Kasbah Cafe Bazaar, Liverpool

Kasbah is another one of those places that's been on 'the list' for some time. I was particularly looking forward to sampling lots of little bits, some wonderfully spiced meat, and tea being poured from a great height.

The sun was shining, and some wonderful Moroccan cuisine was shouting our names. I knew it was going to be a good day! I feel like I've been to Liverpool more than Manchester recently, which tells me that I'm likely to spend even more time there in the near future. 

Kasbah is another beautiful independent on my favourite little street, Bold Street. Inside is a homage to Morocco, with colourful lanterns, a very ornate wooden door, staff dressed in traditional clothing, and strangely, a picture of Paul McCartney in a fez. 

In the spirit of trying new things, we went for tapas to start, then hit the salads and grills for mains. Kasbah don't serve alcohol, but that was absolutely fine, as it meant we got to try things we might not have otherwise. 

Moroccan lemonade - lemonade, fresh mint and lime: It's just standard lemonade, but the added mint and lime really wake you up. 

Moroccan mint tea (modelled by Kev): Ah yes, tea from a height served in cut glass tumblers. I hate mint tea, as it reminds me of the Body Shop's Peppermint Foot Cream; I just can't get past it. However, the Moroccan version is beautifully perfumed and slightly sweetened. It was just delightful.

Zaalouk - aubergine puree, tomatoes and garlic: It's not much to look at, but gee whizz, I could dip Moroccan bread into this, and stuff my face every day of the week. 

Moroccan bread: Oh this lovely, soft, pillowy bread. Served warm, it's as light as a feather and gently flavoured with sesame seeds.

Grilled Haloumi - served on a bed of salad: If halloumi is on the menu, I'm there. It's salty and squeeky and amazingly tasty! Scattered with dried herbs with lovely little crusty bits. Yes. 

Briouats Dada - filo pastry filled with marinated chicken, served with sweet tomato and chilli chutney: A bit like Moroccan spring rolls, these are packed with shredded chicken, and go perfectly with that sticky relish. 

Moroccan Meatballs - homemade minced meatballs cooked in tomato sauce with fresh herbs, served with Moroccan bread: Dense meatballs in a simple, yet very effective tomato sauce. This has to be mopped up with more of that gorgeous bread. 

Kasbah Mix Grill - Kssbah burger, chicken brochettes, Lamb chops, kofta brochettes and merguez (spicy sausage), served with saffron rice, salad and chips: Look how much food is on this plate! Literally one of every type of grill, plus a whole pile of carbs. The boys polished these, albeit with some difficulty. I'm confident it would have killed me dead.

Chicken brochettes, served with saffron rice, salad and chips: This is the lightweight's version (mine). As above but just with the chicken brochettes. I managed two and my chips, and thought I'd done pretty well! The boys put me to shame...

Moroccan Couscous Salad - couscous, grilled halloumi, almonds, sultanas, garlic and mint dressing: Looks pretty light hey? Granted it's light-er, but was still a beast of a main. More halloumi served with spiced cous cous. A nice veggie alternative too. 

Moroccan Sahara Tea - a blend of Moroccan spices: Yes, more tea from a  height, made even better when served by a lovely waitress (no offence Kev), who's wearing a fez. I'll let you into a little secret, we were all wearing one, yet we didn't manage a decent picture between us. This tea is very different to the mint one. It smells like black pepper, but tastes quite floral. Lovely. 

Baklawa - rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with honey: Kev was very excited about this, and Paddy only ordered it on the promise Kev would eat whatever he couldn't. Hard lines Kev, Paddy scoffed the lot! It was too good it seems. 

Kasbah Pancake - Moroccan pancakes filled with apple cinnamon, topped with toffee sauce: Lucie and I both had this. Stewed apples with cinnamon and toffee, wrapped in a fluffy pancake? Pour some sugar on me and feed this to my face! One of the best desserts I've had in a while. 

The service was impeccable, the food utterly delicious, and the place was buzzing from the second we walked through the door. There's little wonder Kasbah appears to have a loyal following. I have friends who haven't been in a couple of years, but rave about it like it was yesterday, and are now plotting a return visit. Go to Kasbah as a group and enjoy entertaining service and some delicious food, which is ideal for sharing.

It's also worth mentioning that there is a beautiful little world foods shop across the road called Matta's. We went here after our lunch, and bought enough tea to last about six months (or six weeks in my case). They have an impressive collection of international foods, including fruit and vegetables, sauces, grains, spices and oils. I just saw that you can buy online too - have a look!

Disclaimer: I was invited to sample Kasbah's menu, and asked for my honest opinion. I think they knew they were never in danger... I think these photographs say it all really.