Just a minute’s walk from Covent Garden, the rich tapestries, wall lights, jingling coin scarves and waft of incense that greet you as you enter Souk Medina are just the beginning of your transportation to another place.

The friendly staff usher you to the cavernous low cushioned seating areas. As you enjoy the authentic experience of North African cuisine you are treated to the delights of a belly-dancer who insists you join her for a shimmy or two. All in all, a great experience - the lamb with prunes and almonds is to die for. Go for the set menu £19.95 per head, you won’t forget it!

Bedroom Genius spoke to the Souk Medina's, Samir Mahdi:

What inspired you to create Souk Medina?

Souk Medina was inspired by my first restaurant, Souk Bazaar, just across from here. It was hugely popular; I had to open a bigger restaurant.

I guess the question is then, what inspired you to create Souk Bazaar?

We opened in 1998, I come from Algeria and I couldn’t eat nice cous cous anywhere in the West End. There was a lack of good North African food at the time. My inspiration was the food. Marrakech inspired the design of the restaurant, not Morocco, but Marrakech specifically. I met with designers and took inspiration from the old riads there.

How would you describe the Souk Medina experience to a customer?

Simple, we’ll take you to Marrakech; you’ll have a Moroccan experience with food, drink and a belly dancer for just £30.00. You can come here and forget the cold weather of London!

For someone new to North African cuisine, what are the top 3 dishes you would recommend?

I’d recommend our set menu. The Moroccan lamb with prunes and roasted almonds, the Tunisian cous cous with Merguez (lamb sausage) and the Algerian chicken with olives and pickled lemons. For vegetarians, the tagine with chick peas and harissa sauce.

What’s your life philosophy?

Being hard-working with a passion for what you do. I came to this country with only £50.00 in my pocket.

What’s the best meal you’ve had in London?

Nice grill and fantastic pizzas at Cafe Mode, I go there three times a week. I like the fresh food and ambience and it’s somewhere I feel comfortable, can let my hair down and the staff look after me. For the best exclusive place, I would say Gordon Ramsey’s restaurants - Claridges. Nobu is good too but these are places I don’t go too often.

What are your guilty pleasures?

Playing with my iPhone at 4am in the morning. It’s the only time when I am not busy – it’s very addictive, you can access the whole world.

What are the 3 things you would save from a fire?

Obviously my family, wedding pictures and my USB key because it holds my life.

What are the main differences between North African and English cuisine?

Spice, flavours and the way we eat, we share everything. We don’t have individual dishes, everyone has different dishes and shares, and we are among friends. A dinner party in North Africa has much more importance than here, food and dinner parties are a luxury... there are usually 10-12 dishes (with cakes) and dining is taken seriously with much pride in the cooking. We take time, quality time with friends and family.

What do you do to ‘escape’?

Football. I have also written a book. It is a love story but also a story about life’s journey, the ups and downs but with an underlying message about how the times when you have the most money or success aren’t necessarily those that make you happiest.

Your alternative career would be?

An architect. Dubai has fantastic architecture, people go there for the shopping but what’s most important is the architecture. The top three cities for architecture, in my opinion, are Paris (No.1), Dubai and Damascus. I haven’t yet been to Damascus but there are beautiful churches and mosques and they’re the reason I would go there.

www.soukrestaurant.net

To see video footage from 'A Night at Souk Medina' Click here

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The Bedroom Genius Events Team

All photos taken by Mr Man