Restaurants

A short walk from the sterilised grandeur of the Olympia Exhibition Centre lies this understated haven of Iranian home cooking, small enough to feel intimate, but lent a cavernous air by its low lighting and mirrored walls. Its not the cheapest Persian restaurant in town (needless to say, its hardly bank-breaking either), but remains perennially popular with both Iranian expats and locals, thanks to its flavoursome take on traditional Persian favourites. The generous starters were uniformly delicious the heaped bowl of mirza ghasemi (a regional Caspian delicacy made with aubergines, garlic, tomatoes and eggs) was especially hard to resist and made the perfect partner to the fresh bread seen being beaten into shape at the clay oven by the door. Kebabs were similarly excellent. Boneless joojeh chicken was wonderfully tender, its bitter sweetness suggesting a long, leisurely marinade in saffron and lemon although weve occasionally been overwhelmed by overuse of the latter in the house ghorm-e sabzi (lamb stew with greens and beans). Save room for the stunning desserts, including traditional Persian pistachio ice-cream and faloudeh an unlikely concoction of rosewater and frozen rice noodles thats both exotic and eminently satisfying.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008