When the air is gloomy, owing to the unfavourable weather or even the pressures of daily life, there are few things that do well to lift sagging spirits and food can be one among them, but certainly not any food. Some vouch for the fact that a delicious tagine could do the trick, or perhaps a heart-warming Moroccan soup at the Maghreb Restaurant on Upper Street. Even the interior does its bit to spruce things up with bold colours schemes and beautiful lanterns.

Get off to a cracking start with duck pastilla with onions, cinnamon and saffron, all wrapped in a filo pastry, or merguez sausages, then a Marrakech platter with lamb, chicken and vegetable kebabs could follow. The tagines combine a medley of ingredients such as chicken or lamb shank with vegetables or rabbit meat with raisins and pears for game lovers.

The wine list at Maghreb covers plenty of ground, but Moroccan wines feature prominently including the renowned Medaillon Sauvignon Blanc.