Saharaween (CLOSED)

Saharaween’s makeover hasn’t really shaken off that Road to Morocco look, but at least the cheap faux-Roman columns are gone. Coffee-table books on Moroccan culture and design now provide a context for the usual bric-a-brac and rickety dark-wood tables. The excellent golden fluffy Moroccan bread is just like you’d see coming out of communal ovens in Marrakech – always an exciting find, as most London Moroccan restaurants palm off punters with pitta or Turkish bread. Here it’s the real deal, sprinkled with fragrant rosemary, or garlic, and is ideal to scoop up meze dishes such as juicy tomato and pepper, or smoky aubergine purée. Mains were poor in comparison: chicken couscous suffered from too much smen (a herbed and spiced butter) and came with a thick salty gravy rather than fragrant broth. The cheesy bread balls in the rarely seen tagine sfiria had collapsed into another salty gravy, which totally over-powered the preserved lemons and coriander. Saharaween offers a cosy bolt hole just around the corner from frenetic Leicester Square, with friendly service and reasonable prices. All it needs is a little more care in the kitchen.