Hi Barrie, I know the Spice Garden very well and we are always remembered by the owners Vernon and Sallis.This is one place we have only eaten in just the once (reccomended by many not to).
We will always call in and speak to them and have a drink,but your right the service charge doesn't warrent the poor service.It's there kids who work the restaurant,they have done from a very early age and i can't see Vernon changing his ways.
By the way...he wasn't singing at the time was he ? he does usually have some good local talent on each night but when he gets up to sing - you can't help but laugh !!
The only other places we have encounted a service charge is at the Magnum hotel (opposite Spice Garden) and the Delhi Darbar in Panaji.

don't know about HIS singing but his two eldest daughters are very talented singers. (at least I take them to be his daughters)
His food is.... OK, but nothing special.
never noticed a service charge on the bill, but to be honest I didn't look.
del949

We had a meal at the Spice Garden last year, I remember it as we seemed to wait ages for the meal, it was OK but would not go back. Some people on the next table were complaining that their meal was rubbish. I cant remember if we were charged a service charge though.
We tended to only look at the total and then leave a tip.

Twoshoes

This is probably why you dont find the Spice Garden in the Candolim top 10 restaurant that Lin so kindly produced.

jayne

About 4 years ago, we had the worst meal ever in the Spice Garden.

It was some sort of festival day and I think they'd let most of the staff off for the night.

We waited ages for the meal (king prawns), had a terrible job getting them to bring more drinks and when the food came, it was poorly cooked and not even hot.

They were quick enough to bring the bill - with a 10% service charge added on.
We crossed that off and left just the amount of the bill.

We are normally very good tippers, but, like Barrie, we objected to paying for appalling service.

Maybe coincidentally, we were both ill after that meal - the only time we have ever been ill in Goa.

We were tempted in to the Spice garden by the promise of Giant Crab. The crab was good (and very big) but the accompanying rice and the few wee bits of salad that were served with it, were almost inedible, It was quite expensive, the service was slow, but the surroundings and "entertainment" sort of made up for the poor meal. Don't think we'll be paying it another visit though when we go back in March.
Gail

We went to the Spice Garden in March 2005. An awful meal, the worst we had in Goa, and by far the most expensive. It also took the owners 15 minutes to give me the bill after I asked for it, altogether I asked for the bill 5 times. It was only after we stood up and pretended to walk out that they brought it over. An awful restaurant with an awful attitude. Go there at your peril!

Hey lin b
maybe we should ask you to compile a list of the 10 worst restaurants in Candolim.....

Only joking, honest.

Hi Spike

I noticed that you say you know the owners of the Spice Garden well.
Do you think they are aware of the not-so-good feedback that their restaurant is getting on this forum?

Would they be bothered about changing any aspect of the service and food if they did know that people think their food is average and the service very poor?

Word-of-mouth advertising can be very powerful - whether it is positive or negetive, don't you think?

Hi prettypollycat - well thats a tricky one... I AM one of those people who will complain if the food is poor at the time,but i wont go back in now and say ''lots of people on a website say your food is crap and wont eat here'' The food we had there was ok but nothing to write home about, the service on the other hand is a complete joke.
I think sites like this or 'word of mouth' in the resort can either make or break a restaurant, but they keep on going and have many busy nights.
We will be calling in to see them this year and may drop a hint to Sallis that they are mentioned on this site (Vernon is a big bloke and can be aggressive and i don't want to spoil my hols !! )
Your idea of a 'worst' restaurant guide may be a good idea, but many people will have a poor night in a restaurant and the next night will be a good one.
There are many restaurants on here that i have eaten in each year that are consistent with the food and service being very very good - the Spice Garden not being one of them.

spike,
if ,as you say he is big and can be aggresive, it may not be a good idea to mention this site at all. After all YOUR post is on here now

del949

Best thing is Del,he doesn't know me by the name 'Spike' .Still...it is a tricky situation but i think his wife would maybe listen more than he would so i think i will go ahead and mention what is being said.
I will also tell him you will call in if they put tandoori squirrel on the menu.

Hi Spike
my comment about the worst restaurants was very much 'tongue-in-cheek'.

I'm sure lin b would be ready to explode at the thought of trawling through loads of posts to compile another list.

I do agree with you that you can have good and bad nights at the same restaurants and, quite often, that can just depend on your menu choice.
We've had great Chinese at some places, but at the same place on other occasions, the Indian food has not been so good.
For us, the Spice Garden is definitely off the list and I guess that other people will just make their own mind up.

cheers
Polly

tandoori squirell and chips!

del
shame on you!

Tandoori squirrel and chips?

In India?

Surely you mean Tandoori Squirrel and Rice?

Called in the Spice Garden and spoke to the owners Vernon and Sallis. I was asked by Sallis that they had been mentioned on the internet and that they had not had very good reports and was wanting to know what had been said - it seems that Les from this site had already been in (he was staying opposite in the Magnum Hotel). So i told her all about HT and what the purpose of the site was for which she fully understood. On telling her that someone was annoyed at paying a service charge,she stated that they don't add one,they only add the vat at the foot of the bill. I mentioned that people(including myself) complained of a slow serivce,but didn't get a positive '' thats something we will look into'' response.
On the other hand the Spice Garden seems to have improved quite a bit and seems more 'open spaced' than before,as they have cut trees back,cleaned and painted the place up,have flushing toilets and now an adjoining bar area which is created around the original structure of the building. Also under construction is a small waterfall feature which should be in use next season - will look good,and a nice little bar to end the evening in (called in a few nights to have a natter with Les and see how he was getting on - nice to meet you Les)

I started this thread and refute the statement that only VAT is added at the end of the bill. It definately said "Service Charge" and was 10%.

I still have the 2 rupee note that was the change!!!!!!

barrie.

we were there the 1st 2 weeks in march and used the spice garden, now i thought it was one of the better restaurants we used tried all from the top 10 list and i woul put this up near the top, service was fine and the food was good. we had lobster starter and fillet steak for mains, cooked just hoe we liked them and couldn't fault it. it must be each to there own. now we had 3 courses with coffee, wine 3 beers and a couple of vodkas and 2 honeybee's to finish cost was £27, i thought that was good value. a normal night out would of cost about £15 but only having 2 courses no wine no coffee no brandies just a couple of beers and vodkas and usually only eating curries for mains.
now the worst restaurant for service was the stonehouse we were there for a couple of hours only had 2 drinks and had to ask for the second round a curry and a steak which was so small not cooked to how i wanted it, cost £10. now i know what your going to say did you complain, well no, because all nasty thoughts go through my mind if they take it back to change, just wouldn't use again.