Just a few doors down from Harrods and surrounded in the heart of Knightsbridge is Mamounia a contemporary and modern Moroccan and Lebanese restaurant. I decided to come here after i did a search for nearby places to eat near the V&A that were listed on my trusty tastecard.
I arrived at a time thats probably not the best to take advantage of the environment that mamounia has to offer. 4pm on a Sunday isn’t really peak dining time and the amount of people eating there at the time reflected this.
The decor is warming take on classic moroccan scene but with a modern twist mixed with the now somewhat classic Chic you expect from a Bar while watching made in chelsea. Sadly, the large main area of the restaurant at the back was not in use, so we had to sit in the front area. I imagine that my dining experience would have been further improved if we had sat there and as the decor, lighting and overall atmosphere would have been better. The restaurant also has live music and a belly dancer on Friday and Saturday nights.
I was dining with a friend, so there was only two of us. We decided to go for some of the Mocktails on the Menu, and at £7.50 each they weren’t cheap, at this price i had to double check they were really Mocktails as the price suggested they were made with Alcohol. I went for a Virgin Mamounia, Fresh Mint shaken with Lime juice and Sugar served over crushed ice, whilst my friend opted for a Mamounia Fresh Fruit Cocktail with passion fruit. Verdict.. They were great. I really liked mine, rich flavour and yes it was very sweet, my friends drink was equally as impressive – however i still think it’s priced too high.
For starters i went for the Chicken wings, which is a dish i like to use as a measure or benchmark for a restaurant. Im pleased to report the the wings were really good, they were cooked to near perfection, very soft with a balance of chargrilled while remaining juicy. I liked the hint of lemon that they had, it really enhanced the flavours and taste.
For my Main course i went for a Lamb Shank Tagine, Braised Lamb Shank with a Spicy Tomato and Chickpea Sauce. The meat was very tender, fell off the bone and nicely presented. I went for the shank as i am not a fan of sweet fruit and meat together. There was a lot of spices, in terms of raw spice and not heat. After a while i found the meal to have a slight chalky texture and aftertaste. Its hard to write about it, i wasn’t disappointed nor was i was blown away. I’ve had a few Tagines outside of Morocco and i don’t think this was the best one, however i still think it was good but lacked depth, i think some potatoes and peas could of helped. This meal comes in at just under £20.
With it not being very busy Service was speedy, warm and attentive. There were around 3 or 4 young waitress on hand if we needed anything. Because of its location, Mamounia is a tad on the expensive side. The main reason I came where was i was getting 50% off the food, the bill came to just over £60 inc service, discount took it it down to £45. I would recommend this place for a date, ladies you might wanna pick this place for a nice girly night out. Would i come back again? Yes, with my tastecard in hand and later in the evening so I can really take advantage of the atmosphere.
Food – 3.5
Service – 3.5
Value – 3 (with tastecard only 2 without)
Atmosphere – 4 (could rise if i had gone at better time)
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