Maramia

I went there with a friend during August 2019 for dinner.

 

The owner, Sayeed, comes from Gaza and the food is fairly typical of dishes from this area.  I was mostly served by Sefo, his nephew.  They were both quite friendly and amused that i spoke quite a lot of Arabic having worked in the area for a few years.

 

They are licenced and have a few wines from the area including a Lebanese Chateau Musar.   The food is mostly cooked to order and very tasty and authentic for the local cuisine.  The restaurant is decorated in a typical local rustic cafe style.


So why just one star?  I called beforehand to book a table and confirm the "2 for 1" offer which they did. On arrival,  i reconfirmed the "2 for 1" offer.   Unfortunately,  when the bill came it did not reflect the offar and was all at full price and included a service charge which was not mentioned on the menu.  It was late and I have any arguments and paid the bill in full without question.  I expect it was only a silly mistake but the effect is that I am unlikely to be in a hurry to return there!

 

 

 

Having never been a huge fan of Arabic style restaurants, I was more than pleasantly surprised to discover this amazing little restaurant. Most Arabic restaurants in London seem to be Lebanese and the food always seems to taste the same, regardless of the prices of the dishes on the menus. Not the case with Maramia, this is just a whole new, far higher level. There is so much in the menu and everything is very reasonably priced. If you even suspect something is a bit pricey, you won't think it was after you've tasted it. There is literally nothing I can criticise about this place, the quality of food is amazing, it feels so unique, warm and comfortable. Space may be limited but contributes to the lovely atmosphere. I only wish more people could taste this food and experience this place and lead to it getting the level of custom and attention it deserves. Looking in from the street, you'd never expect the food you get inside - it's just astonishingly good. The website is excellent and is what convinced me to go there in the first place. If only there were more of these restaurants. It's just perfect food, every dish, extremely well priced and you almost feel like you've not paid enough when you leave! Forget about the well known names, this place beats them all effortlessly! Try it and I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

With the iconic but still rather scary Trellick Tower in spitting distance and the roar of the Westway just yards away, you would not naturally expect to find culinary heaven, or at least a very good version of it. Yet, nestled halfway along the Golborne Road and unknown to many sits Maramia. It claims on its website to be the first restaurant in London to offer Palestinian food. The impression on coming here is one that is warm and welcoming, almost a bit like entering someone’s house. The authenticity is enhanced by the enthusiasm of the staff and the presence of a number of apparent regulars. Although we chose to sit outside and enjoy the local scene, the décor and lighting indoors also looked enticing and would sure to be a good option for the winter months. Onto the food, and the dishes here are obviously informed by Middle Eastern substances and flavours. All recipes are apparently homemade and with competitive pricing (£5 for starters and around £15 for mains), there is no reason not to indulge. My comrade and I began with three dishes, moutabel (chargrilled aubergine), batata harra (fried potatoes topped with chilli and herbs) and foul (mashed fava beans). All were excellent, but stand-out for me was the latter, comfortably on a par – if not better – than similar varieties I have sampled across the Middle East. According to the chef, the dish is cooked ‘Palestinian style’, with green chilli, garlic, tahini and lemon juice added. It was both unctuous and flavoursome. I would accord similar high praise to the mains. My grilled lamb was magnificently enhanced by the special sauce with which it was served. Said sauce comprised parsley, mint, coriander, sumac, saffron, thyme, garlic, chilli and yoghurt and was a well-balanced explosion of flavours, a superb foil to the smoky nature of the meat. We paired our food with a great bottle of Lebanese wine, a Grenache-blend with notes of red cherry, violet and vanilla from the Bekaa Valley. At c£30/head all-in, I will definitely be back.