Babouche (CLOSED)

You’ve seen the haremlike setup before—the pillows, the red walls, the wooden arches. Diners might hesitate at the entrance; the interior makes it look like a nightclub. But an upstairs dining room serves a full French-Moroccan menu. Waiters aren’t always attuned to what they’re bringing; a chipped water glass and a hot bottle of chianti didn’t go over very well, and the food wasn’t much of an improvement. The royal couscous featured bland chicken, merguez, lamb and dry, clumpy couscous. And the salade marocaine (marinated beets, potatoes, string beans and cucumber)—though colorful—only illustrated how cold some ingredients can be when pulled from a fridge.