Parsian

It has taken little more than a year since opening for Parsian to establish itself among our favourite Persian restaurants. Authenticity is key: custom on our last visit was entirely Iranian, something we attribute to a menu that complements the ubiquitous chicken and lamb kebabs with plentiful well-prepared stews and a list of colourful starters. From the latter we opted for kookoo sabzi (a fluffy, delicately flavoured herb omelette) and a bowl of steaming ash-e reshteh (a smoky bean and noodle soup). Even the bread – properly perforated wheels of the rustic taftoon – was more evocative than most. Mains were also excellent: a hearty khoresht-e gheymeh (lamb and split-pea stew), lent a subtle citric bite by the addition of dried limes, and vegetarian khoresht-e bademjan (aubergine stew), both served with rice. Best of all is the sassy atmosphere: decoration is limited to a handful of framed fantasist paintings (the Persian equivalents of unicorns and rainbows), but staff are so friendly and the vibe so welcoming that you’ll want to linger over tea, even if you’ve no room for the traditional desserts.