Delicious food and atmosphere. Will become a regular! Everyone was so nice. The Chicken soltani is amazing!!!!

The food was excellent, the staff was very friendly and courteous. Cherish was amazing, she made sure we were all taken care of. I love this place. read more

We had such a wonderful experience at Sadaf Restaurant! The food was absolutely delicious, fresh, and full of flavor. Every dish we ordered was beautifully prepared and tasted amazing. A special thank you to our wonderful waiter, Behnam, for his excellent service. He was so friendly, attentive, professional, and genuinely cared about making sure we had a wonderful experience. His warm personality made our evening even more enjoyable. We also want to thank Hannah, the host, for welcoming us with such kindness and a beautiful smile. And a big thank you to the manager for making sure everything was perfect and for creating such a welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere for the guests. From the delicious food to the outstanding service, everyone at Sadaf made us feel special and welcomed. We truly enjoyed our evening and will definitely be coming back. Highly recommend Sadaf Restaurant! read more

Well, this was our second time here, and unfortunately I still don't understand the hype about this place. I reviewed this restaurant before because the waiter we had during our first visit was beyond arrogant, rude, and condescending. My spouse and I honestly had no desire ever to come back. The only reason we returned was to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday, and this is where he wanted to have lunch. So there were five of us: my spouse, his brother, their mother, a friend, and me. Let me make one thing clear right from the beginning: **the two stars I'm giving this place are ONLY because our waitress this time was very friendly, kind, and pleasant. She deserves them. The restaurant itself doesn't.** For a restaurant that obviously wants to present itself as chic, upscale, and somewhat posh, there are quite a few things that simply don't match the image--or the prices. Let's start with something as simple as the napkins. Seriously? Those thin, cheap paper napkins that reminded me of something you'd get at Burger King? At a restaurant in this price range? We have eaten at much less expensive restaurants where you get either good-quality, heavy paper napkins or actual cloth napkins. Yes, it's a small detail, but when you're charging upscale prices, details matter. And speaking of prices: $9 for a side of plain white rice? $4 for a glass of hot water with some mint leaves in it? Come on. If you expect your customers to pay prices like these, then at least provide the food and level of service that go along with them. Unfortunately, the table service reminded me more of a casual, down-to-earth diner. And there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with diners--I actually like them. But diners don't pretend to be something they're not and then charge you $9 for some white rice. The person who brought our food either had very little experience or simply hadn't been properly trained. We were sitting at a round table, and instead of walking around and placing each plate in front of each guest, he leaned across the table and handed the plates over to us. Basically, here you go, pass it along. Then, while we were still sitting there and finishing up, the busboy reached across the table to collect some empty dishes and actually leaned over with his elbow on the table. I don't think I've ever experienced that even in restaurants considerably less "fancy" than this one. Now let's talk about the food, because unfortunately that didn't exactly save the experience either. The masto musir was incredibly watery. I have honestly had better mast musir from a Persian food counter at JONS Market. My chicken--their supposedly famous "juicy chicken"--was mushy and much too salty for my taste. And when the ice cream arrived, it was already half melted. I've eaten at many Persian restaurants over the years, so I have plenty to compare it with. This certainly wasn't some unforgettable meal that would make me overlook everything else. And then came the bill. On top of their already high prices, they automatically added an **18% service charge** to our bill--and then apparently still expected us to leave an additional tip. Yeah, right. If you're already adding an 18% service charge to our bill, particularly after this kind of table service, don't expect me to happily add another tip on top of it. What exactly is the 18% "service charge" supposed to be paying for if we're then expected to tip for the service again? That's really what bothers me about this place. Making a restaurant look expensive and chic and charging prices that make you shake your head doesn't automatically make it upscale. For me, upscale means the entire experience: good food, professional table service, attention to detail, and those little touches that justify paying considerably more. Cheap paper napkins, mediocre food, questionable table service, very high prices, and an automatic 18% service charge while still expecting an additional tip don't exactly scream "upscale" to me. Again, our waitress was lovely. She was friendly, kind, and pleasant, and I don't want any of my criticism to reflect on her. **In fact, she is the ONLY reason I'm giving this restaurant two stars. Without her, it wouldn't be two.** read more

What an absolute gem in Encino! I stopped by recently for dinner with a friend, and everything about the experience was wonderful. The interior is really nice, clean, and welcoming. Parking is also a breeze--there is parking with valet in the back, though I was lucky enough to easily find street parking out front. The service truly stood out. The staff was extremely friendly, and the team was very attentive throughout our entire meal. As for the food, it was really delicious! I ordered the juicy chicken, which lived up to its name, and my friend had the lentil soup, and both of us loved what we got. Everything was fresh, the atmosphere was great, and we would definitely come again. Highly recommend! read more

I had lunch with my friends. The ambiance is always relaxing, the service was great and the food superb. The poem below sums it up: Sadaf is my only go-to place for lunch, Whoever I take there loves it a whole bunch. The service is great, and the food is superb, The perfect place to relax, enjoy, and munch! read more

Spacious restaurant with paid valet parking in the back or free street parking if you can find it. The staff were really welcoming and nice. We ordered the appetizer combo so we got to try a bit of everything (roasted eggplant, yogurt dip, and hummus with domas), and Tahdig crispy rice appetizer with three different stews. We also ordered the combo platter #2 with beef, chicken and a separate order of filet mignon that came with salad, rice, cucumber salad, and roasted tomato, bell pepper and onions. Everything was really delicious and flavorful. read more

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Amazing food and service. We've been multiple times and keep coming back. A beautiful restaurant that is simply decorated a wonderful atmosphere. We chose to have our mother's birthday here after being pleased so many other times. Moda, our server was top notch and remembered everybody's complicated orders, stellar service here. Food 10/10 especially the beef kabobs and hummus are particular favorites! read more

Sadaf Restaurant - Birthday party at Sadaf - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Encino, California

We arrived with a large group on a weekday for dinner and they were able to accommodate us. It was our first time here so the server gave us some recommendations. We ended up ordering 1 combination appetizer and the dolmeh was good. Usually I may not like the flavor at some places, but this one I was able to eat. We ordered Juicy chicken (2), koobideh Kabob, Naderi kabob(2) and boneless lamb (2). They were able to plate them family style for sharing and so we got the mixed rice so we can try one od each type. They were nice enough to give a little extra rice to make the presentation of the plate look full. We were able to get 3 salads to get served family style as well. The sadaf salad came in the biggest plate to share, the beet and shirazi salad came in smaller portions. The chicken was big and juicy! All the meats we ordered tasted good... soft and tender. I really enjoyed the beet salad as it also had some sweetness to it. The mixed rice variety allowed us to try all the choices: Albaloo had sour cherries in it, Zareshk had barberries (was my husband's favorite), baghali has lima beans and dill, Asas has lentils raisins and dates making it a sweeter rice dish. They could have provided more bread for our appetizer platter and since we had more people but if you ask for more they will bring more. Everyone enjoyed the food. We did have a lot of leftovers so it would have been nice for our server to let us know to order a little less. We probably could have gotten away with a couple orders less. Also would be nice if they have some kind of chili or hot sauce or peppers for those that like a little more spice to their meal. It wasnt too busy when we went (but it was a weekday) so our party felt like everything turned out well food-wise and service was attentive, just a tad on the pricier side (Juicy chicken is $28 for 5 pieces and rice, and lamb and Naderi were $40 &$39). read more

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The food was exceptional and everything tasted delicious! I especially loved the chicken, and the lamb was cooked perfectly. The presentation was beautiful, and the customer service was excellent everyone was very friendly and welcoming. The restaurant had a wonderful, authentic Persian atmosphere. I'm not from this neighborhood, but I was extremely pleased with both the food and the service. We also ordered Persian ice cream for dessert, which was excellent. Overall, we had a wonderful experience and truly appreciated the warm Persian hospitality! read more

Sadaf Restaurant - Cornish chicken - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Encino, California

Food is incredibly tasty. Portion size will surprise you in a good way. Staff is friendly and quite accommodating. Oh, the menu is huge. Lovely place with bubbly hostess. read more

There are not that many restaurants in the valley that can seat a party of 13. Then the list becomes even smaller when you factor in the quality of the food. The chicken was so good to the point where I didn't want to tell anyone because I didn't want to share it. The eggplant appetizer had these chips of garlic inside it that almost tasted caramelized. That was so freaking good our table ordered 5 total. read more

Thank you to Sadaf Restaurant for the warm hospitality and wonderful service. We had an amazing birthday experience last night! A special thank you to our servers, Ayman and Nazzy, for making sure we were so well taken care of. We truly appreciate their kindness and hospitality. They made birthday dinner enjoyable, special, and truly memorable! read more

Outstanding juicy chicken and cherry rice - excellent flavor and generous portions, We have had SANDRA as our server many times and she is always friendly and helpful! read more

Ben was awesome server! The food was great also! I had the juicy chicken and got so much food, which was amazing!

Last night we had dinner at Sadaf - Encino, a modern Persian restaurant with several locations. We arrived at 6:35 p.m. and were told there would be a 20-minute wait. Because large parties were gathered near the entrance, we were asked to move into the bar area while we waited. (The restaurant does not take reservations for groups smaller than five.) While waiting, I noticed several tables for four sitting empty on the patio. We were told we could check our place in line via text, but the message never updated beyond "You are 11th in line and should be seated between 7:03-7:09 p.m." After several trips back to the host stand, we were eventually told it would be another 11-12 minutes. We were finally seated at 8:06 p.m.--after waiting more than an hour. I would never wait this long for food anywhere. Unfortunately, the service after being seated did not improve the experience. We had to request menus, and initially were given only two. After placing our order, two additional menus were brought. We asked for water three times before it finally arrived. Later, when our entrées were brought out, the server had removed our silverware and we had to ask for replacements. We started with the Tahdig (crispy rice) served with two stew toppings: Ghormeh Sabzi (slow-cooked beef with sautéed herbs, kidney beans, dried lime, and special seasonings) and Gheimeh Bademajan- eggplant stew. The eggplant stew was definitely the better of the two. For salads, we ordered the Beet and Feta with Persian cucumbers, lemon juice, olive oil, feta, and mint--it was just okay. We also had the Shirazi salad with chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, onion, olive oil, and lime juice. This is a classic combination and hard to get wrong, and it did not disappoint. For entrées, we tried the whitefish (charbroiled), which my friend felt was not as good as on a previous visit, and the Shish Kabob, which one of us really enjoyed. The true standout of the night was the Juicy Chicken. It was honestly one of the best chicken dishes I've ever had--boneless chunks of incredibly tender chicken, perfectly marinated and charbroiled over an open flame. It was the redeeming quality of the meal. I would give the Juicy Chicken five stars. That said, I would never wait over an hour for it again. While the Juicy Chicken alone would have warrented 5 stars, the service and wait time knocked it down to three. Unfortunately, dining in was not a pleasant experience. read more

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Wow, I just had the tastiest and most filling Persian lunch! Came here for work, my first time but not for my group. I can see why they come here all the time. This place is delicious! I had the Juicy Chicken plate with a side beet salad. Everything, I mean everything, was good. Rice and veggies on point. But let me tell you about that chicken! Juicy as advertised and perfectly seasoned. Wow. Plus the beet salad was meticulous. I tried my buddies salmon and that was also just as good. Highly recommend and wanting to come back to try more. read more

Sadaf Restaurant - Beet salad - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Encino, California

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We are visiting from out of town and had dinner with the family here. The very BEST service, (thank you Korosh and Cherish), the most delicious food and the ambiance with a live violinist playing was amazing. We love this restaurant and highly recommend the wonderful cuisine in a total immersed experience. read more

Food was great, receptionists were very nice and inviting. Great spot to get lunch. Hanna in the front was a gem.

Sadaf is one of our go-to spots for Persian food. The ghormeh sabzi with tahdig is the absolute best--so flavorful and always a must-order for us. The beef barg is another favorite, perfectly seasoned, tender, and consistently delicious. Great portions, friendly service, and food that keeps us coming back. Definitely five stars! read more

Been to Sadaf several times, and every time, it is excellent. Ambiance is beautiful and clean. Food - I think their chicken kabob is the best I've had in LA. It is better than their beef koobideh and barg, though those are still good. I have had better beef koobideh at other restaurants like Raffis or Shekarchi. Their bread is so fresh and is an elevated experience compared to the usual lavash bread that restaurants give. My friends had the salmon and they really liked it. The maast o khiar is really good too. The service is excellent - all the food came out quickly and the servers were nice. I will say I am Persian (and look very obviously so) and for some reason one lady only looked at/spoke to my husband and not me. I would say it's 4.5 stars because I was put off by this. Parking is tough right next to the restaurant but can be found metered down the street if you don't want to valet. We were a party of 4 at 7pm on a Saturday night and were seated right away at a booth. read more

2 out of 5 stars. I've been to this restaurant several times with my Persian friends who speak Farsi, and every visit has come with excellent service. That's why I was excited to bring my girlfriend and her friend here today. Unfortunately, this experience was completely different. Our waiter, Amir, barely checked on our table. His greeting and every interaction with us felt monotone, rushed, and completely lacking any warmth. There wasn't a single smile or welcoming gesture throughout the meal. At one point, I walked to the restroom and, on my way back, saw the same waiter enthusiastically speaking Farsi and providing attentive, friendly service to several other tables. The contrast between how those tables were treated and how we were treated was impossible to ignore. Based on my experiences here, it certainly felt like customers who are Persian or speak Farsi receive a much warmer level of service than those who don't. The food is still good, but service is a big part of the dining experience. I left disappointed, especially after recommending this place to others. Unless you speak Farsi or are Persian expect mediocre to poor service. This shoutout is for you Amir! Hopefully management reads this review. read more

Delicious, exquisite, and explosive flavor to go with tenderness. I can't even find the words to describe the flat iron steak, and honestly my whole plate was delicious. Prime protein you will not regret. read more

Sadaf Restaurant - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Encino, California

I didn't dine in but regardless the food was definitely a 10/10 I would like to come back to dine and and order more dishes to try. My fav so far is the ghormeh sabzi stew, delicious. read more

Great food and wonderful service! Thanks Ben for creating such a wonderful experience for our family yesterday. Will definitely come back soon. read more

If you speak to people who hail from Iran or the Middle East and ask them to recommend places that can serve unforgettable kebabs, most of the time you will find that the name, Sadaf, is included in their lists. One can debate, who makes the best kebab? Does it come from India, Pakistan, Iran, Armenia, Israel and so on. That is really a topic that deserves discussion at a later date. For now, I would say that, if you look for an abundance of a cuisine that serves a wide range of kebab types, we may have a leading candidate. I'm talking varieties....minced meat, chunks of meat, also talking chicken, beef, lamb, quail, Cornish hen, fish, to name a few. I would say at least in my experience, the Persian restaurants top the list in all these categories. So I had to come here for the first time, to Sadaf, a celebrated restaurant, in Encino, touted for serving Modern Persian Cuisine. I started with my favorite, the Maust Mousier (Creamy plain yogurt mixed with minced shallots). The shallot taste was hardly there, so I asked for a spike, and they obliged. Dip into that with their Pita bread (rectangles and triangles), not from a grocery shelf and you will be elated. For my main, I was looking for a different kebab, something unique, that I have never had before. It was the Naderi Kebab. They say that it is, "the most tender center-cut of filet mignon marinated and charbroiled". It is priced at $38. However, if you go for the Naderi Soltani, at $42, it also includes, their "perfectly seasoned ground beef koobideh kabob". So I chose the Naderi Soltani. For a few more dollars, I also substituted the standard saffron rice, with my favorite, the Arashek Pollo (sour barberries). What transpired was a culinary awakening. The Naderi Kebab, chunks of meat (I asked for it medium rare), was unlike any fire grilled meat I have ever had, anywhere. This was gastronomic ecstasy. Every bite was evenly grilled, juicy and charred perfectly, flavorful and infused with an intoxicating aroma and taste. Wow. My taste buds danced in thankful joy. The Koobideh did not disappoint either. Hands down, for me, this is the best Persian restaurant, not only in the valley but anywhere else, in Los Angeles. I am going back soon to try their other preparations. Merci. read more

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8.5/10 If you're hunting down some of the best Persian food in Los Angeles, Sadaf in Encino absolutely deserves a spot on your list. Their koobideh beef is what I came for, and it did not disappoint. Juicy, well-seasoned, and tender, it instantly earned a spot as my second favorite koobideh in LA--and that's saying a lot since I take my beef day seriously. I've had one that edges it out on flavor, but Sadaf's rendition is still excellent and definitely worthy of a rotation spot for Persian cravings. The portions are generous, the rice is perfectly fluffy, and the balance of flavors makes it clear why this place has such a reputation. Next time, I'll be trying their juicy chicken, which I've heard is the star of the menu and the most popular dish here. Only downside: parking. From what I saw, it's valet-only, which feels like an inconvenience in this part of Encino. Still, the food makes up for it. Bottom line: If you're in the Valley and want one of LA's top Persian food experiences, Sadaf is worth it--just come hungry and maybe ready to valet. My personal favorites for beef koobideh are 1. Raffis 2. The spot & the kebab factory 3. Sadaf read more

Sadaf Restaurant - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Encino, California

We had an amazing dining experience at Sadaf Restaurant! The food was absolutely delicious--every dish was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. A special thank you to Behnam, our waiter, who provided exceptional service. He was friendly, attentive, professional, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout our meal. His outstanding hospitality made our visit even more enjoyable. Great ambiance and design in the restaurant. If you're looking for authentic, high-quality Persian food with excellent customer service, I highly recommend Sadaf Restaurant. We'll definitely be coming back! Again, Behnam thank you for the great service. read more

I usually opt to dine in but decided to call in an order from Sadaf today. Service was outstanding and food was delivered on time. I ordered a combination koobideh plate. The chicken was perfectly seasoned and incredibly succulent. The ground beef was cooked to perfection and bursting with flavor. Plate came loaded with rice, grilled tomato, and a side salad. Thank you to the Sadaf team and keep up the great work! read more

This is the best Persian kabob I've ever had, IMHO better than Raffi's which many people consider the best. I would definitely come back since every dish we had was perfectly executed. The meat quality is outstanding and I'm sad we hadn't been eating at Sadaf all these years! Service was great too and the restaurant is design well. read more

Sadaf Restaurant - Koobideh combo w/ Albaloo pollo and salad - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Encino, California

The food here was delicious and some of the service was good. Our waiter was great. However when we got there we were made to wait for a table even though there were only a few people there. We were sat in this back corner that was very hot and we couldn't enjoy the atmosphere because there was a podium in our way. When asked to move they did accommodate us but when dining at a restaurant for the first time, first impressions are important. read more

Beautifully designed restaurant that has excellent Persian/Iranian food. The portions are absolutely huge and I had to grab a to-go box for over half of the food which I could not finish. I also thought that the Dough (yogurt drink from Iran) was a great touch and a perfect way to beat the heat and pair with meat. The restaurant is located on Ventura Blvd making it very convenient to access and you can easily run errands at say, the nearby Whole Foods after your meal. Highly recommended!!! read more

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Food is top notch. The fish, the kabab and appetizers especially the kashk e bademjan I can't get enough of. I'd say top three in the country. I only come with family. It's always something different and very special. The service is among the kindest most polite and respectful of any restaurant. I feel at home here and all of the staff are amazing. The ambience is somewhat casual. It's a very beautiful restaurant and super clean. read more

Amazing food! Truthfully outstanding great customer service as a Latina woman I approve of this amazing Persian food!

Food was amazing!!! And staff was so nice and friendly. This is my new go to spot in Encino

1-Star Disappointing food and borderline deceptive hidden fees I will not be returning to this place. We ordered the ground beef kebab, and it was a massive disappointment--dry, bland, and completely lacking the flavor you expect from a proper kebab change the quality no the same as before .To make matters worse, their billing practices are completely ridiculous. They auto-charged us an 18% service fee for a party of only FIVE people. Forcing an automatic gratuity on a group that small is a complete joke and feels like a total cash grab, especially when the service doesn't warrant it. Watch your receipt closely so you don't accidentally double-tip on top of their forced surcharge.Overpriced, mediocre food, and shady billing. Save your money and go somewhere else. read more

Absolutely the rudest manager. Food ordered in an amount of over $550 They send food with a raw onion to the medical office When I called the manager, she didn't care, totally dismissing our concern ... when she called earlier to confirm the order, she yelled at my staff, "Don't put me on hold " - LADY, this is a medical office. This is last time that we will order food or I will go to this place read more

Sadaf Restaurant - Raw onions, not grilled ones, were sent to the medical office. - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Encino, California

An absolutely unforgettable and fantastic meal. The service is excellent, the ambiance is delightful, and the food is exceptional. The flavors were amazing and the juicy chicken is probably the best bite of chicken breast I have ever enjoyed. The combo plate #3 and we added a skewer of koobideh and WOW everything was fantastic. We absolutely must come back for dinner because the desserts and other menu items all looked incredible but we were full for lunch. Thank you to our server Iman who took very good care of us and explained the menu for our first time. All of his recommendations were stellar, and the cherry rice in particular was just perfectly balanced. Parking in the back lot will be $7. read more

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The absolute best normally come once a month because it's so good Great quality food read more

Food and ambiance was great. Service was below my expectations. We have been to this place in the past with party of 4 or 6. But party of 16 was apparently too much to handle. We had toddlers and despite asking to be seated elsewhere, we were seated by the bar. Food took an hour and half to arrive. Had to ask multiple times for water refill. Since gratuity is automatically added to large party....service is overlooked. read more