Pars

Let me be straight with you guys — when it comes to Iranian food I’m the worse critic as I’m always comparing it to the amazingly delicious food that my mom makes. And to be honest, this place comes short. The other day in London, I was starving, in the mood for Iranian food and too lazy to be bothered to walk the 1 mile to get food from my all time favourite, Alounak on Westbourne Grove. Since Alounak doesn’t bring out, I took a look at just-​eat and Unilocal and decided to go for this place. Too hungry to reeeeally read the reviews, I decided to trust the somewhat high rating and order a huge stack of food.
To make a long story short, the food is shabby and poorly made. I later learned that most of the high raters are non-​Iranian while the few Iranians who tried out the food are as sceptical me. Iranian food applies quite simple ingredients so it’s mostly about timing and technique, something that this place unfortunately lacks.
To be concrete, here is what I ordered:
— Salad olevije — a mayo based salad to eat with Iranian in a baguette or Iranian flatbread. This was my all time favourite as a kid and a most at any birthday gathering. It resembles an Italian salad with shredded chicken and pickled gherkins, however, this one was just bland, very greasy and de voided of taste — not recommendable.
— Ashe reshte, an Iranian soup with lentils, herbs, and wheat noodles. This was OK, however, they’d forgotten to include the most important part, roasted dry mint in olive oil and a sour diary mixture on top — called kashk — so the soup experience was a bit off.
— Sabzi paneer — Iranian herbs with radish, feta and flat bread was OK, but compared to Alounak not the best ingredients.
— Maste musir was actually good, then again, it’s really difficult to ruin this one. It’s basically fat and thick Greek yogurt mixed with pickled garlic — delicious and simple.
— Shish kebab chicken is a dish where I feel that Iranians excel by demonstrating just how delicious a grilled chicken can be. Usually, the saffron marinated chicken is moist, juicy and full of flavour. This one was everything but, a bland, disappointing and boring dish.
— the naan was OK — but it wasn’t Iranian. It was more compact in texture and lacked the ability to suck up the juices from the grilled chicken. Again, go to Alounak for the real deal.
— Faloodeh was the final dish — and let’s faced it — the worst I’ve ever had. To begin with, the lemon juice was frozen and concrete hard. Once it was fluid and edible, it was by far one of the most bland and tasteless faloodeh I’ve had the misfortune of trying.
With other great options in London (did I mention Alounak?) you’re better off not spending your hard earned quids somewhere else.

I dropped by here for lunch one day and I am never going back. I ordered my favorite Persian dish, the minced meat kebab and it was pretty bad. Even the rice was no good. I wouldn’t recommend it.

The interior of the restaurant is authentic and pretty. There were no problems with service. However, the food was average and definetely not up to the standards of some other Persian restaurants.

The best Persian food in London. This is one of my favourite places — wonderful food, friendly service and very reasonable prices. You can also BYOB. Try it, you won’t be sorry!

From the outside, Pars blends right in with the bland storefronts lining Harrow Street, but inside, your senses are met by the smell of spices, the sound of music, and the brilliance of Persian décor complete with a colorfully tiled Persian clay oven. If you didn’t know better, you might think you have been transported to Persia (present day Iran).
The extensive menu features chicken and lamb as the predominant protein variety. We had to sample as much as possible by ordering the Pars Special Mixed Grill, with an assortment of meat and accompaniments that easily fed three big eaters. Lamb is rumored to be Par’s specialty, but the chicken is equally delicious. The fish is also very good, but be aware that fish of all varieties are seasoned and pan fried whole.
Pars does not serve alcohol due to London’s expensive liquor license, but they do allow you to bring your own for consumption.
If you rather not tote your own beverage, I highly recommend Pars’s Persian tea, served in traditional tea pots and delicate painted glasses. The tea was so divine that I broke my «no caffeine» rule and had a total of six glasses, completely ruining all hopes of adjusting to my jet lag. In addition to indoor seating on benches decorated with Persian rugs and mats, Pars also have an outdoor patio. There was a private party on the patio the evening we dined there, so we were unable to take advantage of the outdoor seating.
Nevertheless, we enjoy the merry-​making and traditional dancing along with our jolly good meal. Pars’s patrons appear to frequent the restaurant since the proprietor knows a large number of customers.
The hospitality is first rate for London standards, although a bit lacking when compared to the United States. Either way, worth a visit.

GARDEN!
Pars actually had a garden!
I loove gardens, I think they have an amazing charm. I sat in the garden eating my delicious persian food in company of the best tasting rice and a lovely atmosphere.
The servise was very friendly and welcoming. I was incredibly comfortable and I could eat in peace. The only bad point I cas think of about Pars is that it was a bit small for my taste. A restaurant that good should be expanded!
Pro’s: Delicious food, good price, garden seating area!
Con’s: No severe cons