Otto's Restaurant: Why you should try this Sheffield restaurant offering authentic Moroccan food

My visit to Otto’s on one Saturday night was not my first. I visited a few years ago, and it was my memories of delicious homemade food, welcoming owners and staff and warm atmosphere that had stayed in my mind and had me wanting to return.

The visit to the restaurant, which is owned by Otto and Theresa Damahi, brought all those happy memories back to reality, and once again I found the whole experience wonderful.

Myself and my partner, Tom, were first greeted by Otto who was as cheery, chatty and full of life as I remembered. As he talked us through the menu, his passion for his business and the food he served was obvious from his animated nature. We instantly felt as though he was a friend, and the way other customers chatted and laughed with him told us we were not alone in this feeling.

We went straight for mains, knowing we wanted to save room for dessert, and so as I vegetarian I opted for the wild mushroom risotto (£14.95) while Tom chose the grilled swordfish couscous (£17.95), which was served with a side of vegetables.

When both of our dishes arrived they looked and smelled incredible. One bite in each of our meals and we were in food heaven, knowing that the plentiful plates in front of us were full of the freshest, most flavoursome ingredients.

I’d chosen to have my risotto, which contained pine nuts, mixed peppers and asparagus, with the soya cream sauce, and it was one of the tastiest, creamiest risottos I have ever tasted. It was, in fact, the best I've been served in a restaurant.

Tom, meanwhile, had chosen a dish he had never had before, but was delighted with it and said he’d love to have it again. He particularly enjoyed the hint of chilli in the tomato sauce which gave an extra dimension to the flavours, and found the fish to be tender and delicious.

For dessert, we chose two dishes that are important at Otto’s; a traditional Morrocan almond cake and the Otto’s original ginger cheesecake (both £7.50).

I had the ginger cheesecake, which was served with a lovely creme anglaise. The ginger pieces were fresh and tangy, cutting through the velvety cheese filling, which sat on a gorgeous biscuit base. The dish is described as ‘ever popular’ and I can now say that I am one of the many fans of this dish.

Tom equally enjoyed his Morocan almond cake, another first for him which he said he’d eat again. Served with yoghurt and fresh mint, it was gooey, sticky and moreish. Every dish was moreish, actually, and we can’t wait to return to eat them again.

Our meal at Otto’s Morrocan restaurant, 344 Sharrow Vale Road, Sharrow, including a cider (£4.25) and glass of red wine (£6.75), cost £58.90 in total.

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