Morito

Tapas fun in the city

Morito, a Michelin Bid Gourmand rated tapas bar in the city has somewhat become one of the most popular eat out places for workers nearby. It has been on my to do list for a while but I never got around to visit due to the no booking policy in the evening, but when I discovered they take lunch time bookings even on the weekends, it was finally time for an overdue visit and I was keen to compare it to other highly regarded tapas bars in London such as Jose and Barrafina.

Morito

open kitchen

To keep to the Spanish tradtion, we sat at the bar and the decor of this place itself reminds me so much of my days in Barcelona, small and cosy with cold tapas and seasoning on the edge of the bar. We ordered a good selection of tapas from the daily menu, it got off with a bad start with the duck egg, green pepper, and patatas fritas dish, a bit like a fried up Spanish style, too greasy and at £6.50 was hardly value for money at all.

fuet salami

Cardigan bay prawns, lemon and alioli

duck egg, green pepper,
patatas fritas & moscatel vinegar

But the rest of the dishes were solid to outstanding. Spiced lamb with aubergine, yoghurt and pine nuts was one of those dishes I just can't get enough of, well seasoned chunk of chopped lamb meat on a bed of aubergine and yoghurt mixture, dashes of pine nuts gave it a nice nutty aroma. Smell, taste and texture, this dish has everything. Grilled sea bass with blood orange, potato and red onion salad was simply wonderful, the fish was cooked at the perfect level and the flavour combination of the salad was finely balanced with an unusual citrus undertone.

bass, potato, blood orange & red onion salad 

jamón & chicken croquetas and
spiced lamb, aubergine, yoghurt & pine nuts 

fried baby squid & sumac

Slow roasted pork belly, cumin and lemon again showcased the fine art of seasoning from the kitchen, the pork belly didn't lose its moisture from the long roasting process, smoky and moist with a beautiful crispy skin. Grilled lamb chops was also solid, the meat was very tender with robust flavours from the cumin and paprika, the sweet spiciness was a perfect harmony to the rich taste of the lamb. We finished on a high with the grilled tetilla cheese with wanuts and membrillo, the grilled process really opened up the sweet and mild taste of the cheese which you normally wouldn't detect when consumed cold, first time ever I've tasted cheese this way and it sure won't be the last too, it was a real delight.

pork belly, cumin & lemon

lamb chops, cumin & paprika

grilled tetilla cheese, membrillo & walnuts 

Lunch at Morito turned out to be a great experience, it was simple tapas done in an authentic way with great use of seasoning, the meat dishes particularly stand out with their powerful and flavoursome tastes, in terms of value it was also very reasonable considering the location. If I was to compare, Barrafina has the edge with its fresh seafood dishes but Morito has better meat dishes and the croquetas are the best I had yet in London. If you live or work nearby, Morito is definitely one those must try places if you are a fan of authentic Spanish cuisine.

Food 6
Service 5
Ambience 7
Value 7

£31 per head with a soft drink

32 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QE

http://morito.co.uk/