The atmosphere at Morito is a little hectic. The staff are kind, but seem stretched quite thin across the board. The space is small, and necessitates single file travel and tucking chairs in as people pass. I can imagine that sometimes, this hustle and bustle feels exciting, but that night, everyone just seemed a bit stressed.
The first dish to arrive was the crispy aubergine with whipped feta and date molasses (£11), a plate stacked high with wedges of aubergine drizzled with sweet, sticky topping. Despite arriving first, this dish was substantial enough to let us keep picking at it through the whole meal — ideal for something a little cloying in large quantities, but delicious in sporadic mouthfuls.
This was followed by the jamón croquetas (£13). The croquetas weren’t small, but there were only three of them, a decision which always seems a little perplexing in a restaurant that has designed its menu based on encouraging diners to share. We also ordered the cheese croquetas with greek honey (£10), though, which made divvying up that much easier. I had two jamón, one cheese, and was pleased with that ratio - both were a little tougher than I had hoped, but the jamón’s exterior tasted crisp alongside its smooth, creamy filling. The cheese croquetas were perfectly nice, but their taste and textural landscape was somewhat flat: the overall experience was one of squishiness, and I was happy to have just the one.
The spiced lamb with aubergine, pomegranate and pine nuts (£13) was, along with the crispy aubergine with which we began, a standout. The aubergine was smoked and puréed, providing a delicious base. The lamb itself fluctuated somewhat from bite to bite, but was generally tender and fragrant, adorned with a couple of pomegranate seeds which added some much-appreciated crunch. If I were going back, I would order this again.
The pan con tomate (£7) did what it said on the can, and did absolutely fine with it. Perhaps it’s hard for this dish to be a showstopper, but it was tasty and a generous portion, acting as a simple, reliable option on the table. The fried chickpeas with chopped salad and tahini yoghurt (£10) were, unfortunately, not quite to our taste: the ratio of chickpea to everything else made it a little repetitive. The cocktails, however — the smoked margarita (£12) and the pomegranate cosmo (£12), to be precise —, did not disappoint.
There were undeniable elements of enjoyment to the meal. Morito definitely knows its way around an aubergine; those two dishes were top of the leaderboard. The cocktails were pretty delicious. The space is light and simply decorated, and on this particular evening where the sun was still shyly streaming through by 8pm, you got a sense of Morito in its best light. Was this the best place to come for a sit down meal? Probably not. But for a summery venture of cocktails and a couple of tapas dishes, Morito might be just the place.
