With a long-established reputation and well-forged client base, the family-run Al Fassia restaurant, situated in the heart of Windsor, serves classic, home-cooked Moroccan dishes, both rich and diverse in flavour. The dining room draws on Moroccan design with handcrafted wooden furnishings contrasting with the contemporary black and white images of Berber women adorning the walls. Candlelit tables generate an inviting atmosphere that is further enhanced by the Andalusian music playing softly in the background. Upstairs, Amina Lounge offers a more authentic setting and seats up to 40. Strewn with cushions, ornate rugs and a deep red carpet, regular belly dancing demonstrations further add to the sultry allure of the space.
With a hotel and restaurant chain in Marrakesh, the family that runs Al Fassia has garnered an undeniable wealth of experience and an impeccable understanding of Moroccan hospitality and gastronomy. The result are menus that enable diners to chart paths through Morocco by way of its varied flavours, aromas and textures. Delicate savoury pastries, sweet tagines and fine-grain couscous are all showcased on the Al Fassia bill of fare.
Starters of tiger king prawns with a spicy tomato and garlic sauce served on a bed of saffron rice, and the more traditional homemade filo pastry – or bastilla – filled with chicken and almonds introduces a melange of fresh ingredients and complex flavours. Main courses present a real taste of the Med, suffused with spices and tender meats. The lamb tagine was mouth-wateringly good, with succulent stewed lamb in a tagine sweetened by prunes and apricots and accompanied by fluffy couscous. The brochettes d’agneau were equally delicious. The skewered lamb coated in traditional herbs and spices offered a roundness of flavour – as good to eat as it was to look at.
The feast was rounded off with a delicate, yet sumptuous dessert of bastilla à la glace comprising layers of handmade filo pastry coated with almonds and cinnamon and accompanied by a scoop of ice cream. If the food alone is not enough to entice you inside, the family reputation, welcoming staff and soothing ambience surely will.
Mon: | 6pm-10pm |
Tues: | 6pm-10pm |
Weds: | 6pm-10pm |
Thurs: | 6pm-10pm |
Fri: | 6pm-10.30pm |
Sat: | noon-10.30pm |
Sun: | noon-9pm |