Mollie’s Diner, Cribbs Causeway: Review

Please note: our food and drinks at Mollie’s Diner were received free of charge, but this in no way impacted on our opinion. We were not obliged to write a positive review, and the venue did not see this review before it was put up on the site.

“A modern all-day hang-out serving up contemporary, seasonal cooking for solo travellers or families, friends and lovers” is how Soho House brand Mollie’s describes its Cribbs Causeway diner, which opened in July just a few doors along from Miller & Carter. The “travellers” bit is important, as it’s not only Mollie’s Diner on-site, but also their 123-bedroom “budget-luxe” hotel. Rooms start from just £50 a night: impressive, given that they’re decked out with brands like Conran, GHD, Dyson and Cowshed.

We weren’t there to stay, though – we were there to eat. Mollie’s Diner is certainly a striking-looking building – in both shape and design – with an outdoor heated terrace, a decent sized car park, and even its own electric vehicle charging bays.

Inside, it’s equally impressive, taking the classic diner decor and reinventing it for the modern age. Vintage-inspired lighting, comfortable banquette seating that evokes the interior of a Cadillac, chrome fittings, wooden furnishings and plenty of natural light give Mollie’s Diner a lovely look and feel – and there are some other great touches, too. Our table had a chrome lamp that we could turn on or off as we chose, a QR code that we could tap or scan to pay, and a wireless charging point for mobile phones.

And that’s not all. If you’re heading there with children, not only is there a dedicated kids’ menu (£6.50, including a drink), there’s also an incredibly well-stocked baby changing room (with nappies and wipes for diners to use), and kids are given a wooden puzzle to keep them entertained while they wait.

Open all day from 8am to 10pm (9pm on Sundays), Mollie’s Diner features both breakfast and all-day menus – and with their kitchen completely free of nuts, it’s great news for allergy sufferers. You’ll find gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options, and an impressive drinks list too, from shakes to cocktails, and, in true diner style, bottomless filter coffee too.

The shakes (£5 each) I’d seen pictures of on their Instagram feed looked incredible, so we ordered two different flavours: salted caramel and Oreo. Both came topped with a mountain of squirty cream, and while both delicious, I found the salted caramel more sickly sweet than the Oreo – I think I’d have struggled to get through the whole thing! The Oreo shake, though…incredible, with plenty of crushed biscuits inside, two whole biscuits on top, and a lovely thick consistency.

If you’re planning on multiple courses, make sure you go with a big appetite. When a menu section is described as “Bites”, you wouldn’t expect dishes of such epic proportions as the chicken bites with BBQ sauce (£6.50 – the toddler’s request) and Mollie’s hot wings with celery and blue cheese (£7.50) as these.

“Hot” is always subjective, and the chicken wings weren’t…well, they did have a bit of a kick, which grew slightly in intensity over time, but it was their sweet stickiness that prevailed. Tender and juicy, though – and while the celery had seen better days, the blue cheese dip was good and creamy. Wet wipes may have been handy, but luckily with the three-year-old in tow, I had a pack of baby wipes in my handbag which did the job.

The chicken bites had plenty of flavour and a decent crunchy coating – they’d probably been in the fryer a couple of minutes too long, but that may just be me being fussy. The BBQ sauce was incredible: fruity and tangy with a little bit of heat, and the toddler helped me to demolish the lot.

It was the same main course for both sides of the table: the double cheeseburger (£12), which comes with a choice of fries, sweet potato fries or coleslaw. With the fries in their own pot, a massive gherkin half on one side of the tray and a knife stabbed through the burger to keep it together, it was a thing of beauty – just look at that melted cheese!

I can honestly say it was one of the best burgers I’ve had in a while, packed full of lettuce, tomato and red onion, juicy patties with no pink meat remaining, and a generous amount of cheese too. The fries were crispy and well seasoned – the only slight disappointment was the side of mac & cheese (£5) which looked the part, but had the majority of the cheesiness concentrated on the topping.

We were too full for dessert, but I definitely want to head back and try the lemon meringue pie or the warm chocolate chip blondie soon – if they’re as good as the majority of the rest of our experience, I have a funny feeling we’ve missed out. Just be sure to book if you do go…with the combination of the on-site hotel, the concentration of businesses in the area and the proximity of Cribbs Causeway, they have a tendency to get busy – and rightfully so. Recommended.