Dining at Mamounia

Posted by winesleuth in All | 1 comment

The first time I ever had hummus was here in London, of all places, and I have to say I was not overwhelmed. As a matter of fact, it took me a few tries before I came round to the delights of Middle Eastern food. However, I’ve come to love Middle Eastern cuisine and am always looking for good restaurants. There are loads of them in London but it’s often hard to find really good ones. Mamounia in Knightsbridge seems to fill that gap.

I’ve found a good, reasonably priced one though, in of all places, Knightsbridge.  Mamounia specializes in Lebanese and Morrocan cuisine as well as featuring wines from both countries. They’re also known for their mezze and shisha terrace. Don’t let the shisha terrace in front put you off or the rather exotic Middle Eastern decor. The food is seriously good.

The menu is not extensively long but features many of the traditional dishes of the region, including shish kebabs, tagines, couscous and grilled and charcoal cooked meats. I ordered the grilled chicken and it was one of the juiciest and flavourful grilled chickens I’ve had in a long time. My dining companion ordered the lamb shish which was expertly seasoned and so good. It was a bit of a pity that we ordered the mezze beforehand, even though it was delicious, as we barely had room to finish our mains. I also had the kibbeh which is one of my favourite starters and this one was a winner. I almost ordered another plate but luckily decided against it.

The wine list is features wines from Lebanon and Morrocco. We had Chateau Ksara with dinner, two of the better red wines from the region. You know what they say, wine is made to go with the food of the region and this wine from Lebanon certainly did the job.

I would not normally think that Knightsbridge would have good authentic Middle Eastern cuisine but Mamounia is good and the next time I’m feeling peckish in that part of town, I know where I’ll be heading for a filling and delicious meal. Mamounia also has another branch in Mayfair.