Morito, Exmouth Market

After writing about quite a few new places recently, it’s nice to re-visit some of my favourite meals from a simpler, pre-blog time last year.  Morito was one of the best relaxed, easy spots – it’s a tapas bar on Exmouth Market, next to sister restaurant Moro and sharing their Spanish/Moorish influences.  I haven’t yet made it to Moro (on my ever-expanding to-do list), but I have cooked recipes from the books (favourites being the lamb marinades, fish tagines and patatas bravas).

It’s a proper tapas bar, where most of the seats of this tiny place are perched around the bar/open kitchen.  You could pop in for a drink and snack in the Spanish way, or stay a little longer and fill up on their small plates – for a weekday dinner two of us shared 7 dishes with some fantastic bread and a carafe of tempranillo.

Chicken & romesco

The patatas bravas and tortilla were great versions of the tapas classics – the patatas bravas crispy with a rich tomato sauce and punchy aioli, and the tortilla full of soft, sweet onion and pepper.  Chicken and romesco sauce (red pepper, garlic and nuts) was tender, and the roasted butternut squash had squidgy flesh and lovely sage butter and yoghurt on the top.

Chickpeas, pumpkin, coriander & tahini

You usually find chickpeas in stews or mushed into homous, but their fried version are a fantastic crispy alternative for the pulse, and came with pumpkin, coriander and nutty tahini.

Tortilla & spiced lamb, aubergine, yoghurt & pine nuts

The lamb on silky aubergine puree (presumably blackened with the flesh scooped out) was nicely spiced with cumin and cinnamon, sprinkled with pine nuts and pomegranate.  

Aubergine, walnuts, yoghurt, pomegranate & mint

There were similar flavours in the aubergine with walnuts, pomegranate, yoghurt, and mint, but here the aubergine was little browned cubes instead, and the combination worked really well.

The plates are small but I think good value – we spent £25 each on food, drink and service, which left us full and happy.  If I was feeling greedier, I would have had their Malaga raisin ice-cream again, with its nice boozy hit. 

You can’t book in the evening – we turned up quite early on a Tuesday evening so didn’t have to wait, but if it’s full they will take your number and call when they have a free spot (there are some good drinking spots on Exmouth market to wait).  Morito is one of my favourite tapas places in London (Copita, Salt Yard and Jose are also excellent) but stands out with its spicy, fragrant Moorish flavours alongside the Spanish.

www.morito.co.uk/