Original Tagines, Dorset St - Best tagine in London

Dec-22nd count £20pp for a Tagine + water. Their most expensive Tagine is at £15. Count £30pp for Starter + Tagine + dessert + water. Count £40pp if you include wine.

I discovered this restaurant by pure luck. A cold winter day, I passed along and tried my chance. Two years later, it's still the best tagine I know in London.

Original Tagine is a family owned restaurant. Guess how many years it has been running for? Any ideas? .... not one year, not five years... not ten years either... but 14 years! 14 years of experience!!! Original Tagines has been serving tagines to customers for 14 years... Fourteen years ago, there were only two Moroccan restaurants in London the waiter and owner told me. 

The starters are not the best I had in London for this kind of food. I would avoid them in general. But then, I am always very harsh with Mediterranean food considering my Lebanese roots. The one starter I recommend is the kefta brioates. It's all in the subtlety of flavors, sweetness of the ice sugar, mixes well with the cinnamon and the lamb... and yes, you read correctly lamb, cinnamon and sugar... and I did like it. My friends liked the aubergine zalook. Frankly, if you know a bit about good Lebanese food/Mediteranean food, pass your way on the most common starters, because you'll most certainly be disappointed... if not, you can always give it a try. 

Kefta brioates - a pastry for a starter

Cheese brioates - not as good as the one above in my opinion

more common taste, and average realisation

Aubergine zalook

if you don't know too much about Mediterranean food, you'll enjoy that 

Now, let's talk about the specialty of the house: the tagines. I am a regular of this place. I tried almost every tagine they serve. I NEVER have been disappointed. I believe the value for money is very good. Quality is there, and quantity too. All tagine comes with bulgur.

The less exotic tagine is their chicken kedra one. But if you feel in the mood, why not try the chicken lemon, lamb pear, lamb prune, or even their lamb apricot? All the tagine are priced in a narrow range of £12 to £15 (for the lamb apricot). Tagine has to be cooked for hours... and they do cook it for hours. We will thank them for that. Purist could always complain about a few things. I wont list the negative points. That's the place to go for tagines in London - full stop.

chicken kedra - fantastic !

lamb prune - fabulous !

lamb apricot - fabulistic !

A tiny little advice, linked to a negative comment. In the winter (most probably you'll enjoy a tagine in the winter), by no means, get a table next to the door. Ask kindly to be far from the entry. The place is definitely cold when people go in/out of the place. That is an important point and is worth mentioning. You cannot say you've not been warned!

That being said, I recommend this place for four reasons. First, it's great value for money. Second, it's difficult to find a good tagine place in London. In that respect, Original Tagines won't disappoint. Third, it's a VERY consistent place. I ate there a few times with friends, date or family, and the cook always delivers in time, manner and panache - the same quality. Fourth, service is friendly and serious and atmosphere is simple, nice, even cute.