Mowgli Street Food Review (Charlotte Street, London): Beautiful Vibes, Clever Tiffins… But Where’s the Desi Punch?

If you’ve walked past a Mowgli and thought, “This looks like Indian street food—but make it fairy lights,” you’re not wrong. Mowgli Street Food is a UK-born Indian restaurant brand founded by Nisha Katona, who left a 20-year career as a barrister to build a restaurant concept inspired by the food Indians eat at home and on the streets. 

Mowgli has grown into a widely recognised chain with multiple locations across the UK (including London), and it’s become a go-to for people who want Indian flavours in a modern, approachable setting. 

This visit, though, was very specific: Charlotte Street (Fitzrovia), London, and it was during their Christmas Feasting menu season. 

And my overall verdict? A genuinely enjoyable experience—great service, great atmosphere, great presentation—but the food (especially the mains) didn’t land for Indian tastebuds in the way you’d hope.

Quick takeaway

Best for: a fun night out, great ambience, friendly service, and an “intro to Indian” for cautious palates

Not best for: people craving proper desi intensity and depth of flavour

Score: a confident 3 to 3.5 stars—with real potential to be 5 if the mains brought more authentic flavour

A quick look at Mowgli’s story

Mowgli’s founder, Nisha Katona, describes the brand as rooted in the kind of food Indians crave—tiffin-style, bright, punchy, herb-forward, and built around the idea of casual sharing plates rather than formal “curry house” dining. 

A small but important detail: many people loosely place Mowgli’s beginnings around 2013/2014 in conversation, but Mowgli’s own brand story strongly anchors its creation to 2014, when Katona left law to build it. 

That “story” piece matters because Mowgli is not trying to be your classic North Indian restaurant. It’s trying to be a modern, stylised take on everyday Indian eating—snacks, chats, small plates, and sharing dishes—with a strong emphasis on atmosphere and design.

Mowgli locations (UK): where you’ll find them

Mowgli has expanded widely across the UK, and the brand’s official site lists a large network of restaurants—including multiple cities and more than one London site. 

In London, Mowgli highlights:

• Charlotte Street (Fitzrovia) — the one reviewed here 
• Stratford (also listed on their site) 

(And beyond London, you’ll see locations listed across England, Scotland and Wales—think major cities and popular hubs—making it one of the most visible Indian “street food” brands in the country.)

The Charlotte Street branch: vibe check

Mowgli’s Charlotte Street restaurant is positioned as a warm, fairy-lit refuge in Fitzrovia, spread across multiple floors and geared for everything from casual meals to group dining. 

And honestly—this is where Mowgli shines. The ambience is fun and inviting. It feels like a “night out” place as much as it feels like a “meal” place. Service was also genuinely good: friendly, quick, and attentive without hovering.

If your priority is atmosphere + hospitality, Charlotte Street absolutely delivers.

The Christmas menu: festive, shareable, and well-packaged

Mowgli runs a Christmas Feasting Menu concept built around sharing plates and seasonal social dining. 

It’s designed to come out “as and when ready” (more of a flowing feast than strict starters-then-mains formality), and it leans into signature items and crowd-pleasers. 

Even outside the specifics of what you ordered, the structure of the festive menu makes sense for Mowgli’s concept: fun plates, quick pacing, lots of variety, and plenty of “that looks cute” moments (which, let’s be real, is a big part of why people go).

What we ordered: starters vs mains (and what actually worked)

Starter win: Dahi Puri (the “closest to home” moment)

The dahi puri was… genuinely alright. Not “Mumbai station-level chaos”, but pleasant, balanced, and the nearest thing to a proper chaat hit on the table.

For someone who grew up eating chaat, it gave that little nostalgic flicker: the crunch, the yoghurt tang, the sweet-sour tamarind vibe. It’s the kind of dish that makes you think, “Okay, they get this.”

The tiffin presentation: nostalgia, 10/10

Now let’s talk about the tiffin/lunchbox concept. Mowgli’s tiffin-style serving is undeniably clever and nostalgic—straight-up school lunch memories. It looks great, it photographs beautifully, and it adds personality to the meal.

But (and this is the big but), presentation can’t do the heavy lifting forever.

The mains: tried veg, vegan, and non-veg… and they all landed “too safe”

You tried a spread across:

• Non-veg mains (chicken)
• Veg mains (paneer)
• Vegan mains (soya keema)

And the consistent theme was: the flavours felt muted—not offensive, just under-seasoned for Indian tastebuds.

Chicken: bland enough to make you search for the missing masala

The chicken was notably bland. Not “mild” in a strategic way—more like the seasoning decided to take annual leave. If you’re British and you want a gentle curry-adjacent experience, you may actually enjoy this. If you’re Indian and expecting depth, heat, or that layered spice build… you’ll likely feel the gap.

Paneer: not great (and paneer is usually the easy win!)

Paneer is one of those things that, when done right, can be ridiculously satisfying. Here, it didn’t hit. Texture and flavour didn’t feel worth the order, and it lacked the richness or spice balance that makes paneer dishes comforting rather than just… present.

Soya keema: disappointing

Soya keema can be brilliant when it’s treated properly—spiced well, cooked down, and given enough aromatics to feel hearty. Here, it wasn’t good, and it didn’t deliver the “keema-style” comfort you want.

The biggest issue: “tomato puree poured in” style curries

This is the most important critique, and it’s also the easiest to say politely: the curries felt like they leaned heavily on a tomato puree base without the layered masala cooking that gives Indian curries their complexity.

To Indian tastebuds, that reads as “one-note.” Not inedible—just not satisfying.

Cocktails: decent, but not the headline act

Cocktails were fine—pleasant, drinkable, “about okay.” Not a reason to avoid the place, not a reason to visit solely for drinks either. In a vibe-led venue like this, that’s acceptable: the drinks support the night; they’re not the main character.

So… who is Mowgli actually perfect for?

This is where the review becomes fair.

Mowgli is ideal for:

• people who want Indian flavours without intensity
• diners new to Indian food who might find traditional spice levels intimidating
• anyone prioritising ambience, service, and a modern dining experience
• groups looking for a pretty venue and shareable plates

But if you’re the kind of person who eats proper desi food and wants:

• spice depth
• stronger aromatics
• bolder, slower-cooked masala flavour …then you may leave thinking: “Nice place. But I’m still hungry for real Indian food.”

Final verdict: a strong 3.5-star experience with 5-star potential

Mowgli (Charlotte Street) is a great night out—it nails the vibe, service, and presentation. The starters (especially the dahi puri) can be enjoyable, and the festive menu concept is a fun idea. 

Where it falls short is the thing that matters most to desi diners: the mains aren’t bold enough. If Mowgli brought the curries closer to the intensity and layered flavour that Indian audiences expect, it could be a genuine 5-star favourite.

For now, it’s a polished, friendly, good-looking place that’s best described as:

“Indian-inspired comfort for British palates—served with excellent vibes.”