Restaurants

Having heard glowing reports of Moroccan Tagine’s authentic home-style cooking and its wide range of tagines, we were disappointed on our recent visit – was it just an off night? This no-nonsense café is right in the middle of London’s old Moroccan quarter. It’s popular with locals and well-heeled types doing a spot of shopping at Portobello Market and around. Even early on a Saturday evening the place was busy. Alcohol isn’t served, so we looked forward to one of the enticing-sounding fresh fruit cocktails – but none was available that night. Beetroot salad was very under-dressed (just cold sliced beetroot), though salata mechouia (grilled peppers, tomatoes, chillies, garlic and olive oil) was fresh and nicely smoky. Orika tagine (lamb with green peas and artichoke) was fine, but the very delicate spicing didn’t bring out the essence of the vegetables: the factor that distinguishes great Moroccan cooking. Chicken couscous was very dry indeed and came with a stingily inadequate bowl of vegetable broth. Even the bread seemed in short supply, and when we pleaded for more, it took an age to appear. Maybe there’s too much resting on laurels here.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008