Mildreds Camden — Restaurant in London

As loyal patrons of Mildred’s, having visited and enjoyed all the other London branches, we were looking forward to this visit on the evening of the 24th of November. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the worst dining experience we’ve ever had.

Upon entering, we were greeted by a waitress whose attitude was far from welcoming. Settling in at the table took some time, as we had our 15 month old son with us, who is always a little difficult to settle into a high chair. Due to his specific dietary requirements, alongside being vegan, we brought his own food to ensure he could eat comfortably.

However, the waitress who we think was named Steph, approached us rudely, questioning the food we brought and asking, “I hope that food is vegan.” We assured her it was, but she walked away, clearly displeased. Moments later, she returned to inform us that outside food was not allowed. When we explained this was his dinner and asked what he could eat instead, she said he should eat from their menu, despite the fact that they do not offer a baby menu.

Her demeanor was cold and dismissive, making us feel targeted for having a child. As we began to pack up to leave the restaurant, she completely ignored us, offering no apology for the inconvenience she had caused, and continued to serve other customers as if we weren’t there.

Additionally, we suspect she may have been the manager, as earlier in the evening we had ordered an avocado when we sat down to compliment my sons dinner. It went uneaten due to the situation, and another member of staff had to ask her directly if we should still be charged for it now that we had to leave. This added to our frustration and made the experience feel even more disorganised and dismissive.

This experience ruined our evening. We had to leave in the rain and cold to find another restaurant that could accommodate us, as it was already past our son’s feeding time.

As strict vegans, we have never been treated this way in any other establishment, including other Mildred’s locations. This was not just disappointing - it was hurtful. Families with young children deserve to be treated with respect and understanding, especially when managing dietary requirements.

I sincerely hope the management at Mildred’s takes this feedback for the Camden branch seriously to ensure no other family has to go through what we experienced. We will not be returning to this branch and cannot recommend...

I don’t usually write reviews, but after my experience here I feel other diners need to be warned. We booked this restaurant for my birthday, expecting a special evening. Instead, we left feeling ripped off, humiliated, and frankly scammed. First off, the “set menu for two” is an absolute joke. It came with one single main course to share. Yes, you read that right: two people, one main dish. That “main” turned up with a small scoop of curry that wouldn’t have been enough even for one person. The portions were laughably tiny. Calling this a meal for two is misleading at best, predatory at worst. But the worst part was the so-called “birthday treat.” The staff presented us with a minuscule finger-sized dessert, making it seem like a complimentary birthday gesture. Only later did we discover they had sneaked it to the bill without telling us just as we were about to pay. If we wanted dessert, we would have chosen and ordered it ourselves! What should have been a kind gesture turned into a sleazy trick. That left a sour taste far worse than the food itself. On my birthday, no less. The whole experience felt like a carefully orchestrated dark-pattern pricing scam with the set menu presenting courses as “per person” when in reality everything down to the main course is shared! There is also a hidden 12.5% “service charge” that you cannot opt-out of - if everything is in fact meant to cost 12.5% more, why not add it to the menu items directly?! Clearly the goal is to manipulate customers. This restaurant is upselling through deception, hiding costs until it’s too late, and dressing up scraps as a “special menu.” It’s one thing to charge premium prices for quality food and service. It’s another to manipulate your customers, especially on an occasion as personal as a birthday. If you value honesty, fair portions, or simply not being scammed when you’re trying to celebrate, stay far, far away...

EDIT: A year on and we returned to Mildreds, this time at the Victoria location. Top class experience from start to finish! Delighted to report our initial visit must have been an unfortunate one-off. We plan on returning again soon!

My partner & I dropped in for Sunday brunch. We stood for a few minutes inside the entrance, wondering if we could sit anywhere or if we had to wait to be seated. No staff member approached, so after a few minutes, we sat at a table, taking a menu each from inside the main door. A staff member arrived at the table and promptly told us, ‘you should have waited to be seated’. I politely replied that we had waited inside the door for a few minutes awaiting staff attention and not knowing what the policy/procedure was. She proceeded, with an attitude, unbecoming of a person in such a role, to tell me that she had seen us at the door and had asked us to wait a minute. I politely replied that I had neither seen or heard or and I asked my partner, who confirmed to her that they had not heard her either. When we ordered, the same staff member asked about any allergies and my partner replied ‘no, just vegan thanks’, to which she replied ‘that’s not an allergy’. We were both again incredulous at the tone and smartness. Interestingly we watched as 2 separate groups arrived after we did and were told by a very friendly staff member that they were welcome to sit where they liked! All of the unnecessary attitude we received from the older staff member tainted what could have been the perfect dining experience. Food was excellent but we left feeling like we’d been scolded by a headmaster! Not a good look for the person in question and not the aftertaste a paying client...