Patogh off Edgware Road was probably one of the most beautiful, charming, rustic and authentic hidden gems in London before the advent of TikTok. It is one of those that went viral on the social media platform to an extent where it cannot be classified as a hidden gem anymore. Anyone who has TikTok or knows a friend who has it will have been left intrigued by the charming interior of Patogh. Patogh is an old school cafe-style Iranian restaurant that does grilled meats with rice dishes. Read on to see if we felt it lived up to the hype.
The vibes
Authenticity is the first word that comes to mind. It feels like being transported to Iran. As soon as you step you, you will be left stunned by the charming rustic interior. They’ve really nailed the interior aesthetics. It’s like walking into a cave. Loved it. The vibes were cozy and charming (I’ve used this word a lot). The menu is simple – it has a few grilled meat options which come with saffron rice – typical of Iranian staples like kubideh and jujeh kebab with saffron rice. The prices are also very impressive. You can get a kebab meal (two kebabs with rice) for £10! How good is that for London?
What we got
We wanted to try the classic kubideh and jujeh with saffron rice dish as that’s what you should get at an Iranian / Persian spot, but we noticed the £10 meal and were instantly attracted to try that. In English it stated one meat and one chicken kebab, so I asked the waiter is that kubideh and jujeh. Strangely, he responded by saying he doesn’t speak Farsi. I found this to be a very strange response – I mean neither do I? I was just naming the two most popular Iranian dishes – how can you be working at an Iranian restaurant and not know what they are? Anyway, after scanning the menu further I noticed the kubideh and jujeh were different options further down the menu (had to look at the Farsi / Arabic menu to figure it out). Anyway, these were priced a little higher (still reasonable though), so we stuck with our original choice: mix kebab with saffron rice.
Our experience
Underwhelming. Unfortunately, this was a very underwhelming experience. I don’t like complaining about food and I’m not, but the meal just didn’t match up to the hype and the wonderful interior. It’s one of those places you just want to do well. It just didn’t deliver. The kebabs lacked flavour, were a bit salty, and the meat one was a bit meaty. The rice was okay, but it wasn’t good enough to win over the dish. There’s not much more that can be said on this one I’m afraid. Would I go back? Yes, I think I would to try the more popular kebabs as mentioned before. But I’m not rushing there anytime soon.
Getting there
Parking: Norfolk Cresent – park and display and yellow single line lanes are free on Sundays / evenings. You can also drive around to look for other spots; there are some roads that are evenings and Sundays free (a little further out). But most are residents only.
Nearest Mosque: Masjid Alforqan
Nearest station: Edgware Road
