We tried out the new Mowgli Brighton on opening night – here’s our complete review of the Indian restaurant.
Brighton is a great city for foodies. The scene is always evolving and expanding, with new restaurants popping up all the time. One of the latest additions to the city’s dining scene is Mowgli Street Food, a vibrant and modern Indian restaurant that’s been creating quite a buzz in the UK.
Located on Duke Street in the centre of Brighton, Mowgli promises to take diners on a culinary journey through the streets of India, with a menu that’s inspired by the country’s vibrant street food culture.
From mouth-watering chaat to spicy kebabs and curries, Mowgli offers a range of dishes designed to be shared and enjoyed with friends and family.
In this blog post, we’ll review the new Mowgli Brighton and give you a taste of what Mowgli has to offer, from the atmosphere and decor to the food and service. So if you’re looking for a new dining experience in Brighton, read on to find out if Mowgli Brighton is worth a visit.
Table of Contents
What is Mowgli Brighton?
Mowgli Brighton is part of the Mowgli Street Food chain, which is all about accessible fresh Indian home cooking.
We’ve been following the founder, Nisha Katona, for a while so were very excited when we heard they were opening a Brighton branch. We’re also massive Dishoom fans so were intrigued to see how this cheaper alternative compares.
There are 10 Mowgli restaurants in total including in Liverpool, Oxford, Nottingham and Cardiff, with new restaurants opening soon in Bristol and Edinburgh.
When does Mowgli Brighton open?
After being in development for several months, Mowgli Brighton is now open for business. It opened at the end of February 2023 and you can book tables online.
Where is Mowgli Brighton?
Mowgli Brighton is on Dukes Lane in central Brighton. It’s a great location, in the heart of the Lanes which are full of independent and small-chain restaurants and shops. It’s also about 10 minutes away from the beach and pier and there are lots of cute bars and pubs nearby if you fancy a drink or cocktail after your meal.
What is the food and drink like at Mowgli Brighton?
The menu at Mowgli Brighton is pretty extensive, with a range of small plates. We asked our waitress for recommendations as we were slightly overwhelmed by all the choices and unfamiliar dishes. The menu was divided into five sections, including “street meats”, “the hindu kitchen” (all vegetarian options) and “curry companions” (rice, roti bread etc). Although we eat meat, we thought this restaurant would be great for vegetarians with lots of meat-free dishes on offer.
We ended up ordering one dish from each section so we could try the whole range. The plates were a bit smaller than we expected, so we then ended up going back for more.
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We ordered:
- Yoghurt Chat Bombs – Crisp bread puffs filled with chickpeas, spiced yoghurt, tamarind & coriander.
- Mowgli Paneer – Tender cubes of soft paneer cheese simmered with velvety sweet, spiced tomatoes, garden peas & fresh spinach.
- Maa’s Lamb Chops & Turmeric Chips
- Mowgli Puri – Soft fried golden flat bread.
- Roti breads – Traditional Ghee brushed flat bread.
- Gunpowder Chicken
- Aunty Geeta’s Prawn Curry
The highlight was definitely the lamb with turmeric-covered potatoes – it was cooked just right. We also really enjoyed the gunpowder chicken, but the prawns were slightly underwhelming.
The yoghurt chat bombs were interesting – we’d never eat anything like these before. They were bready balls filled with yoghurt and spices. You put the whole thing in your mouth and they explode. I’m not sure I would order them again personally but I’m glad I tried them as they were a bit different.
We ordered a bottle of white wine, which was fine for the price (just over £20). The cocktails look great and I will definitely try one on my next visit. We were also too full for dessert but we saw lots of people looking very happy with ice-creams.
The only downside was the smaller-than-expected portion sizes, but the prices are very reasonable so we were happy to order more and glad we got to try more of the menu.
What is the atmosphere and service like at Mowgli Brighton?
A big draw of Mowgli Brighton is the look and feel of the restaurant. It is definitely very Instagrammable, with fairy lights everywhere. They have swing seats along one side of the restaurant, which we sat on, adding to the fun.
It was pretty busy as it was opening night but the food came out fast (it is served as and when it is ready, rather than when everything is cooked) and our waitress was very friendly and helpful.
Is Mowgli Brighton expensive?
The prices are Mowgli Brighton are relatively affordable, at about £7-9 for a meat dish or curry, and £4-6 for sides and breads. Our meal came to around £75 for two people with a bottle of wine.
You could easily spend much more or less depending on how much you eat, so you can adapt the meal to your budget.
Is Mowgli Brighton good?
Overall, we were really impressed with the restaurant and enjoyed the food. It wasn’t as amazing as higher-end places like Dishoom but it’s definitely more affordable (and easier to get a table). We would recommend ordering lots of food as they really are small plates and enjoy trying the range of dishes on offer.
That’s all for this review of Mowgli Brighton! Did you visit? Let us know what you thought in the comments.
