Moroccan Soup Bar

Mietta's Eating & Drinking in Melbourne 2000

Contributors' Choice
Page 114

From the outside it arouses interest. A simple shopfront, dimly lit, but with enough Moroccan paraphernalia to entice one in. To one side is a purple-cushioned low seating area, the rest of the space is filled with an eccentric range of low-budget tables and chairs. The walls are warm shades of saffron, ochre and acqua-green. Decoration is sparse - the odd Moroccan rug, plate and tagine - and on the counter to the rear are glass jars of preserved lemons. Taped Arabic music adds to the authenticity at just the right decibel level. This place is fairly small and pretty laid back! Owner Hana Assafiri does not believe in a printed menu and only employs women who do not have other employment opportunities. So service, whilst friendly, can be quite chaotic. On being seated, you are immediately brought glasses of Moroccan mint tea and the completely vegetarian menu is recited to you. The waitresses are extremely helpful in describing the dishes. At lunch time there are usually two soups, two main courses and several appetisers on offer - this is the same at night-time, with a few additions including two couscous dishes.

Food is brought on attractive, chunky crockery. Our Harira soup came with a large chunk of grainy bread and a few interesting tastes of labne, red peppers and olives blobbed around the edge of the plate. The soup was hot, spicy and delicious, the bread good and fresh, and the nibbles all delicious.

183 St. Georges Road
North Fitzroy
Melways reference 30:B12
Phone: 9482 4240
Opening hours: Tue-Sun Lunch: 12 noon-4pm, Dinner 6-10pm
Does not accept credit cards
Seats Inside: 40
Closed: Christmas Day
Features: Restricted smoking, kids encouraged
Favourites: 7 Vegetable cous cous $9.50, Chick pea bake $7.50, Cauliflower marinate $5, Harera $7.50