Mowgli Street Food Leeds review: Stunning, fairy-light laden restaurant with tasty Indian street food

Work began on the Boar Lane restaurant back in 2019, but a series of setbacks delayed the opening until March 2020 - and, sadly, we all know what happened then.

It finally opened in July of that year and has been firmly on my must-visit list ever since.

The design of the restaurant is exquisite.

It is very firmly rooted in nature, with bespoke tables crafted with trees in the middle, their branches covered with soft fairy lights, and rope-handle ceiling swing seats instead of traditional chairs.

The end result is earthy, warm and inviting,

Set up by former barrister Nisha Katona in 2014, Mowgli focuses on small street food items, as well as larger curry dishes.

We opted to get some bits to share and a curry each. The treacle tamarind fries (which were actually small roast potatoes) were syrupy and sweet, with the Mowgli sticky wings similarly candied and satisfying.

The tea-steeped chickpeas were a dish I had been looking forward to trying but was left disappointed with. They lacked any real flavour and richness, tasting really bland and overwhelmingly smokey.

The yogurt chat bombs were delicious. To be eaten all in one go, they were like an explosion of flavour and I could have eaten many, many more.

I opted for the house chicken curry, a lush Keralan curry with coconut milk and ground almonds, while my partner opted for the house lamb curry flavoured with anise, plums and chickpeas.

Both were rich, with soft, tender meat and lots of sauce to be mopped up with the delicious Puri bread.

In total, for two Cobra beers, six courses and two sundries the total came to £52.60. For two people and the quality of food, I would consider this good value.

A £1.00 charity donation was added to the bill automatically, as well as a 10 per cent service charge, bringing the final total bill to £57.76.

Mowgli is a nice and beautiful-looking addition to the Leeds restaurant scene, and though it doesn’t offer anything that different to other Indian eateries in the city, the food is tasty and enjoyable so it is well worth a visit.