Both food and service were awesome…read more In May, it's a bit cool outdoors... But they provided blankets

I recently visited Rumi's Kitchen in DC and overall had an average experience. The service was good…read moreand the staff was attentive throughout the meal, which I appreciated. I ordered the gheymeh along with the yogurt and cucumbers, while my friend got the herb stew. The food was decent, but having also been to the Houston location, I personally felt the flavors there were much stronger and more memorable compared to the DC restaurant. One nice touch was the complimentary herbs, cheese, and bread they bring to the table, which added a traditional Persian hospitality feel to the experience. The inside of the restaurant is also beautifully designed with a very traditional Persian-inspired atmosphere, including artwork and Persian dancer designs that make the space feel elegant and unique. Overall, it's a nice spot for the ambiance and good service, though I preferred the flavor and overall food experience at the Houston location a bit more.

This place is truly a gem. Best Persian food in the area. And that's saying a lot since there are…read moremany excellent Persian restaurants in the Baltimore area. Everything on the menu is fantastic! Get the hummus app. Get kabobs... any kind. Also try the Khoresh!

So happy we decided to stop here for dinner. My family and I were headed to Towson for a franchised…read moreexperience when we saw the highly rated but physically nondescript Villagio Cafe. Villagio is of the cadre of restaurants bringing other worlds to homes in America. Mr girls had never had Persian food but the basmati rice and flavorful tender kebabs were familiar. We loved the hummus and mast-o-khyar, the Anneslie family tour entree and the saffron pistachio ice cream. We even took an extra order home. Will absolutely be back, and highly recommend. Or server was attentive, kind and helpful. The ambiance was intimate, clean and cozy!

incredible Persian food, amazing service, and we all loved the atmosphere -- it's beautiful,…read morewelcoming, and clean. absolutely will make this a regular spot.

Had a friend in from out of town (a smaller city) who wanted to try new cuisine he'd never had…read morebefore- so we scoped out this spot for Persian. It was a fantastic introduction to some new flavors and the staff was really kind in explaining the dishes and offering recommendations as well. We've had the grilled items before--but really wanted to dive into the stews. Smaller portions but definitely enough to try, especially if you get a few things. We got the kashk bademjan eggplant dish (great with bread and so flavorful), tahdig with khoresh gheymeh, khoresh Fesenjoon (the table favorite for being sweet, sour, tart and a new flavors for us), and ghormeh sabzi. We hung out for a long time to chat and didn't feel rushed to leave, a great spot to take it easy and enjoy a nice meal and chat.

The food is great. I have tried many Persian restaurants, this is the best. I have tried the one in…read moreTysons and Gaithersburg. Very clean, friendly staff, and easy parking Highly recommend it

Place is clean, no parking lot at the restaurant but street parking close-ish, up north on Belt rd…read more(ok in good weather but you wish it was closer if bad weather). I was craving kebab and this unfortunately did not hit the spot for me. We got lamb and chicken kebab combo (#5) and ghormeh sabzi. The meats were bland and very dry. Usually when I order lamb kebab I expect full of flavor and juicy, but this lamb was TOUGH like I had to really chew and there was no flavor. Ghormeh was bland too and not that many cubes of beef. Pita bread and rice were both good. The staff were friendly but not really helpful...we asked what ghormeh was and he just said it's "beef." I would say gourmet bazaar (Rockville) is much better.

Wow! Pleasantly surprised how great this place was…read more Parking is a little tight & on a hill so be caution of that! Menu has a great selection of meats and kabobs to select from in addition to apps! I opt for the saffron chicken that pairs with saffron rice (can opt to have salad as well) and this was amazing!!! Chicken was extremely flavorful & juicy (for chicken breast especially!) the rice was fluffy & tasty (perhaps had some butter mixed in) I wish there was so sort of sauce to pair with this meal but still amazing. Service was friendly and nice - there indoor seating but the dining space a little limited. Recommend coming before dinner rush bc this place is packed!

Met friends from out of town and came to enjoy a night out and to try a restaurant none of us had…read moregone to before. The staff was very friendly and helpful making us feel comfortable and welcomed. We enjoyed the delicious smoked eggplant appetizer (enough for 4 to share). We ordered the Cornish hen, bone in lamb shank, the lentil and beef stew, and ground beef kabobs. Each dish was flavorful, not dry, and spiced well. Don't miss the saffron and pistachio ice cream. Creamy and a refreshing ending. We look forward to coming again.

I came here for my 30th birthday celebration and all I can say is WOW- what a way to ring in a new…read moredecade. I left feeling full, grateful, and with a new love for middle eastern cuisine. The service was impeccable- the waitress and sommelier were both extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Nadia, our waitress, offered suggestions about what dishes would pair well together for the tawle experience and shared her favorites. The sommelier went over the extensive wine list and helped us pick a nice red that paired well with our chosen dishes- it was called Yacoubian Hobbs from Armenia. The ambiance was comfortable and welcoming- you could dress up or down, pretty much anything goes! The walls are lined with colorful patterns and draped tapestries to create a high end living room vibe. Now for the fun part- THE FOOD! The first dishes brought out were the mouneh (pickled veggies), the honey soaked dates, and the three spreads (we selected the hummus with lamb on top for an additional $15, havuc, and beet borani). I'll add that they continuously bring out fresh, warm pita throughout the whole meal. The lamb hummus was savory and well-balanced, but very rich. The havuc had a beautiful lightness from the carrots and I loved the textural element of the crispy onions on top. The beet borani also added a welcomed freshness throughout the meal and was vibrant, light, and had wonderful yogurt flavors. The underrated dish were the pickled veggies because INSANE. I used these in bites during the entire meal and they all had a unique flavor as if they were each pickled in a special way- my favorites were the white radish and scallions. The honey dates were a sweet palette cleanser and cut through the savory elements of the meal. We continued on with the next round consisting of the field lettuce salad, the three condiments (we chose the toum, chermoula, and harissa), halloumi, omani shrimp, and chickpeas. The field lettuce salad had a zesty vinaigrette and I appreciated the acidity addition of the sliced oranges and the crunchy, salted pistachios. The toum was a garlicky aioli that I felt was best paired with the chickpeas- although all the dips were delicious with all the dishes and the pita. The harissa was a lighter version than I am used to, spicy, and paired well with the veggies and ribeye. The chermoula was my favorite and paired best with the ribeye- it reminded me of a flavorful and herbaceous chimichurri. The halloumi had a sweet honey and was grilled perfectly, paired with nice crunchy nuts. The chickpeas had a lovely consistency and were well seasoned- I think it was sumac, but whatever it was, I couldn't get enough. The shrimp were ONE OF MY FAVORITE dishes from the whole meal. They were juicy, seasoned perfectly, charred, and just chefs kiss. I enjoyed them with the chermoula and squeeze of lime. The main dishes and veggies came during our final (besides dessert) round. We ordered the sayadieh as part of the table experience and also added a ribeye to the order. We had ordered the charred carrots, but they accidentally brought us the wildflower honey zucchini instead, so we were lucky enough to be able to try both. The branzino (sayadieh) absolutely blew my mind. It was citrusy, spicy, seasoned with bright spices, and incredibly moist. I would honestly skip the ribeye- it was cooked to a nice medium rare and had a nice flavor, but I don't think it compared to the rest of the meal. The charred carrots were spicy, cooked soft- also one of the standouts. The zucchini was served beautifully and I enjoyed the sauce, but could also skip next time. We ended the meal with the bitter orange sorbet and the chocolate mousse. The sorbet was a nice palette cleanser as it had zest in the mix and was very light after the heavy meal. The chocolate mousse was very rich and had a new balance of chocolate and peanut flavors. They brought over complimentary glasses of champagne to celebrate my birthday as well :) I cannot wait to come back to try more of the menu and I am so happy to have had a diverse taste of the Middle East. I'll also add that we had a HUGE bag of leftovers that lasted several meals and they packaged it up like true professionals. A food lover completely satisfied and eager to get back :)

A popular spot near Adams Morgan. The restaurant features Middle Eastern grilled food. In fact,…read morethere were several fire grills in the center of the first floor of the restaurant (it has two floors), and you can see the staff constantly grilling the meats, fish, vegetables and pita. This, together with the dark vibe, made me feel as if I were eating with ppl. from B.C. in a cave. Very interesting. I like that. For food, I got the Carrot Havuc, Omani Shrimp and Halloumi. But first I was served with some freshly made whole wheat pita. They were soft, chewy and earthy. The Carrot Havuc was basically a carrot+garlic puree. Very silky, refreshingly sweet, and a bit sour. The sourness may come from the garlic and lemon. Paired well with the pita and meats. The Omani shrimp came with 5 pieces, each shrimp was ~1oz so it was not very filling. The shrimp were meaty, fresh, juicy, though I wish it could be less salty, even if I already asked for less salt. The shrimp was said to be marinated with dried lime and tamarind but I could only taste the flavor of dried lime. The Halloumi cheese was brushed wild flower honey and topped with Egyptian dukkah, then baked until the outside was golden brown. It was salty and sweet, and the (tons of) sesame seeds added some fragrance to it. However, the peanut was too roughly chopped so that they fell off from the cheese when I slice it, and thus difficult to eat with the cheese. Service was not worth the 20% mandatory tip. For example, when I asked about the sourness of the Carrot Havuc, he did not know why and said he would "taste it and let me know where the sourness came from". Unfortunately, he did not tell me until I asked again when doing the check (I doubt if he tasted it in the first place). Neither did he ask me about the other dishes. Overall, the dishes were great but not impressive, and was mostly heavily flavored. The service could be improved.

I heard a lot about ShamShiry before going for an early dinner with a friend. The first thing one…read morenotices is the absolutely excellent service--friendly, quick, and professional. Second, the portions of absolutely authentic Persian food are HUGE. Hummus may not sound exciting, but it's the best around. And the saffron ice cream for desert was out of this world. I can't wait to go back.

My sister had recommended this spot to me because she knew I enjoyed Persian kebab, and when I had…read morea chance to be near today I stopped in. First, I didn't realize it was a sit down and order restaurant, I was used to short order. I was quickly seared and within a couple minutes one server had brought me water as well as fresh tandoori bread and a delicious spicy green sauce to go with it. A second server appeared quickly to take my order. I explained I was used to short order, and all I wanted was their version of chicken and steak (not ground beef.) The waiter explained how he'd do the combo on the menu and off he went. Having looked at the menu, I feared this might be an expensive option, and it was. But a few minutes later I was presented with a platter of delicious looking steak, chicken, rice, onions, tomato, and event a char-roasted jalapeño. It was enough food for my wife and I have had for dinner between us, so the price was well justified. Every thing was delicious. At the end of the meal, I asked if I could order another tandoori bread, and get a small to-go container of the green spicy spread to bring home for wife to try. They brought me both a generous helping of bread and the sauce, and charged me for neither. This service, combined with a delicious meal that, while expensive, will end up being three meals, means this is definitely a spot I plan to go back to as well as recommend.

Great kebabs, top notch rice and food. Worth the pit stop for sure…read more I ordered the lamb kebab and my son the chicken and it was amazing.

Came back again for lunch and got the kobideh pita. It was excellent and now my favorite. They…read moreforgot the garlic sauce, but it was still moist and packed with flavor. The fries were fried a little too hard, but I'm really liking this place so far. I love the pickled cabbage which brings a nice crunch and freshness, but it's also really messy to eat. Portions are huge and would return again soon.

Great place for burgers and fries, didn't get to try the kabobs on this visit but will definitely…read morebe back! Got the cheeseburger and loaded fries. The cheeseburger also came with fries, which were a huge portion. The loaded fries had steak, onions, and their special sauce. The portions were generous and a great place if you want some comfort food. My only regret is that I was too hungry and ate the food before I could take pictures.

I love the veg samosas here. They are a good size, stuffed with flavor. I get them unheated and…read moretake them home to heat fresh in the air fryer. The two sauces are good, but spicy. I like them and also the Trader Joe's mango chutney. Maman Joon's also has meat options. I've also had their butter chicken, which is very good. Their milkshakes are thick and homespun. The ice cream is so thick you have to work on getting the shake up the straw. I consider this a good thing as you know it isn't processed stuff coming out of a machine. I need to give their burgers another try. The fries and onion rings are good, too. This place is on the higher $ side but the food is fresh and the staff is pleasant. You won't go away hungry...you get a fair amount of food for the price. Even better, you get quality ingredients which is not cheap, especially now that food prices are so high.

Consistent and delicious food that tastes homemade and made with love. I've been going here for…read moreyears and they have never disappointed me. Put your order in at the counter and shop while they make your food- it's so efficient! My go to order: -Combination koobideh: 1 beef kebab and 1 chicken kebab served over a bed of saffron rice and sides of lavash bread, grilled tomatoes, onion, butter and sumac. This feeds me and my husband for two meals- so worth it! -Hummus: they have the best hummus in Rockville!! Garlicky, smooth, and dare I say, luxurious. You HAVE to try it! -Shirazi: refreshing cucumber, tomato, and onion salad with I think dried mint and lemon. So simple but so good. I could eat a whole container of this with hummus and rice. -Fried eggplant dip: this is fabulous too, and tastes so unique with the whey ingredient. You just have to believe me and try it. The dry mint makes it taste like tea leaves and so fragrant. -Their sandwiches are fantastic too and remind me of Vietnamese banh mi with the pickles, deli meat, and fresh herbs. We like the Kalbas sandwich- garlic mortadella with pistachio! The market is my go to place for dried chickpeas, olives, walnuts, Barbary bread, Persian cucumbers, feta, Persian yogurt, local eggs (Poolesville), fresh and dried herbs, olive oil, and so much more! I cannot get the same quality elsewhere, and I appreciate their careful and thoughtful sourcing. They also make fresh cookies in house- my fave is the cookie mix that has like 5 different cookies. The staff is extremely friendly and kind, and the place is super well organized and clean. It's always so calming and enjoyable to shop there. And they are a local business that has been around for a long time and clearly a beloved pillar in the community. Definitely do yourself a favor and check them out!

This is definitely a hidden gem in MOCO. I was looking for a delicious kebab place cuz Mobys ain't…read moreit! They are also a Persian market. They carry delicious sweets and pastries. Zooblah Bamieh syrupy fried pastry is my top favorite. Next is their Saffron Ice cream another favorite. When I got my chicken and beef kabob, the seasonings and temperature was on point. Usually i add more seasonings to all my food but it was perfect. I never had their crispy rice which reminds me of my Puerto Rican (pegao) or concon) which was delicious. Another favorite is their Shirazi... which is a Persian version of pico. Food is delicious.. Im definitely gonna frequent more.