Top five Persian restaurants in London

London probably has more Persian restaurants than any other western city apart from Los Angeles, or Tehrangeles as it is called by expat Iranians. If you are fed up with the usual Persian kebabs, kubideh (minced meat), barg (fillets) or jujeh (grilled chicken chunks) and want to try an authentic Persian dish, I have compiled the list of my favourite dishes in my top five Persian restaurants in London. 

If you still want to eat kebab, you can in all of the restaurants mentioned, and if for some strange reason you are curious to know how a “special hamburger” tastes in Iran, visit Caspian Sandwich bar on Ealing Broadway for a real Iranian fast food experience. If you want to taste the traditional kaleh pacheh, boiled cow or sheep’s feet and head, visit Azerbaijan Restaurant in Hammersmith at the weekend. You will either hate this last recommendation or love it, and if you are too sensitive to see a sheep’s head on your plate, complete with boiled eyes and tongues (I am), skip this suggestion right away. 

The other traditional dish one should try is abgoosht (or dizi) – mutton soup thickened with chickpeas. Try it at Mohsen restaurant in Kensington. You can find pretty much all Persian dishes in London but I’m afraid we are yet to have a Persian pizza place (a whole concept of its own) here. And lastly, if you want to try something at home and cook yourself, or want to explore vegetarian options, check out Maryam Sinaiee’s wonderful recipes in her blog The Persian Fusion(especially her veggie tahchin).

Eat ghormeh sabzi at Hafez restaurant

It is the most favourite of Persian stews, and if it’s cooked in an apartment building, all neighbours would easily know you are having ghormeh sabzi for lunch. The smell is alluring and the taste is unique. It is a mixture of sautéed herbs, kidney beans and lamb or beef. The setting at Hafez is great – you are surrounded by antique cutlery and calligraphy paintings on the wall. If you order ghormeh sabzi, also ask for a bit of tahdig, the crispy rice crust. Try the saffron beer, even though it doesn’t live up to its name. Order some starters, too, if you have space: mirza ghasemi and kashk-e-bademjan (both variations of aubergine). 

Address: 5 Hereford Rd, London W2 (020 7221 3167).

Eat lubia polo at Tandis restaurant

The moms’ version of this dish is always the best as different chefs have various approaches to making it. It is usually a plate of rice, green beans and tomato sauce. Some add meat (which I like), some don’t. The difference is often down to the spices used, whether it has cinnamon or other spices. But trust me, try it at least once. Some Iranian households cook a lubia polo at least once a week, that’s how popular it is. The best lubia polo you can find in a London restaurant is at Tandis.