Tsaretta Spice Restaurant Review

Indulge in the authentic tastes of India at one of Meribel's newest urban restaurants, Tsaretta Spice. Just five minutes drive from Meribel Centre, the restaurant is located in 1600 and offers a new and niche alternative to French cuisine.

As an expansion of the original Tsaretta restaurant in Les Allues, Tsaretta Spice gives insight into the spice infused and untamed flavours of India in a relaxed and modern atmosphere.

Tsaretta Spice has the feel of a modern alpine eatery. Exposed ceiling beams, wooden table tops and a relaxed vibe created by those already seated and enjoying the wine makes it easy to forget this restaurant is unlike any other in resort. Having heard so much about the restaurant all week amongst seasonaires and Meribel locals, we’d been patiently awaiting the opportunity to see what all the fuss was about.

Greeted on arrival by venue manager, Benajmin Bath, we were handed menus that boast an array of authentic Indian dishes and recognisable cuisine favourites, alongside an extensive wine list.

“Compared to the original restaurant, the objective of opening up a new place is to offer a niche a la carte menu where people can enjoy a nice dinner without the noise of being in a bar.” Bath said, as he explained the purpose behind the business expansion.

“The French have quite a high standard of food and service and therefore expectations are high. We want to give an amazing experience with a good level of cuisine, something like you’d find in a high Indian restaurant in London”.

There’s something for everyone to try at Tsaretta Spice. From numerous vegetarian items, non-traditional fish dishes and a selection of mild to extra hot options, the menu screams diversity and couldn’t be further from what’s plated up at a basic British curry house. Spice offers a completely new option which has previously been unavailable in Meribel, not only in terms of the dining experience but also in the very fact that it is nigh-on impossible to buy the necessary ingredients for a decent curry in resort.

Homemade poppadum’s were served to begin, accompanied by a trio of dipping sauces: beetroot, lime and pickle, and coriander and mint. The sweet and tangy beetroot was surprisingly light and not too overpowering. For those not so keen on beetroot, we’d still recommend you give this one a go. The lime and pickle chutney packed a punchy pow of flavour as very bitter and zest-infused. The third of the trio, refreshingly green in colour and herby in flavour, was traditional tasting and great as a palette starter.

We ordered the patta-chat for entrée. Popular in India, patta-chat is a sautéed spinach dish served with a sweet tamarind chutney sauce and yoghurt. Incredibly sweet, the herbs in the dish created a fresh flavour and the crunchiness in the fried leafy greens gave texture. Although the tamarind chutney drizzled on top was overpoweringly sweet, the thickened yoghurt helped to dampen the sweetness of the dish and overall, offered an uplifting, light vegetarian starter. The portion size was perfect and we enjoyed the dish and its sweet flavours – something we didn’t expect to experience in a vegetarian spinach option.

To contrast the sweetness of the patta chat, we ordered Onion Bhajis as an alternative entrée item. Dissimilar to what you might expect at a curry house in the UK, we were presented with three large bhaji balls placed delicately across a smear of mango and cinnamon chutney. On first impressions, this was a very generous sized entrée, a dish that could definitely be shared between two. Beautifully crunchy and homemade, the chutney complimented the spiced flavours of the bahji balls very well. There was minimal grease left behind on the plate and they had a fantastic crunchy texture. Filling yet more-ish, this was our favourite of the two entrée dishes. Try a glass of the house white with your starters. Being a dry white, the Chemins de Pins contrasts with the sweetness in the tamarind chutney and mango sauce used in each entrée dish.

For main course, we ordered the Talli Maachi Sea Bass and Goan Chicken Masala. The large sea bass fillet arrived, presented beautifully, balanced on a pillow of curry leaf infused mashed potato, surrounded by a pool of creamy masala sauce. The tender and flavourful fish matched perfectly with the fluffy potato as we used hot garlic naan bread (ordered as a side) to soak up the buttery, orange sauce which was beautifully presented on the grey slate plates. Alongside the fresh sea bass dish, the Goan chicken masala was packed with heat. Rated as a ‘medium-spice’ on the menu, this dish really packed a chilli punch. Hearty, filling and a sinus-clearer, we’d recommend ordering a side of vegetables or rice to help tame the heat from this dish. Try a glass of the house red with the masala. Complimenting the richness of the dish well, the Croisede is a fruity house red which holds its own against the strong masala flavours and is excellent value for money. The only slight draw back on these hearty main dishes is that none were served with any greens, so sometimes it felt like the meals were lacking a bit of a refreshing uplift.

Taking a breather and looking around the restaurant in between mouthfuls, every table was full. Tsaretta Spice may be a new business and competing with long-established restaurants in Meribel but don’t be fooled by the new kid on the block. Spice takes multiple reservations each night and is quickly becoming a dining favourite for seasonaires and locals alike.

To end the meal, there was no better way than to indulge in the café gourmand. Perfect to share between two, the gourmand boasts a selection of sweet dumpling, carrot pudding and vanilla bean ice cream. The dumpling was intensely sweet; moist and spongy in texture, it worked well with the smoothness of the ice cream. The most enjoyable element of the dessert platter was the carrot pudding. Delightfully spiced, moist cake delicately flavoured with crumbled pistachio was an absolutely pleasurable end to the meal. An unexpected contender, yet worthy of its title as a fabulous menu item and the shining star of the three-course dining experience.

If you’re looking for a break from Savoyard cuisine, hoping to add a bit of spice to your holiday on the slopes or are just eager to dine in a warm, elegant yet relaxed atmosphere away from the hustle and bustle of Meribel nightlife, Tsaretta Spice is ideal. Offering a modern twist to some of the most well known Indian dishes, Spice delivers proudly homemade and authentic food with friendly service at an alpine restaurant standard. Its menu boasts an array of sweet and spice infused items, a relatively broad wine list and a hearty meal to keep you warm while the snow falls outside.

The restaurant is extremely vegetarian-friendly. We’d recommend the onion bahji as a starter, sea bass for main and café gourmand as a must to finish off a perfect three course dining experience. Why not end the night by indulging in a shot or two of locally produced French digestif, Genepi.

Enjoy!

By Amelia Power and Alexis Beaumont