Souk Medina Overview
Nestling in a quiet side street by 7 Dials in Covent Garden, Souk Medina aims to transport you away from the hustle and bustle of chaotic London and immerse you in a tranquil world of middle-eastern relaxation and opulence.
The front entrance opens out into the street and draws you in through a corridor decorated like a Moroccan bazaar. The walls are decorated with carpet and coloured plates and the tables with various jugs and other trinkets. The Moroccan theme expands into the main bar area downstairs, but it is in the two seated areas that the bar’s unique atmosphere really comes into its own. The lighting is low and soft sofas scattered with cushions are set into the wall. Poufs are spread around the remainder of the floor area creating a very informal vibe. Everything in Souk is arranged is designed to provide you with a laid back oasis in which to forget the cares of city life.
The drinks are mostly what you would expect to find in any London West End bar, with an array of zesty cocktails and a variety of different wines. There are some attempts to include drink from the middle-east. One of the wines available, Siroua Carignan comes from Morocco and one of the bottled beers provided is named Casablanca.
The food is a pleasant departure from the usual crisps and nuts. An array of menu items, some borrowed from sister establishment Souk Bazaar include houmus, pitta, olives, lamb meatballs and various pastries filled with combinations of chicken, lamb, goats cheese and spinach. All of these are served in simple north-African pottery and are delicious, although there is a slight tendency to err on the side of safer, blander flavours, where I expect a lot of customers would relish a little more spice and adventure.
With so many bars so keen to be modern and over designed purely for the sake of it, Souk is a wonderful reminder of what simple comfort and trying something a bit different can accomplish when there is some purpose and some passion behind it. (Updated 16/03/2006)
Additional Info: Food, Late License
Nearby Venues:
- Detroit Bar & Restaurant, Bar (0.02km)
- Canela, Brazilian (0.02km)
- Mon Plaisir, [Other/Unclassified] (0.03km)
- Dial Restaurant & Bar, British (0.04km)
- Brasserie Max, British (0.05km)
- Food For Thought, [Other/Unclassified] (0.06km)
- Cafe Pasta, [Other/Unclassified] (0.08km)
- Punjab (The), [Other/Unclassified] (0.08km)
- Neal Street Restaurant (closed), Italian (0.10km)
- Gili Gulu, Japanese (0.10km)
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