Chris Berry In 2001 a cookbook was published that totally crystalised my love of Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine. Written by husband-and-wife chefs-patrons Sam and Sam Clark, it entirely captured not only the dishes they had encountered in their extensive travels, but also those they served in their beautifully unpretentious restaurant Moro, in Londons Farringdon.
My partner and I first dined at Moro in 2010 and loved it, and on a recent weekend trip to London to celebrate my partners birthday we felt a return trip to the restaurant was well overdue. It did on disappoint.
From the outset the service was warm, friendly, and efficient. The vibe of the restaurant could be described as "warm-minimalist", being stylish, clean, and uncluttered, but with comfortable furniture and decorated with a colour palate that draws on the places Spanish/Mediterranean focus.
However, the absolute star of the show is Moros food - and drink! My starter of beetroot soup with black cumin and dill yoghurt was packed with earthy spicy flavours, perfect for an autumn day. A main of wood roasted pork belly with trinxat, crispy pancetta, fried turnips and sherry vinegar, was beyond delicious, with the richness of the succulent pork being perfectly balanced by the sharp-sweetness of the sherry vinegar. And the dessert of Malaga raisin ice cream with Pedro Ximenez sherry was divine. My partners choices of cuttlefish with chickpeas, wood roasted lamb shoulder with romesco, and rose water and cardamom ice cream were equally delicious. Paired with a couple of aperitifs and an excellent bottle of red wine from Alicante, our lunch was simply splendid.
Sure, there a few young pretenders on the block, but there is a reason Moro has been around for a while, because with service, atmosphere, and food this good, its a restaurant that is very hard to beat.
