Mangrove — Restaurant in Scotland

Since this place opened, I have been a customer on three occasions. Despite always endevouring to be positive about experiences and doing everything reasonable and possible to avoid leaving a bad review (you'll see almost all of mine are five star), I am at pains to advise that my experiences overall have been absolutely dire and I would urge folks to avoid this establishment.

My first visit with my sister and her fiance shortly after they opened was only mediocre. We weren't particularly impressed with the food, and felt the menu was overpriced. This would probably have garnered a three star review. Sadly, this was by far the best of my three experiences here.

Fast forward a couple of years and one night my partner and I were looking for an alternative to our usual takeaways. We opted to try here since we had known of several people rating the food. The order was pretty expensive at almost £50 and we were absolutely shocked when it was delivered. Items were missing, there was curry all over the inside of the bag, what was still in the containers was tepid, it didn't taste great and the poppadoms were smashed everywhere. When we called to resolve this, a manager advised that we could only seek resolution through the delivery service (which we eventually did at considerable effort). His laughable suggestion was that we buy again sometime and he promised it would be better. Why ever would we after an experience like this? Incredibly poor!

You might be wondering how I ended up experiencing this place for a third time after such a dire takeaway? Well, I went as part of a group meal arranged for a blind and visually impaired tandem club I volunteer with, and sadly this experience was even worse for me. First off, when one of our visually impaired members went to make the booking, she advised that there would be at least one guide dog present. They replied that dogs are not allowed at this point. This is blatantly illegal to deny entry to a service dog (but frustratingly common sadly). Perhaps this should have been a red flag? They did submit to allowing a service dog when pressed and a manager was consulted. The booking was made for a large party, and we were all set, or so we thought!

On the night, our group arrived and the restaurant had no record of the booking. This led to a group of us, 18 strong, a mix of blind, visually impaired and sighted folks awkwardly hanging around the entrance while a table was set for us. A poor start indeed!

Once seated, we had orders taken. I had ordered a thali to get a taste of a range of the menu. This was perfectly good when I started eating it, but before I was even done with the appetisers, a junior waiter knocked both my full pint of beer and a water jug all over me. I was soaked through to my pants, and my wool coat was drenched in beer. I had to sit through the rest of the meal this way. The meal was prepared again after being spilled on.

When it came to paying, the most awkward arrangement ensued, particularly for a group of blind and visually impaired people. They could not split bills by card (which we were not informed of in advance) and everyone had to go up to a bar to pay in cash. It was incredibly awkward and long-winded. I waited until last to discuss the issue I had during my meal without delaying anyone else.

I got to the counter and stated that I was immensely unhappy about being soaked through with beer and that I would need to pay to have my coat dry cleaned. The server replied that he could only apologise and knock the corkage off my bill. I stated that this was not good enough and unacceptable, inquiring whether I could escalate my issue to a manager. The server said a manager was not in, but they would take my number and call me to resolve. They never did! Which is frankly appalling! I went home soaked in beer and had to pay £30 to get my coat dry cleaned.

So, in summary, I feel this place is absolutely awful. Service was dire, left me out of pocket and literally soaked to my skin. Just dreadful! I'd advise you to avoid. Absolutely zero...

During our evening stroll in Inverness, my fiancé and I decided to dine at Mangroove, eager to enjoy some Indian cuisine after days of fast food on our Scottish road trip. While the food did not disappoint, our overall experience was marred by an unfortunate incident with one of the staff members.

Upon entering the restaurant, we found it nearly empty except for a family seated in a corner. We chose a table and settled in, excited for our meal. However, a man in a black suit approached us and asked us to change our seats, despite the ample seating available. This was perplexing and uncomfortable, but we complied without fuss.

Adding to our discomfort, he then informed us that the restaurant does not sell alcohol. This comment was unsolicited and presumptive, as we had not inquired about alcohol or shown any interest in ordering it. It seemed unnecessary and out of place, leaving us feeling unwelcome.

Contrastingly, the other staff members were lovely and attentive, and the food was truly delightful. We were thrilled with the flavors and authenticity of the dishes, which provided a much-needed break from our fast-food routine.

What struck us further was the difference in treatment. We observed the man in the black suit greeting and interacting warmly with the other family in the restaurant. This disparity in service was disheartening and left us feeling singled out and disrespected.

In summary, while Mangroove offers excellent Indian cuisine and most of the staff were kind and professional, our experience was significantly impacted by the behavior of one staff member. It's a place with great potential, but our encounter left us with...

I visited for the first time for a birthday in November. From the moment we sat down, we were rushed and the staff were rude. The waiter came over 4 times in our first 5 minutes to ask if we were ready to order. We ordered the platter for 2 and requested to upgrade the naans to garlic rather than plain and were told no. We were more than happy to pay extra for this which we emphasised but they said the chefs do not like when people request changes so it's either plain naan or no naan. We removed the naan from the platter and ordered them separately in order to have the food we wanted. As soon as we finished our meal, the dessert menu was thrown in front of us, we were immediately asked if we were going to order anything from it and then the bill was put down. We paid the bill and started putting our coats on and the owner asked us if we were going to order anything else AGAIN, even though it was clear we had paid and were leaving.

A large booking came in halfway through and the people seemed to be friends of the owner so I got the impression nobody else was important to them that night.

The food was fine, but due to the terrible treatment of their customers and their inability to accommodate simple requests (especially for a special occasion which was exceedingly disappointing), I will not be returning and would certainly...