I was in Berkeley and craved Mediterranean, I was not disappointed by this lovely gem of a…read morerestaurant and market! It's been in business 54 years. Generations have shopped and eaten the wonderful food here. I ordered the Baarg and it came quickly- cooked to order. Amir has owned it the part 11 years, and his father before him. The Shiraz salad was the best I've ever had. Rice was perfection. The Baarg was so tender and delicious.. Amir made sure everything was perfect. This place is great for families and very reasonably priced for the high quality of food. The place is charming with a terrace out back and the World Cup game in tonight. They have live music Friday nights and a host of other events all month. Check the calendar in the hall by the patio. I highly recommend!

I stepped in to grab food before realizing there was a separate cafe next door…read more Decided to come back after dinner next door to pick up some dessert and I'm so glad I did! I got an assortment of Turkish delight and some pistachio baklava ($2.99). The Turkish delight is sold by weight across all the varieties and goes for $16.99/lb. The guy behind the counter was super friendly and offered us a sample of one of the flavors to try which I thought was a nice gesture. Everything looked so good, so we picked a couple different pieces of Turkish delight to try. To my surprise, my favorite ended up being the saffron, though rose petal with pomegranate and sour cherry with pastachio were close seconds. I didn't like the coconut or the chocolate one that much, so reminder to myself to skip those next time. After picking up the dessert, I did a quick circle around the store to see what they had. It's not a big store but they manage to cram a lot of stuff into the limited space!

The chicken and rice are awesome. Chicken was juicy and so flavorful…read more Yogurt and chive appetizer was great. The waitress recommended it and it was way better than I was anticipating. Tachin was something completely different. So many different flavors and textures. Great change up. Wouldn't be my go to. But once in a while I could enjoy it.

We walked in and tried to get a table for 2. And the owner asked us if we had reservations. But…read morethere was plenty of seating inside and outside. Funny part is, no one walked in after us. We were then seated, the first girl asked if we wanted anything to drink which we did but we never got our drinks til another waitress came and asked us 20mins later. We told her we were ready to order and we had to wait another 10mins for another waiter to order. We got the chive/shallot yogurt, lollipop lamb chops, Koobideh and Joojeh Kabob. The kabeb dishes came with grilled tomato, grilled pepper, rice with tadig on top. They also make this pink butter to put on the rice. Food is good and everything was seasoned well and not over cooked. I want to give this place a try again but they need to work on their customer service. They catered more to other tables and we didn't even get offered the dessert menu like the other tables around us. Also, we had to ask for the check and no one even came to check if we were ready to pay we had to go up there.

Darband's is located in a little cute eatery food court near the Berkeley campus. The owner is…read moresuper nice and always asks customers how they like the food, like "Was your meat seasoned enough or juicy enough?". The owner values customer opinions about his food which I think is awesome. I ordered a Beef koobideh plate which I thought was perfect. The meat was juicy and had a nice buttery flavor. It came with two roasted tomatoes, rice and some pita. The entrees are definitely reasonably priced as well especially being near the campus. Only drawback is this place doesn't stay open too late, closes at 7pm and misses much of the dinner traffic, but definitely a place worth trying.

Delicious! Excellent food, excellent service and cute location. We sat at a common garden in the…read moreback. The staff was really awesome and service was fast for a well cooked and prepared food. We had lamb chops and shawarma and ooooh they were so yummy!

Love this place for dinner! The mantu dumplings are a wonderful appetizer and shish leek beef…read moredelicious. Usually I get lamb but I wanted to try something new and yes the shish leek is incredible. The cauliflower qurma and saffron lentil soup are also filling and delicious. Thank you for offering a kids menu so we are able to order a chicken kabob plate for kids. They were such fans of the food. I've been here three times now and each time I am impressed! There's something so cozy about the restaurant space, and always so lively, in the Rockridge neighborhood.

Saffron Kitchen has an extraordinary selection of kabobs including filet mignon, chicken breasts…read moreand salmon (in order of my top three favorite). The presentation ALMOST rivals the sensational savory seasoning that never fades with each new bite. All kabobs are offered with the option of basmati rice with a splash of vivid, yellow color on top. The roasted vegetables are a fresh-tasting variety that are sautéed to Al dente perfection (tender but still firm). Service staff are consistently friendly, seem to enjoy their work and are knowledgeable about menu options. The restaurant atmosphere is spacious with ample outdoor and indoor seating options. Street parking is easily accessible and with a lot of options within walking distance from the restaurant. Their baklava can't be passed up for dessert!

All the things I could say…read more.. We love this spot, and it has become our go to when visiting the area (though I do also LOVE Zachary's). Most recently, we dropped in before going to a show at the Ivy Room (another favorite). We got there early so we we could enjoy a leisurely meal. We were e seated in the bar, which worked well as we had great service and I personally like the higher bar tables. We tried the mezzo plate, kofta, a fantastic halumi salad, and the phyllo chicken pie. Everything we had was delicious! Cocktails and wine options were also outstanding. We finished with halva topped scoop of ice cream and delightful coffee! Great spot? Great food! Great service! We love this place!

A delicious array of Mediterranean appetizers and entrées. Zaytoon staff are friendly and…read moreattentive. The restaurant is efficient for both dining in as well as takeout. Energetic space, with excellent outdoor dining too. It can get loud inside the restaurant, so outdoor seating is better for conversations.

EAT HERE. NOW!!…read more pros: -kotlet and lavash special = SO GOOD -cutest restaurant inside and out -fast service cons: -none

After hearing about Lavash for years, I was excited to finally try it. Unfortunately, it was a…read moreletdown. The two stars are mainly for the ambiance. The restaurant has a warm, authentic Persian feel that I genuinely appreciated. Unfortunately, the food didn't live up to the setting. The kebabs were surprisingly bland and lacked the depth of flavor I'd expect from Persian cuisine. The quality of the meat was average at best, and nothing on the plate really stood out. Service was also mediocre. It wasn't unfriendly, just indifferent and forgettable. If you're completely new to Persian food and happen to be in the neighborhood, Lavash is a convenient introduction. But if you've experienced Persian restaurants across California, this is unlikely to impress. I've eaten at more than 35 Persian restaurants throughout the state, and based on that experience, Lavash falls well below average. I really wanted to like it after hearing so much about it over the years, but I left disappointed. Two stars is the most I can honestly give.

It was a great restaurant!!! Great food, great service!! And the owner was very nice!! The…read moreatmosphere was very nice!! Please go to this restaurant if you visit!!!

Tucked away in the north beach area is this little awesome spot. We were seated right away but…read moreservice was a bit slow. It was starting to pick up and get busy so I understand. Ordered dishes to share; Koobideh plate, salad, feta cheese spread. Koobideh was cooked great. Rice was good as well. Good salad. The feta cheese spread was a little overpowering, worth a try but I don't think I would order again.

Loved the dining experience here, specially that it was a treat by my son…read more The staff was super helpful and explained every dish in detail. The food was a nice twist of traditional Persian cuisine and we enjoyed every dish. The ambiance is also very warm and inviting which added to the experience. Will be back trying other dishes.

We had a fantastic experience with Komaaj Catering. We ordered a spread that included the Eggplant…read more& Tomato Dip, Herb & Cheese Frittata, Sumac Beef Meatballs, Turmeric Chicken Party Wings, Pomegranate Walnut Stew with Chickpeas, and Turmeric Rice--and every single dish was packed with flavor. You can really tell there's care and authenticity behind the cooking. The textures and seasoning were spot on across the board, from the rich, comforting stew to the perfectly spiced meatballs and vibrant dips. Everything felt thoughtfully prepared and beautifully balanced. On top of that, the service was exceptional. Farshad, the owner, went above and beyond by including a complimentary herb yogurt dip and even an extra order of rice, which was such a generous and appreciated touch. His wife Nazanin was also very helpful when we went to pick up food for sa Highly recommend Komaaj Catering if you're looking for delicious, well-crafted food and warm, thoughtful service. We'll definitely be ordering again!