ONLY three years old and much sought after, Momo is one of the happening restaurants in London.

To book a table you will need to ring at least a week in advance. For a weekend booking, try 2 weeks. Then wait for staff to ring you back 2-3 times (!!) to confirm and reconfirm your booking which if nothing else certainly builds up a sense of anticipation.

Once you get to the restaurant you'll immediately be struck by the ambience of the place as the souk atmosphere spills out into the quiet Cul de Sac where it is situated. There is an immediate feeling of entering a café somewhere in Rabat. Low lighting radiates from beautiful carved Moroccan lamps. Typical Maghreb arches and carved windows replace regular windows. Cheb Khalid and other purveyors of Rai music provide suitable music. All that is missing is the scent of incense wafting through the restaurant.

Having been confronted by such a wonderfully rich atmosphere it is almost inevitable that the cuisine will not live up to the same standard. Nevertheless you will be presented with a good looking menu and a good variety of 'authentic' North African cuisine including the flagship couscous dishes.

There are also a considerable number of duck dishes flavoured with a variety of spices, raisins and orange blossom honey giving it the sweetish taste that is typical of North African cuisine. The starters are good enough for some discerning palates preferring to order two starters as a main course!! It has to be said however, that the food does not match up to the exceptional ambiance of the place. However, fans of Momo point out that it remains the only place that can be forgiven for producing ordinary food.

Service is occasionally brusque but in keeping with the 'look' of the restaurant the waiters and waitresses are good looking and if you are lucky you'll see a quick belly dance or two. Downstairs, Momo has a bar that is characterized by its exclusivity - by invitation only. We were lucky enough to be allowed in - on the invitation of the owner himself.

Walk downstairs into an atmospheric basement where throbbing North African rhythms mix, intoxicatingly with a hip crowd to produce a quite electric atmosphere. Even on a Monday night the place was jam-packed and with 20-25 people still waiting to get into the restaurant. Once you leave Momo's you are unlikely to remember the food but you won't forget the atmosphere.

Zagat's Food Rating - 17 out of a maximum of 30 - good to very good Zagat's Décor Rating - 24 out of a maximum of 30 - very good to excellent