Whoa, this place is seriously good! I've probably passed by Persepolis a few hundred times (I practically live around the block) and never thought to eat here. I've totally been missing out all these years! The storefront doesn't look like anything special from the outside, but the interior is surprisingly "upscale." Service is efficient and friendly. We kicked off our meal with an order of the hummus, served with a basket of made to order bread (nice touch!). Definitely a unique presentation (see photo). Great taste as well. For mains, we shared the baby lamb barg (cooked medium-rare) and the cornish hen. The meats were juicy and well-seasoned, served over a bed of basmati rice with your choice of add-on. Very satisfied with portion sizes. All-in, one of my favorite spots in the neighborhood. read more

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I thought this was going to be so much better than it was. It's a pretty place and had decent reviews. We each had one of the vegetarian stews, and they were okay but one was over-spiced and the other nothing special. The dessert was a very small portion. Also we didn't appreciate that the server, when asked if there were any specials that night, responded with "All our dishes are special." Insert eye roll here. While it was not a bad experience overall, I would definitely not rush to come back here. read more

Average Persian food at best I visited this restaurant with a Persian friend last night since I've been craving Persian food for so long. The place was pretty busy and it's really really tight in there. We ordered the eggplant/tomato appetizer and shirazi salad along with the ghemye bademjan and gormeh sabzi (both vegetarian) for our meal. The eggplant started was nice but I can't compare it to anything since I never tried it (I usually go for kashke bademjan). The shirazi salad was below expectation - the veggies weren't cut very thin (probably thicker than an Israeli salad) and it didn't have enough lemon nor salt/pepper. The gormeh sabzi was fine, it's like asking for falafel - it's almost impossible to mess it up. The ghemye has cinnamon, which was weird, but it was also not cooked well and wasn't even stewy. The bread they served to start wasn't lavash, which is what most Persian places do, but a pita (never seen that in my life). Anyway, I think I'll stick with other restaurants in the city. read more

We went here on a Saturday night around 10pm and they were happy to accommodate us. Food- we ordered eggplant mirZa, chicken kubideh and cornish hen. All three were absolutely amazing. They use some really good ingredients that makes the food super flavorful. I highly recommend getting rice with sour cherries. They have a good wine list and serve amazing hot bread. Service: no complaints, very welcoming Ambience: romantic, casual and cute Would definitely go back here for the yummy persian food. read more

Persepolis - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Very good Persian food definitely worth a visit. Tell them easy on the butter it's a very Muslim way of cooking but they could do a little less with the butter. read more

One word AMAZING!!!! Delicious food, Friendly Employees, Cozy atmosphere , really great music . Pleasantly surprised . Recommend this restaurant to everyone. We visited this place today (Sunday ) Yogurt sause was very tasty ,grilled chicken kebab cooked perfectly ,Bronzino fish delicious ,meeat kebab juicy . read more

Accidently stumbled upon this place while walking along second ave looking for a place to eat.....and could not be happier with the food and experience we had here!! From what we saw from walking by and seeing people eating outside, the entree portions are quite large. So after we were seated outside, my boyfriend and I opted to split an appetizer and then a main entree. We started with the eggplant mirza, which was so good! It came with bread on the side which was perfect for dipping in the eggplant. For the entree we got the chicken saffron, and you have a choice of the type of rice you want on the side. We got the dill basmati rice with beans and it was very good! On the plate is also some pickled red cabbage (perfect for adding to the rice for a tangy hint of flavor) and a roasted tomato. The chicken itself....perfection! It was moist, very flavorful, and I would come back many more times just to have this chicken again. I highly recommend it! By the end we were totally stuffed and very satisfied. Also, the service was really great all throughout the night! Can't wait to come back again! read more

Persepolis - Eggplant mirza - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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have been regular customer for more than 5 years now. The quality of food is superior to other places. the rice is very well-cooked and delicious. highly recommend it. read more

We went here for Persian food and absolutely loved it. Everything tasted so fresh and I loved that you could swap rice for salad. I got the salmon kebab which came with a grilled tomato, pickled cabbage, and chutney as a dipping sauce. The portions are a good size. I left feeling healthy and satisfied. read more

Fantastic!! Check this place out and do not be dissuaded by the prices, not that it's even that pricey. My girlfriend and I had heard that their dishes were large so we split an appetizer and an entree, and we were both stuffed at the end of the meal. The eggplant mirza (pictured) was amazing and I highly recommend it; although the other eggplant appetizers as well as the hummus looked really good too from what we saw. The saffron chicken (pictured) with baghali rice (there's five rice choices!) was perfectly tender and exceeded my expectations, even after how great the eggplant mirza was. I would seriously recommend that as well! Overall, the restaurant was amazing, and I cannot wait to try the other eggplant appetizers and main entrees soon. Cheers! read more

Persepolis - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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More like 3.5. Some wins and some misses. Food: Eggplant trio; consisted of three types of eggplant including baba, eggplant mirza, and eggplant halim. It went really well with the hot pita and bread. Really this was the best dish of all of them and maybe I should have just had this as the main. The price is a bit high for a vegetable appetizer, but thankfully it was pretty filling given that it is combined with bread. Saffron marinated rack of lamb; included a rack of lamb served with baked eggplant and tangy yogurt or a choice of rice. Unfortunately the meat was a bit dry and not as flavorful as a lamb dish can truly be. The sauce did not add much flavor either. I love my lamb dishes but this was a bit disappointing. Service: This was great. People were nice and attentive and they were quick to refill the bread and pita. read more

Persepolis - Rack of lamb with eggplant - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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I'm a foodie and even if I wasn't I have had enough kababs to know when it's not good. The chicken amazing and juicy!! The rice cooked to perfection!! The kabab koobideh was awful to say the least. It almost seemed like it was boiled not grilled and just the taste seemed off. I thought I got the bad batch so I tried my friends which was the same. Service was on point great!! read more

Liked the vibe of the place but it's fairly expensive and accordingly expected better service. I miss other Persian restaurants in NYC more than here to be honest. I tried it once but not gonna be my priority for getting the Persian food. read more

Persepolis - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

I've done delivery twice and dine in once (all during Covid). Delivery was fast and everything arrived as expected both times. Portions are generously sized. All of the dishes I've had are excellent. I recommend the chicken stew (Khoresht Fesenjan) and the basmati rice with sour cherries (polo albalo). For dine in they are taking Covid precautions and I felt very safe. It was the first restaurant I ate indoors when nyc indoor dining reopened. read more

The food wasn't good. I didn't like it at all. The ingredients of the food were low quality

If I could give this place a zero rating I would. I am sitting at the table and I see a MOUSE run across the room!!!! I mention it to the manager and his response is "well this in NYC" The food is absolutely horrible. I asked for sautéed vegetables since they didn't have grilled, with my rice and all they put on the plate was steamed broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots split in half. Maybe I should have asked what kind of veggies, I just assumed it would be something better. The service is horrible, nobody came to ask if we needed anything or to refill our water. 20 minutes before closing time, the staff was taking garbage out the front door and turned on all the lights even though they just brought out our dessert. I think it's completely rude when you have paying customers to try to push them out the door just because the staff wants to go home. There are so many other persian restaurants in New York that live up to having a great experience. Despite the service, I do not recommend this place, because if the manager doesn't care that there are MICE running around the dining hall, then gd knows what is running around in their kitchen !!!!!!! read more

This became my best place to go for a big group or simply enjoying dinning or drinking with friends and family who are most important to your life. They always accommodate us even in the last minutes like tonight. Last time I came here was the farewell party from work, they were so helpful setting up the time and dates, and we enjoyed that night with laughs and drinks! Thanks again, we had such a great night tonight read more

This was one of my favorite restaurants on the Upper Eastside, until last Saturday. It was my first time back since pre-pandemic & the food is still good though the service was apallingly bad! My friend & I not only commented on our bill-we under-tipped & pointed out our disappointment to the Manager who was aggregiously NOT apologetic, he downright couldn't care less about what we had to say! All the surrounding tables were female/male couples who all received their bread without having to ask, as well as complementary desert, my female friend & I were not offered either until after we pointed out we weren't ! Persepolis is considered Persian cuisine-I'll take my business to any other number of Mediterranean restaurants in Manhattan, where they're more than cordial, pleasant, well-serving & grateful for my business read more

I tried chicken and Shirazi salad, very fresh and tasty. The green sauce on the side was amazing. read more

Persepolis - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Great service. The atmosphere was a bit stuffy though. I was worried about being underdressed but it turned out to be okay. I still wish this place would look or feel more casual. It currently just looks like a traditional restaurant with a boring decor and no personality. I didn't get to try the wine but their wine menu seems very interesting. Beef kubideh - the meat was so tender, juicy, and tasty! It was absolutely amazing. The grilled tomato that came with it was great. I ordered the polo baghali and that rice was tasty and amazing as well. The green sauce helped add more taste but being a big sauce lover that I am, I wish they had a much better sauce or more sauce! We didn't like the polo albalo. Also, the eggplant mirza was forgettable. read more

Persepolis - Mixed grill kebab with polo albalo - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Was at Persepolis for a business dinner and it was wonderful. The food the service, the ambiance was all as expected from a Persian restaurant. We were late getting to our dinner due to a torrential downpour of rain. I called to advise the restaurant and they ended up holding our table, no issues for at least 30 - 45 minutes past the reservation time. We were sited at a long comfortable table with plenty of room in between. The menu was large but after talking to the head waiter, we decided that the chef will just put together an assortment of dishes ranging from appetizer to entrees for us to enjoy. Everything was wonderful, fresh and tasty. They even brought us complimentary desserts. read more

Persian food? anyway of the week and Persepolis is my go to place when I have the crave. I go there a lot, sadly; the waiter that used to serve me was not longer working there the last time I went. He was so nice and will do anything to make us feel good. Another thing I didn't like about my last visit ( January ) is that they removed the filet mignon kebab of the menu, they only serve sirloin and koobideh (ground beef kebab) it is very sad since that was my favorite. Saffron chicken is amazing, I don't know what they do to their chickens but it melts and so juicy yet well done in the outside ( I like my chicken charcoal on the outside ). Koobideh changed my life about kofta ( another name for it) like really I was not a fan of ground beef kebab until I tried it here. You must order tadik, it is not in the menu but it is a very Persian dish, it is the bottom of the rice pan, the crispy layer that stick to the pan dressed with a stew of your choice.. my favorite is ghormeh sabzi..mmm delicious!! the rice.....the rices, wow cherry and dill are my favorites but are all great. read more

I could wax poetical about Persepolis for hours. Their Ground Beef Kubideh is so insanely delicious I barely have the words. Moist and juicy and perfect. I either get it with the sour cherry or dill rice. Both are wonderful. Gotta say upfront that I am talking delivery orders. Used to go there in person, but what Covid, it's been a delivery kind of life, and they have never, ever disappointed. It comes with a couple of sauces and breads and it just tastes like home. They have a pretty extensive menu, but I almost always go for the kubideh. Big fan of the various psycho appetizers also. read more

The wait staff was incredibly rude and insensitive in dealing with our party. The servers were kind but the host and apparent manager were arrogant and thoughtless, and made the overall experience unfavorable, notching even below the dissatisfying cuisine. The restaurant was too loud, the decor was saccharine, but the general disappointment paled in comparison to the tactlessness of the hosts. Their conduct was extremely off-putting and I regret our eating there even more after the meal that certainly didn't didn't warrant such mistreatment. I recommend any number of fine establishments nearby on 2nd and hope they can improve their customer service. read more

The food was mediocre and very expensive with very small portions. The food was not cooked well and it was not cooked fresh for us! The gratuity was already included in the bill and we did not get a chance to weigh in on how our experience was!!!Although the staff was very friendly and accommodating, I do not plan to go back. read more

Loved the aubergine trio and vegetarian trio Have good vegetarian options Do choose the barberries rice as it's excellent read more

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Persian cuisine is my new found love and this place has my heart. A gem in the neighbourhood. I am starting by appreciating the restaurant's service, absolutely patient and kind waiters. They will explain to you about the dishes. I love their dips especially Shallots dip(the best). My husband and I are vegetarians and we had great varieties of dishes to choose from. We had the veg stew with Berry Saffron rice( unique and flavourful). Saffron ice cream is my absolute favourite, so light and flavourful. Every dish is unique and flavourful. One can never go wrong with any dish here. The breads were hot and delicious. read more

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3.5 so good, but meals are definitely on the expensive side. Came here with some friends the other night for my first experience with Persian food and naturally we just had to bring our Persian friend along to give us tips on what to order. We all shared the Yogurt Trio to start. I pretty much licked the one bowl clean because of how much I loved it. I wish the bowl could have been bigger because honestly that was my favorite flavor the whole night. For the meal, I shared the Ground chicken kubideh with a friend and I was happy I did because these plates are big! We got it with rice (with almond, raisin, and orange) along with onions, bell peppers, and tomato on the side. I liked the chicken as it tasted similar to chicken sausage which I have had plenty of times before. I was kind of hoping it would taste more unique since this was my first time trying Persian food, but I also had some of my boyfriends lamb which was really tasty. I also felt the rice was kind of undercooked as I usually like mine a little softer in texture. For dessert I shared the Baklava and Rose ice cream with my boyfriend as well. I liked the baklava and it was done in a different style than the traditional Greek dessert so it was nice to appreciate the differences. I thought the rose ice cream however was a little overbearing with the rose flavor. It was different for sure and they give you a large sized portion for the price, but I would not get it again. Overall I liked it and would like to try more unique options the next time I have Persian food. read more

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Service and decor are both great. But the food really suffers especially at that price point - 23$ for an entree "caspian" - had chicken and beef both but the flavors were stale and the ingredients (the grilled tomato, the cabbage salad) definitely didn't come across fresh. And that tahini with the bread in the beginning - not good. I don't think I'd recommend this place to anyone. read more

With plenty of people still coming in to dine even at 9:00 pm on a Saturday, I was curious what the hubbub was about and came in without a reservation--we were promptly seated as a party of two. Ordered an appetizer of the Baba and an entree of the baby lamb barg medium rare. The Baba had a nice distinct nutty flavor, though the texture and consistency was not that appetizing. The baby lamb kebabs were cooked more well done than medium rare, were okay in taste. The roasted tomato and pickled cabbage combined with the orange almond rice was the standout, and was delicious. Only wish is I could say more about the lamb. Service was attentive and quick, the waiters were mindful of falling out waters and making sure everything was taken care of. read more

Persepolis - Baba - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Delicious, affordable, flavorful Persian food on the uppereast side. Love the stews, lamb shank and flavored rices.

I walked by this place one evening and was instantly curious. Persian.. Iranian food. Mmmm.. So, I had to ask my Persian colleague about it the next day. When a Persian colleague tells you that this place is "legit" and that she takes her parents here all of the time, you know you have to stop by. We stopped in for lunch. It was pretty quiet because it was early afternoon but it was by no means empty. Lots of locals seemed to be enjoying their meals. The restaurant itself was nicely decorated and staffed with very helpful and friendly folks. There is a lunch prefix (appetizer and main course for $17) which is an amazing deal for what you get. The four of us tried a number of things. Our favorite things included: the bread with hummus (omg, so good), the yogurt with cucumber, the cheese and vegetable, rice with dill and fava beans, and of course the kubidehs (both beef and chicken). Wonderful, complex flavors. We also gave the baklava and rose ice cream a try. Both were really good as well. read more

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Came here for lunch and was pleasantly surprised with the service. The waiter was feisty but really sweet. The food was excellent and had just the right amount of spice! He even brought out saffron ice cream at the end. You must, must get the beef koobideh! If there is one thing I must complain about is the price.. It's a bit steep imo but it's worth it. I will be back! (probably very soon) read more

Chicken stew with cherry rice is on my favorite meals in the city from Persepolis. A great atmosphere with tasty choices and just as good for takeout as dine-in. read more

Wins my vote for the best Persian restaurant in NYC. It's been around for a long time and that's probably because of the consistency of their food. Loved the service here! I forgot his name, but there is a server who is German or American, but speaks Farsi (or at least he knows a couple of words and he tries and is very endearing) - loved having him as our server! The kashk appetizer was delicious. We requested a side of the gheimeh stew and he brought it poured over tadig (crunchy rice), which I loved. I ordered the sultani and my skewers of koubideh and barg were tender, juicy and delicious - I didn't want to share, is that selfish of me? The rice was good too, with giant fava beans. I will definitely be back! read more

Persepolis - Sultani (one skewer of koubideh and barg) served with dill rice with fava beans. - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

I've been dreaming about the Khoresht Fesenjan (pomegranate and chicken stew) since my first visit a few years ago. I was a little wary that I had overhyped it in my mind but luckily it was just as good as I remembered. This plus everything else we ordered was wonderful! Persepolis has a variety of dishes starring chicken, lamb and beef, and all of them sound delicious. We started the meal with Baba, which was eggplant purée with goat cheese, walnuts, and onions. I couldn't taste the cheese and I thought it was bland. For entrees, my party shared the saffron chicken (succulent, tender, and absolutely delicious!!), lamb kebab (tender but a little too chewy) and the pomegranate stew (perfectly sweet and savory with shredded chicken, yummm!). Each came with a big portion of rice. There's 4 options - regular basmati rice, dill and fava beans, sour cherries, and almond and orange. We tried the first three and we all liked the dill best. If I didn't have to share with my friends I would have eaten the whole plate! The rice was heavenly with the stew. The worst part of the night was when I was separating 2 pieces of the saffron chicken, and one flew off my plate onto the floor... I cried a little inside :( The ambiance was great and even though it got a bit crowded, the noise level wasn't an issue. The service was okay - waiters walking by would bump into my chair from time to time, which was annoying. I only wish I lived closer so I can eat here more often! read more

Persepolis - Lamb kebab with dill rice - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Wonderful lunch special - highly recommend the chicken koobideh and beef stew as specials. As a Persian woman I can vouch for the authenticity. The prices are great. I went to the met saw Persian artifacts then went here and ate some Persian food. Recipe for a fantastic day! read more

My friend and I went yesterday for a late night dinner. The cocktails in the House Specialties section are A-mazing! Food, delicious! Staff, oh so very attentive. Why 3 stars you ask? After we got our food, someone (and these were 4 people interchanging) would come up to us every 3 minutes to ask if we are ok and if we need anything. But not in a normal by-the-way fashion... every 3 minutes!!!! We started getting nervous and looking around - were they closing? But there was a party of 12 at a nearby table in midst of eating and celebrating, and the music was still blasting. and it's only been 30 mins since we got our food, so we definaltey are not over staying our welcome... or so we thought. The staff made us uncomfortable.... At one point, it got ridiculous - I literally said - Do you need us to leave? Attentiveness turned to smothering. Maybe it was a bad night... read more

Persepolis - Pinapple Salad and Hummus, with Passionata and Kaz Twist. - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Delicious Persian food, affordable price, excellent services. Highly recommend . Specially eggplants trio, all type of Rice, awesome Tabule salad it's perfect. Nice place specially for large group, to share different plates read more

One thing I absolutely adore about Manhattan is how I can walk literally two blocks in any direction from my apartment and immediately be transported to some exotic destination by means of cuisine. I have often walked by Persepolis with the intention of trying it, but put it off (why?!) until recently. Rest assured, I shall return. Let's start with the atmosphere, shall we? Persepolis tries to convey a middle eastern feel with huge canvas murals of ancient ruins hanging from the walls. Exposed brick adds a touch of warmth to the room, although the outdated lights (too much light!) are a bit of an eye sore. Beautiful, haunting Persian music, the kind that makes you want to jump right up and shake your hips, plays in the background. There are about 18 tables or so, both for couples and larger groups. One question I had was, why were only 4 (yes, 4) of the tables in use on a Saturday night? For food this good, the place should be packed! Onto the food....MMMM. We started with a plate of babaganoush, which was way different than any other variety I've sampled. A good different. Hot, creamy, with hints of mint. The two varieties of bread (one pita-esque, the other a baked white) served were perfectly hot, grilled, and crispy. The perfect texture compliment to the babaganoush. My boyfriend had the shandiz - a rack of lamb served with eggplant puree and a tangy yogurt sauce. YUM. I had the baby lamb barg, with polo shirin rice as my side (there are a few different varieties of rice to choose from). The polo shirin was divine - a bit sweet, with currants and slivered almonds and orange. The lamb kabobs came with a half blackened grilled tomato. I was pretty much in heaven. We split a bottle of wine (Shingleton Shiraz - oh wow - so delightful) and closed down the place at the end of the night, savoring every last bite. While we didn't feel rushed, our waitress was certainly not the warmest person in the world. She tended to hover around our table a bit too much. Not a deal breaker, but, you know... Great, great place for a date. Overall, I highly recommend this place! read more

Persepolis - baby lamb barg with polo shirin @ Persepolis - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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