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Sultan's Tent

After a long week at work, I was in need of a relaxing night out. Combing through my list of potential restaurant reviews, I settled on Sultan’s Tent. It turned out to be the perfect choice for cozy surroundings and luscious dishes. My boyfriend and I were treated to a night of great service and mouth-watering Moroccan cuisine.

While determining our evening’s selections, we opted for the best of all worlds and went with the Sultan’s Feast ($51 per person). Incorporating nearly every aspect of the menu, this is a surefire way to go.

Moroccan tradition dictates that a guest’s hands are to be cleansed tableside before a meal begins. Keeping with tradition, our hands were treated to a warm rosewater bath from an ornate basin and pot, prior to our first dish.

We began with an authentic Harira soup ($6). No utensils are provided at Sultan’s Tent, so we were instructed to sip from our bowls. The soup was nice. The first few sips consisted mainly of a mildly spiced broth, but as we progressed, the dish grew heartier — featuring a generous portion of chickpeas and lentils.

Between dishes, we lounged, sipping our sweet mint tea and taking in the ambience. Peppered with decorative pillows, Sultan’s Tent’s cozy booths are surrounded by billowing ceiling drapery and traditional tapestries. The overall effect is ethereal, making this an ideal spot for an inner-city escape.

Our second course was the Moroccan vegetable salad ($10.75). Served with bread for scooping, the dish was comprised of spiced carrots, beets, potatoes and a spicy green pepper-and-tomato salad. Aromatic and fresh, each ingredient was unique and tantalizing.

For our appetizers, we had the briq of shrimp ($8.75) and the briq of merguez ($8.50). A briq consists of Phyllo pastry stuffed with assorted ingredients and deep-fried until golden crisp. Both crispy delights were a hit, and the merguez (spiced lamb sausages) served with harissa (red pepper sauce) packed a zesty punch.

For my main course, I chose the delicious couscous chicken kebab ($26.75), featuring two succulently spiced kebabs served on a generous portion of couscous and roughly chopped cooked vegetables with harissa. The dish was enjoyable and filling.

My boyfriend had the saffron lemon lamb tagine served with fries ($28.50). The savoury lamb was extremely tender, and the accompanying herb spiced fries added a unique twist.

Sultan’s Tent doesn’t have an extensive dessert menu, but as part of the feast we sampled two of the desserts it does feature. The vanilla ice cream with mango sauce, and the braewat ($4.75) (an almond stuffed pastry dipped in honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds), were a sweet end to a sumptuous meal.

Sultan’s Tent is just what the doctor ordered. The atmosphere is laid back, the service is friendly and sincere and the food is exceptional. This is a great spot for dining with groups, or an intimate evening for two.

Sultan's Tent, 107-4 14 St. N.W., 403-244-2333.