Moro - London

For our third anniversary Eddie surprised me with dinner at Moro, a restaurant I've been wanting to try ever since I have seen their cookbooks. I am a big fan of the cookbooks and one of my favorite recipes I have tried, a couscous with broad beans and greek yoghurt, has become one of our regular dinners at home. I even shared the recipe with my Mom who absolutely loves it too! Needless to say I was really excited to try the restaurant.

Their weekly menu online had some dishes I was really excited to try, especially the deep fried mussels. When we arrived at the restaurant though there was a menu of the day as opposed to the menu listed for the week online. I was slightly disappointed I didn't get to try the deep fried mussels but was super excited there was a soup listed that I had been contemplating making myself, ajo blanco.

My choices:

Ajo blanco with sultana grapes (₤6) - an almond soup. I was impressed by the level of coldness and it would have been perfect for a warm summer day. After trying it in the restaurant I think I will skip making it at home. The portion served at the restaurant was smaller than a bowl we would use at home and it was more than enough for me. I am not sure we could make a meal out of the soup.

Poached chicken and vegetables with farika, seasoned yoghurt and sumac (₤18.50) - good dish that had a ton of flavor. I loved the yoghurt sauce over the grains which calmed the taste of all the seasonings. The whole, large roasted carrot was perfect.


Eddie's choices:

Charcoal grilled new seasons onions and leeks with salsa romesco (₤7.50) - Eddie liked this appetizer with the salsa romesco being his favorite part.

Mixed vegetable mezzee (₤14.50) - a huge plate of vegetables and flat bread; too much that Eddie couldn't finish all of it. The vegetarian option almost seems like an afterthought with as many vegetables they could fit onto one plate. Although Eddie liked the food (loved the flatbread!) it would have been nicer to see something a little more creative and thoughtful.


Total cost for food, half a bottle of wine, one beer and tip: ₤75

Moro is located in Exmouth Market and is a lot farther from Farringdon Tube station than it appears on their map! When we arrived we were one of the first tables seated but when we left the place was completely full and extremely lively. Moro is definitely not the place to go for a quiet, intimate dinner. The decor of the restaurant was nice but sparse and was reminiscent of the tapas restaurants (with more tables) that we saw in Spain, minus the ever present leg of ham on the counter!

While the food was great and the experience nice I would have liked to have had a few more choices than those presented on the menu. I guess you have to go multiple times to see what they are offering that day or maybe order tapas in addition. I would love to go back with my parents when they visit next month. I guess I should try to make a reservation now!