Moro

34 – 36 Exmouth Market, London, EC1R 4QE
Telephone: 020 7833 8336
www.moro.co.uk

For every pretentious, celebrity-clad restaurant you find in London, you will have at least 2 under-stated gems that provide the city’s actual food lovers with so much joy and pleasure that leaving’s difficult. I’m probably wrong, and the ratio might be higher, but you get the idea.

It was at Moro, one of these under-stated gems, that I had the pleasure to dine last week. This is a restaurant that fills the celebrity bracket in its own right, but for all the right reasons: the food and the great service, rather than a string of bookings attributed to c-list celebs.

Their food is a mixture of Southern Spanish and Northern African flavours that warm your heart and lighten up your day.
Be prepared for the best and most coveted sourdough in the whole city (a recipe of which is available in their first book “Moro Cookbook” and that I will be shortly having a go at – Stay tuned!); dipped in simple olive oil, sea salt and coarsely ground pepper it’s a starter that no one can beat for me. Especially if served alongside an ice-cold glass of Verdejo.

The menu itself is seasonal and a breath of fresh air in its simplicity. Starters at our table included flavoursome ceps with thinly sliced Jamon Iberico, Fino sherry on toasted sourdough and a plate of mojama (win-dried tuna) with a warm salad of pinto beans, cherry tomatoes and peppery watercress leaves. What a way to start!

We were allowed a 10 minute rest between courses and whereas the lights were dimmed in this space of time I could still make out the shape and size of the grouse I had ordered coming out of the kitchen.
I know this will sound extremely fancy, but a roasted bird with some morcilla sausage and a couple of figs as stuffing is far from complicated and what was fantastic about this dish were the saltiness of the morcilla and the sweet soft figs, matched with the unctuous gamey feeling of the grouse itself. Who would have thought?

I approached mine with surgical precision and by the end of it a feeling of fulfillment had settled over me. Across the table my dining companion was enjoying a roast pork with the crunchiest crackling I had seen in a while dipped in a tangy mojo sauce that took away any feeling of grease the meat fat could have given us.
It was perfect. It was delicious and despite my stomach already bulging out of my trousers I proceeded to order desserts. Plural.

We went for Moro staples like the yoghurt cake, the cardamom and rose ice cream and the chocolate apricot. I must admit I did not enjoy the ice cream as much as I would have thought considered its reviews by all those who have eaten at Moro before me, but the cake and the tart were a most welcome surprise. Where we expected to be greeted by thick sponge and cream we instead found a light consistency that filled us with yet more taste, but not with too much consistency which I personally found great considering the proportions of the previous courses.

I had to be rolled out of there like Violet from Willy Wonka’s factory, but I can’t wait to go back and I can’t wait to get started on some of the recipes from their books! I just have a feeling that Moro won’t fail. Ever.

Hungry for more? Try these!

1. The Dragon Castle – Awesome dim sum in the heart of London
2. The Chinese Cricket Club
3. Ginger & White
4. Busaba Eathai