Loud. Compare it to a bazaar, a fiesta... whatever romantic euphemism you favour, it won't cover the fact that it's damn noisy here.

It's the sound of a room full of diners getting into their excellent Spanish/Moorish food and enjoying it immensely. That pocket of noise over there is praise for the sweet orange laden chicken b'stilla. The yelling behind you is a call for more smooth broad bean puree and another round of flat bread.

The unbearable roar? That's us fighting over the succulent beef chunks in our tajine, wondering aloud about the fluffy saffron soaked couscous.

Eat Streets, Our Pick by Pat Nourse - Sunday Life


Why isn't there Moor-inspired Cuisine in Sydney? A question posed Inevitably after a visit to Alhambra and feasting on succulent saffron-laced Claypot tagines and sizzling tapas at this Meld of Moroccan and Spanish. Pick your night with consideration. Sunday's It's all calm in the terracotta-tiled, sunny And airy space with views of Manly Wharf coming and goings. Saturday Nights, it's all clatter and clapping hands, stomping feet and swilling wine to the Swirl of flamenco dancers. There are More than 30 little bites – tapas – to Start with, such as meatballs in a Coriander and parsley chorizo sausages, garlic Prawns and marinated sardines. Mains are similarly traditional: richly flavoured Chicken with preserved lemon, olives and potatoes in a slow-cooked earthen Tagine pot: flame grilled lamb fillets top a Fez-shaped pile of fluffy steamed Couscous, laced with almonds, raisins And minted yogurt. Mucho moor-ish, it is.
Score 13/20

Good Food Guide

The Alhambra in Grenada is the most renowned Muslim palace in all of Christendom. It's Manly namesake may not be quite so majestic, but it is pleasant enough, an arcade style premises done out in rich colours with Moroccan wall rugs and earthenware here and there. Its cool tiles and terracotta ambience jibes perfectly with a relaxed harbourside setting.

Appropriately, given its name, the menu is as much Moorish and Spanish - indeed the owner Aziz is Moroccan. We're here for Tapas, yet even these quintessentially Iberian vittles bear more than a trace of north Africa in the liberal use of harissa, mint yoghurt and chermoula (a salsa of red pepper, onion, coriander and spices).

Loosely translated, tapas are snacks, or bar food, and a spread of these entree sized munchies can be a satisfying meal in itself. At the Alhambra you could proceed to meat or seafood mains, the inevitable paella or such Moroccan staples as couscous, tajines and the fragrant medieval Moorish classic, b'stilla, a sort of chicken pie.

We have Garlic Prawns. One of the best things about this dish is once you've snaffled the prawns, the delicious oil makes an irresistible dip for
fresh bread. Our other choices: chermoula sardines, a spicy pork chorizo sausage, charcoal grilled baby octopus with lemon, garlic and parsley and lamb brochette, which comes marinated and skewered with more chermoula are uniformly delicious.

All four of us replete after seven dishes, we sit back, soothed by the rippling chords of the Spanish guitar, gaze across the water and think of Grenada.

Dining with Kerry Boyne - Sunday Magazine

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