Love this place. The food is excellent with generous portions and it has a very nice atmosphere. Service was quick and friendly. Loved the salad and dolmas and everything we tried! read more

This place is too fancy, loved the experience! It was recommended by a friend when visiting Irvine! We gave it a try and walked in and was surprised about the whole setup! By far the fanciest Persian restaurant I have been to! I ordered chello kebab soltani! It tasted great. I asked for a medium cook on my food and it came the way I wanted! The rice tasted good and reasonable size. We also ordered kashk bademjan and yogurt for appetizer and we're great choice. The staff and our server were extremely nice and took care of our table. Will go back if I visit Irvine again! read more

Darya Restaurant - Chelo Kebab Soltani - Middle Eastern Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Food is usually good, service is ok. They always tend to push you to order a lot more and if you don't they ignore you. The restaurant is big and a great place to bring your entire family for a meal at ease. read more

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They have amazing variations of rice. I also love their kabobs.We do take out and though it's a bit pricey, we order because we love the quality. read more

Long ago I came once for the food because of how much my brother loves Persian food. It didn't disappoint then, it still didn't disappoint now. The ambiance definitely more very traditionally in its custom. Elegant chandeliers with Mediterranean columns and live music. Our service was great, she had great explanation and recommendations and our host was able to accommodate us right away in a short notice for a weekend. You must get the tadig with three toppers, the eggplant appetizer is also a must with that crispy onion on top, yum so good. Perhaps because I love eggplants! If you must have meat, you have to go with lamb here. The meat just melts off the bone and the stew it comes with was perfect for the green garnished basmati rice. We got the Darya's special combination with fish, chicken and filet mignon. All meat was great in taste and not dry. It brings back memories coming here. This is our must place if we want to transcend to the culture. read more

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Take it from a Persian who's had persian food his entire life, both in America and Iran. Darya is one of the best, if not THE best Persian restaurant in OC. Recipes are always on point, food quality is consistent, service is always great. My favorite persian spot. read more

My boyfriend and I came here on a Saturday night. There was live Persian music which was so enjoyable during our meal. The staff were very friendly, the ambience and atmosphere felt fancy yet cozy, and the food + wine was plentiful and delicious. We will most definitely be coming again next time we are in the area. It was a lovely night. read more

Darya Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Not as good as I remember it a couple of years ago. Some meats were on the dryer side. The bread and butter were amazing though. Still good but not the same, service was also mediocre. read more

Darya Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Santa Ana, California

The kabob plates are always wonderful at Darya!! This restaurant has a really beautiful and inviting ambiance. Staff is so welcoming and attentive providing great service! We really enjoy coming here and it's extra fun on weekends when they have live music. I recommend this restaurant if you're looking for a healthy Mediterranean restaurant in OC with a nice dining experience! read more

Of all the Iranian Restaurants this place always has been and always will be one of my favorites. The vibe you get from the moment you enter to the time you walk out is amazingly great. Wether you're looking for a fancy place, or just a casual place this resturant is the best of both worlds. You're always greeted with kindness from all the the employees and management. Eveytime you visit its like being at a resturant in your own home that is how clean it is. And let me tell you about the food, omg it's delicious. I've had pretty much everything on their menu and even tho I have many different favorites my go to order is the Chelo Kebab Barg or the Boneless Chicken with the Chicken Shish Kebab, because of how juicy and tender they are. The Tadig also known as "crispy rice" is perfectly crunchy that you'll want to savor the last bite. The Masto Musir "yogurt shallot" goes well with everything you order. And of course don't forgot the Dough "yogurt drink". If you still have room left after eating all the delicious foods, make sure to have room for dessert. Traditional Iranian Tea with sweets or you can go for the traditional Iranian Ice Cream & Faloodeh. Enjoy read more

Darya Restaurant - Traditional Iranian Dish: Chelo Kebab Barg While Rice with saffron, Grilled Whole Tomatoe garnished with Italian parsley. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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I'm from the OC, when I visit LA I always stop by here for their amazing food. Not only is the food freshly made and authentic the the service is exceptional! Love this place, I promise it won't disappoint. Side note I'm getting hungry just thinking of my last visit here :P read more

the food here was very expensive for no reason. the koobideh smelt very bad. total waste of money

RAIN DROPS were Falling on our Heads, & DARYA, turned out to be a Perfect DAY DATE, for a Middle Eastern Craving! DARYA Restaurant, Santa Ana, CA! Established in 1989, I had no idea, it's been Hidden next to South Coast Plaza, for almost 3 Decades! My Husband & I were in the area, and in the mood to try something different! As you enter DARYA, it's impressive how large it is inside! To your immediate Right, is a Lounge, and nice outside patio Dining area! We chose to have a late Afternoon Lunch in their Dining Room! The Restaurant Atmosphere is Charming, there are lovely Chandeliers hanging from an open Beam ceiling, it feels like an older Generation, Persian Family Fine Dining Setting! We were seated at a table with a nice window view! Your meal begins with a Basket of their Persian bread & butter! The Sangak bread is a Deck of very thin, whole Wheat Leavened Flatbread! We also ordered their delicious Hummus & SHIRAZI Persian Salad! And I love how Sumac seasoning, is on every table! My Husband Enjoyed their Shrimp, Boneless Chicken & Filet Mignon Combination Platter ($40)! The Portions here are Huge, his meal came with their imported Basmati Rice, a Charbroiled Tomato, & More salad Shirazi! I'm not Vegetarian, but was intrigued & want to try 2 of their Mixed Rices, Borani, & Charbroiled Veggie Skewer Plate ($17)! As Anticipated, the BORANI Eggplant dip was outstanding! And actually everything on my plate was a Burst of so many different & interesting flavors! I enjoyed the Raisins, Lentils, Dates, & Hints of Saffron, in my ADAS POLO Basamiti Rice! And the Yogurt in the Borani, offered a marriage of Sweet & Sour, with every bite! Sadly, we did not Save Room for Dessert, but did end our meal with their Amazing Thick & Rich Double Espresso! As we left, they were beginning to set up for their LIVE Saturday Evening Entertainment, in the Dining Room area! I can imagine, this place gets busy, and very lively! So many Unique Middle Eastern Flavors & Family Recipes are available at DARYA Restaurant! And a Special Thanks to ALI! He was very Attentive & provided Excellent Service! read more

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Love the service & food!!! Highly recommend the Fessenjun! Live music is great and ambiance is gorgeous!!!

Amazing food and service!! Super friendly owner and great for parties as well with a private space upstairs that holds a good amount of people. Have loved this restaurant since I was a kid, and love it into my twenties. read more

Terrible over cooked Persian food, moldy lavash, and terrible customer service! RIDICULOUS, plus manager didn't come over to apologize. Never coming back to this dump! read more

Umm I really wanted to like it but as an Iranian I was embarrassed for them . The place is lovely BUT the food is trash . I got the khoobideh or ground beef . Lovely presentation but the kabob was so dry it crunched ! WTH ?! My BF got boneless chicken and it was so fatty he couldn't get through it . The best was the tahdig .. the 3 stews were cold and no meat .. and the tahdig was soft .. this is something no one will fight for as we normally do lol Fail Darya there's NOTHING fine Persian food here read more

I have been going to this restaurant for many years and I'm surprised I haven't left a review yet. I'm Persian and I know good Persian food and Darya definitely offers good tasting and authentic Persian food wuth consistent quality and service. It's a good place to dine in or take out. The ambiance is a bit too Persian, I recommend an upgrade, but other than that everything is great. Their lamb kabobs are my favorite and I love their fesenjoon stew. Excellent customer service and fair prices. read more

Darya Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Our family outing at Darya's in Santa Ana was made special by the server, Kambiz. His sense of humor and customer service skills are 5 star. The food is authentic Persian. Love the appetizers and Lamb dinners. read more

Here we had the best rack of lamb we have ever tasted. Also, the rice with raisins also has dates and that was a ver nice, welcomed surprise. Service was really good, prices are fair for the size of the portions and quality of the food. Plus location, decor and ambiance. I also recommend the filet mignon kabab and the cucumber salad. read more

Darya Restaurant - Filet mignon kabob but salad instead of rice - Middle Eastern Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Koobideh was dry and not very good I came here before Covid and the food was much better Even the kojeh was burnt Rice was the highlight Would not go back read more

Pretty decent. Their kabob koobideh didn't taste very authentic, but it was fine. I did like how they give small amounts of lavash with the meal. read more

Excelente Persian food I love this restaurant you got to come is beautiful Good service fast and everything is fresh hot . read more

Darya Restaurant - So good - Middle Eastern Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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The food is always consistent. I love the borani, chicken kabobs, fesenjoon, and darya salad.

Been going here for years. For two, I recommend: 1. Tadig plus gaymeh bademjan (crispy rice topped with eggplant and meat stew - at Darya this is made with veal) 2. Panir Sabzi (dark greens with feta cheese) 3. Chicken barg (One order only of each.) (I do not recommend more complex dishes like Ghormeh Sabzi or Fesenjon at restaurants - for these, eat at an Iranian's home. Even the gaymeh bademjan at a Persian restaurant isn't always perfect, but still, you must find SOMEthing to put on the Tadig and g.b. is the best choice in my opinion.) This is more than enough food for two. The Tadig is something that is always available if the restaurant feels that you are worthy, and will be denied otherwise (they will tell you that they have none). This is the way it is at many Persian restaurants, since for all the masses of rice cooked there is only relatively speaking a small amount of Tadig from the bottom of the pot, and it is reserved for only the best customers (at some Persian restaurants Tadig is not even on the menu, and must be asked for specially). On the rice and chicken dish - barg means that the chicken has been tenderized and flattened, traditionally done with the dull side of a knife. To consume it properly don't be shy about putting at least a half patty of genuine butter under the hot rice immediately upon being served, and squeezing lemon over the chicken. Also sprinkle Sumac - a ground dark spice you will find on the table - onto the rice and chicken. (If you are a red meat lover, go for the Filet Mignon Shish Kabob, instead of the chicken barg. For the more complex koobideh (ground beef) I suggest eating this at an Iranian's home versus at a restaurant.) Darya has a formal setting compared to many Persian restaurants, with the waiters wearing tuxedos (or at least dark suits, anyway) and bow ties. Live music on weekends. One thing about all Persian restaurants is that they are never entirely consistent. One visit the rice will be perfect, another time not so great. One visit the chicken barg tender, juicy and flavorful, another time overcooked or slightly dry. The Tadig at Darya is always good, but sometimes the gaymeh bademjan is seasoned just right and other times it is lacking in flavor and a little bland. There are times that Darya has hit four stars based on great chicken and rice at the same time, and this combined with the good service and great atmosphere earn it four stars. read more

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I live in San Fernando Valley, so whenever I get to come here it's always a treat. Whenever I go to South Coast Plaza, I make dinner reservations for Darya. They have always been able to accommodate me. The service is impeccable. There are always multiple people assisting us to make sure we never run out of beverages and to ensure we are enjoying our food. Everything here is absolutely delicious. Thank you for excellent food and great service! Parking lot is huge and free of charge! read more

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I was expecting pretty good food when I came here, but it turned out to be even better than I expected! The food was aromatic and delicious, and the portions were generous (enough to save for leftovers). Even though I don't care for stews, the fesenjoon had such perfect balance of sweet, tart, and savory flavors that it I ended up finishing it first. Additionally, the beef kabobs were tender and juicy, and when I reheated my leftovers at home, they left my kitchen smelling really good from the food's aromas! If I have any criticism, it is minor: I actually felt underdressed because many customers were wearing suits, but this is a good problem to have because the ambiance is intended to be "upscale," and the quality of service really shows. I would come back to this place, and I would recommend it 100% to anyone who loves Persian food -- or anyone who has not tried it before and wants to a taste. read more

Welcoming staff and beautiful looking restaurant. The food isn't the best Persian food in town, and it has other food on the menu that isn't even part of Persian cuisine, but it is still good food, but it doesn't taste as authentic as one would like. Just basic, Chefs might not be Iranian either. read more

Another fantastic dinner with family. Delicious food fantastic service. Nd outside patio dining. Come and support this great restaurant. The first Persian restaurant in OC with 50 years in business. Thank you Ricky and Nader for your hospitality. read more

Darya Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Things have changed over here in the past couple of years. Food is very overpriced for what you get compared to other Persian Restaurants, and its average at best. $30 for rice and one skewer of grilled chicken! $25 for koobideh combo which is ground chicken and beef- cheapest meat in the markets. They act like you are at Ruth's Chris Steak House when you walk in-every time I go in and say party of 4 , they say do you have reservation? Even at 4 pm with the whole restaurant empty! Save your money, you can get better food at a more reasonable price at other restaurants read more

Darya use to be my favorite person restaurant. It was always so busy and a happy place- last time we were there, we were the only ones in that restaurant- kinda killed the appetite- the staff were however very attentive and friendly. The prices have increased too.. so it's no longer a fun Sunday kabob day... it's equivalent to going to a steakhouse read more

Atmosphere was very nice but one guy that was serving us was a bit rough and the beef kubideh had a horrible taste. Maybe cheap meat. And the place was a bit over priced compared ti other similar places. read more

This Darya location is not anything like the one in Orange , and in Santa Monica. The food here has no taste, hummus is very runny, Tadiq rice was extremely tough, and portions are smaller. We were very disappointed that we spent $80 bucks for some of the worst Persian food ever made. They were nice enough to take off the salad from our bill as it was horrible and we couldn't even take 2 bites. The service was nice but food is horrible. Never going to go to this place again. Please avoid at all costs. read more

I think for non-vegetarians this place is good. But, if you are a vegetarian I would advise to skip this place all together. They do have options but not good in taste or flavor, those options exist only if a vegetarian ends up here by accident. My biggest disappointment was even hummus and bread were below average. read more

Location and parking is great. The food was also great. Short staffed like many places so service was a little slow but that doesn't bother me if the food is good. The Gormeh Sabzi was really greasy. I was disappointed with the extra charges. We asked for extra skewers of chicken for each chicken plate that we ordered and I was charged for a whole extra plate! So I payed double for one plate of grilled chicken with an extra skewer of chicken. We got 3 Chicken plates with 2 extra skewers and ended up paying for 5 plates. I don't think that's fair at all. When I talked to the server he said that how their system is setup. Not fair And I won't be going back. read more

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Excellent food & service. We recently hosted a luncheon. I was so impressed with the quality & quantity of food served. I go there often now for casual dinners. They have a huge selection of entrées with meats cooked to perfection. I would recommend this restaurant for lunch & dinner. read more

Never in my life have I had BAD PERSIAN FOOD,I ordered through door dash tonight k ordered chelo kabob ,salad oliveh,shirazi salad. First of all the filet mignon was so overly salty..I literally could not eat it ,the koobedeh was dry..it smelled the rice was rancid old ,tasted aweful.my tomato that came with my rice had bug spray on it and was old .65.00 wasted..so much for FINE PERSIAN FOOD I threw my dinner in the trash ...I never thought I would ever in my life have bad persian food...first time for everything.I would skip this place just for your safety not to mention money there is another persian food place called Caspian in irvine or dabari both very good very fresh skip this place..its aweful! Also gage me stale bread and no onion with my food even though I requested it..but more IMPORTANTLY FOOD WAS OLD SOUR AND RANCID WORST SALAD OLIVEH...I DIDNT EVEN BOTHER TASTING THE SHIRAZI OF FEAR I WOULD GET SICK. read more

Darya Restaurant - Old meat,rancid rice not basmati - Middle Eastern Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Always a great experience. It is worth the drive and price. I recommend everything on the menu. I am always craving it.

Yesss to this place! I ordered a lunch special togo and I left with enough for three people! I had chicken kebab, beef koobideh, basmati rice, garlic yogurt, salad, pita bread. Nowadays other restaurants are doing the "food inflation", which I don't like. But not Darya, they keep it ole school, serving hardy portions so you feel well fed. Although they are a high-end middle eastern restaurant. Don't get discouraged to think that you can't afford what's on their menu. Take advantage of their lunch specials it's totally worth it. Especially since lunch has now increased from $5 to $15 at Mc Donalds. Might as well add in a few more bucks, and get some good wholesome food in your body, and you can save the leftovers for "girl meal" dinner. Service was great, and the ambiance, stellar. Since I had their lunch I'll definitely be back for a nice sit down dinner. read more

The owners of Darya are so genuine and down to earth. When I couldn't find my wallet after leaving the restaurant, they willingly helped me search the restaurant and even my car. They finally pulled up the video recordings and showed that I definitely had my wallet with me when I exited the restaurant. We finally found it in the car after a renewed hope that it must be in the car or somewhere in between the restaurant and where we parked. I am so appreciative of their efforts in helping me. In this process I saw that the owners had absolute trust in their staff and never doubted once that if anything was lost in the restaurant it would found. I can tell just from this experience that this is a very well run restaurant. I will definitely come back again with family and friends knowing that there is a high quality of service that can be expected here. read more

Darya Restaurant - Delicious saffron rice and chicken kebab - Middle Eastern Near Me - Santa Ana, California