Faanoos

Sit facing the windows at this Iranian restaurant and you’ll look out on stagnant traffic and furniture showrooms; face inwards and your eye alights on straw-matted walls hung with Persian rugs and unframed paintings of bearded merchants, a ceiling strung with coloured lanterns (faanoos) and a turquoise clay oven. 

Dishes range from stuffed vine leaves and plates heaped with sabzi khordan (mixed fresh herbs) to joojeh (chicken kebab) and ghorm-e sabzi (lamb and herb stew) and kashk e bademjan (fried aubergine and oinions with yoghurt purée and spices. Desserts include baklava, Persian ice cream and faloodeh - starch noodles with rose water, sugar and crushed ice served with a slice of fresh lemon.