My best friend and I visited Shalizaar for lunch on March 28, 2026. We were pleasantly surprised to be served sabzi as soon as we were seated--a fresh mix of mint, goat cheese, and walnuts, paired with warm lavash bread. I ordered the ghormeh sabzi, one of my favorite dishes. The makhlout, featuring both bastani and faloodeh, was wonderfully refreshing, icy, and delicious. The ambiance was beautiful. While our server was occasionally slow to attend us, the wait staff remained attentive throughout our visit. read more

Shalizaar - Ghormeh Sabzi - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Belmont, California

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We came here with a party of 11 and unfortunately had a very disappointing experience from beginning to end. With a group that large, accuracy and organization really matter, which is why it was concerning when our server insisted on taking all of our orders without writing anything down. As expected, several of our meals came out wrong. We were understanding and gave the restaurant a chance to fix the mistakes, but even after the food was remade, a few of the orders were still incorrect. That made the situation even more frustrating. On top of that, we had to wait an additional 45 minutes, which is a long time when people in your group are sitting there hungry while others have already been served. What made the experience worse was that nothing was done to make up for the inconvenience. There was no meaningful apology, no effort to compensate for the repeated mistakes, and no sense of urgency in resolving the issue. The food itself was mediocre at best, so unfortunately it did not make up for the poor service. Overall, the service was disorganized, the food was underwhelming, and the entire experience was frustrating. I would not return based on this visit. read more

After being loyal customers for years, this was our FINAL visit to Shalizaar. We were OVERCHARGED $30 for a so-called plate-splitting fee that was never disclosed and incorrectly applied. When we questioned it, the OWNER was DISMISSIVE and RUDE, responding with "So what, a lot of people come all the time." That attitude says everything. The food honestly doesn't justify this behavior anymore. NEGEEN has better koobideh and better food overall, without nickel-and-diming customers or treating them like they're disposable. Plenty of better Persian restaurants in the area. Save your money and go elsewhere. Transparency and customer loyalty clearly no longer matter here. As someone who shares local dining experiences with a large online audience, this is not something I can ignore. We will not be returning. read more

I haven't been here in so long but decided to stop by for an early dinner. The ambiance of this place has always been great. It's a nice, comfortable, clean restaurant to enjoy a meal. And service is always great every time I have gone. The food unfortunately is not as good as it used to be, I'm not sure if they've changed chefs or recipes or what but I've just had better kebabs near me. The main difference in this restaurant versus other Persian places is their homemade bread that they bring to the table which has always been good. I would return but keep in mind that my kebabs are just going to be ok. But judging from some of the other reviews, people have had the same experience with other items on their menu too. read more

Shalizaar - Koobideh Morgh - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Belmont, California

last time we went there (two weeks ago) the rice smelt and tasted very bad smokey strong taste which did not go with kebobs. The funny part was we told the waiter and he did not care! Kebobs and all other appertizers were good except the taste and the smell of rice! read more

I can't say enough about how bad the service was. This restaurant clearly seems to be cutting down on servers, and the staff appeared overwhelmed and disorganized. Communication was difficult, which led to multiple mistakes with our order. One server in particular was especially rude and even became upset when we politely pointed out that the order was incorrect. The food itself was okay at best, but the poor service completely ruined the experience. Overall, I'd rate the experience no higher than a 1/5 because the service issues overshadowed everything else. read more

Barg Kabob is plain with no flavor like u r eating a piece of paper or and rice is always "shefte". I really wish quality of food would improve because I live super close to this restaurant. read more

Shalizaar was excellent. The food quality and taste were very good, and the service was attentive and warm. You can tell they take pride in how they serve their guests. Overall, a wonderful dining experience. read more

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We have been to Shalizzar many times and keep going back. I probably have tried all the dishes on their menu, especially kabobs. They are delicious, very tasty, generous portion; in short fabtastic! read more

I love Persian food and was really excited to try this place. Beautiful interior and exterior and gives off a Tuscany restaurant vibe. Their starters were amazing: kashk-e bademjan, sabzi, and tah dig were devoured quickly. A little sad their entrees weren't as delicious. Kebabs and meats that we ordered weren't seasoned much and we found ourselves asking for extra seasonings to enjoy them better. Also, the tiramisu was absolutely drenched in alcohol - couldn't taste anything else! Our fault for ordering an Italian dessert at a Persian restaurant. Overall an OK experience read more

Shalizaar - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Belmont, California

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Went here earlier tonight and I had to write a review asap. The service was friendly and fast, and the food was great. We ordered: Dolmeh - 5/5 Mast moussir - 5/5 Salad shirazi- 5/5 Gheime - 4/5 Joojeh - 4/5 Koobide - 10/5 I found the joojeh to be a bit dry , but the koobideh... that was something else. So incredibly juicy and tender-- I ate well beyond being full. It's been a while since I found a Persian spot I liked and this was perfection. I will definitely be back! read more

Went on a quiet Sunday evening and our food was ready quickly. We got a complimentary appetizer. The order of best for the meat for me was: salmon and beef tied. Then the game hen then the shrimp. (Normally I love shrimp) read more

Shalizaar - Shrimp, game hen and beef Combo - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Belmont, California

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Death, taxes, Shalizars serving good Persian food.............. Is it 'THINGS THAT ARE INEVITABLE" We have had a long relationship with Shalizars. From the tiny restaurant in San Mateo, to the larger Mountain View location (we had one of 2 wedding receptions there), and final the spot most know, the Belmont location. Persian restaurants can be a bit of a nightmare. It is literally feast or famine and even promising eatery may die out without notice, even when they have spectacular food. Shalizars bucks that trend and has done so for decades. The interior of the restaurant has a nice modern feel. Its upscale but also maintains a causal edge. They have an expansive wine list, draft beer, and some of the best doogh in the business. The food: Sabzi Plate with bread: The plate comes as part of the meal. Filled with mint, walnuts, feta, and herbs, it is perfect to eat with the house made flatbread that is being cranked out of the wood fired oven at the end of the restaurant. Torshi: basically pickled vegetables. It is a usual go to for us as it will help with the inevitable richness of the incoming kebabs. The acid hit of the vinegar also helps with balance and evens out the butter rich rice Salad Shirazi: combination of chopped tomato, onion and cucumber it also adds a vegetable and fresh element to the kebabs. I am not going to lie, I also will roll this up in the flatbread with some sabzi and it is heaven Sultani: is traditional one strip of Barg (Filet) and one of Koobideh (ground beef). The Barg was tender and juicy. Tender, juicy and perfectly spiced. The Koobideh was a perfect balance of soft but had a nice mouthfeel to it. The char was a nice contrast again to the overall richness of the meat. The Persian rice here will be a rich affair with a ton of butter. Saffron infused rice topped the regular rice and in addition to adding a bit of color, it also pairs perfectly with the meat. Doogh: Yes an acquired taste, but the combo of carbonated water, mint, yogurt, and salt and pepper is not to be missed The service as always was friendly and on point. The true appeal of this place is that is it is just good all of the time. read more

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Good Persian/Iranian food on the Peninsula! You know you are at the right place just from the smell in the parking lot. You can tell they have a serious grill going. We have actually been here twice already, first for a big holiday party in the private room and again in the normal dining room. The grilled meats are excellent as is the lamb shank. We appreciate that the foods aren't too heavily seasoned. We can adjust ourselves as needed. The eggplant dip and homemade yogurt went great together. We accidentally got all rice after ordering half salad, but our very friendly server fixed it right away. read more

Shalizaar - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Belmont, California

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Shalizar is where you go for good authentic Persian food! This place has been opened for over 20 years. You know it's good when Persian people eat there ! Service was great and vibe was awesome. This place has won a lot of awards! Must check out ! read more

Shalizaar - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Belmont, California

High end Persian restaurant, nice seating. Quite early but it gets crowded for dinner at like 6:00pm. Their ice cream is killer. Their bread is made fresh in the dinning room. Love this place, I recommend anybody who's never been to go at least once and check it out. read more

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We stopped by this Persian restaurant one day while in the area for some type of different food experience than I am used too. There was fresh bread from a wood-fired oven in a beautiful restaurant inside and out. The food was delicious and different a good experience all in all. read more

Shalizaar - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Belmont, California

Food is amazing and so fresh, service is impeccable fresh bread, fresh feta. Water even tasted good. The restaurant is fancy and clean. I will come back. The prices are great for the amount of food you get on your plate. You will leave FULL and satisfied. read more

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Shalizaar is still my favorite Persian restaurant in the Bay Area, so much so that they are my default choice for birthday meals. And I cannot believe that I only just recently discovered that they make their bread in house, fresh, from their wood fired oven! No wonder if always comes out so warm and fresh tasting. Also, if you let them know it's your birthday, they will bring out a dish of rose pistachio ice cream and sing to you, which is a very nice touch. Their service is always super efficient and friendly, and somehow, they've also managed to keep their prices super reasonable even with inflation and prices rising precipitously. Shalizaar is still tops in my book! read more

Been going here for over a decade and it's the best Persian food in the Bay Area. The bread is also the best around.

The owner was very rude and charged me an extra $60 as a tip without my consent. I clearly told him that I did not want to leave a tip on my card and that I only wanted to be charged for my food, which was to-go. The food was already being paid for by the person who invited us, and I only ordered food for my kids to take home. Despite explaining this, he still charged me for additional food and added the tip without my permission. This was very upsetting and unprofessional, and I did not agree to these charges. I will never visit there any more and on top become out asking us that you didn't put TIPS read more

Came here with five friends on a Friday evening as I've heard good things about this restaurant. Left full and very happy with coming here. All of the staff were super nice from the person who greeted us at the door to all of the servers and people cleaning up. Food: - Joojeh: I've been to multiple Persian, Mediterranean, and Greek restaurants and have been disappointed by the chicken because it's usually dry. The joojeh at Shalizaar is so good! It was flavorful, it was moist, and overall cooked so well. I know they have so many dishes that are highly recommended, but this dish was so good that I want to order it again! Comes with option of salad, rice, or half and half. - Koobideh: this dish was also tasty and comes with the same side options. Quite a big portion and definitely enough for one person - Mast-o-khiar: fun appetizer to eat with the free "bread" they give in the beginning - "Free bread": I couldn't catch the name of the free dish they give in the beginning. It's not bread or pita, but in between? They bring it with mint, walnuts, and feta cheese as well - Tah dig: we ordered this with two different stews. Nice and crispy and more flavorful with the stews - Mirza Ghasemi: eggplant dish that we also ate with the "bread" and Tah dig. Flavorful and tastes healthy Miscellaneous: - Parking available via parking lot and street parking - We came at 6:30pm on a Friday and it started filling up around 7:00pm. Recommend a reservation if you're going at peak eating hours - Good for pairs, small groups, and large groups. They also have a private party room if you have a larger group read more

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Me and group of friends went to this establishment for a dinner for party of 11. Only 9 people were served with two of them waiting 30 minutes for their order. I recommend this place for the birds. read more

Second time visiting this restaurant & I have to say I'm very impressed they still provide the cheese & greens bucket. It's so nice to have a pre-appetizer complimentary. We ordered the kashk bodemjon, must o'khair, chicken koobedeh w/ green rice, combination koobedeh meal & Sinei kebab which my kids loved. The food is good only thing is the chicken koobedeh lacked flavor. Our waiter was very kind. The restaurant has a nice warm atmosphere. There was a lot of talking & I think nice soft instrumental music would help drain out the noise. Overall I would definitely go back for a meal here. It's a great place to bring out of town guests as well. read more

Shalizaar - Complimentary greens after we ate the cheese & walnuts - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Belmont, California

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SO disappointed- we ordered food to go today for my Mothers Day dinner I got the barg and shared a Greek salad with my husband The barg was inedible - VERY dry with zero taste or seasonings. I could only choke down one bite of it by drinking water with it. read more

We had delicious lunch. I had the chicken Kabobs..and pureed eggplant . It was yummy. We had a wonderful server as well. I will be back. read more

Love Shalizaar, been coming here for years. The food is consistently fantastic and feels like home. The service is always warm and prompt. The portions are huge and fresh. Thank you! read more

Fresh bread out of the stone fire oven is to die for. Kebabs & Rice is consistently good. read more

Shalizaar - Best fresh lavash - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Belmont, California

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Food is delicious authentic Persian / Mediterranean cuisine. Service is fine with attentive responsive waiters. Location is good with many dedicated parking spaces. Good for kids, groups and small parties. There is in house stone oven to bake fresh bread / naan. Try yogurt drink (doogh) for sure with Kabobs. Highly recommend this place for Persian food. read more

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Adasi 3 lentil soup, mildly flavorful Aush Reshteh 2 veggie noodle soup, too plain Sabzi 2 mint leaf salad, red radish, walnuts, feta, no dressing, no flavor Mirza Ghasemi 3 mashed dip, slightly bitter grilled eggplant, tomatoes, eggs, garlic, olive oil Fesenjan 3 chicken thigh, thick slightly sweet & sour pomegranate sauce Gheymeh 3 beef stew, chickpeas, grilled tomato sauce, mainly tomato flavor Ghormeh Sabzi 3 beef stew, red beans, spinach, non-spiced version of beef saag, not flavorful Koobideh 5 seasoned ground beef kabob, juicy, flavorful Koobideh Morgh 4 creamy ground chicken kabob, medium juicy, medium flavorful Baghali Polo 3 huge roast lamb shank, super tender, not gamy, not flavorful, weird flavor dill rice, green fat beans Plain Flat Bread w/ Lightly Salted Butter 2 soft, warm read more

Stopped by here visiting from Newport on our way to SF for a lunch break. The place was very nice and good decor, but i wish that represented the quality of food and service. Service was fast but very rushed and seemed a bit rude to be honest, and the food itself was extremly bland, I had the Ghorme Sabzi, and it was difficult to even finish it. Persian food needs more flavor and spice to represent the culture right read more

Best Persian Restaurant in the Bay Area. I love their Tahdig for appetizer .For the main course, my favorite is Chenjeh with an extra skewer of koobideh. read more

Came here on a Tuesday night and it was not crowded at all. Service was quick and attentive. We got the beef and chicken kebab and the lamb shank rice plate ($20-24 each). The meats were good, quite moist and flavorful, but overall I felt like there wasn't much differentiation in the flavor and there was too much rice. There was also a ton of dill in the rice for the lamb shank dish which I wasn't used to. The tiramisu ($10) dessert was good and I like how they added some tart sauce on the side. read more

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I haven't been here for a couple of years. Was in the area, so picked up dinner. It was SO bad! Ground beef kabobs had no flavor. Ghaymeh bademjoon also was bland and had less than a teaspoon of beef in it. It was 90% yellow split peas. The two dips (mirzah ghasemi & kashkeh bademjoon) were like tasteless paste. I'm Persian and know what these dishes should taste like. We threw away 90% of it. Also, the online menu shows wrong prices. Actual price was almost double what was posted. I will neveeerrrrr go back. read more

The best Persian restaurant in the Bay! Always consistent and delicious. I've been going here since I was a child, it is still a family run restaurant that continues to have great service and really knows how to serve up traditional Persian dishes. All their stews are delicious, the Gheymeh Ghormeh Sabzi and Fesenjan etc. The kebab is also so good! The Koobeh has also the right consistency as sometimes some Persian places use meet with a lot of fat, but they just know how to it, right! read more

Shalizaar - Sooooo good Tah Dig Gheymeh and Ghormeh Sabzi. Must order - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Belmont, California

We are trying shalizar every weekend and no change in portion size or the quality of the food . Shishlik of shalizar comes with 1 skewer of lamb chops , 2 skewers of beef kobideh and 1 Cornish chicken . The restaurant offers Complementary Sabzi with walnuts and original cheese. The service is fast and most servers are Spanish speakers ,but they had been trained nicely. The reservation is also available. They offer the fresh nan from the tandor that they made for their guests. read more

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Delicious food! The koobideh, lamb kebab, beef kebab and eggplant dishes are flavorful and expertly cooked. We love getting food to go--they prepare it quickly, and it's always fresh and hot. read more

On Juneteenth, we went to Shalizaar to celebrate my daughter's early birthday. It had been a while since we dined here in Belmont. The nice wall picture of deers in the parking lot will always catch your attention. We were greeted by Shaun (Afshin) who we have known for many years now. He told us we can sit anywhere we wanted. As always, the dining room was clean and beautiful. They baked their own bread "naan" using a clay oven at the end of the dining room. We were given a complimentary sabzi. We ordered Kashk-e-Bademjan as a starter. My daughter ordered Mahi, my husband ordered Joojeh. I got Baghali Polo for a change from Kabobs. Food was delicious. For drinks we just had Doogh & Persian hot tea. For dessert, my daughter & I shared Makhlout. We ordered Soltani to go for our son-in-law who did not make it to join us. We always come back as Shalizaar is a family fine dining restaurant. read more

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It was my 4th time here . I ordered tahdig with gheimeh Badm Jan and fesenjsn and Koobideh . The food was terrible . Only the bread was good . The only reason I gave 2 stars is for customer service . The workers are all very friendly , nice , professional and efficient. read more

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Fancy ambiance, great food, good portions, quick service. What's not to like about Shalizaar. My brother and I visited for dinner yesterday. We ordered chicken koobedeh and jeju kababs. The tender meats came with flavourful Persian rice served on a lavash. Meats was very fresh, soft, tender. Enjoyed the fancy indoor seating area. The house salad served was super fresh and made with fine quality olive oil. Loved it so refreshing. The salad shalizer was just ok. Not worth as a menu item. Top of our list for good styled kababs in Bay Area. Must visit. read more

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