As you order at this Moroccan restaurant in Astoria, you might wonder aloud if you’re getting too much food. Your server will warmly encourage you to go big: “It’s the Moroccan way.” She’s right. The only thing you’ll regret about your extraordinarily comforting meal at Dar Lhabja is everything you didn’t eat. This is the kind of place that makes you feel immediately welcome. The dining room is decorated with homey tapestries and photos of Morocco, and filled with families dexterously pouring fragrant mint tea from on high, even as their eyes remain glued to the Morocco national football team on TV. It’s an excellent choice for a casually overachieving lunch or dinner, worth a special trip to the neighborhood. Dar Lbahja is from a chef who used to be at nearby, now-closed Dar Yemma, and we’re glad to have her cooking back—especially the tender, aromatic lamb tagine. They also make their bread in house, and around six different kinds, all hard to stop eating. But however much you end up ordering, leave some space for dessert here, because the jahwara is something really special.
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