Style Points: 3/5
Price: ££
Overall: 3.5/5

Located opposite Harrod’s on Brompton Road, Mamounia Lounge Knightsbridge promises Middle Eastern culinary delights, inspired cocktails, an outdoor shisha lounge and entertainment too.

Mamounia has an Arabic themed décor reflected in the patterns and mosaics. This is paired with a baroque style best demonstrated by the enormous chandeliers and red velvet drape spread across the restaurant space. This makes an interesting contrast as Mamounia isn't trying to recreate a Moroccan styled restaurant, instead it is aiming for an eclectic mix.

Despite the decadent décor, there is a relaxed atmosphere to the restaurant, and as a results would be an ideal place for laid back group dining weather for lunch or dinner.

If you like being entertained whilst eating then Mamounia is the place for you, as post 9pm they have an array of belly-dancers and even DJs, Mamounia Lounge Knightsbridge also has a sister restaurant in Mayfair which matches the décor, cuisine and entertainment.

Batata Harra

Would I Want Seconds?

Mamounia Lounge Mayfair has an impressive eclectic cocktail list crafted by expert mixologist which include Golden Oasis and Prince of Sahara. We tried the Mamounia Special which was similar to a Mojito and exactly what we needed to cool down on a searing hot day.

To start, we ordered a well spiced Batata Harra and Hommus Kawarma which consisted of a creamy chickpea puree topped with medallions of lamb and pine nuts. Both starters arrived in good time of being ordered and were a good portion size to start our meal with.

For our main course I ordered the Chicken Kafta which were grilled skewers of minced chicken with fresh coriander, garlic, green and red peppers. I was very impressed with this dish as the chicken was incredibly moist and tender, to the extent that it literally melted in the mouth. Although Chicken Kafta is probably a dish you can order in many restaurants in London, the dish served here was of a superior quality and definitely one of the best minced chicken skewers I’ve had!

Moutabel

Chicken Kafta

My lovely dining companion choose the Grilled Lamb Cutlets and was equally impressed with the moist texture of the lamb. The seasoning on both dishes was also divine and added a beautiful extra layer to the dish. We had sides of rice and more Batata Hara with our food and although this was quite a large meal we had to try some desserts before we left!

Although Mamounia have a selection of traditional Moroccan and Lebanese desserts, I surrendered to my chocolate craving and ordered the Homemade Chocolate Fondant with vanilla ice cream and fresh fruits. As this desert is made to order it took about ten minutes to arrive but this provided us with the time to digest our previous courses! When the Chocolate Fondant arrived it was warm and deliciously creamy and made an gorgeous paring with the ice cream. The fruits which were mostly an assortment of berries added a welcome tangy kick to the sweet flavour.

My dining companion ordered the Selection of Baklava but sadly these didn't live up to our expectations. The baklava were not the traditional simple selection we thought we ordered and they were neither crispy or sweet. I have certainly had better baklava before. However this was the only criticism of the food itself and they redeemed themselves by serving the perfect Moroccan Tea.

Grilled Lamb Cutlets

Can I Afford Seconds?

Although located in Knightsbridge, Mamounia isn’t an overly expensive restaurant, especially for the quality of food served.

Mezze starters here range from £6 - £9 and are perfect for sharing. Main courses including the Tagines start at £14 and desserts are also in the £6 range and the unique range of cocktails are approximately £8.

Selection of Baklava

Homemade Chocolate Fondant with vanilla ice cream 

Overall? 3.5/5

The food at Mamounia Lounge Knightsbridge was definitely the highlight of the experience.

The service varied between trying too hard to not paying much attention, but this may be because they seemed to be training new staff the day we visited.

We also didn’t hang around for the entertainment as we were there for the food but if you like to party after your meal, I hear this is the place to go.

Desserts and mint tea!

Website: www.mamounialounge.com
Address: 136 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London SW3 1HY`
Closest Tube Station: Knightsbridge