Mood

The Lennox Mall, Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase I | Instagram | 0901 270 5495

I had been in the mood (tee hee) to check out Mood for some time, and the perfect opportunity finally presented itself: yet another birthday celebration. I made a reservation about a week in advance via their WhatsApp. Honestly, though, I don't think I really needed to because the place was just vibing when I got there.

The restaurant is located on the rooftop of the Lennox Mall. While we're on the subject, I have to say, I don't think this is a befitting location for an upscale dining setting. My first impression wasn't great because, apart from the fact that my guest and I were already sweating from walking up the unusually hot staircase linking the top floor to the rooftop, there was also no one to welcome us when we walked in.

We saw the beautiful décor alright, but it was really strange that there was no one in the welcome area. I almost double-checked their Instagram to see if we were too early, but we were right on time for our reservation.

We guided ourselves to the bar where a really polite bartender explained that the entire mall was having water issues, so we would have to come back in about an hour. I wasn’t too upset about it because of his polite demeanor; plus, there was a Hans & Rene store just downstairs, so we opted for an early dessert.

True to his word, in about 45 minutes, I got a text that they were ready to serve us. This time around, the restaurant was clearly open for business and had a number of tables occupied already. The outdoor dining space décor was really lovely but the fans hadn’t quite kicked in, so it was rather hot. At the waiter’s suggestion, we stayed in the air-conditioned indoor space until our meals were ready.

For my main course, I had tried ordering Imoteda’s Bowl and then the Beef Ribs, but neither was available (sigh), so I settled for a Mood Burger with a side of fries, and got their signature Zombie Era cocktail. My guest had their Linguine with chicken and their signature Pink on Black Margarita. We ordered the Shrimp Croquettes as a shared appetiser and a Deep Dish Cookie for dessert — that is, a second dessert.

I was a bit disappointed about the dessert situation because I really wanted to have their churros (I had made up my mind to get this when I saw a photo on their page), but it was somehow excluded from the menu we got. Anyway, the shrimp croquettes were served in good time, just under 20 minutes, and the presentation was really A1. As a result, I naturally expected to be blown away but sadly, they were nothing special. The shrimp was super crispy on the outside and the inside tasted like plain old shrimp — nothing more, nothing less. The cream sprinkled on top also didn’t do much to enhance the flavor.

Our drinks came shortly after. My guest’s Pink on Black Margarita was another letdown; it was sweet, courtesy of the grapefruit flavor, with a hint of sour and a good amount of alcohol, but it wasn’t particularly memorable. My Zombie Era was thankfully better. It had a generous amount of rum and brandy with a prominent pineapple flavor, but because it was quite sweet, I didn’t taste much of the orange bitters in it.

Our main courses arrived in another 20 minutes. The Mood Burger was straight-up delicious. Every time I had a bite, I thought: Now, that’s how you make a signature burger!

It was juicy and flavorful, with crisp vegetables. The beef patties struck a perfect balance between chewiness and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. The fries were excellent too — crispy and well-salted (it had been a while since I'd had good fries, so I appreciated that Mood's fries met my expectations)

My guest’s Linguine was a bit spicy, but all-round delicious. The pasta was nicely immersed in the slightly creamy, tasty sauce and the chicken bits slapped as well.

Our dessert came shortly after, once we told the server we were ready. Y’all, the ice cream was a proper hit — super rich and creamy; I couldn’t get enough of it. The cookie bed underneath definitely wasn’t what I was expecting, though; I thought it would be more chewy to allow for a nicer balance, but it was rock hard for the most part. There was also nothing “gooey” about it as the menu description said, because the chocolate chips were unfortunately baked hard into it. I mean, it tasted good, but it was clear that the ice cream was the star of the show.

A word on Mood’s customer service: Very applaudable and it was clear that the servers paid attention to pacing each course. It’s also always a good sign when your server comes around to ask how you’re enjoying your meal or if you need anything.

POSTSCRIPT

Mood got a few things right, so they’ll be seeing me again. Soon.

verdict

DAMAGE

Shrimp Croquettes – N7000

Mood Burger (with a side of fries) – N8000

Linguine (Chicken) – N8000

Pink on Black Margarita – N6000

Zombie Era – N6,000

PARKING

Lots of space in the mall parking