Moro, 34-36 Exmouth Market, London, EC1R 4QE

I love food and eating out, but have a tendency to be completely oblivious of famous and fashionable places to dine.

Moro in Exmouth Market has been hugely popular since it opened in 1997, and it continues to be, demonstrated by the fact that we had to book around two weeks in advance.  Nigel Slater is a big fan (as he writes in this review), and in 2009 it was named 'Best Restaurant' by the Observer Food Monthly.  Despite all this, until K told me she had been wanting to eat here for years, I'd not heard of Moro, which specialises in Spanish and North African cuisine, and was created by chef couple Sam(uel) and Sam(antha) Clark.

Located in Exmouth Market, there was a buzzing atmosphere in the area, even on a tuesday.  It looked like a great location, full of exciting looking places to eat with diners and drinkers enjoying the late summer evening from outdoor tables. I spotted Moro's new sister tapas bar 'Morito', before I spotted Moro proper.

Spotting K was more difficult, given how busy the restaurant was (but luckily she found me).  Tables were packed in close together, however, this didn't seem to matter, given the buzzy vibrancy of the place.  The decor gave the place an exotic air, and the menu was a single page, changing on a weekly basis. 

I can see why Nigel Slater gave such high praise to the bread.  It was like nothing I'd ever tasted before, with a tangy (almost lemony) sourdough taste, and a dense, heavy texture.  It was utterly divine and simple all at once, and perfect with olive oil.

Everything on the menu looked delicious, but the prices were on the high side, so we decided to share a starter of Morrocan bread salad with argon oil, grilled peppers, olives and tomatoes.  It was a light, summery dish with heavily flavoured with the punchiness of coriander, red onion and harissa.  The bread element of the salad took the form of uber-crunchy croutons, and there was even the odd pomegranate seed.

Our appetites whet, expectations were high for the main course.  Given how busy it was in the restaurant, we knew there would be a bit of a wait.  I sipped a fiery and refreshing Fever Tree ginger beer.  (I'm a huge fan of ginger beer, and this one definitely met my approval).

Our mains arrived, looking even more appetising than we could have imagined.  Portion sizes were good, and I loved how each plate was full of exciting looking accompaniments to the perfectly cooked meat.  The dishes, even though they were very well presented, looked more like home-cooked cuisine, rather than the cheffy, overwrought, small portions you expect at trendy restaurants. 

I was delighted with my charcoal grilled lamb, with caramelised marrow, lemon, lentil pilav and yoghurt.  The warmth of the flavours and heartiness of the dish, again reminded me of home-cooking.  The lamb was juicy and tender.  The marrow melting and perfect.  The lentil rice was delicious, particularly with the thick and tangy yoghurt.  Everything tasted perfect.

K's dish, was also fantastic;  wood roasted pork with chanterelle and oyster mushrooms 'a la plancha', white beans and alioli.  Again, there was a slight heat to the flavours, and the variety of the elements and textures that made up the meal, (from juicy mushrooms to crunchy crackling) worked perfectly together. 

We ate so well, that sadly there was no room for dessert.  Instead we ended the meal with fresh mint tea, served from a glass teapot.  The mint leaf flavour was more delicate and refreshing than the stronger flavour of peppermint tea, and ended the meal fantastically.

On a final note, we loved the toilets.  The presence of l'Occitane toileteries and a huge map, (two of K's most favourite things), was a nice touch. 

I was so enamoured with Moro that as soon as I got home, I ordered one of their books.  I can't wait to visit again, and would implore you to visit as soon as you can, because this is a place that is even better than the hype.