The Girl Next Shore: Momo (Heddon St): where London meets North Africa

I like restaurants with nice interiors for the simple fact that it kind of sets the ambience of your dining experience. Momo on Heddon Street has always done that for me. As you walk through the foliage by the al fresco dining area to the sexy swanky space inside, you are transported to a North African den with its elaborate and intricate design.

However, as with most restaurants, ambience means nothing if the food ain't great. So what did we think?

We were given a complimentary bread basket which was literally, a basket filled with bread. The bread itself was warm and the crust was perfect for dipping but it was rather dry and crumbly.

We ordered the chicken livers (£8) which sat on a bed of houmous and a melasse of pomegranate. I can't tell you how much I LOVE this dish. The livers were cooked perfectly; firm enough as so it doesn't crumble and mush into the creamy houmous but definitely soft and tender. The pomegranate added freshness to the rich dish and it all just worked.

The ceviche of the day (£9.75) was rather interesting. Fish was mackerel and the acid mostly came from apple purée. I was quite reluctant with this as I like my ceviches sour and thought the apples would make the flavour lean towards a sweeter profile.

But it was actually quite delicious. It didn't taste like your normal citrus-laden ceviche, and yes it was a little bit sweet (but not overpoweringly so). But the fish was cured nicely (ie it didn't have that pungent fishy mackerel taste) and it just worked.

A pot of harissa was brought out and we knew the mains were coming. As we were in a Moroccan restaurant, we knew we were up for a feed but we totally underestimated the portion sizes. Guys, when you go to Momo make sure you are hungry. VERY, VERY HUNGRY.

I opted for the fish tagine of the day (£21.50). I wasn't too pleased to find out it was cod (which I think is the most boring fish ever when filleted) but I was happy it wasn't a tomato based sauce. The addition of clams and artichoke hearts gave it better texture, whilst the samphire just made me feel like I was still having something healthy despite the ginormous serving size.

The couscous Momo (£28.50) seemed like a great feat to conquer by just one person (perhaps it was made for sharing?) The lamb shank was massive but the meat fell off the bone. The merguez was pretty good. The only let down for me was the grilled lamb skewer which was a little bit tough.

The preparation of the couscous was quite theatrical. A server puts some couscous on your plate, adorns it with chickpeas, dried fruit and veg, and then pours some broth to soak up the granules.

We were too full to have any dessert but we managed to finish a bottle of rose that was highly recommended by our sommelier.

Overall, it was a pleasant meal even though I much preferred our starters over the mains. The vibe was pretty good and the service was ace. I reckon this is all driven by the beautiful surroundings more than the food itself but if I'm being honest, I really wouldn't mind going back.

Momo
25 - 27 Heddon Street Regent Street London, W1B
Ave spend pp: £50
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