Mugg & Bean at Bagatelle Mall, advertises itself as a coffee shop, inspired by the famous coffee houses of Chicago, but I would liken it more to a restaurant, given the extensive food and beverage menu they offer. It was their large and varied menu that contains items to satisfy a variety of appetites that prompted me to visit with a friend after a long hiatus.
The reason I had not been back for some time was that I had experienced slow service several times. On this occasion I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted warmly by a waiter and taken to a table promptly. When we arrived, their buffet brunch had just finished and the place was buzzing. While they claim to be a venue to escape to from the hustle and bustle of the Mall, at lunchtime on a weekend, you should not presume the ambience will be relaxing. As would be expected of a well-known branded restaurant, the establishment is clean and pleasantly decorated and offers comfortable seating.
Our waiter introduced himself, pointing to his name badge, and informed us that he would be back to take our order when we were ready. To our delight, he returned promptly, all the more impressive as the restaurant was very busy, in contrast to previous occasions when I’ve waited as much as 30 minutes for my order to be taken, despite trying to get someone’s attention much sooner.
Their vast menu presents a range of options to suit most budgets and appetites, from the on trend healthy salads served in jars, and toasted sandwiches, if you are not that hungry, to gourmet burgers and hearty and generously portioned meals like lasagne or smoked barbeque chicken that can satisfy larger appetites. Simple items like eggs on toast are available for MUR 125 and the most expensive item, the Mexican Fiesta Platter costs MUR 599, most items are in the MUR 200 to 400 range.
My companion chose a healthy Chipotle-Honey Chicken salad, while I had a craving for BBQ spare lamb ribs, which the waiter took the time to explain that they were not the healthiest choice given the high fat content, but I was not deterred! We also ordered their signature ‘bottomless refreshing drinks, lemonade, and refreshing berry which is sugar-free. These bottomless drinks options (as well as bottomless coffee) mean you don’t have to spend too much if you happen to be thirsty!
The food did not take too long to arrive and overall met with our approval. I tried some of my friend’s salad which was light, yet filling at the same time, and the sweet and spicy flavours of the chicken were distinctive, and yet complemented each other, with neither being too overpowering. The BBQ lamb ribs were well cooked to my liking, and as forewarned had a high fat content but it did however melt-in-the-mouth. The BBQ sauce was smoky and did not overpower the taste of the lamb. My only complaint was about the ‘rosemary-salted fries’… as I could not discern any hint of rosemary in the look or taste of them. Ultimately, the 400g portion of ribs proved to be too hearty for my appetite and I had to take half away with me and they still tasted good upon re-heating.
Overall I could not fault the service on this visit. Our waiter was knowledgeable, patient and attentive, and offered to refill our bottomless drinks without us having to ask each time. Good service certainly makes a significant impact on my decision to revisit a restaurant, and combined with the quality of the food, I would certainly go back, especially as we were too full for dessert on this occasion, and Mugg & Bean is quite well-known for their range of cakes, that I have been reliably informed by friends are generously portioned and quite delicious!
Date of visit: 16/06/2019
