21 Apr 2025
James Cameron visits Holywell Hill for some Moroccan mezze…
The ebbs and flows of diners are a mystery to me. I can go along to a restaurant expecting to be turned away like the non-booking scum that I am and instead am greeted by acres of empty tables and slightly too desperate waiting staff. On the contrary, arriving early on a Monday evening at Al-Farid the place was positively heaving. There is no mystery to this, though, merely a sign that the punters in St Albans have great taste as Al-Farid is a treat.
The first impression on entering is of ornate busyness. There is a lot of going on, but it’s all aesthetically pleasing, plenty of geometrical designs speaking to the Moroccan roots of the restaurant. Once seated the tables are similarly symmetrical, but with a glass top to keep the elements in place and unspoiled which can catch the simple-minded (eg. me) unawares when you put your drink down, as the table starts earlier than anticipated.
There are some interesting choices on the drinks menu, so you’ll want to keep them upright.
You don’t find Moroccan lager in many places, which is a shame as the Casablanca has a real depth of flavour. Pomegranate juice is also not present on many menus, but it was sharp and grabbed your attention, a perfect accompaniment for the range of flavours on offer.
For those who never learnt about the importance of sharing at school you can hoard a tagine to yourself with a number of variants (Lamb, Chicken, Prawn, Vegetable and We went for the Hummus, because you have to, but they have a slightly more adventurous version on offer, topped with Harrissa, Olives and Tomato. This gave what was already a very tasty dish a bit more pizazz. Warak Inab B’Zeit (don’t worry, you can order by numbers much like old favourite Chi on whose site they sit) were warm stuffed vine leaves, citrusy soft filling wrapped with firm leaves.
My favourite was the Batata Harra, slow roasted potatoes with a sweet spicy sauce. These were very moreish and had an Indian undertone to the flavour that continued to unfold the more you ate. There were also Cheese Fatayar, feta parcels in a proper thick pastry with a filling that did not rely purely on the fact that cheese tastes nice and instead went for a subtle Mediterranean flavour. They were slightly dry, but when I drizzled some lemon stolen from another dish over them they came alive.
Falafel are another old favourite done to perfection, with an ever so crisp coating but still with that trademark chickpea flavour. Finally Lamb Skewers looked a little like 1980s freezer dependables Dalesteaks, but had a super and deeply spiced flavour.
Although the potatoes were my favourite, the real joy here was switching quickly between the versions thereof).
The Mezze is the way to go, though, as there are so many treats there on the menu and you’ll want to experience as many as possible. It’s a great deal, as well, £45 for six which is easily enough to give you a good meal for two.
There are 22 different dishes on the mezze menu, so I will let the more mathematically minded tell me how many possible combinations of six dishes you can get out of that. I would struggle to think of a better range than we went for, but I would probably be saying that if we went for a completely different selection.
flavours, like a joyful and expertly curated culinary playlist. I also went for a side of Persian Jewelled Rice, which was possibly named better than it tasted. It was perfectly pleasant rice, but the jewels themselves didn’t burst through next to the more vibrant flavours of their mezze brothers.
Service was very good throughout, which was surprising given that there seemed to only be one lady dealing with the aforementioned buzz. Despite this she managed admirably and always seemed to be smiling.
We finished with elaborately served fresh mint and rose water teas, poured from a great height to add an element of jeopardy to proceedings. The teapots were works of art, and even came with coloured handle covers to keep your mitts from being burned.
Holywell Hill is a lovely place to have dinner, watching all the people walk past at a slight angle or failing to find the biting point as they queue for the lights.
Al-Farid more than earns its place on this top tier of culinary stretches. Its name translates as unique, and whilst this isn’t strictly true given the number of Mediterranean options available to the St Albans gourmet, few give such a powerful combination of flavour, value and heart.
