Mzouda

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

This small, welcoming restaurant, tucked away near Charing Cross, mixes the Moroccan traditions of chef/owner Hamid Benhach's childhood with Spanish and Catalan recipes he picked up while working in Barcelona. It's an appealing cultural blend of complementary but still distinct dishes, and the service is carefully attentive. The exotic smells of other diners' choices drifting from the tiny kitchen combine with the terracotta walls and rustic wooden furniture to conjure a romantic, homely atmosphere. An aromatic rice dish, arroz caldoso, blends fish and vegetables in a warm and spicy starter, while filo pastry parcels filled with spinach and goat's cheese or chicken are nicely moist. (Incidentally, all meat served here is halal.) Sadly, a main course of beef medallions is disappointing: lumpy potatoes and less-than-tender meat swim in a prune and almond sauce which just isn't quite fruity enough. The tagine khodra, on the other hand, is a fine blend of broad beans, peas, potatoes and artichoke in spiced, acidic juices. A dessert flan mixes eggy custard with burnt caramel sauce, though it doesn't seem noticeably different from the French variety.

• High point: Friendly and welcoming atmosphere
• Low point: Not a great selection of desserts