Couple of weeks ago, Sunny and I have been invited to try a corner of Morocco in Luxembourg, this exotic restaurant called “Le Gourment Oriental“.

The place is located on the busy connection between Avenue de La Gare, Place de Paris and Avenue de la Liberte’. The area is flourishing of new venues recently and started to be positively animated even during the evening. Indeed, Le Gourmet Oriental has been opened for more than two years, but it changed the original concept on the way.
At opening, in fact, the restaurant was active only as lunch eatery for the nearby offices: dishes could be ordered at the counter, were warmed up quickly and taken directly by the client at the table.

Now the restaurant has a more sophisticated appearance, even if still pretty much informal: there is though a corner for take-away and delivery, but it is also and mainly possible to seat directly at the tables and be served – at lunch there are a lunch formula and a la carte menu. From Wednesday to Saturday, Le Gourmet Oriental is also opened during the evenings, with a bigger menu – and the formula “Take your own wine“, that personally I adore, as allow you to save a substantial part of the bill and to bring a good bottle in restaurants that normally would have had a very basic wine list. Even if you pass by randomly and decide to stop, Monoprix is just in front and you can buy your bottle at the same time. Alert: No cork fees are charged on the bottles!

The location itself is very cozy – furniture are oriental style but without the “too much” cheesy effect. The service is smiling and refreshing.

I ordered Harrira Soup as starter while Sunny had Aubergine Caviar. To continue, I had Tajine with green olives and chicken while Sunny had Cous Cous with Kefta – all meat is Halal at Le Gourmet Oriental.

We concluded with a delicious Moroccan tea, very digestive.

Find the pictures of our lunch – shot by Sunny – and my usual impressions to follow:

What I loved about Le Gourmet Oriental:

• We had a delicious lunch in a very authentic ambience: our dishes tasted lovely, different from all the exotic plats I had so far and the combination of spicy is fair  but powerful – and should you wish to elevate your experience they bring you homemade harissa at the table. The owner and all the kitchen team are from Morocco, so this is definitely ensuring an high level of credibility in the proposal.
• The menu is various and could satisfy different palates, from meat eaters to vegetarians. There is also a great choice of various lighter wraps and of tasty-looking Moroccan patisserie. Not to mention, prices are very fair for Luxembourg standards.
• The service is super nice: if you have any doubt, dishes and formulas are explained in details and with a smile and the owners are stopping at the tables to check if you are enjoying the lunch.

What I liked a bit less about Le Gourmet Oriental:

• We had a very pleasant lunch and I look forward to come back to visit the restaurant as well in the evening. The only thing I might say, with reference to our lunch, is that portions are quite big, so the combination starter plus main at noon for a girl is a bit too much – if you cannot take a nap afterwards. Still definitely suggested for big appetites 🙂

In conclusion: Le Gourmet Oriental was a very pleasant discover. The venue is simple and informal, but dishes are colorful, authentic and very tasty. I enjoy the service and was surprised by the night formula where you can take your own wine without additional fees. I would definitely recommend it for an after-work dinner with colleagues or a girls night out!

If you want to see more picture of Sunny, check her blog here.