and space I marveled at the dishes being served up by 12 restaurants, 11 hawkers and 4 bars. A hawker's market. It was worth getting lost to finding this place. The smells were incredible wafting through the air sent my stomach into turmoil. The food were works of art. Laid out beautifully enhanced with colors from added elements like flowers, fruits or herbs that can be eaten. Lines of people waiting chaotically anxious to place their orders. Tables spewed about where ever they could be fitted all occupied with food being devoured and talked about with glee. I walked up and down looking over menus and drinks trying to decide what to get. I must've circled a dozen times all the while the lines were getting longer. I came with a group but waited for no one. They certainly weren't waiting for me either. To each his own and good luck. It was overwhelming to say the least and I was enjoying it being in my element. I have no idea where I was. I didn't know where I was going to sit or if there would be one available. Didn't care. I wasn't hungry but I was hangry. I had just eaten when my nephew told me about this place. Within the hour here I was. I had to see this for myself. I ended up ordering a plate of spicy clams with rice. I felt I couldn't really be hungry. It would make a light meal and satisfy my hangry. The sauce is what made this dish. The smell alone was turning heads with the spicy aromatics wafting through the air. Turning heads as I walked by the pungent sweet smell was garnering attention. The plate was piled a little high making it rather difficult manuevering through all the people standing. I didn't want to spill any sauce at all. Luckily my group was able to get a table. There wasn't enough seats for everyone so we took turns sitting. I couldn't wait to dig in. That sauce alone was fantastic. I could taste fish sauce, sugar, garlic, lemon grass, bits of dried shrimp. You could put this on anything and it would be good. I unfortunately had to share my clams with everyone. They all loved it. I got to taste their dishes too but I loved those clams the best. I should've clammed up somewhere else. I was able to come back several times. Loved it all. The ambiance made it a wonderful adventure for this guy with illusions of grandeur. The food made it real. More to come.
Spice Alley is like a modernized trendy hipster version of a hawker center. It's tucked away in this narrow side street and has several stalls/vendors selling lots of yummy sounding dishes. Most of the vendors were selling Malaysian/Indonesian fare, although I did see one Korean stall. So there are a couple of places where you can order nasi goreng, mamak mee goreng, singaporean noodles, char kway teow, laksa, roti, and more! It's so overwhelming to decide what to eat and then where to get it from! There's seating underneath pretty asian lanterns and some mural art that make the alley very trendy looking. I ended up ordering the mamak mee goreng from Old Jim Kee. You can add an egg for extra and i wish i had. The noodles were pretty tasty. I wish I had more time to come back to try more dishes! The thing about the alley is that they don't take cash. Either pay with credit card (but some vendors if not all add a surcharge charged by the bank) or there's the option to get a reloadable Kopi Tiam card. I don't know what that is exactly but i assume you use cash to load up money on it and then use that to pay for stuff in the alley. I'm lazy so i used my credit card!!
Similar to a Singaporean hawker market, Spice Alley is the ultimate hidden gem tucked between a handful of taller buildings. With about a dozen different shops, all specializing in different types of Asian street food, we were stoked to try a little bit of everything! Some food was better than others, but everything we had was definitely tasty. The part that was a little bit of a peeve was that they kind of nickel and dime you for everything--we wanted to add an egg to our char kway teow and it was $4. But the base prices for dishes are super reasonable, probably around $12 for an entree. The seating situation was okay when we went, at kind of an off hour, but I imagine it probably gets pretty packed in there. But there are plenty of fun murals and stuff to peruse while you're waiting; of course, the other restaurants' menus are also fun to peruse. It was really clean when we were there, which was a bit of a surprise only because there are so many saucy things, and I assume that most people, like me, are messy eaters. Make sure you bring your credit card, as they're cash only. You can also pre-load a gift card at the front desk area to use if you've only got cash.
Found this hidden gem while trying to look for dinner on New Year's day, when most restaurants are closed. This place seems to always be packed for dinner, and for good reason. There's a huge variety of Asian food lining the street at reasonable prices (~8-15 AUD). The Thai food is pretty good. Ordered tom yum noodle soup, pad kee mao, papaya salad, and spicy beef salad. All were flavorful and sour. Also ordered Hokkien stir fry noodles from the Malaysian place, and that was pretty good as well. Either come for lunch or be prepared to wait for a seat if you come for dinner. Spice alley is cashless, so either buy a cash card or use a credit card to pay. As of the new year, they have a surcharge on credit cards ranging from 0.5-2%, depending on what card you use and if it's an overseas card.
Great place for a bite with so many options! It doesn't take cash and only card but they have surcharge which I thought was strange we can't pay cash at the whole alley. Great way to try many dishes but not as cheap as expected for an alley. Value 3/5 Atmosphere 4/5 Service 4/5 Quality 3/5 14/20
Spice Alley is a vibrant destination featuring a variety of pan-Asian eateries and bars set amid colorful urban surroundings. There was lots of Asian choices including Japanese, Chinese, Malaysian, Singaporean, and more. Gayle and I came here with our tour group and initially found Spice Alley to be overwhelming in terms of crowds and noise. But after sticking around, we settled in nicely, and found this urban street to be vibrant, fun, with great people watching, and great food at modest prices. Gayle and I both chose delicious street eats from Ginger & Spice, by Singapore chef Alex Lee, including one $10 special. We added a couple of beers from the nearby Spice Alley Bar, sat down at a table with our friends, and enjoyed the evening. read more
8 months ago
very popular, very crowded, very loud! if that doesn't deter you, there are numerous food stalls here, most heavy on the rice. We chose to order from Sedap, which advertised itself as selling Malaysian street food. They were out of my first choice, so then chose the babi ponteh and enjoyed it very much. see photo below for ingredients. service is quick. Tap water isn't available here; can't imagine why not. read more
Cool place to grab an Asian bite. There is a toilet but no water drinking station. They do have a handwashing station. I chose Singaporean food. It was a good roti dish. Reasonable prices. It's all outdoor seating. They had heaters. Order at the counter and pickup your food and find a table. read more
3 months ago
3 years ago
When I'm on vacation, you won't catch me visiting the same place twice, even if I think it's amazing. There are just too many places to visit in a large city and too little space in my tummy. The moment I sat down and started eating, I said to my family, we are coming back here again, I know it. And what happened? Our first dinner in Sydney was at Spice Alley and our last dinner was also at Spice Alley. I would have eaten there every night except I had reservations to other places. It was super easy to find from our hotel. Once we came through there are a lot of signs that say "Spice Alley" so you'll know. Monday night around 6pm wasn't crowded at all and it was easy to order and find a place to sit. However, Thursday night around 6pm, it was very crowded, mostly with very young people and quite a few tourists and it was much harder to order and find a table. However, the food came out about the same time and I'm all for that. There are so many great foods to choose from and a few drink stations. You can't really go wrong. read more
One of my favourite spots in Sydney. Bring friends, get all the foods, and share it all! Great outdoor spot but sheltered from the street, rain, and/or sun. Clean, modern, yet all the vibes of Singapore hawker spots. Service was self-serve but was efficient and fast to get food. Can't go wrong! read more
Of course, coming to city, no visit would be complete without a visit to spice alley. It's down an alley for sure but there's also another side alley that features Italian restaurants. That is not it. Follow the signage and you will find it. Has quite a few options - Singaporean, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, etc. everything you would expect in a Hawker style street food area. I opted to have the hainanese chicken and rice. Very typical of the chicken and rice in Singapore. The rest of my family had some Thai dishes and the crispy stirfry noodles with chicken. We also started with some veggie spring rolls. All the items were outstanding and freshly made. It was a good portion for the price paid, there are two beverage areas at one end of the location - one for beer and one for nonalcoholic. I think overall we spent under $20 AUD. Most entrées are around $13-$15. It is all outdoors so if the weather isn't the best there are some heat lamps but definitely dress for it. Service was super friendly and nice. It's got a cool alley street vibe that's worthy. It's all over social media and you definitely should try it at least once. I would come back and probably try the fried rice with the egg on top and maybe the roti combination. Overall a fun night. read more
2 years ago
Came here for lunch around 11 am on a Saturday and they were just opening. It was raining so there were not a lot of people there so we got some great pics. This is an Asian food court and is decorated quite nicely. We ordered laksa from Ginger and Spice and it looks like it is the same kitchen as Alex Lee Kitchen which had adds for award winning laksa. The laksa was very flavourful and tasty. We also ordered from Sedap - kang kong and char kway teow. The kang kong was salty but good and the char kway Toew was a bit bland. A neat place to visit and there were so many other foods that I wanted to try. read more
3 years ago
Was recommended by coworker, 1 st time in Sydney and spice alley. Wish they have some dessert in this alley. Like the dessert bang luck used to sell. Hope to come back soon and dessert selling somewhere in this alley. read more
Came back to this place 2 different occasions. This is the place to be and lots of younger people come here to meet with friends and have to option to choose from 5-6 different stalls. From Malaysian, Chinese, etc. you got a lot of different options here. Food was pretty fast considering that it was always pretty busy but there's a constant flow. Check this place out ! read more
2 years ago
#69 for 2021 Finding Spice Alley was a little bit difficult. There was no sign saying this is Spice Alley. I ended walking through an alley to get to this alley. Felt like it was a hidden world only known to a few with an obsession to finding its' treasures. When I finally got there, It was a different world. Transported in time and space I marveled at the dishes being served up by 12 restaurants, 11 hawkers and 4 bars. A hawker's market. It was worth getting lost to finding this place. The smells were incredible wafting through the air sent my stomach into turmoil. The food were works of art. Laid out beautifully enhanced with colors from added elements like flowers, fruits or herbs that can be eaten. Lines of people waiting chaotically anxious to place their orders. Tables spewed about where ever they could be fitted all occupied with food being devoured and talked about with glee. I walked up and down looking over menus and drinks trying to decide what to get. I must've circled a dozen times all the while the lines were getting longer. I came with a group but waited for no one. They certainly weren't waiting for me either. To each his own and good luck. It was overwhelming to say the least and I was enjoying it being in my element. I have no idea where I was. I didn't know where I was going to sit or if there would be one available. Didn't care. I wasn't hungry but I was hangry. I had just eaten when my nephew told me about this place. Within the hour here I was. I had to see this for myself. I ended up ordering a plate of spicy clams with rice. I felt I couldn't really be hungry. It would make a light meal and satisfy my hangry. The sauce is what made this dish. The smell alone was turning heads with the spicy aromatics wafting through the air. Turning heads as I walked by the pungent sweet smell was garnering attention. The plate was piled a little high making it rather difficult manuevering through all the people standing. I didn't want to spill any sauce at all. Luckily my group was able to get a table. There wasn't enough seats for everyone so we took turns sitting. I couldn't wait to dig in. That sauce alone was fantastic. I could taste fish sauce, sugar, garlic, lemon grass, bits of dried shrimp. You could put this on anything and it would be good. I unfortunately had to share my clams with everyone. They all loved it. I got to taste their dishes too but I loved those clams the best. I should've clammed up somewhere else. I was able to come back several times. Loved it all. The ambiance made it a wonderful adventure for this guy with illusions of grandeur. The food made it real. More to come. read more
Spice Alley is like a modernized trendy hipster version of a hawker center. It's tucked away in this narrow side street and has several stalls/vendors selling lots of yummy sounding dishes. Most of the vendors were selling Malaysian/Indonesian fare, although I did see one Korean stall. So there are a couple of places where you can order nasi goreng, mamak mee goreng, singaporean noodles, char kway teow, laksa, roti, and more! It's so overwhelming to decide what to eat and then where to get it from! There's seating underneath pretty asian lanterns and some mural art that make the alley very trendy looking. I ended up ordering the mamak mee goreng from Old Jim Kee. You can add an egg for extra and i wish i had. The noodles were pretty tasty. I wish I had more time to come back to try more dishes! The thing about the alley is that they don't take cash. Either pay with credit card (but some vendors if not all add a surcharge charged by the bank) or there's the option to get a reloadable Kopi Tiam card. I don't know what that is exactly but i assume you use cash to load up money on it and then use that to pay for stuff in the alley. I'm lazy so i used my credit card!! read more
Similar to a Singaporean hawker market, Spice Alley is the ultimate hidden gem tucked between a handful of taller buildings. With about a dozen different shops, all specializing in different types of Asian street food, we were stoked to try a little bit of everything! Some food was better than others, but everything we had was definitely tasty. The part that was a little bit of a peeve was that they kind of nickel and dime you for everything--we wanted to add an egg to our char kway teow and it was $4. But the base prices for dishes are super reasonable, probably around $12 for an entree. The seating situation was okay when we went, at kind of an off hour, but I imagine it probably gets pretty packed in there. But there are plenty of fun murals and stuff to peruse while you're waiting; of course, the other restaurants' menus are also fun to peruse. It was really clean when we were there, which was a bit of a surprise only because there are so many saucy things, and I assume that most people, like me, are messy eaters. Make sure you bring your credit card, as they're cash only. You can also pre-load a gift card at the front desk area to use if you've only got cash. read more
2 years ago
Found this hidden gem while trying to look for dinner on New Year's day, when most restaurants are closed. This place seems to always be packed for dinner, and for good reason. There's a huge variety of Asian food lining the street at reasonable prices (~8-15 AUD). The Thai food is pretty good. Ordered tom yum noodle soup, pad kee mao, papaya salad, and spicy beef salad. All were flavorful and sour. Also ordered Hokkien stir fry noodles from the Malaysian place, and that was pretty good as well. Either come for lunch or be prepared to wait for a seat if you come for dinner. Spice alley is cashless, so either buy a cash card or use a credit card to pay. As of the new year, they have a surcharge on credit cards ranging from 0.5-2%, depending on what card you use and if it's an overseas card. read more
Great place for a bite with so many options! It doesn't take cash and only card but they have surcharge which I thought was strange we can't pay cash at the whole alley. Great way to try many dishes but not as cheap as expected for an alley. Value 3/5 Atmosphere 4/5 Service 4/5 Quality 3/5 14/20 read more
A great place to come when you want affordable Asian food. The best plan when coming to Spice Alley is to come with a group so you can all try each others' dishes! I went during an off hour so there was plenty of seating, but I was surprised how many people were there at the time. The Thai food was pretty good, with the pad see ew serving a decent portion. The whole place is cashless so if you plan to use cash you'll have to fill a Spice Alley card with money and use that as payment. read more
8 years ago
We stumbled upon this unique food court one night in Sydney while looking for a quick dinner. It has a great, fun, unique vibe and amazingly authentic Asian cuisine. It's exactly as you'd imagine, an alley tucked away off of a side street that explodes into a bustling Asian food court. You can either eat there at one of the tables or get your order for takeaway. Super fun find! Tip, most of the vendors don't take cash , cards only. read more
Went to Ginger & Spice and got the Singapore Char Kwai Teow, the flavor was almost there but not quite. It was too sweet for my taste but I loved the addition of the Chinese sausages! Also went to Alex Lee Kitchen and got the Hainanese chicken rice. The chicken was pretty good, but the portion of chicken was quite small. I enjoyed the rice and soup, but not sure if I'd ever get this again. read more
2 years ago
Cheap and good food foodcourt style. Looking for Southeast Asian food? This is a great place to go to. Casual and good for groups. Pick your own seats and it's self serve. The sun might be strong sometimes but just hunt for somewhere in the shade. I enjoy the dishes from Alex Lee's kitchen the most. The Briyani dish is especially delightful with tumeric coated rice, pickled vegetables, boiled egg. I chose the curry chicken for the meat and it was great to cover the egg with curry! The chicken was nice and tender too. About 13AUD. The roti is also like the prata I'm used to having in Singapore. Indian tossed bread and goes very well with curry as well. A steal for only 8AUD. I also really liked the laksa with fried pork (13-14AUD). It seemed more like curry noddles than laksa though. The fried pork is unheard of in Singapore but the batter held well with the soup. After the main, you can get desserts from the Spice Alley stall. My husband enjoyed the ice kacang and cendol. The ice kacang came with roughly shaved ice, lots of sugar syrup, corn, peanuts and some other jellies. The cendol was soaked in gula melaka syrup. I like the coconut ice cream that came with some nuts, coconut flesh and atapchee. The desserts range from 6-8AUD. read more
Really enjoyed having dinner at this place. Nice ambiance with the lights at night. There's a variety of different Asian stores to purchase from, including Japanese, Korean, Singaporean, Chinese and others. The food was quite good and value for the prices, and we were able to get some things from many of the stores. Loved the experience! Great place to go with friends for some casual dining. read more
If you are looking for a lot of different options in Asian cuisine stop by Spice Alley. The food is quick and is like hawker stands/nicer food court/food truck round-up. Tip: You can bring your own beverages - alcohol included but bring your own cups unless you want to pay from them. There are many options that it could be overwhelming. The better selections are: Alex Lee Kitchen for Singaporean, Old Jim Kee for Malaysian, and Bang Luck for thai. I enjoyed the thai the most as it was the least greasy and had a lot of veggie options. Spice Alley is a fun atmosphere and worth checking out. It is also very affordable. read more
Disappointed. I was expecting a better food experience but I do enjoy the atmosphere. I think it will be a great place to hang out with friends, chatting and sharing a couple plates of food. But the food was really mediocre at best.....for what it cost, the portion size is really small. $7.80 for a frozen, ready-made roti canai? eek no thank you. read more
9 years ago
A bunch of different asian stalls that make you want to get a little thing at each and fill yourself--which is what my friends and I did. BYOB which is nice, but they charge for cups (0.40) as a warning. Go early or be prepared to wait for a seat--even on a Tuesday after work it was quite busy. read more
Went for dinner last night and it was phenomenal. Tucked away behind a larger mall off of Broadway, it's the perfect place to grab a bite alone or with friends. There are so many different types of food to choose from, but I went with the roti combo with curry chicken from the Alex Lee stall. The hainanese chicken looked really good too, but I'll have to try it next time. Definitely make a point of going here! read more
11 years ago
Can you remember what Posh Spice's original surname was before she became Victoria Beckham? No googling, ask friends. It's next to impossible to remember. Anyway, Spice Alley is nothing like the Spice Girls, its a tiny custom-built laneway behind Kensington Lane in the newly minted Central Park precinct, and it's brilliant. There's about 5 or 6 little Asian eateries in a row with a few cafes thrown in for good measure, all around a charming shady courtyard kitted out with tables and chairs with a hutong-y kind of feel to it. You can get gluggy rice, Hong Kong noodles, garlic pipis and a ton more. Every shop is hawker-stand small, and the cafes on the front facade are built into tiny little houses that I think might be original architecture kept from whatever the alley was in it's previous life. Look, it's great, go, take friends. Oh and it's cash-free, you either Paywave or you can get a Spice Alley top-up card if you're gonna be going there alot. read more
I've always been sceptical of Chinese restaurants that look too pretty. Are they trying to compensate for average to poor tasting food? It must be expensive - how else are they paying for that decor? Or even worse, small servings?? I don't know how Spice Alley pays for it all but they've really nailed it with the cool murals, wooden stools, eco-friendly disposables and great, cheap, hawker-style food, mostly sitting around the $10 mark. My Har Mee was heady with prawn flavour and my friend's super generous serving (enough to serve two really) of sampan congee was brimming with fish and thick like homemade. The cashless, food court style laneway makes for quick ordering after you spend an age walking up and down deciding on your meal. Even better is the choice of seating - dine al fresco under the strings of highly Instagramable lanterns or inside the cute terrace houses that make up the back wall of the laneway. read more
Spice alley is a hidden gem hiding just off George st just north of china town. It's casual fun and offers a wide variety of South East Asian street food delights to choose from. I opted for the papaya salad from the Thai stall. It was super fresh with a good bit of bite and an excellent side of fried chicken. It curry is more your style there is Malaysian roti stall, Singaporean kopitiam and of course dumplings. The courtyard with tables to enjoy your food is decorated with super cute red lanterns. It's family friendly and good value with most dishes under $15 for a decent meal as well as delicious snacks like spring rolls and friend chicken wings. This place is perfect for a casual bite on a warm summer evening and the little cottages have been transformed to provide additional seating should the weather turn bad. Great option for casual eating. Hope to see something like this in Melbourne. read more
10 years ago
Awesome Asian hawker food markets! I've been 3 times now and each time ordered a different fish from a different stall - every time it is amazing food! And only $9-$10! Loved it. Try the deep fried Oreos with caramel sauce for dessert for something completely different. Also the iced lemon tea on a hot day is perfectly refreshing, They do BYO so you can bring a bottle of wine to share. Lovely atmosphere, very open with lots of space to sit indoor or outdoor. Convenient location near Central station (easy walk). I will return!! read more
Page 1 of 2
More info about Spice Alley
18-20 Kensington St
Chippendale New South Wales 2008
Australia
Chippendale
Directions
0424 756 969
Call Now
Visit Website
http://www.kensingtonstreet.com.au
Hours
Food & Alcohol
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
Review Highlights - Spice Alley
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
3 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
10 years ago
10 years ago
