Hidden gem in otherwise dull Brighton. Yalla Habibi!!! The food is exceptional. My only gripe is uncomfortable chairs and tightness of tables next to each other. Difficult to enjoy a meal in private so try to go here when it's not so busy. read more

The ambiance at Ariana Restaurant is otherwordly - beautiful, entrancing music that plays throughout your visit, authentic decor and just an overall calm and relaxing romantic vibe. I was transfixed when I entered and really felt transported to somewhere else. Our waiter was polite and attentive; I appreciated that all employees remained masked and I could see them wiping down menus and tables and taking precautions (tables were socially distanced too). The menu features a lot of traditional Afghani dishes. If you've never had it and are afraid of too much spice, I wouldn't worry. I'm not a spice/hot person and I've found delicious dishes here and other similar restaurants. We were served bread with three sauces (one was yogurt and garlicky, another was a mild spice which ended up being my favorite and the red one was spicy as you'd expect so I didn't try that one) before our mains arrived. We're doing dry January so no alcohol was served which was no problem - our water glasses never went below half full! The menu features a great variety and a lot of lamb dishes. I love the way the lamb is prepared. Tender, the spices they use are amazing and it goes perfectly in whatever dish you select. I went with my go to from another restaurant - a rice dish (qabili) which has julienne carrots, chunks of perfect lamb (at this restaurant left on the bone but I've had it as real chunks in other places), rice and raisins. It's a beautiful tasting dish and quite filling. My dining partner had another lamb dish that was slightly spicier - korma challow. This came with potato, green beans, lentils, rice and the leg of lamb was sauteed with a variety of spices. We also tried the mantu appetizer which was spicy beef with onions and carrots and a medley of spices inside a shell and served with yogurt and beef sauce on the side; this was a bit spicier than anticipated but very flavorful. This was such a perfect meal and fantastic all around dining experience. Prices were more than reasonable for the meals (our bill came to around $60 total) and the ambiance cannot be beat. I can't wait to return for another meal! read more

Wonderful authentic afghan food!! Wally the owner is delightful!! A totally wonderful dining experience

Goode was delicious, the atmosphere was pleasant but sometimes the service is slow. However, I still recommend the place fir the food. The owner is very friendly and goes around asking if everything is okay and stops to chat. read more

I went to this place after someone recommended it. What a disaster it was. The staff was rude and obnoxious. They were a bit busy and it was just the owner and some kid serving food so maybe that was the reason - but that is NOT my problem. If I am paying for my food, I expect the service to be exceptional. Food was uncooked and we had specifically asked them to make it "well done". Rice were bland and cold. All in all, it was a disaster and money waster. I would not go back. read more

Tasty vegetarian options. Have been back several times. Lamb shank is delicious but too much rice. A winner overall.

Great service and even better food. The outdoor patio seating is also very nice. Great place to eat if you're in the area.

The best Afghanistani food in greater Boston area. Nice, relaxing, yet elegant environment, great service and really tasty food. The only restaurant where I would go to have really tasty food. My favorite dish used to be Kofta Chalow until I tried Qabuli palow. Next time I would eat one and order the other for to-go. read more

Ariana Restaurant - Afghan Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

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One of the best restaurants for food from Afghanistan. We landed here by chance the first time. We have since been back multiple times. The host/ hostess are very caring about allergies. If the night is not crowded then the chef might also surprise you with some delicacies not on the menu. There lamb dishes are very tasty. They also know how to cater to your spice level. I would strongly recommend this place. read more

I brought a friend here for dinner wanting to compare this place to Helmand Restaurant, and we had a great experience. Finding street parking in front was easy, and Ariana is a very cute little restaurant. There are excellent options for both meat eaters and vegetarians. The Kaddo and the Aushak (we had the vegetarian version) were delicious. I was also told that the lamb was very good. Overall, we had a great meal at Ariana Restaurant! read more

Good service and good food! There was some beautiful artwork on the walls and also a traditional Afghan costume hanging above my table, really set the mood! I ordered the Mashawa soup (lamb, different types of legumes) which came piping hot. It was very thick, almost like a curry, and the lamb was flavorful and tender. For my entree I had the nonveg Aushak, a ravioli dish topped with a yogurt sauce and ground beef. I liked this too but the ground beef tasted very similar to the Mashawa soup. I also tried my friend's entree, the Kofta Challow--the challow rice was cooked perfectly and had just the right amount of seasoning, but the kofta meatballs came in the exact same gravy as the Mashawa soup and ground beef on the Aushak. I would have given this restaurant a 5 star rating if the dishes we ordered didn't taste so similar! read more

Ariana Restaurant - Mashawa soup - Afghan Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

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I am a huge fan of Afghani food - I'm not such a huge fan of Ariana. I've only been once, but my experience was just so mediocre. My boyfriend and I went on a week night, and the place was pretty empty. The place was very nicely decorated, but the service was so, so slow. It took about a half hour for them to bring out the bread (which was slightly stale). We put our food in pretty immediately because of this, and then asked for the check immediately as well, which took another half hour or so. The food was good, but expensive for the small portions. I'd suggest heading over to Helmand instead - busier/more rushed, but delicious food and quick service. read more

Went to dine in on Tuesday night when not so busy. Staff was friendly but service little slow. Food was not worth it, very similar and taste less. If you don't like Spicey food then this is a place for you. I know I wouldn't be going there again read more

Love this restaurant: the vibe, food, staff: all excellent and consistent. Our faves: rack of lamb, beef kabob, trout.

One of my favorite restaurants! Always consistently good, super clean, cozy environment and exceptional staff. Food is always super delicious. I recommend to everyone! read more

" Small portions, big Prices" Poor quality & Not authentic Afghani Food. I do not recommend this place. * Bowlawni *** sabzi **** Qabili -* Aushak -* Mantu ** Mourgh Kabob read more

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They are very polite. The ambience is nice, traditional music and decor. The food is mediocre. That the portions are small for the price on the appetizers adds insult to injury. I have had superior afghani food at better prices. I did get 10% off on the meal based on this restaurant being recommended by the Allston Hotel a couple of blocks away. A dinner for two came to about $60 before tax and tip (before the 10% discount). Were the food excellent, this would have seemed a fair price; were the prices halved, the food would've seemed fair. Allowing the second star to stand because it's been an hour since I finished the meal with my son and we are both still alive. Will post again in the morning if this changes. read more

For those who've had to make the trek to Nowheresville, Kendall Sq for years to get their Afghan food fix, here's a much more accessible spot that's also easier on the wallet. Items are easily $2-5 cheaper than at the Helmand. Score! On a weeknight, they were able to seat our party of 6 immediately and service was always efficient and friendly, even when the waiters changed midway through our meal. Afghan food is a delicious blend of Middle Eastern, Indian and even Italian sentiments while maintaining flavors all its own. Pumpkin and lamb are favorite items, so if you like those, be prepared to go to heaven! We shared: - Kaddo: Pan-fried then baked baby pumpkin seasoned with sugar and served on a garlic yogurt sauce topped with ground beef sauce. Did you think pumpkin meat was just a thing to be scooped out to make a jack-o-lantern? NOOO! If you've never had pumpkin, I can't think of a better way to experience this delicious fruit. - Aushak: Ravioli filled with leeks and scallions served on a garlic and mint yogurt sauce, topped with ground beef and mint. Delicious! The ground beef was super moist and tender. - Mantu: Homemade pastry shells filled with onions and beef, served on yogurt and topped with carrots, yellow split peas and beef sauce. See the Italian influence? Every country has its version of a dumpling. This is Afghanistan's. - Dopiaza: Marinated then grilled leg of lamb, sautéed with yellow split peas and tossed with onions lightly marinated in vinegar, served with garlic, mushrooms and pallow rice. An entree that features some of the best parts of Afghan cooking. The lamb is incredibly tender and the pallow rice is as soft as a cloud. The mushrooms were cooked in the most delicious sauce and were perfectly crunchy. - Korma Challow: Leg of lamb sautéed with onions, tomatoes, garlic, green beans, potatoes and spices served with lentils and challow rice. More lamb for you, but this time in a wonderful tomato sauce. Savory and scrumptious. - Kofta Challow: Beef meatballs with Afghan seasonings sautéed with sun dried tomatoes, hot peppers and green peas in a fresh tomato sauce, served with challow rice. Afghan meatballs? Yeah, you gotta try this. There are plenty of vegetarian options to choose from for all you plant-eating folk. And a rather interesting wine and dessert list. Challenge your perceptions of the world and give Ariana a try. You won't regret it. read more

You may want to pay attention to my review, being that I am half Afghan and know what I'm talking about with retrospect to authentic Afghan food. That being said, this place is authentic and serves alot of my favorite dishes, and some dishes I never knew about before, but who my cousin (full Afghan) said are more traditional dishes our family doesn't do too much of. I was quite excited to try what I didn't know. We started off with Kaddo (baked pumpkin with yogurt and a touch of ground meat with sauce). Wow. Lightly sweet, savory, and rich. I could just order a bunch of these for my main meal and be satisfied, not to mention it could almost opt as a dessert, for those that like dessert before their meal. ;) The next appetizer was the eggplant. I love eggplant and I loved this, the eggplant slices were thinner than I would have liked, and would have preferred it to be a little "meatier" but it was an appetizer so perhaps it should be a little lighter, I'm used to having it as a side to the main meal. Next, I was torn between Mantu (beef filled dumplings, one of my favorites) but opted for the Kofta Challow (beef meatballs rich in sauce) accompanied with rice. It was filling and plentiful. Two hearty meat balls with plenty of it's juices and a plate of rice. Definitely just as good as I've had at family dinners. Alot of their meal options have lamb, and I have never developed a taste for lamb, so I was a little restricted to my choices but that's my own problem. Lamb is the Afghan's meat of choice, so I encourage all of you to go for it. It's as traditional as it gets. I also admire their vegetarian options, as there is no vegetarian Afghan, but I find it considerate for them to accommodate for vegetarian diets, without losing Afghan flare. As for dessert: Feereny was a hit. I was particularly encouraged to come here BECAUSE of the dessert, and it did not disappoint! Creamy and thick custard like cream pudding, topped with fruit. It is better than any of my tradition Afghan family's feereny. That was a shocker. Oh yea, as for detail the robust red rose that served as table decor was a beautiful touch. I notice the little things and found that to be an elegant touch. The one hesitation I have is the price, I think it's a little steep for Afghan food, but I do have to acknowledge food like this is not easy, and takes time with slow cooking and lots of ingredients and spices. Expensive middle eastern spices at that, so I can't blame them, but I can be a little biased because I eat this food for free. Overall, I would return here again since I do not get this food often anymore. read more

Ariana Restaurant - Interior looking out - Afghan Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

After reading all the good reviews about this restaurant, I decided to try it out. This place was very underwhelming. We went on a Saturday night and the restaurant was empty except for say 4 tables. I was really looking forward to trying the Manto but as soon as we decided to order, our server informed us they had run out. How can you run out of a dish two hours before closing? Anyways then we settled on another appetizer and two entrees. The menu did not have any variety, as usual afghani restaurants do. Portions are extremely small, especially for the price. Food was nothing special. Never trying this place again. read more

Ariana Restaurant - Afghan Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

In the intervening time since my last review, Ariana became my favorite restaurant in Boston. I discovered and tried Helmand a couple times but in general I find Ariana more pleasant and less expensive, and the food is comparable. I was very sad when they closed up on Brighton Ave, and thank goodness they're finally back! The new neighborhood has less ambiance and foot traffic, but is more family friendly and less chaotic. The space itself is much larger. There's a private room to one side as well, which they say is available for reservation, so I'm curious to see if they will begin to draw more large parties. Many of the same staff are there and the service was good as usual. The food seems about the same, which was a relief. The cilantro sauce that comes with the bread is inexplicably different but still great. I think that the pumpkin and okra we had were a little mushier than usual, but they were both still good. And the eggplant was alarmingly lovely. It was mesmerizing almost. Perfect texture with subtle spices. We got a second order. If you never went to the old location, I don't think you've missed out on anything, but you should definitely go now. read more

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Simply Amazing! Absolute GO-TO when I want great good and great service. Food, service and atmosphere are TOP NOTCH. My go-to's on the menu: - Appetizer: Kaddo and Aushak (with beef sauce). Truly tasty and amazing - Entree: I'm not a fan of lamb but will come here to eat the lamb ANYTIME! I often order Chopan. But, if you feel like having beef instead, the Chapendaz is pretty amazing. Perfectly cooked and seasoned - Dessert: Feereny. Light and delicious. Perfect way to end a meal read more

We are self-confessed foodies trying out new restaurants mostly based on word-of-mouth and Yelp reviews. My boyfriend and I walked to Ariana on a Friday evening. We found that it was a smallish space with tables for perhaps 20-30 people. The ambiance was casual, yet sophisticated. We had not made a reservation before coming. We were welcomed warmly and seated quickly at our spot of choice. In-fact, the hostess moved around a couple of tables to prepare a nice table-for-two for us so we would not have to sit in a noisy corner. We felt that this was a really nice gesture. After we were seated, three of the waitstaff attended to us - one brought the menus, one poured water, and one brought the warm afghan bread with the tasty sauces. Bread was warm and fresh. As for food, it was far beyond our expectations. We ordered Aushak and Mantu for appetizers, both delicious and had great flavors to them. I would say unique in its own way. For the main course we went with Dopiaza - well prepared lamb meat served on a piece of bread with sides of juicy mushroom and tasty rice. It was a healthy and hearty combination. We would have liked to try more of their dishes, but two appetizers and one entree later, we had no more space in our tummies. The waitstaff was prompt and attentive. As another poster has mentioned, there are four or five of them working hard to keep things moving. They do a great job at it. Overall, wonderful food, awesome service, and a nice ambience. I would definitely recommend Ariana, their Aushak, Mantu, and Dopiaza, and would go back to try more of their dishes. Five stars! read more

Ariana Restaurant - Appetizers: Mantu and Aushak - Afghan Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

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First off. I'm Afghan so I know Afghan food. I agree with others. The food is really good. The service is slow. Appetizers too small. The prices too high. BYOB. That is, bring your own bread, cuz you get a small amount and apparently it's a hot commodity around here. That's pretty much my review in a nut shell. read more

Ariana Restaurant - Cool painting of the famous Afghan girl - Afghan Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

One of, if not, the best food I've had in Boston. It was my first time trying Afghan cuisine and I am so said I hadn't tried it sooner! SO GOOD. My roommate and I live around the corner and we can't believe we hadn't stopped by sooner. Our first bites were followed by a ton of "mmm....mmmm, WOW." We sat outside which was so pretty, and the service was great. Seems like its a family owned restaurant and our server was friendly. A great place for date night, dinner with friends, and also very family friendly. If you're still reading this, you have to try Ariana read more

Great meal for our party of 5. We appreciated our server's suggestions and all enjoyed our meals. Definitely will be there again

The food was delicious. The bread was homemade and we kept on asking for refills. The owner works there and wants you to enjoy the experience. There are several options that are delicious as a vegetarian prepared. All of us enjoyed our meals and will definitely return. The wine list was respectable and I was pleasantly surprised. read more

Delicious food. I'm not familiar with Afghan cuisine, but proper cooking and seasoning tend to make any type of cuisine delicious. That's the case here. I had the Korma Challow, which I would describe as similar to a braised lamb stew or curry. It came with perfectly seasoned lentils and rice. It was the kind of thing you could eat every week and never get tired of. read more

A friend and I met up at Ariana Restaurant for dinner this past weekend. It was my first time at their new venue on Western Avenue. First of all, I have to say that the service is top notch at this restaurant. They are attentive and gracious. Parking was an easy experience which was not the case in the old venue Our table ordered Mantu, Mashawa, Qabili, and a trout special. This will sound strange but my favorite part of the entire meal was the carrot portion of the Qabili. Their lamb was better during my previous visit; all chefs/venues have off days. Diners should try the pallow and challow rice options. read more

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Arianna has become my go to restaurant whenever I am in Boston. Regrettably I moved to Florida but I come back every summer and I try to hit Ariana as often as possible. The food is absolutely delicious and the owner Najeeb and hisstaff are warm and welcoming. My favorite dish is the lamb lawand but everything is delicious! I highly recommend Ariana! read more

The Kaddo, at first taste, kind of sets you off. But eventually you adjust to the sweetness of the pumpkin coupled with the savory ground beef sauce. The pumpkin just dissolves in your mouth and it's so good you can't resist. Get the Trout Special: Pan fried Filet of trout served with sauteed eggplant and rice seasoned with dates and walnuts. Trout was a considerable size, fried to tender perfection. I finished the plate clean quickly and gladly. Service is fast and people there are super amiable. I'll be spreading the word. read more

Ariana Restaurant - Healthy and delicious Trout. - Afghan Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

I am very lucky to live in the neighborhood with Ariana's. This is a great restaurant with friendly service. I always get the pumpkin appetizer with beef yogurt sauce. So good! I've also had most of the other appetizers, and those are delicious too. The qabili entree is truly amazing. All of the entrees are huge, big enough to share. One of the best things about this place is that it is a "hidden gem" - so you never need a reservation or have to wait for a table at this first-rate, fine restaurant. Score!! read more

What an awesome find. The wife and I stopped in here before a concert looking for something "Mediterranean"....well, obviously this is not even close to Mediterranean, but Middle-East would have to do. Neither of us had ever had Afghan food before and thus really had no expectations besides the reviews I read on Yelp. What followed was truly amazing. First off the place is way smaller than I had expected. I would classify this as cozy rather than cramped though. It is tastefully appointed and welcoming. Upon seating we ordered a carafe of the house Cab Sav. It was great and much better than the rot gut one usually gets in a house wine. My wife ordered the Banjan (pan fried eggplant) for an app and the Aushak (leek filled ravioli) for her meal. I ordered the Kaddo (pumpkin with yogurt and beef sauce) for an app and the Dopiaza (lamb chunks with peas and pallow rice) for an entree. The apps were amazing. There is something different about the yogurt that they use. It has just a bit more bite to it and really adds something to the dish. They also give you plenty of warm flat bread (nan...yes similar in sound and look to the Indian Naan) with 3 incredible sauces (Yogurt and cucumber, cilantro and garlic and a red chili). Again, you've probably had a greek tzatziki cucumber and yogurt sauce, but this tastes very different. The Kaddo is a real standout here. The pumpkin was very sweet and balanced wonderfully with the umami provided by the beef sauce and the acid from the yogurt. It was a flavor combination I had absolutely never had before. When my wife got the Aushak she found that the leeks were just a bit too strong and asked to switch it with the Chapendaz (grilled beef tenderloin over tomatoes and hot peppers). They waiter made the change easily and my wife really enjoyed the beef. The Dopiaza was amazing. The lamb was perfectly grilled and tender and the acid from the vinegar perfectly balanced the mushrooms and rice. All in all this was a perfect dinner out...and for less than $100 with drinks in Boston! read more

Ariana Restaurant - Lamb Dopiaza - Afghan Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

A night of music to remember. Great food for vegetarians and others, flavorful food and variety of vegetables. Decaf Turkish coffee! Tea with cardamom! Yum! There was a rubab (music instrument) with a large guitar pick, itching to be heard, but instead we heard the same song for the hour we were there!! We didn't mind, because there's a lot in the song, and after several repetitions, we still didn't have all of the intricacies memorized. Unusual approach to ambient music. read more

Wonderful place! The appetizers and soup was so flavorful and the lamb was incredibly soft. Definitely recommend it for the decor, friendly waiters etc as well! read more

I am very happy I found this place. very quiet and food is delicious. Everything we orders was tasty and I didn't feel like we wasted our money (sometimes I have this feeling after ordering some untasty food) Gazie, sono molto contento! read more

Ariana is one of the most consistent, unique and delicious restaurant experiences I've had since moving to Boston. Excellent, friendly service, a charming setting and absolutely unique food combine to make this an evening to remember. I had Sabzi Challow, which is lamb and spinach accompanied by okra. I also enjoyed a salty lasse. Parking is effortless as Star Market's large parking lot is nearby. In the spring, Ariana has a charming outdoor garden we look forward to enjoying. However, we won't wait 'till then to return. read more

My wife and I decided to try something new and refreshing to eat. Tonight it was Afghanistan food at Ariana's. Let's talk about atmosphere first. The place is not very big but it eludes elegance and warmth. Tables are neatly decorated with fine china and folded table cloth. Lighting is just right for a romantic dinner. Based on recommendations from fellow yelpers and our friendly and knowledge server, we tried their Mantu for appetizer, Qabili and Sabzi Challow for entrees. Let me tell you, I stuffed myself so much that I could barely get up and walk. The lamb meat here is prepared deliciously. It does not tastes gamey at all. The food here has the right balance of nutrition and taste. For people who never had Afghanistan food or just want to try something, I recommend Ariana. read more

Ariana Restaurant - Qabili and Sabzi Challow - Afghan Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

Just a little clarification: I've never had Afghani food. But if you like Middle Eastern food, you will LOVE this place. The food is very authentic and rustic. The flavors are intense and very delicious. Even at 11 o'clock at night this place is packed! I can't tell you exactly what I had, but I had their most popular lamb dish. Now, I LOVE lamb. They gave GREAT portions!! They did not skimp on the lamb. Also the very unique rice (I'm so sorry I can't give you a better description) they served with it was a perfect combination. It's not your typical rice. It is authentic food! We outright said that we'd never eaten Afghani food before and he just suggested the most popular dishes. I'm so glad that he did, it was SO good! I would love to go again but I don't live near Boston. read more

What I like about Allston is that you can be heading to chow down on one thing, and suddenly BAM, you notice something else, and instead of spicy kidneys and soup dumplings, now you're eating kaddo and pallau! The atmosphere in Ariana is pleasant- clearly a lot of care has gone into making it sort of dimly lit and fancy-esque, in a conventional but nice enough way (colored walls, banquette on one side, fairly large number of compactly arranged tables with white tablecloths and flowers) They were clearly pushing wine and beer, which struck me as a little jarring with Afghani food, but I admittedly have rather limited experience with Afghani restaurants (mostly limited to no frills mom'n'pop take-out/styrofoam-plate type places) Since we hadn't come prepared for an all out feast, we sampled just a few things: Bowlawni (a lot like chinese leek pockets, though one was potato), a special combination of kaddo (pumpkin) + banjan (eggplant), and the kofta (meatballs) in sweet tomato sauce. While we were waiting for food to arrive, we got a basket of the really excellent fresh bread. The bowlawni was also tasty- not the most uniquely afghani food, probably (i.e., it's not so different from fried filled pastries the world over), but well made, and great with the various sauces that had been put in front of us (one with red peppers, one with jalapeno, and one raita/yogurt one). The kofta was also good, with decent quality meat and a somewhat sweet tomato sauce. The winner, though, was the kaddo, which was sweet but not cloying, in a way that the tomato sauce and yogurt cuts through perfectly. I'm not usually a big fan of sweet dishes, but I've come to like this version (also like Helmand's, I think) in which the pumpkin is sweetened rather than the sauce, since the sauce provides a nice savory counterpoint rather than covering the pumpkin in sweetness. We also somehow managed to find room for dessert, and tried their homemade ice cream. It was dense and sweet, and covered in a token amount of pistachio powder with a sauce that had a hint of rose. All in all, this is a great addition to the neighborhood- I agree that it's fantastic to be able to get in without waiting, but I hope for their sake that it becomes more crowded fast! read more

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