Persepolis is a hipster restaurant and market offering vegetarian eats and sweets inspired by the flavors of Iran and the Middle East. Their signature offering is the "Persepolis Feasting Menu," which came with multiple courses to share. There's no set menu and the dishes offered change by the day, so there's always an element of surprise! We were started with ramekins of a sweet potato soup with yogurt, but my favorite course was the meze platter, which came with pasta salad, falafels, sweet potato fritters, pickles, a cottage cheese dip, tahini, and hummus with cheese puffs sticking out! The mezes were served with pita bread slices, which were perfect for eating with the dips. The next three dishes were amazing as well: crispy halloumi with sesame and honey; fattet, or pita chips with spinach, chickpeas, and tahini; and a creative dish of chips, melted cheese, cauliflower, mushrooms, tomato, and onion, all seasoned with a yellow spice mixture. Finally, the last two dishes were pakora, or battered mixed vegetables (onion, cauliflower, pickles) served with saffron and dill aiolis on the side; and a final platter of rice, cucumber/onion/tomato salad, a red kidney bean stew, and a potato stew. While decent, the fried vegetables were on the greasy side, and the stews had an overly sweet flavor, and I was more impressed with the earlier courses. Finally came a colorful platter of dessert, which included ice cream topped with rose syrup; two different types of baklava; a cream-filled cake roll; jalebis; Turkish delight; cookie sandwiches; dates; and sliced strawberries/oranges. Everything we had here was flavorful, delicious, creative, and beautifully-presented, and enjoying the Middle Eastern hospitality was a great experience! read more

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Still my fave veg restaurant, for the tasty food, the huge portion sizes and cheap prices. Yes, you should make a reservation and you'll likely still have to wait to be seated, for a server to arrive at your table and for your food to arrive. But even this impatient native New Yorker is more then happy to deal. The avo smoothie is incredibly rich and whilst I thought the rose taste was a bit overpowering at this visit (my husband said it tasted like soap haha), I overall still loved it. My husband's date smoothie on the other hand was sadly underwhelming. My spiced broccoli soup was thick and creamy and full of flavour. I was so stuffed I regretted ordering the fried plaintains and eggs on bread as my main so my husband ended up eating it haha. But as I've ordered this before, I know how great it is. And he agreed, as it's slightly spicy and full of flavour. His main dish sadly again was bland: similar to a stir fry of veg and bread. He did enjoy the sahlep for takeaway though. read more

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A very eclectic and interesting Persian cafe/shop that serves lovely middle eastern vegetarian food, ingredients, books and supplies. Very busy when we visited on a Sunday so I would recommend booking on the weekend! The food was excellent and so was the whole eating experience totally different than anything else you experience. read more

Persepolis - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

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The car snakes into Peckham High Street, and you're always plagued with the same question. Will I find parking? How hipster is this Iranian place served and potentially owned by Europeans? Ok, parking is available on the adjacent red route. It's a Sunday. The deli cum grocery store cum artefacts store looking deceptively non-restaurant-y until you look at the seating space eclipsed by the groceries stacked in Ikea shelves. The fridge at the end of the store has barr's original cream soda, Gusto organic, Foco aloe Vera with honey, Barbican Malt Beverage, Jus Cool - Basil Seed drink, and other exotic commercial beverages. Looks very authentic for sure. There's another fridge with packed fresh foods, both savoury and sweet. The specials menu is definitely more interesting than the regular snackistan savouries. The mango pan fried with veggies is delightful in an interesting tangy sauce. The morasa pulao looks more interesting than it tastes. Flavouring with dill is always tricky. The Turkish style eggs were excellent, very hearty, very full bodied preparation. The chip and pea stew was good, somewhat bland though. It came with saffron rice, which can is always delightful. Dessert: Saffron Banana Split. Worth the calories. It's an experience. Oh, and the place is vegetarian. read more

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The realm of Snakistan is entirely vegetarian - in fact, Sally Butcher's latest book is called "Veggiestan," which you could get signed and stamped with an entry visa - with vegan options but completely devoid of meat and fish. Considering that Persian cuisine is famously carnivore - charred kebabs and meaty stews - a certain number of eyebrows are surely to be raised regarding the provenance and authenticity of Mrs. Shopkeeper's animal-free creation, and of course, regarding the level of gustatory satisfaction. Yet, remember, all across the Mediterranean, many of the mezzes are authentically and originally vegetarian - i.e., hummus, eggplant dips such as kashke bademjan (Persian), patlican ezme (Turkish), baba ganoush (Lebanese), dolmeh/dolma - and soups have been made with vegetables and legumes for many generations to tie over the lean times. Bear in mind, though, lean does not necessarily mean mean; moreover, in a world where we wage war on weight gain, lean is good. And if it is lean and tasty - well, what is not to like? Here in the shabby-opulent Snakistan, surrounded by walls plastered with recipes and photos from Sully Butcher's cook books, let us enjoy the purely vegetarian party with the flair of the Persia and the Middle East. The dual menu is consisted of the staple and the seasonal. As expected, the staple side includes the usual array of cold mezes, which are stored in a showcase, separating the tables from the back counter, where Mrs. Shopkeeper or her underlings are busy putting the final touches to the dishes. The "hot" signature items include the baked sweet potato, scrambled eggs or tofu with plantains (no less), and all the sweet temptations ranging from the classical paklava (this is the Persian spelling) to colorful cheesecakes and sundaes. Every dish, while authentic at heart, is fantastically adopted or fancifully adapted in form. The hummus, for example, was brilliantly purple from the addition of beets, while the innocuous-looking red dip turned out to be - not the regular red pepper - but a clever blend of plantain and peanuts. On the more traditional side, the little bundles of dolmeh were revelatory: the vegetarian version tasted better than any meaty cousins in the recent and distant memories. Owing to the magical combination of grape leaves, fragrant herbs, plump raisins and fluffy pilaf, when the teeth tore through the brined leaves, the dolmeh would burst open with juicy flavors to the delightful surprise of the taste buds, contrary to the bland and boring specimens served at other delicatessens. Thus, the meze platter is already more colorful and intriguing to occupy the customer for the next fifteen minutes or so, but the "Witch of Peckham" with the flaming red hair would not leave it there - for the final touch, one (or two) neon-colored Cheetoz is stuck cheekily in the middle of the plate in lieu of signature. By the way, there is no misspelling because Cheetoz at Persepolis is in fact Persian, purposefully and purportedly imported from Iran for the occasion. While you wait for your mysterious Middle-Eastern meal to appear, what would be better than a cup of tea? Tea is the drink of choice in the Middle East. Choose from Persian tea infused with green cardamom pods, minty Moroccan green tea, or the intriguing Afghanistan green tea with the irresistible caption, which proclaims that it "separates the men from the boys." Or, if the weather is cold, fight off the chill with a cup of ginger, orange, lemon and mint tea, in which the alternating sensation of minty coolness and gingery warmth is sure to confuse the germs as much as it comforts your throat. The short seasonal menu changes according to the whims of Mrs. Shopkeeper; but you will find the Persian pride of soup and stew listed on the top. On offer this day was the traditional ash-e-shalgam - a lentil soup, simply spiced and slightly piquant to tingle the tongue, and textured with silky turnips, chunky carrots and celery. This rustic lentil soup is sure to warm anyone's stomach and soul. Then, as the eyes move down the list of dishes, we embark on a cruise on the Mediterranean. First, Captain Butcher takes us over to the coast of the Aegean sea with triple variations on grilled halloumi cheese to choose from - or to chew on. As hard as it was to pick among the enticing offerings of sesame and honey, barberries and pumpkin seeds, it was the last that won the day. "Pan-fried halloumi with oregano, pine nuts and raisins, please" - "That is my favorite," replied Captain Red Head with a twinkle in the eyes. And, as it turned out, it was to become the favorite of this tour de force of Snakistan. The halloumi was fried to a golden glory, where the salts and the milk proteins in the cheese had been transformed, in the crucible of frying pan, into a supernaturally savory crust. Crispy on the outside, but oozing and gooey inside, the chewy Cypriot cheese was salty and sweet. read more

Persepolis - Crusty and gooey halloumi....yum, yum. - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

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Wonderful food and an absolutely amazing experience. I actually happened to meet Sally and Jamie on one of their rare days off away from Persepolis. Over a nice meal and a few drinks we talked about a number of different things including food, family, politics, recreation and food again. When they invited me to try their restaurant in Peckham (which I had never been to) I couldn't resist and once I was back at my computer, I read a few reviews and my mouth started to water! As I made my way from Heathrow into Peckham on a Friday night, I was already excited thinking about all of the different delicacies I had read and we had spoken about. The ride took close to an hour and a half so by the time I arrived I was starving! The look of the restaurant was quirky and eclectic and the atmosphere was very high energy, the place almost had a buzz about it. Jamie and Sally had reserved a chef's table for me by the prep area which was excellent. I got to see Jamie doing the cooking and final preparations for all of the dishes going out while I was enjoying one of the best meals I've ever had. First there were a couple of courses of meze, from a simple salad with a nice subtle oil based dressing to a mixed plate of falafel, hummus, couscous, etc. The flavors were multi-layered and very interesting. Each item on the plate made for an interesting bite by itself and together it was absolutely phenomenal. After the meze, Jamie prepared a number of different courses, the most notable ones were a couple of couscous dishes (I'm not normally a huge fan of couscous but these were amazing!) and the halloumi cheese dishes. In fact, my favorite dish of the night was halloumi cheese cooked with honey and sesame over some pita. It was such a seemingly simple dish yet the flavors melded in a way that was absolutely brilliant. I liked it so much that I have tried making it myself at home a couple of times already in the 2 weeks since. It's not quite as good as when Jamie made it, but I'm going to keep trying! Finally, despite having absolutely no room left, I managed to squeeze in a few bites of the dessert platter including two different variants of baklava, some Turkish delight, a fig roll and some delicious rose flavored ice cream. There were a few other things on the dish as well, but these are the ones that stood out for me. By the end I could barely move, everything was so amazing, and I can honestly say it was one of the best meals I've ever had in my life and an evening I will remember forever. I will do whatever I can to make it back here the next time I'm in London. One last recommendation, make sure to pick up a copy of Sally's latest cookbook, Persepolis. I brought a copy home with me and my wife and I have tried making several of the recipes now (including the halloumi cheese with honey and sesame as mentioned above) and while not quite done to the level of expertise that Jamie and Sally can make them with, I must say that everything we've tried has been very good. As Jamie pointed out to me while we were chatting, a good vegetarian meal should not leave you feeling like you missed out on something. Every one of the recipes we've tried and the food I had at their restaurant is crafted with this obviously in mind. There is nothing missing or incomplete about any of the dishes, they are true masterpieces. I can't recommend this place highly enough. read more

AMAZING food and lovely setting. You can have a really cheap lunch and actually get such high quality food - probably some of the best food in the whole of south east London. The vegan hot chocolate is amazing and every single thing I've eaten on the menu was superb. Everyone is super friendly and will help you pick out some of the amazing ingredients of the dishes you've eaten from their shop. You must go! read more

Sally the cook is a food genius! The menu is so diverse and full of new combinations. There are always special new dishes to try and I have never been disappointment. Pot of the day been always so pleasant. Fattet is amazing and the dish with fig and halloumi is to die for! read more

I'm always Peck-ish. Snackistan has a place in my heart for it's quirky punny ways. I love the 90s floor fillers that play and the tummy fillers that make me want to come back again and again. If you want to complete your cupboard full of comestibles and cooking condiments, grab some golpar, top up on turmeric and pick up your pomegranate molasses and more here. Come here on a casual date, one where you're comfortable enough to wear yoga pants, not to look virtuous in this veggie heaven, but so you can go to town on chowing down. Actually, come after yoga, or do it here, the sitting kind, with your pals, on a mates date. Try each others food and most definitely get, why I always come back, the baclava. It's heaven in hemp basket and will have you leaving full of beans, ready to go out on the prowl in Peckham. read more

EXQUISITE VEGETARIAN PERSIAN FOODIE EXPERIENCE! Wow. This was the "last supper" of a five week Europe trip. My local London pals like it and wanted to share it with me. Sally, the adorable proprietor, was also our server and suggest they just feed us a feast for £20/head. The mezza platter starter featured the best baba ganush I've ever had. Multiple other courses and tastes came along, including an impossibly decadent fried halumi cheese with red berries and a tangy-sticky sauce. YUM. The eventual dessert platter was not my fave thing--lots of ultra sweet stuff so next time I'd skip that. But anytime I'm in London this will be a top stop! RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED. read more

We ate here when we first moved to Peckham. I appreciated the variety of grocery goods. I also like the authenticity of the place. No frills, just real tasty food. We got the mezze. The platters were a good size, but I could have gone for something more unique. Attentive staff. Prices are reasonable. read more

I could browse through this magical shop for hours! There are just so many interesting things to look at, laid out invitingly across two rooms and including all sorts of dry goods, tinned dishes and other goodies like jars of giant olives, fruit tobacco, interesting cheeses, ornate backgammon sets and much, much more. Owner Sally Butcher is really friendly and happy to help with any questions, and is the author of the quirky information signs that appear around the shop, lending a splash of colour to their already vibrant surroundings. She even gives good tweet: http://twitter.com/persiainpeckham . read more

I love this little gem of a place! The food is amazing and cheap. The owner is charmingly bonkers and just lovely! She even signed the Cook book we bought as a present for someone. Will come here again and again and again! read more

Persepolis - Great place, great food, great signs! - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

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Brilliant food, and at that price impossible to beat. Not the biggest restaurant section, and attached to a small supermarket. You can book to reserve larger tables, I've booked for 12 before. read more

Charmingly bonkers café-cum-deli. The pictures don't do it justice as they will never capture the genuine and sincere vibe of this place, nor will they capture the fact that "specials" board is about 10 times longer than the regular menu. Value is fantastic, although I might prefer slightly larger plates for a £ more.. but probably my fault for not ordering the meze. Can't wait for an excuse to go again, quite frankly. Booking essential. read more

I phone and get stuff mailed out to me from this wonderful shop. I once had an amazing friend from Iran who had the most beautiful complexion. When she came back from visiting her folks back in Tehran, she brought me back some 'dry soap' called sefidab. It's like white balls of chalk and you break wee bits off it and rub it on to your wet face. It's the best exfoliating product I've ever used. I suffer from rosacea breakouts and I'm very wary about what I use on my face for fear of having a bad reaction. This product is fantastic. Itv very effective but very gentle at the same time because you don't need to scrub, and it leaves more of a matte finish. You can also use it on your body with a mitt that I can only describe as an off cut of a sack cloth! There's a name for it but I can't remember what it is. Anyhoo, the shop. I found them on the internet when I'd ran out, and I explained what I was looking for. They were super helpful and knew exactly what I was talking about. They had it in stock and sent it out to me the same day. The postage was cheap and it was well packaged. I've recommended this shop to a few people in Glasgow and they found the service and products outstanding too!! Oh, also, for a bag of sefidab ( which will last about a year) and the mitt with p&p, it only came to £12. Well worth it. I'd highly recommend to anyone who's looking for a great product for problem skin. read more

This shop and restaurant is just amazing. With an all vegetarian range of food in the restaurant you can get a full meal for less than 5 pounds. Though the grocery part of the store is partly expensive most things are reasonably priced and well selected. The owners and staff are friendly and helpful and the overall attitude of the place is spontaneous and relaxed. Well worth dropping by. read more

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This is a grocery store, not restaurant. The Persian pastries lined up on the counter are beautiful but a bit stale - my hungover self devoured them nonetheless. Stop in if you're walking by. read more

For Middle Eastern fetishists, Persepolis is a must-visit shop. Although really more specifically an Iranian specialty stop, it's still the place to find delicacies from the region. Lots of fresh tasty pastries and sweets with rotating availability, all sorts of spices, an amazing variety of tea, plus different yoghurts and cheeses to far surpass any ethnic corner shop. They also sell different housewares from china and rugs to hookahs and cookbooks. And the shop is plastered in amusing handwritten signs - I suppose it's what you'd call service with a smile. read more

Lovely shop with a lot to look at. Everything is ordered nicely and I could go around for hours to browse the goods.

One of my favourite places in all of Ldn! Vegetarian Persian food with an ever changing seasonal menu? I mean how can it get much better? Well, when you combine it with an amazing food and trinket shop (there are rolls of hookah tubes hanging on the walls), the sweetest service, some amazing fusion (think Persian style injera - an Ethiopian bread), and topped off with the occasional cheesy puff! Being well-priced and well-located, it's certainly well-loved. read more

A must visit whenever in Peckham. Lovely food, nice selection of teas, friendly staff, quirky place. Has a little shop where you can buy nice stuff. Prices reasonable. read more