Moro — Restaurant in London

Have you ever left a restaurant feeling like you’ve been robbed at gunpoint? That’s what dining at Moro feels like.

We arrived as a walk in after finding the restaurant on the Michelin guide. I didn’t know much about it beside “Moroccan inspired tapas and wood fired dishes” which sounded perfect. We were sat with a menu without prices. I had naively assumed that wouldn’t be an issue.

My partner and I were just hoping to split some of the starters and tapas. We were informed that “This is not a small plates restaurant” and were expected to order a starter and a main. I was a bit taken aback, given that Moro is billed as a tapas restaurant, and one would assume sharing would be typical. Even then, I was willing to give it a chance. I’m happy to dine at a restaurant that knows what it does and asks the guest to buy in. So we ordered a starter and a main.

After the first bite of my celery salad, I was worried I had walked into a trap. It was so unseasoned, bitter, and sour that I would have preferred to drink straight vinaigrette. Piles of capers and poorly preserved lemon accompanied garden variety celery. I didn’t know what I was paying for this dish at the time, but I knew it wasn’t worth it. My partner’s kidneys on toast I chalked up to “just not for me”. I am still holding out hope that my favourite guide wouldn’t be this wrong.

Our mains came out 45 minutes into our allotted one hour dining time as a walk in. The wood fired pork was served in three slices cut so thin you’d think you’re in a deli. The hake dish’s most flavorful element was romaine lettuce. No amount of salt or stale pre-ground pepper (on every table) could pull an ounce of flavor from either dish. This was nursing home food, and the ambience was there to match. No music, too bright lights, staff standing around looking more worried we might pass away rather than if we’re having a good time.

The bill came to £180 for 2 starters, 2 mains, 2 glasses of wine each, and service. It was not the most expensive meal I’ve ever had. It was not the worst meal I’ve ever had. It was hands down the worst meal I’ve ever had for the price. That being said, the wine selection was thoughtful, interesting, and great quality.

The sad thing is, every negative seemed like an intentional choice on the restaurant’s part. Why have a menu without prices? Why not let guests order whatever they’d like off the menu? Why serve food fully devoid of flavour and substance? Whatever it is, it seems to...

I feel it’s important to raise a serious concern about the name of this restaurant, “Moro.” While it may appear to reference the historical Moors or Mediterranean cuisine, in many European contexts—especially in Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy—the word “Moro” is widely recognized as a racist slur used to demean Moroccan and broader North African communities. It has long been associated with colonial oppression, xenophobic rhetoric, and anti-immigrant abuse, particularly in urban and working-class areas where North Africans have faced systemic discrimination.

Historically, the term “Moor” was used during the Middle Ages to refer to Muslim inhabitants of North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. However, in modern European slang, “Moro” has been stripped of its historical neutrality and is now commonly used as a racialized insult, especially in derogatory phrases like “los moros” in Spain or “les moros” in France. For example, in France, the Commission Nationale Consultative des Droits de l’Homme (CNCDH) has documented that people of Maghrebi origin—including Moroccans—regularly experience racist abuse where “moro” is used with hostile intent. Similarly, in Spain, SOS Racismo has flagged the term as part of the everyday racism endured by North African youth.

Furthermore, in 2021, a report by the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) identified the continued use of terms like “Moro” as contributing to the racial profiling, housing discrimination, and labor market exclusion faced by Moroccans across Europe. This is not a harmless or neutral word—it’s a slur that carries real-world consequences for those targeted by it.

I recognize that the intention behind the restaurant’s name may not have been to offend, but intention does not erase impact. In naming a business “Moro,” you inadvertently invoke a term that for many people represents a history of exclusion, stereotyping, and racism. I strongly urge the owners to reconsider the name and open a dialogue about how language, however culturally or historically inspired, can still perpetuate harm in...

Steep decline! 2nd visit, 16 Dec 2017 - 1:15pm I first went to this wonderful restaurant back in March 2016 which I left a good review and decided it's about time to have a revisit. As many of the diners might have experienced, often the second visit might not be wise, sadly that happened to me. First of all, staff were not very helpful and the friendliness was nowhere to be seen. Kept keeping us waiting, either to make orders and the bill, waited 15mins for the starter, 20mins for the main (was told we were lucky as it normally took longer!) and no one took any notice despite we were desperately trying to pay and get out. One male staff while servicing the table next to us, back facing us and almost tipped over my wine glasses 3 times (had i not held it, it would be messy) and when i told him, he wasn't very pleased! Terribly "Good" service! Food is not very mediocre, my starter - salad, crispy chorizo with snail, i thought the snail was some kind of overcooked mushroom, looked very sad and the dressing was way too oily! Cripsy Chorizo, did you just run out of ingredients? I i think I was given only 2 tiny pieces. Main - my sea bream was so overcooked, also not given an option to have it filleted, vegetable lacked of seasoning. I thought I should tell the manager who was in charge for the shift, i did and he didn't even offer an apology, just said "thank you" and was impatiently for us to leave the restaurant. Terrific! To run a successful restaurant, not only the food needs to be good, to me the service is equally if not more important. Unfortunately I received neither on my visit. I do hope the management will take my feedback seriously before restaurant is forced...