Maghreb is a place to call home – a warm, familiar restaurant whose bijou interior falls on the good side of casual: you sit amid striped wallpaper and exotic rugs while friendly servers make their way past shelves of wine and crates of produce. It’s a pleasure just to be here.
That feeling lifts an extra bit higher with the introduction of starters. A basket of warm, soft homemade flatbreads appear first, promptly followed by a hit list of the restaurant’s biggest-selling hummus – all are strong but some are stronger than the others: the zesty lemon hummus is a standout, as is the one starring sundried tomatoes. The sense of natural goodness is emphasized by the other add-ons that start landing on the table: a creamy baba ganoush with a gently smoky taste; zingy tabbouleh salad that screams with perky freshness; and an addictive mechouia dip made with roasted peppers and tomatoes. The tastes are as loud and vibrant on the palate as they are on the eyes. What you have in front of you is a feast for all senses that feels brilliantly unique.
And thus it continues. Served in colorful clay pots, together with overflowing bowls of fragrant couscous, the tajine dishes stand in a league of their own largely untroubled by any competition. In all, nine vie for selection, their components ranging from lamb and beef meatballs in a pepper-onion sauce, to pumpkin and harissa lashed in honey and pepper. You want more of everything, so the generosity of the portions is welcome indeed. Defined by it’s big hearted richness, the beef is the king with a deep velvet sauce of honey and ginger and knuckle-sized prunes.
Immensely satisfying in its taste and authenticity, it’s a restaurant that allows to shut out the wider world outside. In Maghreb, you are held in a suspended state of far-off, distant travel. Leaving, it’s with a return ticket in mind.
Maghreb
ul. Burakowska 9, maghreb.pl
