Niloufar Lamakan's Profile Page

 

It's Upper Street's first Iranian restaurant, so it wins on the novelty factor alone, but there's much more to like about this restaurant. The venue is easy to miss as the frontage is very small, so look for the fire station directly opposite as a pointer.

Iranian food is an undiscovered cuisine with amazing and unusual combination of herbs and spices. My favourite starter is Salad Olivie made from potatoes, chicken, gherkins, peas and mayonnaise. There's a selection of Kebabs, which although similar to Turkish, can be quite surprising in the way they're cooked. I loved the Chello Kebab Koobideh (minced lamb) which was tender and juicy, and combined really well with Somagh, a sour spice meant to compliment the lamb. It did.

The stews accompanied by saffron rice, were lovely too. I particularly liked the Ghormeh Sabzi, made from an aromatic reduction of mixed herbs, lamb and kidney beans.

The dessert selection is small and not always available, but try the vanilla ice cream with chopped pistachio nuts and infused with rose water.

Service was a bit patchy when it first opened but they've upped their game and seem to cope really well now, finding the time to lavish the hospitality Iranians are famous for. As an Iranian, it's great to have this restaurant on my doorstep, so please support it!

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This restaurant ticks all the boxes. The decor is simple yet beautiful, and the long tables encourage interaction with your fellow diners. The first time I went there we ended up talking to the groups on both sides. Our waiter turned out to be a part time opera singer and serenaded the birthday girl next to us. What a lovely birthday surprise. The food is just fabulous, tapas but not as we know it. The menu is adventurous and unusual with some amazing combinations, with bread to die for. There's only one thing wrong. It's really hard to get a table!

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