CousCousine

CousCousine serves what it describes as modern North African cuisine. In practice this translates as North African flavours and ingredients – couscous, fruit-filled tagines, saffron, rose water - presented in a classical French style – small(ish) portions on sleek white crockery, decorated with dibs and dabs of sauce.

Outside the compact à la carte menu is a three-course savoury menu for €25.50, ideal if you're not fond of desserts, but not attractive for vegetarians. In fact, when I visited there was only one vegetarian main course option, a rather uninspired couscous with seasonal vegetables.

The dishes at CousCousine vary markedly in flavour and success. The starter of briekaloof, a thin triangular pastry filled with tuna (almost certainly canned), quail eggs (undetectable) and capers was served perched on a bed of lettuce and finely chopped carrots, accompanied by what the menu described as beetroot ‘yolks’, three coin-sized circles of deep purple beetroot puree. It was an unusual mix of ingredients you wouldn’t automatically think of combining, but nevertheless disappointingly insipid.

The main of slow-stewed beef with wild rice, spinach and poached pear, on the other hand, was just right: tender to the point of falling apart and perfectly seasoned.

Desserts included an aniseed-flavoured crème brûlée, unnecessarily accompanied by yoghurt ice cream and Dutch apple syrup, and - the star of the night - a gorgeously rich chocolate bombe with a couscous and espresso filling.

Perhaps most unexpected about CousCousine were the wines. The options only stretch to one house red, rosé and white, usually an indication of badly selected, vinegary things to come. They were all excellent, however, particularly the lightly chilled red. And at €3.50 for an enormous glass, a bargain.

The chef needs to be bolder with his flavours, particularly as the use of spices and complex spice combinations is what makes North African cuisine so distinct, but you could do a lot worse for a lot more money than a meal out at CousCousine.