The Mogul
Greenwich Church St
You know I'm beginning to get a little weary of reviewing restaurants in Greenwich. Not because I'm fed up with it or want to stop, but because I'm getting tired of having to describe everything that isn't 'awful' as 'okay.'
The Mogul is, in my humble opinion, yet another ho-hum experience. I've been several times now, always hoping that it might get better and I deliberately saved this review until I'd seen the new decor.
Sadly I didn't get to see downstairs as we absolutely weren't allowed to go there (the only real reason to eat at The Mogul - in a previous life this must have been a tavern or warehouse or something - do tell if you know - as downstairs is a vaulted cellar with little alcoves and interesting nooks and crannies.) The spruce-up involved painting everything pale yellow, from what I could see.
The service is as iffy as ever and the waiter treated us with barely-concealed irritation. Of course this could be due to the party going on downstairs, but frankly it's usually like that when we go in.
It's North Indian cuisine as opposed to your usual bog-standard curries, but it's not my favourite. The meat dishes are okay (only okay,) but the vegetable side-dishes are very oily and if you're vegetarian the only options are the biryani or two side-dishes and rice. My companion asked for recommendations but if you ask me the waiter just pointed out the most expensive options rather than anything he personally thought was good.
Sitting up at street level feels a bit goldfish-like, especially if you're in the corner near the loos. Upstairs there's a bar that wasn't open, but a nosey through the glass didn't make me want to go inside - a very soulless looking room.
I can't talk for downstairs, as I wasn't allowed down there (still smarting from that.) The loos have very strong hand dryers that might blow a size 0 person clean away.
The Mogul is one of those places that some people rave about. If they love it they REALLY love it. I am not one of those people. For me it is a very average experience.
You know I'm beginning to get a little weary of reviewing restaurants in Greenwich. Not because I'm fed up with it or want to stop, but because I'm getting tired of having to describe everything that isn't 'awful' as 'okay.'
The Mogul is, in my humble opinion, yet another ho-hum experience. I've been several times now, always hoping that it might get better and I deliberately saved this review until I'd seen the new decor.
Sadly I didn't get to see downstairs as we absolutely weren't allowed to go there (the only real reason to eat at The Mogul - in a previous life this must have been a tavern or warehouse or something - do tell if you know - as downstairs is a vaulted cellar with little alcoves and interesting nooks and crannies.) The spruce-up involved painting everything pale yellow, from what I could see.
The service is as iffy as ever and the waiter treated us with barely-concealed irritation. Of course this could be due to the party going on downstairs, but frankly it's usually like that when we go in.
It's North Indian cuisine as opposed to your usual bog-standard curries, but it's not my favourite. The meat dishes are okay (only okay,) but the vegetable side-dishes are very oily and if you're vegetarian the only options are the biryani or two side-dishes and rice. My companion asked for recommendations but if you ask me the waiter just pointed out the most expensive options rather than anything he personally thought was good.
Sitting up at street level feels a bit goldfish-like, especially if you're in the corner near the loos. Upstairs there's a bar that wasn't open, but a nosey through the glass didn't make me want to go inside - a very soulless looking room.
I can't talk for downstairs, as I wasn't allowed down there (still smarting from that.) The loos have very strong hand dryers that might blow a size 0 person clean away.
The Mogul is one of those places that some people rave about. If they love it they REALLY love it. I am not one of those people. For me it is a very average experience.
Labels: Eating Out
posted by The Greenwich Phantom at
09:11
16 Comments:
I am a Greenwich resident who reads this site reqularly and I like what you do. This review of the Mogul, however, seems to be hung almost exclusively upon the fact that you didn't get to sit where you wanted. The food gets only a cursory mention (within the context of it not being your 'favourite' cuisine to start with), you seem to regard the fact that it was a 'party' (the vulgarity!) that prevented you bagging an alcove table as a personal affront for which the restaurant should answer and the whole is inflected with the air of someone who got the sulks after failing to be treated as anything other than yet another arsey punter on a busy Saturday night. Don't get me wrong, I dig what you do and respect your right to a subjective review, but this one seems a little unfair to the restaurant in question. Keep the news on Olivers coming, though... this must not be allowed to perish. How about getting some press coverage?
Tee hee - I see how it must read. I wasn't THAT pissed off that I couldn't see downstairs, it just felt fun to write it that way.
Am I being fair? Hmm. I've been to this place a good few times now and wherever I sit I always get the same indifferent service. The food I didn't really mention much because it wasn't really worth mentioning - it was just dull. Actually I adore Indian food - but the stuff at the Mogul always ends up making me feel a bit queasy, it's so rich and oily and yet never seems to actually taste of much.
As for getting the sulks for not being treated any better than anyone else on a Saturday night, you get me entirely wrong. That's EXACTLY how I want to be treated. I want to get the same experience as anyone else who walks in which is why this blog is anonymous. If I wanted special treatment I'd go and work for one of the local rags.
I don't set out to be arsey - in fact I do my best to be charming at the time. I find that revenge is always best served cold.
Well, in that case you can consider the party as pre-emptive (or possibly retroactive? the philosophical and metaphysical possibilities are legion) revenge wreaked by me on behalf of the Mogul for that review: it was my party! Mine, I tells you!
Ha! And you call yourself the Phantom...
I think this review is absolutely spot on. I was always disappointed by Mogul so stopped going some time ago. It occupies the same place in my affection as most of the other restaurants in Greenwich who don't really seem to care about the customer experience as there are always more unsuspecting toursists willing to fall through the door. In terms of Greenwich based curry, I would say a Taste of India is the star of the class, though it is not a strong field to begin with.
As to your other comment, wanting to treated like everyone one else but for that treatment to be great is entirely reasonable. I am sick of going out for meals where service is ok, the food average and the cost exhorbitant. In my book the customer is always king and, while we obviously have the choce of not going back, too many restaurants in Greenwich take custom for granted.
Rant over.
Anon -
Ooh. Your party? Well - that was a splendid piece of pre-emptive revenge, then. That will explain how you knew when I went...
Well, in that case what's the party menu like? Given, of course that you are a Mogul fan and I'm not particularly. Did they treat you any better than us?
Oh - and mybe you can fill me in on the decor downstairs?
I do find it interesting that this is one of the flash points of Greenwich eateries. I would say it's a love-it-or-hate it place except that I'm not bothered enough about it to hate it (which is why I do keep trying it - it's one of those places I WISH I liked.)
M32 -
The Taste of India's on my list, but I'm getting fatter and fatter on a virtually exclusive diet of Greenwich Indian food. I am looking forward to giving it a try. In the meanwhile I've been tipped-off about one in Woolwich of all places which is supposed to be rather good.
I have to agree with you... I think the Mogul is a big disappointment. The food's OK, but the service is appalling, and the last time we were there (about three weeks ago) we were brought a different dish to the one we ordered, and made to feel very selfish and difficult when we insisted on them taking it back. (They'd run out of what we wanted, but didn't think it was important to tell us that.) We won't be going again.
It was very smoky the last time we were in there (2002?) As a complete lack of smoking is the first thing I look for in a restaurant, we haven't been back since.
You're right; have had takeaway from there once, it was dull and lifeless. Not to mention it being twice the price of any other Indian in the Greenwich vicinity.
For a decent curry delivery, try Star Of Bengal in Deptford.
although their take away is pretty good - although pretty expensive!
I'm still voting for Kerala Zone for eating-in and Cafe Massala for takeaway, with the usual caveat that this is Greenwich not Tooting where decent curries are the norm, not the exception. I recognise that much research still needs to be done...
The basement is awful you missed nothing. We were put in one of the alcoves much to my horror as I had only eaten upstairs before. Now I'm a fan of those dark cellar wine bars but this wasn't like that at all. It's painted red if I remember correctly, vague feelings of eating in a blood soaked crime scene. Not been back since.
Euerrgh. Such a shame - you're right - basements done well are fabulous things...
Ate downstairs a couple of weeks ago with a real curry freak who was totally unimpressed. I really didnt like sitting in what looks like a red tunnel to eat either. Additionally, as the waiters cannot see the tables, little heads keep popping into "your" cave to ask if everything is ok every few minutes. In the end I promised to find them if I needed them just to get some peace and quiet.
I guess at least they were asking you if it was all ok. I'm not convinced our lot gave a damn...
This is so odd - we've always had good service and good food. And I like the carrot pickles they serve with the papadoms :)
Their delivery is nowhere near as good as the eat-in food though.
Your review and opinion of the Mogul suggest that you must have been eating else where and confused it with the Mogul.
Excellent food and service; the waiter has a knowledge of wine that would put most French waiters to shame and one of the nicest teams I've ever met.
You also need to take care, the blog is read by many people and careless reviews could impact on business.
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