Mamounia Lounge Knightsbridge, bar and restaurant, is situated across the road from Harrods on Brompton Road and offers a chic Middle Eastern drinking and dining experience. The key behind Mamounia Lounge is its plush décor. Lavishly decorated with gold and red drapings, Arabic motifs and exotic Middle Eastern cushions, Mamounia Lounge has a sense of the opulent to it.

Gracing the entrance to Mamounia Lounge is an outdoor shisha lounge which morphs into a dining area. This leads into the bar/lounge, and beyond this is a more formal dining area that backs onto the open kitchen. Mamounia serves a comprehensive Lebanese and Moroccan menu. But make no mistake. Mamounia Lounge is very much about the ‘lounge’ experience. It feels very much like the kind of venue where you go for drinks and have food to go with the drinks.

That said the food was very good. A starter sized pastilla of chicken (£9.50) wrapped with filo pastry was really delicious. Freshly baked, the pastry was crispy and the chicken filling was moist with a hint of almond nuttiness to it. The pastilla was finished with a dash of icing sugar and some cinnamon, both of which added a touch of fragrant sweetness to the pastilla.

Mamounia Lounge – Chicken pastilla

We loved the next starter, a truffle hommus (£12) whipped with tahini, truffle oil and lemon juice and served with fresh truffle shavings, wild mushrooms, crispy chickpeas and warm Lebanese bread. The truffle aroma was intoxicating and the various additions to the hommus provided lots of lovely textures. This was the outstanding dish of the evening.

Mamounia Lounge – London Food Blog – Truffle hommus

We also tried various other mezes: moutabel (£7), smoked aubergine puree with tahini, garlic and lemon juice; falafel (£6.75), fritters of fava beans, broad beans, coriander and cumin; and fried calamari (£9.50) with a sweet chili and lemon dip. The moutabel was smooth and nicely smoked, and the falafel was crunchy and tasty. The calamari was slightly disappointing however as it was a little chewy.

Mamounia Lounge – A selection of meze

To the mains, grilled king prawns (£22.50) marinated with lime juice, paprika, chilli flakes and garlic were plump and flavoursome. Meshoui (£18.50), a traditional shoulder of lamb marinated in Moroccan spices and slow roasted for 8 hours was also pleasant. But surprisingly, the main we enjoyed the most was the half chicken couscous (£16.75) cooked with a variety of vegetables and served with a homemade bouillon. The chicken itself was a little dry, but the couscous was delicious. What’s more, the addition of the bouillon provided an added dimension to the dish.

Mamounia Lounge – Grilled king prawns

Mamounia Lounge – Slow cooked lamb

Mamounia Lounge – Chicken couscous

Desserts at Mamounia Lounge were all homemade. We were recommended the baklawa selection (£7.50) which came with a variety of different fillings and were nicely done. An orange and almond cake (£7.50) served with toasted almond flakes, ice cream and orange segments was truly yummy. The use of orange in the cake was well judged, and the almonds added a nutty dimension to the dessert.

Mamounia Lounge is a sexy little number with a sensuous décor and a chic cocktail menu. What’s more during our Friday night visit we got to enjoy the talents of an exotic belly dancer. Mamounia Lounge is a great lounge space – perfect for a fun party night out – with some resoundingly solid food and pleasant service.

SUMMARY INFORMATION:
Likes:
1) The truffle hommus.
2) The pastilla.
3) Great if a party night out vibe is what you’re after.

Dislikes:
1) The calamari.
2) Not great if a party night out vibe is NOT what you’re after.

Food rating: 3.5/5
Service rating: 3.5/5

Average Price: £35 to £45 for three courses, excludes drinks and service.

Website: http://www.mamounia-lounge.com/