“I have little against a restaurant with unprepossessing décor and furnishings. When the food on offer is as nondescript as the surroundings, I do take issue.
I’ll describe the Goi cuon (summer rolls) and then explain why it’s best left at that. These lumps of rubber-wrapped carbohydrate with barely discernible hints of prawn and vegetables and any fresh herbs were dull and lifeless. The dipping sauce which came alongside was a fatty, peanut gloop which did nothing to raise the spirits.
All that followed was ill-judged and poorly cooked. Essentially, there were no hits of vibrant flavour or attempts to create any textural variety.
It is quite a while since I have resented paying the price of my meal. We were with family and friends. Thanks to them we were able to make the best of it and put this down to experience.
Any suggestion that we were being offered authentic Vietnamese cooking would be a travesty.
Please avoid this place - there is much better on offer elsewhere.”
“Our first visit… It would be lovely to say, “What a find!” but obviously many have already discovered the delights of MORO. Some of them were there on the evening we dined. They all seemed to be making quite a racket. However, it was the hubbub that confirms enjoyment and dismisses any pretentiousness. It simply added to a great atmosphere.
Tamara served us almost exclusively for the evening. She immediately treated us to the stuff of legend, (c)hunks of MORO bread. The olive oil for dipping was a luscious blend of fruit, acid and silk. Everything Tamara did from then on was carried out with efficiency, humour, help and an obvious pride in her place of work.
Aperitifs of rhubarb and cava were the sumptuous equivalent of liquid rhubarb and custard sweets. Manzanilla provided a reliable hit of sherry ‘ozone’.
It was really uphill all the way from then on… in a very positive way. We steadily ascended a slope of gently relentless flavours and textures. Lomo provided delicate luxury against a backdrop of crunchy sourdough and soft, tangy grapes; pigeon nestled on fruity, vibrant salad. My salmorejo was, confoundedly, twice as good as any I have had in Spain.
Mains were just as accomplished. Chicken, lamb and pork had been given such consideration that they managed to shine, even in the face of a regiment of bitter, sharp, fruity, creamy, spicy accompaniments. These were so well judged that they would have become a talking point for longer had it not been for our determination to enjoy them with as much respect as possible. In any case, we were running out of superlatives.
We did not ask for advice about wines. The list is full and could be daunting but we had already gained so much confidence from the place that we trusted that our basic hunches would be successfully supported. A lovely Mallorcan red did not undermine our faith.
We allowed ourselves just two more treats; the cheese selection with Sherries was enough to share carefully between four. The chocolate and apricot tart recipe is available online. I urge you to make it as soon as you possibly can. Its simplicity is matched only by the staggering success of its flavours.
MORO is sure of its ground and relies on being very, very good at what it does. We were taken to a special place with each offering of food. Prices for this quality of cooking are still refreshingly reasonable and service was so great that we gladly paid the optional added charge.
This meal was a gift to my brother and his wife before they leave Islington for an island-living haunt much further north. In their absence, the ‘Sams’ will still provide us with an irresistible excuse for returning to London.”
“Look, I paid for my adult education classes in Spanish... you go and find out what that title means! (I might just give a hint in this review)
Our third time here; always with two sons who now live in Nottingham plus assorted friends.
Service was excellent with well-considered suggestions, explanations and recommendations.
I would gladly give detailed descriptions of the stream of triumphs which arrived at our table. However, the chefs here will not be tied to repetition. You are unlikely to be offered the same dishes as we were. What you will be offered is the same consistent quality of cooking. Flavour combinations and contrasts, textures and finishes are all beautifully judged. This meal was taken at an extremely busy Saturday lunch service. Despite the challenge that gives to a restaurant we enjoyed our best meal yet. This showed the skills of a kitchen which, even under pressure, are on top of their game.
The variety is daunting but the delivery is superlative. So please don’t despair that you can’t squeeze in every creation from starter to dessert in one visit. Relax. Go half a dozen times or more and explore gradually… but prepare to be delighted each time!
My rating is made by comparison with restaurants at which I’ve been offered a similar style of cooking. Iberico is, in my view, understandably not a Michelin starred restaurant… but it is none the worse for that. I give huge congratulations to all who are involved in presenting such great quality. Top notch eating any time you’re in Nottingham.
Just out of interest, what music was being played, I hear you ask… among other tracks I picked out Bonobo, Morcheeba and Aim. You see, even their taste in music is first-rate here!
(OK, OK, let’s put you out of your misery… Estupendo: definition - Que destaca por sus cualidades extraordinarias!)”
“We ate an evening meal here at the end of May 2014 after visiting for the first time ever six weeks before. My parents have experienced various changes here over many years and my wife and I finally joined them to see what the ‘New’ version is like.
The first visit was a quiet mid-week one but the second was on a very busy Friday evening. On both occasions Deepak looked after us very well. He is attentive and listens carefully to comments from customers which might improve what the kitchen sends out.
The food is full of many different flavours but the cooking does not always hit the mark with some mushy, watery vegetable offerings. The vibrancy of each dish can be compromised. I guess that is down to a chef who often relies on slowly cooked meats and sauces which can arrive a little jaded.
Having said that, the standard delivered is better than most similar places offering ‘authentic’ national cuisine. No dishes disappointed enough to get in the way of two enjoyable evenings. Mum and Dad say that quality has fluctuated over the years. The current manifestation seems to have got things mostly right. Don’t expect huge excitement from the wines or food but if you’d heard it was deteriorating do give it another try.
At the moment this is a reliable venue for reasonably priced food in a friendly atmosphere (go at busy weekends for even more hustle and bustle!).
A rating between Average and Very Good would be useful for this place!”
“We four were here for an evening dinner to celebrate my Mum’s birthday. I know it was Sunday and there might have been an earlier demand but it was still a disappointment for one of our party to be told that there were no roasts left. There did, however, appear to be a decent alternative selection.
Three chose spiced lamb koftas, tzatziki & sweet chilli jam starters. The lamb was very under-spiced and both sauces offered bought-in ordinariness. My arancini risotto balls, mozzarella, tomato salsa & green chilli mayo was a well conceived dish. The contrasting textures were there but (I might as well try this with a straight face) my balls needed much more seasoning! The salsa and mayo were lacking any real zing and, once again, suggested that convenient jars had been opened.
The lack of real cooking was apparent in the ale battered haddock, frites, minted pea purée & homemade tartare sauce. I’m sure that pea purée can have more care lavished on it and if the tartare sauce really was homemade it was made by someone with no ambition to achieve any balance of texture or flavour.
Homemade West Country beef burger, gherkin, mustard mayo, Emmental cheese, relish & frites were not enjoyed by my wife. The accent on soggy carbohydrate was not balanced by a dry, chewy over-cooked meat patty.
On a positive note, Mum enjoyed her king prawn, crab & chorizo linguine with tomato, garlic & chilli… Yay!
My pan fried sea bass fillets, dauphinoise potato, asparagus & sauce vierge had the main ingredient treated properly. Fish flesh was soft and moist and the skin had the right amount of crispness. Another tiny suggestion that someone in the kitchen knows what they are doing! The rest of the plate was just ordinary with little attention to flavour and finish.
Desserts were ordered, eaten and forgotten because… unfortunately, they were forgettable.
So, the general consensus was that we had to compensate for a lack of any real quality in the food with our own happy banter. What a shame that we weren’t distracted more by a bit of sparkle from the kitchen!
Anyone presenting food should take pride in what they are offering. On our visit The Duke’s Head did not seem to have enough of the expectations which might generate that pride.
We plan to avoid the place until someone gives us clear evidence that things have changed.”
“Our second visit for a lunch with ageing parents who already like the place. The initial fear on seeing the menu is that it approaches the number of items on a typical over-extended take-away menu. Choice is wide but there is a suggestion that this is a fixed variety which will not be changed for anything but very small seasonal considerations. Therefore, regular customers will soon exhaust the selection without any temptation and excitement from a chef who is content to stick to the same repertoire. Almost everything was cooked well and there was a pleasing difference in the accompanying vegetables. However, the two types of pastry needed for venison Wellington and suet pudding were misjudged and too soggy. There are ways to correct this by protecting the venison from the higher temperature needed for puff pastry and the fats around the steak and kidney really should have been given enough time to disperse and leave a lighter, crisper shell. Having said that, there were distinct flavours and all four of us enjoyed our meal of main and dessert. The atmosphere and surroundings are enjoyable and service was excellent. Prices are not unreasonable and we will probably remain infrequent rather than regular visitors.”
“This was a pre-planned cop-out from self-catering on the day before my wife and I departed from a few days’ holiday in Suffolk. It was the right choice! We ate lunch in the restaurant. The menu straightaway reassured with plenty of reference to seasonal and local ingredients. My pigeon breast starter was delightful. The artichoke and garlic puree undercut the sweet, seared richness of the perfectly cooked meat. My wife’s smoked pheasant and bacon salad was just as flavoursome but sprawled across the plate in contrast to the pigeon’s careful triangular placement. Maybe this suggested too large a portion to my wife. I minded little as I was invited to finish it off! We were tempted by all the mains but both chose lamb… and then sat grinning stupidly and smugly at each other as we tucked in. The confit shoulder was as rich and sexy as George Clooney but the rack managed to impress equally with tender nuggets of more delicate flavour. I confess to dribbling mentally; at the quality of cooking… not thoughts of George! The Wyken Vineyard wines were a great accompaniment here. We side-stepped the problem of seeking out a ‘guest’ Pinot Noir or gamey Rhône to match the different approaches to cooking the meat. Rather, we had a glass each of the Bacchus and the Madeleine Angevine. Sunshine through the barn windows was a distant echo of what the grapes had struggled to find in a difficult growing season. Those grapes have still produced lovely wines which, although not our usual choice, seemed totally in keeping with the occasion. Time for the pastry chef to shine! Our desserts did not disappoint. Crème fraiche tart, apple and star anise compote with blackberry sorbet gave my wife a well-judged hit of creaminess and tangy accents. I insisted on the truly seasonal blood orange and buttermilk panna cotta with rhubarb. Panna cotta was good and behaved well with enough wobble. Blood orange jelly atop (once it was turned out) gave just enough hint of its shy citrus. The rhubarb was a challenge, taken no further than blanching. However, this allowed the leaf stalk to state its proper qualities honestly - and I did enjoy that honesty! The scatter of crunchy, gingery crumble was just the element to complete a fine plate of contrasting textures and harmonious flavours. Service was attentive but not intrusive and the restaurant support of ‘Slow Food’ meant that we could forgo requests for a break between courses. We were relaxed by the atmosphere and surroundings but most of all we were seduced by cooking from a kitchen on top of their game. I know we asked for our thanks to be given to those responsible but I’ll repeat them here. Prices are reasonable for food of this standard - we have reluctantly paid the same for so much worse. I have to reserve an excellent rating for other, even more deserving, places. However, this was certainly a great way to spend an afternoon and gave as much overall pleasure as any other food outlet we have visited. We have just about exhausted our sight-seeing in Suffolk but we would gladly make this restaurant our excuse for another visit.”
