| Ambiance: |  (4 / 5) |
| Service: | (3 / 5) |
| Value for money: | (3.5 / 5) |
| Toilet: | (3 / 5) |
Possibly my worst feeling in the world is feeling full. Throw bloated into the mix and you might begin to understand my attitude towards food on Thursday night. We’d been on the road all day, snacking and attempting a gluten free cream tea crawl of Devon (don’t ask!), so come dinner time, food was the last thing on my mind. Wine wasn’t.
As neither of us really knew Exeter, we asked the locals where would be best to go. We were recommended “The Firehouse”, where as it turned out did the best pizza in Exeter. Unfortunately, on Thursday evening, the thought of more dough based product was not doing it for me. So, we settled on a bottle of Pinot Grigio and a jug of elderflower cider for an almost laughable price of £12. Both were soon knocked back and we were off; Sam a bit more unsteady on his feet, in search of some food to soak up the alcohol.
Inside Al Farid
Even at this point I wasn’t really in the mood for food but Sam needed feeding and when tempted by the thought of Moroccan/Lebanese, recommended by another local, I was sold. Located right by the cathedral; offering a beautiful view and setting, it was easy enough to find.
Me on my seat (floor!)
Stepping in, I felt like I was in Morocco. Not that I’ve ever been. There were cushions and pretty rugs on the floor, with shishas lined up across the wall. There was some soft music in the background which complimented the theme perfectly. Luckily we were able to get a table… well, floor space and we sat ourselves down on the cushions. It was actually pretty comfy.
The Menu
The menu was pretty comprehensive. You could choose from a large tapas menu, with all dishes being £5 each or opt for larger dishes. We, with Sam being quite hungry, actually managed to make a decision very quickly and settled on three tapas dishes and one lamb tagine. We chose humous (obviously, given our obsession for the stuff), topped with lamb, eggplant moussaka and skewered king prawns. Oh, and two glasses of water – to sober up!
The Humous
The humous came first, and was a very reasonable size. Saying this, it didn’t last long, with me trying to get my share before Sam gobbled it all up. The other tapas dishes took a while to come and when delivered, didn’t look quite so big, or appealing as the humous. Personally, I didn’t overly enjoy the moussaka – it tasted undercooked and was fairly salty. Sam, on the other hand loved the texture and had absolutely no complaints. However, the prawns were perfectly cooked – there just wasn’t enough of them (a common problem with prawn dishes!)
Moussaka and Skewered Prawns
Our tagine was served in the authentic clay pot, with its lid being removed when served to us. We were also presented with a large plate of small grained couscous and the tiniest side plates I’ve ever seen. Sam got so excited, he ended up spilling his all down himself (sorry, Sam – I still find it funny!) As this was the first tagine I’ve ever had, I didn’t know what to compare it to, but I did really enjoy it. Like the moussaka, it was a little salty, but I had no problems in devouring my half.
Lamb Tagine
We were tempted to do shisha, but by the time we paid the bill (coming in at £30 for 3 tapas and a main, no drinks), Sam looked on the verge of sleep, so we slipped in a taxi and went home.
Recommendation
Although some of the dishes were slightly disappointing, I loved the theme, atmosphere, music and setting. I can’t imagine it being the best daytime place, but I’d definitely recommend an evening visit.
