Moreno's
| FACTFILE | |
| Tel: 0113 260 4844 Website: www.morenos.co.uk 54-56 Templenewsam Road, Halton, Leeds, LS15 0DR | |
| STAR RATING | |
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At home in Africa
MOST of us are pretty cosmopolitan in our food tastes, but there's still something a bit mysterious about African food.
And the fact that Moreno's markets itself as Yorkshire's only authentic Moroccan restaurant suggests this could be Leeds's final culinary frontier. So feeling a little adventurous, I mounted an expedition to Halton, ready for culinary enlightenment.
Despite the best efforts of my far more sensible companion to derail this sense of adventure by parroting the entire menu and flagging up pictures on the restaurant’s excellent website beforehand, I would not be denied.
Ok, I'll admit a stone's throw from the local golf course and discount supermarket might not be the most exotic location, but at least being well out of the city centre did something to add to the mystique.
But with a fantasy of something between Rick's Café Américain from Casablanca and the bar scene in Star Wars firmly in mind, I had the wind well and truly taken out of my sails when we were greeted by a smiling member of staff with a Leeds accent. Small, intimate and well laid out, the interior has more of a warm, welcoming feel than anything wildly outlandish.
And therein, I realised, was the real secret. From the moment you set foot in Moreno's you feel at home, totally comfortable and ready for anything – like finding the perfect little place, completely by chance on holiday. Right from the off there was some good banter with the staff, who were always up for a chat without crossing the intrusion threshold, giving it that home-away-from-home vibe that’s almost impossible to find in the city centre.
Whilst it may lack the wow factor of some of its flashier Leeds competitors, it makes up for that with cosiness, charm and hospitality. The menu has that same mix of the familiar and unusual, with authentic Moroccan flavours dotted in with some less adventurous but eyecatching Spanish-style dishes.
Still clinging tenaciously to the idea of adventure, I went for the spicy Moroccan chicken liver to start, which was more than exotic enough to satisfy my inner explorer with a thick texture and nice fiery kick. My companion opted for good old garlic mushrooms, which pretty much did the starter’s job of setting up the main event without being anything too special.
A modest but decent range of starters coming in at around the £4-5 mark balanced the exciting-looking stuff with reliable favourites. But to be honest, it’s with the main courses that Moreno’s really comes into its own and shows what it has to offer.
The usual standard meat dishes sit on the menu with some authentic Moroccan recipes you’ll do well to find elsewhere.
There’s also a good-sized, but not overbearing selection of tapas, not just the usual Mediterranean plates but some intriguingly North African offerings as well.
With a minimum of four tapas per person, it might be a bit much for those with a smaller appetite but there’s more than likely enough there to tempt you into chancing it anyway. As far as the mains go though, the traditional Moroccan Tagine will take some beating.
Slow cooked and served in an oddlooking conical earthenware pot, the kefta meatball and sautéed potato version had a real spicy punch and was succulent with a flavour that hinted at some serious preparation time.
Tempted by the tapas, my companion selected sautéed potatoes, peppered mushrooms chicken Makli – a heavily flavoured, garlic dish – and a smaller version of my kefta meatballs. As predicted, a fair amount of them went uneaten but not through lack of effort – all were tasty and well presented.
Main courses mostly hover around £13, with the tapas coming in at about £3-4 each. We decided to stick with the mood and have a Moroccan rosé wine. We got lucky with a perfectly fruity, but surprisingly potent accompaniment. Now in full swing, it was time to see what decadent desserts Morocco had to offer.
Unfortunately that seemed to be Moreno’s one Achilles heel. At a place with such a fun and vibrant atmosphere, you would expect desserts to be as much of an exciting melting pot as the rest of the menu.
However, the selection was a little pedestrian. But based on the pair of Belgian chocolate puddings we opted for, what is there is done well. After coffee, however, we found that Moreno’s had saved its biggest surprise for last.
The bill prompted something of a cartoon-esque doubletake, with three course, wine and coffee coming in at just under £60. Almost absurdly reasonable and, not to labour the point too much, probably half what you’d expect to pay for the same standard in the city centre.
Moreno’s has been open now since 2002 and has, certainly in east Leeds anyway, slowly built something of a reputation for itself as a place to go in that part of the city. Hopefully word will continue to spread because Leeds’ dining scene needs charming little out-of-town places like this just as much as it needs its grander venues. Whilst it’s not quite a spectacular African adventure, going home with a smile on your face, a full stomach and money left over is, on reflection, far more important.
