In the heart of Soho’s bustling restaurant scene sits Moroccan/Spanish offering El Cantara.

The Venue
Having just re-opened after a fire, you’ll find El Cantara where famous Frith Street meets Old Compton Street. There are three floors, all decked out in warm, Moroccan style, with terracotta walls and rich red, blue and gold fabrics hinting at the kind of opulence associated with that part of the world. Small wooden tables and comfortable banquettes are comfortable and inviting, and Moorish tiles decorate the walls, complemented by Moroccan lamps hanging from the ceiling, casting an atmospheric light over the room. A fountain at the back sounds a bit like a tap has been left on, but is a nice feature nonetheless. Downstairs there is more seating, while on the upper level is an outdoor shish terrace, with awnings to protect from the elements. This is obviously a popular place to chill out, judging by the number of people kicking back to the soft Moroccan background music played at just the right level.

The Atmosphere
Even when the restaurant is not at capacity the atmosphere is intimate and romantic. The clientele is mixed – business men, couples and tourists – and the service very welcoming and friendly, if a little on the slow side. A belly dancer arrives to shake her booty during the evening, which is not everyone’s cup of tea during dinner, or ever, but obviously that's down to personal taste. Laminated menus are an avoidable cheap touch.

The Food
El Cantara’s Moorish cuisine combines, as you would expect, both Moroccan and Spanish elements. You can chose from a selection of tapas dishes around the £5-£6 mark to share, or more substantial mains of tagines and paellas. Hummous is good but perhaps more heavy on the tahini than most would expect, whilst the olive bread looks a bit on the processed side, without that lovely rustic appearance. It is, however, perfectly edible.

Unfortunately all of the tapas is lukewarm, and one can’t fight the suspicion that most have just seen the inside of the microwave. Souipuk - spicy sausage in tomato sauce, is nice and smokey but tepid. Sweet potato croquetas and albondigas (beef meatballs in a rich tomato and cumin with garden peas), are the worst of the lot. The former tasting of very little, and the latter lacking seasoning and with peas not so much garden-green as sludge-green. Calamares a la Romana (deep fried squid with garlic mayonnaise) are nicely cooked, though served with that unnecessary and worst of all garnishes – a piece of tired looking lettuce. The Pastilla of chicken (chicken baked in a thin pastry with almonds and cinnamon) is the best of the bunch in terms of flavour, though the pastry isn’t thin. The outside layer of pastry is nice and crispy, but there are a whole load of unnecessary other layers that are thick and stodgy. The chicken tagine with mixed herbs, saffron and green olives is decent enough, and the chicken is cooked nicely. However, the selection of baklava to finish is very nice indeed. Flakey and sticky with a good amount of nuts, it's served with mint tea (too sweet for some, but delicious nonetheless) and is a great end to the meal. It’s just a pity they haven’t got the rest of the food quite up to par.

The Drink
There’s an extensive drinks list, comprising cocktails, sangria, wine, Champagne, spirits, soft drinks… the list goes on. There are a couple of beers too – one Spanish and one Moroccan and the house white wine is perfectly quaffable. There is also a selection coffee and teas, including Moroccan mint tea.

The Last Word
El Cantara is a great place for atmosphere and the shish terrace is a popular hang out, however, the food just doesn’t do it justice.

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