Numidie Bistro

So we finally made it to the ‘new’ Numidie, our one-time favourite eatery, one that we went to many, many times. And I have to say, last night we were way less than impressed.

The old, quirky, comfortable décor has been replaced with Kit Number 7b from the DIY Bland Moroccan Restaurant range, and that made me a tiny bit sad. But, the place smelt pretty good, so we decided to be upbeat about it. But then the wine was rubbish, slightly corked, and the second bottle was too, and the third, a more expensive one, well, that was OK, but to be honest, it wasn’t worth £20 a bottle by a long shot. Still trying to be upbeat about it, we ordered starters and mains, though it’s nowhere near as good a menu as Serge used to do; it’s the sort of menu you’d see in a mid-range place bang on the touristy strip in Algiers, or Marrakech or Agadir, the sort of place you go on your very first, slightly disorientated night in Morocco or Algeria.

See, I’ve always thought that one of the reasons one goes to a restaurant is to have something one couldn’t do oneself, something a little bit extraordinary. If I’d made the brik and the batata harrah and the harira they served us as starters and my wife’s main course, I would be very disappointed. The veggie brik was OK (though the ones my wife makes at home are crisper and more tasty and imaginative), but came with a weird overspiced sauce of such fire as to be unusable, and my batata was soggy and pretty tasteless and came with a salad that was almost entirely raw onions. My wife had a main course harira that was OK, though way too lentilly, and while my lamb was lovely, all juicy and fragrant and sweet and tasty, it didn’t come with any carbs, no couscous, no tats, no bread for soaking up the gorgeous gravy. The dessert menu was uninspiring, so we went down to the bar for a shot of on-the-house naughty spirit each (we had communicated our disappointment to the waiter, and I think he’d told the bar guy downstairs), then headed off into the night, quite disappointed, and still convinced that the best restaurant on the Crystal Palace Triangle at the moment is Joanna’s. We may go back to Numidie, but not for a good six months.

£45 for three starters and a main, and a bottle of wine.
Comment on this reader review

nik devlin
6 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 5
Thursday, October 06, 2011

The Restaurant is closed. It is currently being refurbished, and will open under new management - target date end of June 2011.

In case the old crew read this, I always had good food cooked with flair at Numidie. Best wishes!
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bill
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Sunday, June 05, 2011

I agree with all the reviews. This restaurant is a gem of a find. A little off the beaten track for us but worth a the vist. The martinated goats cheese starter was amazing! The tarte au Chocolat.... ......!!!!! It was a random choice picked out as the review.

Defintely worth another visit and the price proves that you don't have to pay a fortune for an excellent meal. Again I didn't pay though!!!!!
Comment on this reader review

Fiona Macintyre
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, August 17, 2010