Restaurants

It’s not the most accessible place (a ten-minute slog even from geographically anomalous Kensington Olympia tube station), but Alounak is worth the extra effort. Its interior is perhaps the most inspired of all London’s Iranian outposts – the artful clutter of Persian teapots, painted ashtrays and ornamental light fittings is like a sanitised snapshot of Tehran’s bustling bazaar – but there’s also authenticity in spades, from the small fridge packed with unlabelled plastic bottles of home-made doogh (a salty yoghurt drink) to the dusty Nescafé jars filled with tea leaves and cardamom pods. Then there’s the food, which leaves many of its competitors at the starting gates. The clay oven dispenses proper taftoon bread for mopping up starters like borani (yoghurt and spinach dip) and torshi makhloot (a sour vegetable pickle), while adeptly cooked lamb and chicken kebabs are served with perfectly fluffy Persian rice; a knob of butter and a sprinkle of bitter sumak and you’re away. Dishes of the day are also excellent; if possible, visit on a Thursday to try the other-worldly loobia polo, an enormous portion of saffron rice with lamb and green beans – easily one of the best Iranian dishes we’ve eaten in London.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008