Mamuska! Restaurant and Bar - Southbank Waterloo — Restaurant in London

Tucked beneath the railway arches of Waterloo, Mamuśka! Polish Kitchen and Bar is more than a restaurant—it’s a celebration of Polish culinary tradition served with generous portions, unapologetic flavour, and a touch of nostalgia. With its rustic wood interiors, long communal tables, and bold branding, it strikes a careful balance between contemporary casual dining and the homeliness of a Warsaw family kitchen.

Starters: Classic Comfort with Precision

The meal began with a Polish staple: sałatka jarzynowa, a vegetable salad so deeply embedded in Polish culinary culture that it’s served at nearly every family gathering. Mamuśka!’s version is unapologetically traditional—soft, cubed carrots, peas, potatoes, and pickles folded into a creamy mayonnaise-based dressing with subtle seasoning. It arrives chilled in a small bowl, accompanied by thick slices of soft white bread generously spread with butter. While visually modest, the flavour delivers comfort in every bite. The sharpness of the gherkins cuts through the richness just enough to keep it balanced. It’s humble, hearty, and executed with quiet confidence.

Dessert: A Sweet Finish with Polish Flair

For dessert, the nalesniki—thin Polish-style crepes—were filled and folded, then lavishly drizzled with dark chocolate sauce and dusted with powdered sugar. The texture was excellent: soft, with slightly crisp edges, offering a delicate contrast to the rich chocolate. The portion size was generous, easily shareable, yet not overwhelming. This is the kind of dessert that reminds you why crepes remain a timeless comfort dish in many Central and Eastern European homes.

Atmosphere & Service: Casual Yet Intentionally Polish

Mamuśka! sets the tone with its casual but distinctly Polish atmosphere—Polish newspapers on the tables, metal cutlery buckets, and industrial-style décor. It doesn’t try to be fancy, nor should it. This is a place where the food does the talking. Service is quick and friendly, with staff that are welcoming and speak both English and Polish—a nod to the restaurant’s commitment to staying authentic while being inclusive to its diverse London clientele.

Verdict:

Mamuśka! isn’t chasing trends. Instead, it offers something increasingly rare in London’s fast-paced dining scene: real food, made with heart, rooted in culture. It’s a place where you could take your Polish grandmother and your British friends, and both would leave equally satisfied. Whether you’re craving a taste of home or discovering Polish cuisine for the first time, Mamuśka! delivers a grounded, flavorful experience worth...

I recently visited Mamuśka and had an extremely unpleasant experience. When it was time to pay, the owner refused to bring us the bill and insisted on charging us without even acknowledging what we had ordered. He clearly had no idea what we had consumed.

When I mentioned our student discount, he was visibly stunned and rudely remarked that my friend and I were the oldest students he had seen in a long time. The place is also highly understaffed, with the owner treating his employees terribly. One of the servers was on the verge of tears due to his relentless shouting and demeaning behavior.

To make matters worse, the food was highly overpriced and shouldn't even be called Polish. It was very average in taste and poorly presented on the plate.

The owner's conduct was appalling. He should be ashamed of himself for treating both his customers and employees so poorly. I strongly advise avoiding this restaurant until significant improvements are made.

Response to your reply:

Your response to my review is a clear attempt to defend subpar service and overpricing, instead of taking accountability and improving your establishment. It's laughable that you'd spend so much time writing a lengthy reply rather than fixing your glaring issues.

When we questioned the bill, it was out of necessity, not because we enjoyed being treated rudely. You could have handled it with basic respect and professionalism, which was sorely lacking.

As for the high prices, the justification you provided is nonsense. Competing in Southbank doesn't give you a free pass to serve overpriced, mediocre food. Customers expect value for their money, which you utterly failed to provide.

Blaming staff shortages is a pathetic excuse. Proper management means ensuring your team can deliver adequate service regardless of challenges. Clearly, this is beyond your current capabilities.

Your "mature students" joke was condescending and unprofessional. It’s not about being unable to take a joke; it’s about your blatant lack of respect. And don't twist our words – we suggested you ask your colleague what we had, not that she needed to come to us. That was your call, showing how poorly you handle customer communication.

In summary, instead of acting like a sexist old prick trying to shine a favorable light on yourself, maybe put that energy into running a competent business. I hope this feedback pushes you towards making real...

Hi, I was there today with my family. The service was great, however there is few points I didn't like. I was there few times before, and all was amazing, but this time unfortunately quality fell down. FOOD - comparing to my previous visits, I've expected same quality and same size, unfortunately portions are way smaller than on my last visit. My husband was actually grateful for first time that he could top up with salads, as he would be hungry, and way to pricey for size. MUSIC - Polish pub with Polish food, we were expecting Polish music, instead there was techno, and when we were leaving disco, Not Polish. Maybe management thinks that it's for good, but where's the atmosphere? After the food, we just wanted to leave, as there was like in night club, very much negative impression. You can review my previous review, where I highly recommended Mamuska, now I would consider other options unfortunately. We were in London whole day, and I wanted to take my family to really special place, but seems that consumption take over the quality unfortunately. You could learn from smaller Polish restaurants, which are really providing great standard, unfortunately there's not what I was expecting to return to, shame really. SERVICE - the table service was good, no issues there, but hopefully your manager will learn some Polish, as it's always nice to speak with someone who knows our food in Polish, especially that my husband was struggling with English. We were eating Pierogi - I don't know who's idea was to change the name for Pierogi Ukrainskie, as original name has got nothing to do with Russia, and someone who knows the history of dumplings should know that. Put more potato's inside, as after cooking they were flat, and cook should know serving this with melted butter, as this was for a child and what we asked for, not small sandwich cube butter. Chicken with mash and mushroom sauce - was good, but portion comparing to last time I was there was very small. 2xschabowe with chips - again portion was very small. BONUS - the menu idea is actually great, and big well done for that, so there's not only negatives. But, please consider bigger portions as you had in the past, because today it put us off. We spend over £91 pounds, and my husband and kids were really not happy where I take them. That's very honest review with hope, that it will be addressed, as it was really great place...