At over six feet three, budget airlines, the back seats of cars and any restaurant which involves sitting near to, or around small/low level tables usually petrifies me. I see tables and immediately have flashbacks to primary school. Fortunately, whilst Souk does still require some contortions, once you are in place the low banquettes and piles of cushions make it more than easy to feel like a Moroccan Prince. Souk Medina is a Moroccan restaurant shoehorned into the back of Seven Dials, Covent Garden and presents a veritable Aladdin’s cave of rooms, hosting up to 300 people at once. Although, if you’ve walked past you wouldn’t think there was anyone ever in there, as the purple tenting outside (which I have passed hundreds of times and never previously entered) gives little idea of what to expect. Entering the venue is quite an eye-opener as the hubbub of belly dancers, hoards of waiting staff (they can turnover hundreds of diners in a day), hosts and managers certainly gives you the impression that it must be doing something right. Deep terracotta in colour, with lamps, ceiling cloths and brass tables, low level lighting and lack of windows means that only the suits and tourists stop you from thinking you might have transported to North Africa.
North African cuisine carries hints of many areas of the Mediterranean, with many comparisons to Greek and Turkish food, but taking advantage of the spices of Africa. The menu offers some high-quality traditional starters, with the Mix Mezze Royal the champion of them, a great sharing platter for two or three people, offering a bright selection of meat & seafood dishes with houmous and baba-ghanouj and a never ending supply of light, warm and fresh bread.
For the mains, we enter a slightly more challenging arena. The choices are many and are delivered well, with grilled meats, fish and tagines with sides of rice, vegetable or potatoes. Expect rich, filling plates of grilled and stewed meat and vegetables, with intense singular flavours (and in our case one that was over-salted), but a good standard of cooking and pleasant service makes this a restaurant probably better suited to crowd-pleasing-parties than romantic dates. Particularly as a rather enthusiastic belly dancer serenades the room at intervals throughout the evening, a spectacle, which if unexpected can be rather intimidating due to the number and ferocity of jiggles pointed in one’s direction. That said, it does make the ideal larger party venue and such jiggles were greatly welcomed by the group sat next to us.
Do finish the experience in the traditional style, a very decadent mint and orange blossom tea was stunning and served with some delightfully sweet baklava. Then sit back and observe the revellers doing exactly that, revelling.
Written By Ryan Varga-Clark
Date posted: 13/02/2012
