When the restaurant Casa Maroc informed us at HCX that they had just launched a new menu, we just had to check it out…
On a rainy Thursday evening we found ourselves at the quaint restaurant, located near Mama Stones, and were welcomed into a warm and exotic culinary retreat. After shaking the rain off our umbrellas we sat down in a den in the corner of the restaurant; a circular room with low tables and mountains of beanbags and cushions, adorned with silk drapes overhead, it really did feel like a Moroccan Riad. We settled into the cushions and promptly ordered a bottle of wine, happy to relax in the warm safe from the depressing English weather outside.
The menu was a combination of Moroccan and Italian food, perhaps not the most obvious combination, although one which evidently proved popular. We decided to stick to the slightly more adventurous Moroccan food, which felt like it fitted better with our exotic surroundings. On recommendation we opted for a taste of the mezze dishes, great value at 5 for £15. However for the slightly less adventurous out there, the pizza’s looked great too! Between the two of us it had been quite a struggle to decide which of the mezze dishes to get but we finally settled on a combination of crispy calamari, North African sweet and spicy chicken wings, Moroccan potatoes, lamb stifado and prawns. This was accompanied by pitta bread and hummus dips.
The mezze was a great way to experience a variety of food, perfect for when there’s a group of you, and we reckon it would be pretty romantic if you were on a date too! Although the 5 dishes were enough for the two of us (although we did have room for a cheeky pudding afterwards) you’d probably have to order a few more if you had a bigger appetite or were going with the local rugby team. However at £7.50 per person it’s still good value even if you do order a few more dishes!
After dinner we were shown downstairs to the private function room. Although the room was large, the exotic décor and seating arrangements made it feel intimate and personal, whilst being able to hold up to 120 people! The room has a private bar, is fitted with a large speaker system and is completed with twinkling lights. The room is free to hire out and offers student discount at the bar; what’s not to love? With the size of the room, the drinks offers and the unique atmosphere we decided that it would be a pretty good pre-Timepeice or Mosaic venue, although really we were both hoping to have our birthdays there!
All in all our night at Casa Maroc was a great experience, it’s so nice to find an alternative and independent restaurant in Exeter!
Photo credits: casamaroc; attention-media; caitlin edwards