Iranian and Persian food is some of the best food in the world and London isn’t short on good Iranian restaurants. In this post we’ll list some of the best including a few that we have visited ourselves and others that have come highly recommended by others. Also, a couple on the list are verified HMC approved.
Khatoon Restaurant – Harrow
This is one of the HMC certified Persian restaurants on this list. You will not find this on many lists, but the kebabs here are amazing! We got the safe but classic Koobideh with saffron rice. This was absolutely delicious. The succulent meat married so well with the fluffy and subtly flavoursome rice. A marriage only separated by my eager hands and knife.
We also felt a bit adventurous after watching Food Ranger’s Iran videos and tried some other Iranian classic dishes. These are not so common. An okra stew, Tah Digh and Ash-e Reshte. The okra stew was good. But unfortunately the other two weren’t to our taste. The tah digh is meant to be crunchy rice (super popular in Iran), but it tasted like old left over rice being served to us. Not good. To be fair to the restaurant they did warn us before ordering lol… I think it’s not common for non-Iranian people to order such a dish. The ash-e reshte is a herby gloopy noodle soup dish. Looks and sounds like it’ll be perfect for the winter. Unfortunately, did not enjoy this either.
If you’re in Harrow, be sure to visit this place. Just make sure you get the safe choices though – meat, kebabs and rice 👌🏽
Nearest Mosque: Harrow Central Mosque
Nearest station: Harrow on the hill station
Parking: outside restaurant free in the evenings / 2 hours free in Tesco
Behest Restaurant – Kensal Green
This one definitely had more of an authentic Persian vibe to it. From the outside to the decor inside, it was like walking into Iran. Top marks for decor authenticity.
We opted for the Tah Digh (gave it another try) and the special mixed kebab platter, which included the classic Koobideh and Joojeh kebabs with saffron rice. We also got Doogh to drink.
Thankfully, the Tah Digh was far better here. It is a nice starter to be fair – nice flavoured crunchy rice. The mixed platter as you can see is massive and packed with goodies. A kebab lover’s dream? Unfortunately, even though it was tasty, it was a little underwhelming. It felt like there was something missing in terms of a wow factor. The Doogh was basically like the Turkish ayran, but it was a little herby – I think there was mint in there if I remember correctly.
There is a bakery next door which does some amazingly tasty homemade biscuits. This was probably the highlight of the night! They were that good.
Other restaurants in London you should check out:
Mahdi Restaurant – Hammersmith (HMC certified | read full review)
Berenjak – Soho
Patogh – Edgware Road (read full review)
Colbeh Restaurant – Edgware Road
Persian palace – Ealing and Harrow
Kish Persian Restaurant – Maida Vale
