Cracking dinner at Berenjak Borough. This is Persian cooking done with serious soul -- the kind of meal that makes you slow down and pay attention. Started with warm taftoon bread straight from the tanoor oven, with mast o khiar, kashk e bademjoon, and the black chickpea hummus e khanegi -- each one with its own story and so good we kept scraping the plates. Then the kababs, which are really the headline: Koobideh Kabab (lamb, properly charred and juicy) and Jujeh Kabab (saffron-marinated chicken that fell apart on the fork), served with a tray of grilled tomatoes, peppers and onions on lavash bread. Saffron and white rice with proper tahdig on the side. A pomegranate-laced Watermelon Shumpine made the meal feel like a celebration. Finished with the legendary Persian sundae -- a tower of saffron ice cream, sohan, halva and date syrup that was a proper grand finale. But the real magic here is the people. Chef Chandu and his team behind the kabab counter are absolute rockstars -- watching them work the coals while plating mazeh in the same beat is a thing to behold. Sitting next to the open kitchen while Chef Chandu performed his magic was simply mesmerizing -- Persian cooking as theatre, every kabab hitting the coals with absolute intent. Special shoutout to Teni who looked after us beautifully -- warm, attentive, and clearly proud of what the kitchen is putting out. We celebrated Chef Chandu's birthday with him sharing dessert at our table -- proper touch, on the house, made the night. Keep an eye on Chef Chandu. You can see the ambition and the craft -- Middle Eastern-Indian fusion is the natural next chapter for him, and whenever he opens his own place, we'll be first in line. Definitely recommend Berenjak -- for the food, for the team, and for the genuine hospitality that's getting harder to find. Mention this review for free smiles read more

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My friends absolutely love Berenjak, so of course I had to see why they rave so much about it. Definitely make a reservation, because you will not have much luck if you are trying to walk in. Unfortunately, it seems like all the reservations are for counter seating. It was fine though, since we were able to watch them grill all the kababs in their coal-fired grill! Kept it straightforward and ordered the Feast Menu, which is £55 pp. Comes with two types of bread in Taftoon and Sangak, four starters (Mirza Ghasemi, Mast O Khiar, Hummus, and Black Truffle Olivieh), two kababs (we chose the Koobideh Kebab and Jujeh Kebab), and three sides (Shirazi, Torshi Phel Phel, and House Rice). I've never had Persian cuisine on this level as all the dishes were very unique. Even the hummus tasted like hummus I've never had before. I would say that the Jujeh Kebab took me by surprise because I don't expect white meat chicken to be very good, but this was genuinely great! Service was fine, although nothing to rave about. We were handed our bread and starters pretty quickly, but the kebabs took 25 minutes for us to get. I don't know if that was an intentional decision to space out the starters from the kababs. Since we could see that they were cranking out many kababs, maybe that was an intentional decision. I don't know. Ambience is fine. Hard to feel the ambience when we were sitting at the counter rather than an actual table. Overall, I can see why my friends love Berenjak, because everything was absolutely delicious! Worth the visit. read more

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Stunning meal! Went in a party of 8 and so we got "the feast". It was a feast, indeed. Came out in 2 big sharing courses. First we had bread and dips and the flavors here were outstanding. It was very hard to stop myself from eating to bursting in this course, just knowing the main was still to come. Every dip was so good, but my favorite might have been the hummus. Unlike any other hummus I've ever tried - much thicker, really highlighting the chickpea with other nutty bits and seeds mixed in. For the main, we each chose one kebab per person, and since we had so many of us, we really had coverage of every single one they had to offer. Instead of serving the one kebab ordered in front of the person, this was served on sharing platters as well, which was perfect! These were huge and we had so much meat that everybody got to try all the kebabs. So juicy, perfectly seasoned and grilled. This course was served with more bread, rice, and bright crunchy salads with enough acid to cut the fatty meat. Plus leftover dips from the first course. Overall a delightful, rowdy, elbow to elbow and heavily laden table meal! Would highlight recommend. Sounds like reservations are hard to come by and recommend booking far in advance! read more

Berenjak - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

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As a Persian girly I can honestly say that this is some of the best Persian food that I have had outside of my house. Specifically, the chicken kebab is so insanely juicy and flavorful, it feels like magic had to be involved in the cooking process. Their fixed price menu is a great deal if you have a group of people, but we ordered our own preferred items for our dinner and ended up spending about the same per person. The service was great and the restaurant has a very cute interior. We had a reservation so we were seated immediately when we arrived, but they did have a bar situation outside that you could stand and eat at which honestly I would do if it was my only option. I will 100000% be back next time I'm in London! read more

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We were craving Persian food and found this restaurant on Yelp with great reviews. When we arrived, the host told us there was a 1.5-hour wait but offered us the standing area to order food, which we accepted. We ordered kashke bademjoon, liver, chicken with bone, rice, and drinks. Having grown up with this food, I know how it should taste. Unfortunately, the kashke bademjoon lacked flavor, the chicken was overly salty, and the liver (served with sweet bread) was just okay. The rice wasn't anything special, and overall everything felt overpriced. The one thing I really enjoyed was their fresh bread, made right there in the tandoor, that was definitely a highlight. The ambiance was lively and the service was good, but it took a while for our order to arrive. read more

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Came here for lunch in the middle of the week and left feeling full and happy with our dishes. Why I docked a star is because I feel that for the price you're paying, certain dishes like dips should include free bread or something to eat with. Being very familiar with Persian food and cuisine. I felt that the flavors here were really nice and authentic while also having an elevated flavor. Also, our waitress was very kind and was very pleasurable to be with. I wish that it wasn't so difficult to make reservations here, and I also wish that the seats were more comfortable as I personally do not like to sit on a stool for an elegant meal. Food was great with the salad olivier being my favorite as well as the koobideh. read more

Berenjak - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

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Best Persian food anywhere! Persian food elevated! Divine! They deserve every accolade they've earned. Small space with only a few tables, so please make your reservation way in advance and be careful when selecting which location for your reservation, there is the original in Soho and the other in Borough Market. My mom and I were lucky to snag a last minute reso at the bar in their Soho location while we were visiting London. The place is well run - the efficiency with which the food is prepared (we had a front row seat at the bar) was cool to watch. I wanted to order everything because I knew this would be my only visit while in London, but alas I had to settle on the following: PANIR SABZI - Bulgarian white cheese, radish, nuts and fresh herbs JUJEH KABAB Boneless chicken breast GHORMEH SABZI Lamb stew with kidney beans, dried lime and mixed herbs GHAIMEH BADEMJOON Aubergine stew with split yellow peas, dried lime and tomato For drinks, I had a sharbat (fruity herbal drink) and my mom had dough (yoghurt drink). Everything and I mean everything was beyond amazing. I should know I'm Persian and have been eating Persian food all my life. If you twisted my arm and made me choose my favorite dish, it would be the ghaimeh bademjoon stew. Friendly service. Very reasonable prices considering how crazy expensive everything is in London. Don't miss it! read more

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Ordered: Watermelon Shumpine Cocktail (~£12): Vodka, Red Verjus, Rose Petal Tea, Watermelon Fizz Pomegranate Tokhm-e Sharbati (~£6): pomegranate, rose water, soda, basil seeds Black Lime Sharbat (~£6): black limes, fresh limes, mint Set Lunch Menu (~£34/person) -Sangak & Barbari breads -Hummus e Khanegi & Kashk e Bademjoon -Koobideh Kabab & Jujeh Kabab -Zaferan Polow & Salad Shirazi Aya's take: Berenjak is a London staple and is recommended by Michelin (Bib Gourmand category). It was our last day in London and I was determined to give it a try! I was so happy they were able to seat us without a reservation but be prepared to wait if you come during peak hours. I will say the interior is beautiful! You really get a glimpse of Iran and Persian culture just with the decor and ambiance. Out of the 3 drinks (1 cocktail and 2 mocktails) we got, the Pomegranate Tokhm-e Sharbati was my favorite. It was refreshing, light, and not too sweet. The Watermelon Shumpine Cocktail wasn't memorable and I didn't really get that typical watermelon flavor I like and the Black Lime Sharbat had a deep earthy flavor that I didn't expect in a drink. it surprisingly wasn't as citrusy as I was expecting either. The main highlight was the food! The Set Lunch Menu is a no brainer choice because you get a good amount of food for ~£34. Since we were 2 people, we got to try 2 different options from each section of the lunch menu. The more people you come with, the more you can try too! The Barbari bread was crunchy on the outside yet soft and chewy on the inside. It paired well with both the Hummus e Khanegi & Kashk e Bademjoon. Both were good but the Hummus e Khanegi had good texture but not much flavor while the Kashk e Bademjoon was smoky from the coal, creamy from the eggplant, and nutty from the walnuts. The Koobideh Kabab & Jujeh Kabab were outstanding! Some of the best Persian kababs I've ever had. They were deliciously seasoned, perfectly juicy, and unbelievably addicting. I couldn't stop eating it. You can tell it's cooked over an open flame and grilled until golden. The Zaferan Polow & Salad Shirazi paired perfectly with the kababs as well. The Zaferon Polow was fluffy with bits of crispy rice mixed in. The Salad Shirazi was zesty and tangy which nicely balanced the savoriness of the kababs. I was absolutely stuffed for almost the rest of the day after this meal. It's truly a must-try if you're in London (and they have locations in other countries as well)! read more

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Removing the Persian bias... this is perhaps a 10/10. If you're reading this, you're probably in the planning stages of a trip out to London. If you haven't already, try to get a reservation ASAP. We were able to get a same-day reservation for lunch after refreshing the reservation link early one morning, but the odds seem not in your favor. The koobideh, the chicken kabob, the hummus, the breads, I really don't have much to say. Every single thing we ate was genuinely amazing. The hummus, easily best I've ever had. The chicken kabob, the juiciest and most well made we've ever had. Koobideh was lamb and I'm not even a big lamb fan, but it was unbelievably good. Berenjak is a restaurant I didn't want to leave. Didn't want to feel full from, and definitely would return to every chance I get. Oh and one more thing -- for whatever it's worth, this place made me feel so proud of our culture. The ambiance, the decor, the music, the tones, and mood, all in all just perfection from top to bottom. read more

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Great atmosphere and good with a lovely wine selection. Small but good Best to book well in advance read more

Bit of a wait for walk in (45 mins) but good vibes and decent food. Set menu was very filling - the hummus e khanegi starter dip and the green chilli koobideh were our favorite dishes. The hummus in particular was super unique because of the dark color (black chickpeas) and the sunflower tahini - tasted very nutty. Shout out also to the service which was excellent - everyone was extremely friendly and attentive, thank you. £175 for two people. read more

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Rating: 4.5 Stars The quality of the food here absolutely blew me away. We visited the Borough location for lunch on a Tuesday afternoon. The space is quite small but beautifully decorated with ornate Persian art and traditional pieces, creating an authentic atmosphere. We ordered the Koobideh, Sangak bread, Zeytoon, Kashke Bademjan, and for drinks, the Tokhm-E Sharbat and Doogh. The kebabs were incredibly juicy and tender - they melted in mouth. But the true standout was the Kashke Bademjoon--rich, flavorful, and so addictive. I couldn't get enough of it. The rice had The drinks were also impressive. The Tokhm-E Sharbat was so refreshing, I ended up ordering it twice. Service was friendly and attentive. There was a small mix-up with our check being switched with another table, but the staff handled it promptly. This was hands down the best food I had during my visit to London. I'll definitely be back. read more

Berenjak - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

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Best mizaghasemy(spelling?) I've ever had. I wish the size was a bit larger, but I may just be now too use to American restaurant portions. read more

Berenjak - Counter seating was fun and intimate - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

One of the best meals I've had. I went solo, so was seated quickly as a walk in around lunchtime on a weekday. Sat at the counter and really enjoyed watching the chefs do their thing. The food was as delicious as it looked. I did the set lunch menu and it was a great deal. The taftoon was fresh and airy but the perfect pair with the mast o khiar. Maybe the best mazeh I've ever had. The jujeh kabab was delicious and house rice was the perfect side. If I'm back in London I'll definitely be going back here. Couldn't recommend more. read more

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*Lunch special review* 3 courses for £28 and you will leave full and happy! We sat at the bar and that ended up being great because you can watch them making the food. It is very impressive and they are working hard. You choose from a dip (many options) with breads, a meat (lamb or chicken) and a side (either rice or salad). There is a lot of food, do this is a great deal. We loved everything we got! Service is great and food comes out quick. read more

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Can't describe what my taste buds felt when I tried the truffle chicken dip and the unique hummus. To those who don't like this hummus, sorry it's not your heavily processed Trader Joe's hummus. The chicken kebab was tender, juicy, flavorful. We waited in line for 30 min and got a spot at the counter. The staff couldn't have been friendlier or more helpful with recommendations. Small and intimate space made it feel homey and comfortable. 5/5 stars. I couldn't have a more perfect meal. read more

I had dinner at this restaurant after a long wait for reservation Rice was served cold , not so clean environment. I would not go there again read more

One of those finicky places that can't decide if it wants to be high end or not. I checked in around 1:45 and it was an hour or so wait for lunch. They have a text system and their wait time quoted was pretty accurate. I came back and was able to be seated immediately at one of the stools adjacent to the bar. I ordered a glass of wine and some dips. Despite great bar seating the menu is definitely designed to be shared. Prices are on the moderate to high side. Dips are around £8 each, breads £4, kebabs around £20. With that said, I found that the quality of the food matched the prices. The balal (£7) aka corn on the cob was unbelievably good. The hummus (£7.50) was unbeatable. The mast o musir (£7.50) was missable. The bread was great. Service was fine but pretty impersonal. One of those rare instances where the service fee seems a bit of a farce. Docking at least a star because the toilets (only two for the whole restaurant) were vile - one was completely clogged, the other was missing toilet paper and the waste basket was overflowing. A complete embarrassment for any restaurant. Overall I was a bit disappointed and wouldn't rush to recommend. read more

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5 star food and service; the set lunch was so flavorful, and delicious. The wait staff are friendly and attentive.

Arrived 5min early for an 830pm dinner on a Friday. The place was a zoo, staff moving around furiously. After checking in at the front we were seated at the hightop bar. Super excited to try my second Persian kabob joint in London. We started off w/ cocktails (the tahini old fashioned and a gin fizz sharbat) and ordered a few dips (mast Khiyar, kashk bademjoon, mast moosir and salad shirazi). We also ordered the sangak bread which was super light & crispy. We were hoping for a less hectic ambiance and felt rushed to get in/out. For the mains we ordered the koobideh, jujeh tond (spicy chicken on the bone), and the ghorme sabzi. The ghorme sabzi comes poured out of a sealed plastic bag and warmed. The koobideh was too gelatinous for my liking and had a strange texture to it. The jujeh tond was really good as was the ghorme sabzi. They don't do traditional rice w their entrees so make sure to order rice. Also, the tadig isn't traditional but is like shaved into a powder which I assume is to mask it's not fresh. Overall, was looking forward to a Bib Gourmand Persian restaurant but was let down. It appears the Brit's don't have taste buds for Persian cuisine. Pretty much anyplace in the states has this place beat. read more

Berenjak - Dips - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

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One of my new favorite spots. The fresh bread was absolutely incredible, as were the various sides. If I were to go back, I would try and get a variety of sides instead of mains, because everything seemed so unique and wonderful. The juicy chicken, the eggplant spread, the crispy rice, 10/10 read more

Berenjak - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

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Phenomenal would be an understatement. Make sure you have a reservation or you willl wait a few hours for seating. Quality excellent but you also pay for it! read more

My favorite dinner while traveling in London (2023). We opted for the tasting menu and chose the chicken and lamb kababs and enjoyed all of the different mezze options immensely. Trying the tasting menu let us explore options we might not have otherwise ordered. A meal I'll wish I could relive read more

Berenjak - Tasting menu with Jujeh kabab & koobideh kebab - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

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if you like to wait three hours despite many open tables in the back just to receive kebab that is drenched in butter, and rice that is swimming in butter, this is the place for you! unlike other Iranian restaurants, the portion is not large. The restaurant is very small but the waiters are pleasant. read more

I could eat here daily and I'd never get bored. The hummus!!! I mean all of it's just so so good. The staff are always beyond accommodating with dietary requirements. My husband & I live in New York City but are from England & Egypt and every time we come back to London this is our first stop. It's almost become a bit of a ritual. James the manager is so wonderful and always remembers us. Can't recommend this place enough read more

Came here for a quick lunch before the play. Without reservation, only an outside seating was available so we took it. They have a small interior and some high top seats outside. Started with some kashke bademjaan and mirza ghasemi. They have fresh sangak or round bread which goes well with these apps, though unfortunately is not complementary. The quality of the skewers were out of this world. Super tender. Clearly marinated overnight. Absolutely tasty and delightful. My only missing star is because of the slow service. It took a while for them to get our order. Otherwise very delicious Persian meal. Highly recommend a try. read more

Berenjak - Kashk e bademjan and mirza ghasemi - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

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My husband and I make it a point to look for Persian restaurants anytime we travel and wow, Berenjak did not disappoint! The restaurant is so beautiful inside and the staff were all great! But that's not even the best part -- the food is out of this world! I mean, I have a higher set of standards when it comes to kabobs and middle eastern food in general, but man, this place is easily in the top 5 category. We ordered the chicken, beef, and liver kabobs and they were all mouthwatering-delicious! read more

Berenjak - Chicken - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

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Excellent Persian food in a very friendly atmosphere. Cocktails were excellent in a wonderful location.

Second time in a year, really good food but nothing special for a Michelin star restaurant. Had to book a few weeks before, hasn't changed much except for the new dessert that has soft serve included. They could do better with the kitchen staff wearing gloves and hair nets to be honest read more

Berenjak - Straight forward black tea with mint - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

Food is amazing. We went with course menus and it was delicious. Service also is great. Highly recommend to book in advance since the place is always busy. Location next to the market makes it very trendy and cool. For sure next trip we visit this restaurant again. read more

I really wanted to like this place. Pricing was kind of ridiculous for the quality. The kebab was not tender & very elastic, and the service was almost nonexistent. They forgot to bring out a few things that we ordered and ended up having to cancel them. Didn't understand the hype at all, unfortunately disappointed. read more

We heard a lot about this Persian restaurant!got reservations for one& half hour dinner at6.00 pm. The ambiance is very nice, modern, welcoming. Ordered mastomosir, kashkobademjan, mirzaghasemi, salad Shirazi all were delicious but the only problem they don't bring everything at the same time& portions are very small. The bread they make is so yummy. We tried barbari . The taftoon bread didn't come to the table in some point we had to cancel. The koubideh came half burnt look like the grill wasn't even & very salty. The chicken kabob was very juicy. The Zaferan polo very delicious specially the tahdigh . The chicken with zereshk wasn't cooked well. We didn't get a chance ti try tea & dessert because the food came very late & as soon as we eat they asked to leave because the others were waiting for the table. read more

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Absolutely amazing! I showed up at 5:15 on a Monday night and lined up. They opened at 5:30 and they sat folks who had reservations and then I got a seat at the bar which was a great experience seeing all the action. I was immediately packed but organized. I ordered Persian white cocktail which was meh but then the food immediately caught up. I ordered kashk e bademjoon which was great and Olivier salad. I got a taftoon bread which they bake there fresh and you can watch them baking the bread. I ordered the lamb/ barreh for my entree that was also perfect. I ordered too much but also shared with the person sitting next to me at the bar. Keep it up Berenjak. I'll come back. read more

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Um...what? How can a kebab be this good? How can a kebab menu be this inspired? Why hasn't this place been in my life before this? The search is over. I have found the best kebab ever. This is it. Get on a flight. Go to soho and visit berenjak. Casual friendly place. Staff is super kind and helpful. Come with a group and order everything. Kebabs and bread cooked in an amazing oven on premise. If you have a group go with the feast menu, but if it's just you and a friend do not forget to order a jigar. The jigar is the star. Sweetbreads and liver perfectly grilled and filled with flavor! Amazing. Also, an indication of the class of this place. They gave us free sides because they felt our food took too long. We were fine but gladly accepted. You can not beat this place! read more

Berenjak - Jigar! Amazing! - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

LITERALLY AMAZING! I found this restaurant from Dua Lipa's top 5 London restaurants on Eater.... and if Dua Lipa loves it...that means I had to try it for myself to. I swearrrr the hummus was probably one of the best hummuses I have ever eaten. The atmosphere of the restaurant is fantastic-- lively but also quiet enough to have a good conversation. If you go here, you have to try the baklava ice cream dessert; so freaking mouthwatering, everyone was absolutely stunned by it. Everything here was amazeballs read more

Berenjak - Baklava ice cream dessert - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

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My friend and I had dinner here last week. Small place, very intimate. Lovely decor and background music. Our server (I think Aussie?) wasn't the friendliest, hence dinking a star, but she did take our orders and serve our food quickly. My friend and I split the phenomenal hummus (ordered the wheat flatbread) and I got the KASHK E BADEMJOON: Coal cooked aubergine, whey, walnuts, dried mint and onions. It's just an amazing array of rich flavours and very filling with the bread. My friend got an off-menu aubergine stew (I think imam bayaldi), and seemed to greatly enjoy it. We got the baklava ice cream for dessert and WOW it was good. Perfectly able to split it in half. The vanilla really compliments the sweet baklava. The check came promptly as well. I would definitely return here. read more

Berenjak - Baklava ice cream sandwich - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

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Lovely little restaurant serving delicious Persian cuisine. The kebabs were very juicy, the salad and mast-o- khiar were tasty and the rice fragrant and buttery. The drinks were very unique, beautiful in presentation and delicious as well. You must order the baklava dessert! Yum! Don't forget to make a reservation as this place is happening! read more

Berenjak - Baklava with ice cream center - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

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I have eaten at Berenjak about seven times in the last year and it never disappoints. The atmosphere is lively (sit at the counter if you can), the staff is friendly, and the food....ahhhhh, the food. Perfectly cooked bread, succulent kebabs, rich hummus, fresh mint/dill/walnut/feta/radish....there is nothing here that is even close to subpar. Get a reservation and bring an appetite! read more

The food here was delicious! My friends and I sat outside because we didn't get a reservation. But it was totally fine! The three of us shared the lamb kabab and chicken kebab. Plus we had an eggplant appetizer, the feta appetizer, and the hummus. I can't tell you what was best because they were all so flavorful and yum! We had a couple pieces of the sesame pita bread and I could eat that every day for the rest of my life. The fresh herbs made great garnishes and I ate all the tarragon. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for something a little different in soho! read more

Berenjak - Saffron rice and chicken and lamb kabab - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

They sat a party that didn't have reservations ahead of us and ignored our request to be seated sooner since we were already there. Then they offered us seats at the bar instead. When asking the host how he could seat people who didn't have reservations ahead of us, he claimed that those people had reservations. That was a blatant lie since we were present when they were telling the host that they DID NOT have reservations. Cannot say anything about the food but I can say that dishonesty and deceit are not signs of perfection or a dedication to any culinary perfection. Zero is what they are going to get from me. I left 100.00 pounds on the counter for them to keep as the price for their dishonesty. They will never have anything more from me. read more