Restaurants

Away from the frenetic busier end of Upper Street, chef-owner Mohamed Faraji plays modern riffs on traditional Moroccan dishes. They may not always hit the right note, but the sense that Faraji is putting heart and soul into his labours is palpable. At quiet times, he may even work the front of house too, taking pleasure in explaining the dishes to novice diners. The decor resists cliché with bright yellow walls, red silk lanterns, and red and blue upholstery. Our crab and prawn tabouleh had fresh, clean accents of parsley and lemon, but the pièce de resistance was smoky grilled merguez, served innovatively with earthy puy lentils. The sauce in the lamb tagine with prunes wasn’t sufficiently rich and gloopy, yet was tasty nonetheless. In contrast, rabbit tagine with raisins and pears was not a good mix of flavours. Desserts range from Moroccan pastries and pancakes to dark chocolate and pistachio terrine. A big plus is the wide-ranging Moroccan wine list. You can try bottles rarely found in London – from crisp sauvignon blanc right up to the pricey Les Coteaux de l’Atlas, the first Moroccan premier cru wine: a full-bodied, woody, spicy red.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009