Mowgli Street Food Brighton — Restaurant in Great Britain

Can't wait for a copy and paste response of... 'We greatly appreciate your feedback. The recipes we use are from our founders family, however we understand these are not always everyone's personal preference. Thank you for giving Mowgli a try 🐒'. That kind of sums the place up. Nothing individual, no personality and no customer care.

Anyway....I may be harsh with one star but allow me to explain. The one star completely comes down to one member of staff. I'm assuming a supervisor of some sort. She had short hair and was the only one not wearing a uniform. My partner and I came for dinner a few nights ago. We never eat out due to financial reasons. We requested a swing seat as my partner loved the idea. When we arrived, this member of staff was blunt in telling us we wouldn't be sat on a swing seat. No apology, just grabbed menus and told us to follow. I halted and mentioned the the swing seat was important as my partner has always wanted to experience it. I was sheepish about this and mentioned how it might have sounded silly. She laughed in our faces being awfully patronising and making us feel stupid. It was horrible. It wasn't a 'understanding' laugh, it was a 'are you serious' laugh. She even sarcastically apologised for laughing at us. Confirming it was in fact, at us. If she'd have given me a chance to speak, she would have realised that I noticed a couple leaving the swing seats and all I was doing was asking to sit in the now free swing seats. I eventually got that through to her. She then angrily told us we'd have to wait because she needed to clean the table. We told her that wasn't a problem. She then stormed off, wiped the table, clicked her fingers and called us over like dogs. Like it was a real issue... Unbelievably stroppy. Handed us menus and stormed off. I couldn't help but observe her during the service and I was so shocked at her behaviour. Pulling faces behind other customers backs as they were coming up the stairs because she felt they weren't moving fast enough...not communicating with other diners, rushing around stroppy. She clearly didn't want to be there and gave the whole restaurant a really awful and uncomfortable atmosphere. Awful start to the night. I was raging but tried to keep it down for my partner's sake. We were not the only people to notice as another table made a comment about her to us. The food was okay. If you're a home cook then you won't be blown away by it. It was pleasant enough but for those prices (average of 10 pounds per small tapas type dish), it needs to be exceptional and it really wasn't. Far too expensive for what's severed but I understand that's totally subjective. Some may disagree. On top of the expensive bill there's a really cheeky charity donation slapped on. It's uncomfortable to ask to take it off and the whole thing just feels a bit off. I'm always happy to donate to charity but you need to make the dishes more affordable before you pressure people into it. I'd also be curious to whether the company perhaps matches the donation? On a more positive note... Aside for the really nasty supervisor, the other members of staff were absolutely wonderful. Cheery, attentive and lifted the whole experience. The sole reason we kept on the service charge - though it sickens me to think the supervisor may have taken a cut. All in all, for me, not worth it at all. I left financially worse off, insulted and...

Disappointing Experience at Mowgli Brighton

My husband and I usually work Friday evenings, but last night we finally had a night off and decided to try something new. Being big fans of Indian cuisine — and quite the connoisseurs — we were excited to visit Mowgli in Brighton, intrigued by its street food concept and trendy vibe.

We booked a table for 8:30 PM. After a short 10-minute wait, we were seated by the window on the much-hyped swing table. While the swings look fun and are great for a cocktail selfie, they are not comfortable for dining. Eating a full meal while swinging isn’t ideal and quickly became uncomfortable.

The venue was also extremely noisy. It was hard to have a proper conversation without raising our voices — not exactly the relaxed Friday night dinner we’d hoped for.

It took 15 minutes before anyone came to take our drink order, and another 15 to place our food order. Throughout the evening, service felt disinterested and uneven. The tables next to us had the lady manager stop by at least six times, while no one once checked in with us. That kind of selective attention doesn’t reflect well on a restaurant, especially one that automatically adds a service charge.

As for the drinks, the mango lassi was bland — just mango pulp and yogurt with no depth of flavor. My Mowgli Twist mocktail was okay, but nothing to rave about.

We ordered a range of dishes (see attached receipt) to explore the menu, but sadly, the food fell flat: • Chaat Bombs were a very basic starter. • Gunpowder Chicken was just fried chicken pieces tossed in sauce. • Dhal tasted like plain boiled red lentils — completely flavorless. • Prawn Curry had undercooked prawns and peas. • Treacle Fries were oddly sweet and sticky, more like dessert than a side. • Mother Butter Chicken tasted just like a supermarket ready meal. • Lamb Curry was the best dish of the night, but still nothing memorable.

We also ordered one portion of Roti (which should include two pieces) but received them after we’d finished eating — and were charged for two portions instead of one.

Most importantly, I can assure you that none of the dishes tasted freshly made or à la carte. Everything had that unmistakable “made in bulk and reheated” feeling — more like buffet-style catering than restaurant-quality food. It lacked any freshness or individuality, which is such a shame when you’re expecting vibrant Indian street food.

While we appreciated the £1 charity donation, the 10% service charge felt completely unjustified for the experience we received.

The atmosphere may be lively and Instagrammable, but for those who genuinely love and understand Indian food, this place misses the mark. We left most of our food on the table, disappointed.

If you’re looking for authentic flavor, quality ingredients, and warm service — you can absolutely find better Indian restaurants elsewhere, maybe less flashy, but far...

Mowgli is WITHOUT A DOUBT one of the best restaurant experiences in the whole of Brighton! 💯 Not only does it offer some of the most flavorful, unique dishes you’ll find in the area, but every single option offers its own character and personality to your meal. I'd highly recommend that you visit with friends or family so you can swap and share dishes and explore more of the menu, since there are no wrong choices at Mowgli.

The restaurant itself is gorgeous and creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere for couples and larger parties. The fairy lights woven throughout illuminate the darker spaces for a cozy date corner or extenuate the bright areas in a soft, cozy illumination. And the SWINGS! Brilliant! They create a fun dining experience for someone who enjoys wiggling with delight as they enjoy their meal.

The staff are lovely and incredible at explaining the best way to enjoy the menu, though they can become less attentive as the restaurant got busier throughout the afternoon/evening. That said, at least two of the ladies were amazing at helping us navigate our way through the menu, and I'll be sure to shout them out in the future...

There's no question that I'll be visiting Mowgli many, MANY more times in the future, and highly recommend doing the same before it becomes one of Brighton's hottest dining spots in town!

▬▬▬ RECOMMENDATIONS ▬▬▬ Here are a few strong recommendations from my several visits to the restaurant:

►The MOWGLI STICKY CHICKEN was recommended highly by several people throughout Brighton, and was ultimately the dish worth ordering twice! Cannot recommend it more highly if you're dropping in. ► The BHAL PURI is a super robust and bright palette of flavours, and certainly lives up to its title as "Bombay's best-loved street food"—as long as you're not allergic to peanuts! ► The HOUSE LAMB CURRY is a rich presentation of lamb and a great topper for rice. ► The GOAN FISH CURRY has one of the best sauces in the restaurant, even if it overpowers the fish a bit. ► The MOTHER BUTTER CHICKEN continues to be a delicious, flavourful cornerstone of the Indian-inspired menu, and is (of course) worth ordering...