Apart from the fantastic location, there are no other positives. Overpriced. Food - poor. There are way better Persian restaurants in London. We had the lamb and herbs stew, royalty grill and a vegetarian grill. Every dish had the same sides ('exotic' greens, same three different rice). The stew had definitely been prepared beforehand and just heated up prior to serving (and it was a small portion for the price). Unless you're desperate I would not recommend this place. read more

Simurgh - Lamb stew and grills - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

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We were very impressed with this lovely little Persian restaurant on Garrick Street. We started with their humus with Felafel with an order of Lavash. It was really fabulous. The humus was served with a sprinkling of cinnamon, which really added to its flavor and their Lavash was warm and tasted very fresh. We shared two additional dishes: a chicken stew with apricots and roasted salmon. Both were tasty but I'd highly recommend the chicken dish. The combination of the flavors and the sauce was so tasty that I added it to my salmon too. The service was excellent and their prices were reasonable. read more

Not a lot of meat variations to choose from. For example, I would have liked the chicken koobideh but, they only offer it in lamb. Opted for the salmon entree (served with rice and salad) instead and it was okay. The dressing on the salad reminded me of thousand island so I barely touched it. Persian beer was okay as well. read more

Simurgh - Salmon entree - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

After waiting for 20 minutes to get into Dishoom, we decided to check out a random Persian restaurant around the area and found Simurgh. We ordered the Sini Platter to begin with. At £14.95, it felt a bit expensive because the portion was too less. For main course, we got the Joojeh (£14.95 - with exotic rice) and Koobideh (£13.95). Both were cooked to perfection and hit the right spot. Service was quick and good. read more

Growing up Persian with an exceptionally gifted mother when it came to cooking the cuisine of my ancient and storied people, I was always a bit spoiled when it came to Persian food. And I can honestly say that this was some of the best Persian food I've had, including Tehran and Los Angeles. The lamb koobideh was an absolute inspiration only to be topped by the delightfully marinated joogeh (chicken). Granted the price was a bit much for my American dollars, but between the beautiful decoration and the utterly sublime food I would highly recommend this to anyone with a love of Persian culture or just a general interest in amazing food. read more

When my friends asked me to recommend a chicken dish, I looked at the menu and started listing them all. I have tried all of them, and they are all delicious. In fact, I never liked duck (and still don't) except for the Duck with Pomegranate - the sauce is so smooth, so rich! All the dishes come with three types of rice and a small green salad. There's really no need to order appetizers... I mean, unless you just want more delicious. The lavash, however, is not served warm and is always too small an amount for the quantity of dip and must be purchased separately. Their cocktail menu - while small - suits the food very nicely. Be sure to finish your meal with the Lazy Pumpkin, a cold desert comprised of pumpkin puree, cinnamon, coconut, and condensed milk, which is probably the best combination I can think of for a desert. Some nights they have a bellydancer, which is a bit awkward, but don't let her distract you from the flavors! Persian food is my favorite cuisine, and you won't be let down here. The owners are very concerned with the quality of their food and checked on us a number of times. For weekends, be sure to make a reservation as it's often full. read more

So again in London & went back to this place :) The ambiance & interior is really good, it's a great location in Covent garden & my company loved the food. As for me, I thought it was average good but I liked how they presented the food on plate also. read more

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Food is good. Restaurant is generous with their buffet. They refill food immediately when buffet trays are low.

I've never had Persian food before, so Simurgh was literally the my first ever experience trying this type of cuisine and I must admit that I really enjoyed it! They have great service here which is always a plus. Coming to the food, the falafels are crunchy which is just the way I like it. We ordered some grilled vegetables with Persian Rice. If I know anything about Persian food (mostly from having a friend from Iran), it's that they take real pride in the rice they make and I could truly see that in the meal. If you're looking to try something different, this is a great place to start. Oh and don't forget to get those refreshing mint teas with your meal. They're great! read more

Simurgh - Grilled Vegetables with Persian Rice at Simurgh - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

The restaurant itself is lovely with fantastic staff. I had Persian tea to warm me up after my walk from the hotel, ordered the cucumber/tomato/herb salad (not going to even attempt to spell it!!!) and the gormeh sabsi stew for dinner (not sure how well I did on that spelling!!). The food was just as lovely as the restaurant except, and maybe this is only done at my usual Persian restaurant, but they didn't give me any herbs/onions/cheese/radishes to nibble on with my food. I may be spoiled in that I grew up surrounded by Persians who taught me the wonderful cuisine from Iran (and the ugly side of it too... yogurt drink blegh!!) and so I'm used to having it a certain way, nonetheless, the stew was good and filled that craving I'd been carrying for a while! read more

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Excellent food and service- DO NOT try any other Persian restaurant I'f You are visiting London. Try the Saltanati or the Chendeh Kabob. read more

Simurgh - The Chenjeh Kabob with 3 rice platter - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

Good place for family and friends gathering. Persian Resturant with Excellent atmosphere not so loud, food and service are very good. We ordered the mix grill, which came in time but some of rice dishes were cold. If you are a couple. This is a good place to enjoy some fine affordable meal before continuing your night out. The bred is freshly baked in the Resturant and their Faloda and saffron ice cream are amazing!! read more

Simurgh - The mix grills for two is the best choice for sharing. It has Kebab beef, Lamb Cofta, Chicken and Shrimps. - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

Hands down, the best Persian food you'll find in London! Take it from a someone who will not give 5 stars unless it's truly deserved in realm of Persian food. Yes, is a bit pricey and portions are slightly smaller than expected. But, you're getting the most flavorful, soft, moist, colorful Persian dish in all of London. Definitely worth it. The rice, which is a miss by many restaurants, was appropriately lengthened, soft, buttery and cooked. The meat was made to perfection. Definitely order the Sultani (both Koobideh and Barg) with 3 different rice options if it's your first time as it is the most classic dish to get all tastes in one, and don't forget a refreshing doogh (the house yogurt drink) and sabzi/raw onions on the side. And did I mention how wonderful and authentic the atmosphere is? Truly delightful to hear real Persian music as you dine. Highly, highly recommended!! read more

Simurgh - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

This was our first time eating Iranian food and it was amazing. The decor is very Persian and so is the background music. The mains are either grilled kabobs or stews. And all come with a side salad and three styles of rice. The lamb kabobs were really flavourful and moist and the stew was nice and bitter with great spice. The dressing in the salad was so delicious. It was yoghurt based with lemon. The three rices were light and fluffy and wonderful as well. One was dill, the other was saffron and the third was pomegranate. If you're in the area or seeing a play, this is a great place to have a bite before the show. read more

I'm from NYC and I have extremely high standards. Best meal I had the entire week here in England. Thank you! read more

Simurgh - Lamb and chicken - delicious! - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

Hi and welcome to my first post. I thought I knew what to expect from this restaurant, as soon as my mum said Persian, I thought middle Eastern, which I've had many times- this was something different and special. The staff were really friendly and hospitable and although we had booked a table for 8 on a Saturday night we were late by 30 minutes. Yet they still managed to seat and take orders within 10 minutes of waiting at the door to opening that menu (Was busy). What I really liked was the ambiance of the inside. It's not 'trying too hard', but really tries to project the old Iranian/Persian dynasty. The menu was not over complicated and the food came quickly. 4 dishes- 2x Rice and Lamb (Lamb and herb is worth a try) and two duck dishes. Excellent food, tasty, different, great portions and will be going again! If you're hungry like we were, starters won't satisfy but they were really tasty; felafel/meatballs/bread/Chicken. The place all in all is great but quite small so booking is really advised. This is not like the cafes on Edgware road- hence earlier I said special... I was probably looking for the word 'Unique'. Great experience! Thanks! :) p.s be prepared for belly dancing. Please check out pictures! read more

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I really enjoyed our dinner here. It's a low-key place, and is surprisingly reasonably priced for London. We shared a bunch of plates. The bademjoon had really unique flavors in a good way, and I think was the standout dish. But everything we tried (we ordered a ton) was very good. The only strange thing is that the waiter really strong-armed us into paying with cash, giving the impression they didn't take credit card. That was not the truth, of course. read more

Excellent Persian restaurant near Covent Garden, the service was wonderful and the food was great. The falafel came with hummus and great thin warm bread. The lamb shank was just what I needed on a cold London day. The lamb was a bit fattier then I would have liked but that just added to the flavor. The rice that accompanied it was also great. read more

Simurgh - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

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WE came here close to closing time and they were nice and let us sit. The food was good but overall I didnt like a few things. The owner was in and out and smoking outside and the bathroom downstairs was very dirty. Food itself was pretty food. 3 pounds for water and 3 pounds for coke was over priced. The kebab was excellent. read more

Not your typical Persian food, but one of the most delicious meals I've ever had. More of a southern homemade twist on the usuals with a few surprises I've never seen before. I ate here a couple nights ago and then tried a different Persian restaurant here in London last night. No comparison, came back here again. The homemade bread is a must have. Chicken kabab is so delicious as is the ghormeh sabzi. The owners are usually here and very welcoming. I will miss this place and will be sure to come back next time. read more

Authentic Middle Eastern food. Excellent service and on plate better than the other. The falafel on homus is a must try !!!

If you want subpar Persian food come to this place. The food was poorly made & drenched in oil/butter, the lavash was soggy and not freshly made, the koobideh that I was looking forward to was the worst. I was missing the Persian food in Los Angeles and thought I'd have some in London.. being a big city and all but I guess I was wrong! I also felt uncomfortable from the facial expression of the waiter when we decided to order an entree and appetizer to share. I am very happy we did as the food was not good. read more

So my first in London I decided I wanted some Persian food. My friend and I are seated quickly. I use the restroom. Now I'm waiting on a server to take my order. She comes over I tell her I'm making an order for take away because friend wants to eat something else. I ask her how long it would take she informed about 15 minutes. She leaves 2 mins later "we can't do take away". Wtf 2018 who doesn't do take away. What do patrons do with leftovers. Pissed me off because I hadn't eaten all day and she tells me bs. What a way to treat tourists. So terrible. Btw I believe it was racially motivated. Because all the other patrons didn't seem to have issues and they were non black. Such nonsense. read more

If I could give zero, star or minus , i would do that. As a person been to many Iranian(Persian) restaurants in different countries, definitely it was one of the worst experiences. The first thing was the disrespectful and unprofessional behavior of manager/owner. the food was a night mare. they served Iranian kabob koobideh with:"TOMATO SUACE" alraedy on it!! when we objected to food , the manger impolitely said" hey, I can not do any thing with it!". the iranian kabob in any part of the world either comes with bread "naan" or rice or "salad " , when we mentioned that he said" you have order it separately!! and he added rudely" those Iranian restaurant that you go will give rice with spade!!"(which literally means you eat somewhere like in stable!!). I and whole family were shocked by the way he talked! if not accompanying by family i would definitely face his unprofessionalism. read more

I have quite high standards for Persian food having had so much home cooked Persian food in my life, so when we were in Covent Garden with other culinary persianophiles, I was a bit sceptical, just because Londoners hate Covent Garden and the touristy things. I need not have been sceptical at all. The staff were very friendly and warm - as Iranians are - but the food was extraordinary Persian food - even by my standards. I enjoyed the most succulent and delicious Koobideh kebab in my life. The three different kinds of rice served was a great touch as well. I need not say more than: I wholeheartedly recommend this fine oasis of delicious hospitality in amidst the chaos of Covent Garden. read more

Great location, I ran into this place while walking around covent garden. I noticed the traditional Persian decor & walked in. The beef/chicken sultani came with 3 sides of diff rice & salad, which is rare is Persian places b/c you can only get one type of rice. The kabobs were juicy & great service read more

Nice little restaurant in Covent Garden. very niche persian decor and friendly service. the food is particular, I had a mixture of starters with some sauces that were very good and a king prawn and rice main dish that was also quite nice. and it is cheap! read more

Excellent food! We had the chicken kabab (joojeh) and the lamb kabab( barg) as well as eggplant and lavash bread appetizer. Mohsen took great care of us! The best Persian food we have had including the great Persian restaurants of California and New York. Highly recommend this place! read more

Restaurant is very close to Covent Garden. The decor is nice. The lamb shank was tender with nice deep flavors. read more

Simurgh - Lamb shank. - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

Family run business I guess. Hosts were very welcoming and friendly. The food was delicious, lamb was tender, the chicken was cooked to perfection. read more

This is my absolute favourite restaurant in the UK, a gem discovered one evening when hunger could have led us anywhere. It's a fairly small restaurant inbetween Covent Garden and Leicester Square, gorgeous glass lanterns outside the restaurant which glow warmly to invite you in. Once inside, it gives a real homely feel with rich colours on the wall, dark wood tables and low lighting. Oh yes, and the wonderfully-hypnotic music that they play at just the right noise levels. A sturdy menu with something to please even the fussiest of eaters, I'm sure. We can't resist doing the whole four-course thing at times, as the starters, main courses and desserts are all too yummy to resist. For starters ... well, you have to try some of their home-cooked breads, heavenly. So try some dolmas and be adventurous with a few other dishes that may have escaped your attention before - you won't be disappointed. For a substantial main course, well you can choose just about any dish and be left sated. Gormeh sabzi is very much an acquired taste but absolutely gorgeous, if a little too rich. My personal favourite is the duck with pomegranate sauce. Desserts ... ahhhh, you have to try ALL of them! For drinks, they do a lovely range of freshly-squeezed juices which are not especially common. As well as a decent selection of wines, sparkly stuff and champagne (Perrier Jouet, I vaguely recall!) plus your average liquers. Oh yes, do try the proper coffee too ... an acquired taste but addictive! The staff are always unfailingly polite, happy to give their opinion or suggestions but careful to maintain a discreet distance until they are absolutely sure you have finished. Downstairs are the bathrooms and a low-level seating area, which is where they have the "hubbly-bubbly pipe" in the evenings - this is also where the kitchens (pristine clean) are to be found, and where the lovely belly-dancers arise from ... most often seen on Friday evenings 9pm 'tho I am sure they are there at other times of the week, too. Can't rate this restaurant highly enough - I'd have given it 20 stars if they were available. read more

The food was over priced for the amount I got- I had the special lamb and chicken main course which had 4 tony lumps ofkw quality near on my plate, foul smelling cheap rice and a little bit of salad and sauce.. That was nice at least. My friend had a veggie stew which was £12 instead of £17 it looked much better and the sauce his the low quality rice too.. The toilets were disgusting and hadn't been cleaned in at least a day... The desserts were yummy but small, the pumpkin one was very tasty I guess you don't need much more.. If I went again I would have a veggie stew to get better quality and lower price food The waiter was v rude too and interrupted our convo to take order! Very empty on an evening in London on a sat evening!! I guess no one bothers to go there.. I won't again.. Unless it's for dessert. read more

The food is tasty and you get a flavor of Persian cuisine. The combination of the various spices is mild . The services is perfect

When I come to london I always come back to this amazing restaurant. Food is fresh and tasty. My favourite are duck and pomegranate and the gulf tigers. read more

Simurgh - Gulf tiger, simply amazing - Persian/Iranian Near Me - London, XGL

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Dimoosh down the street was super crowded so we ended up here. We did the prix fixed menu and it was awesome. The meat was so tender and moist, and we loved trying three different kinds of exotic rice. read more

Great food and service. The decor is very nice as well. I had the grilled lamb with rice. You get three kinds of rice, each delicious. The lamb was very tender and the saffronic sauce it's served on is very good. I also tried the Persian ice cream and they do not skimp on the saffron, very good. I would definitely return next time I am in London. Not too far from the British Museum. read more

The Simurgh has definetly surprised me. First of all, location is great, right in the centre, and food is delicious. Really surprised how delicate and fine everything tasted and all of the groups enjoyed their dishes. Starters to share offered a great variety of tasty palate treats (strongly recommend the spicy meatballs), and mains were beautifully presented with meat, 3 mounts of dill rice, saffron rice and cinnamon rice, greens: all together a delicious large portion. The staff was knowldgeable and gave us advise on the different dishes so we could make our choice. Service was prompt. Oh and nearly forgot the mesmerising belly dancer, great skills + entertainement Great experience. read more

My friends visiting London on a work trip from HK and I had been trekking around Covent Garden for a hour looking for some Spanish restaurant one of them vaguely recalled eating at and enjoying immensely - yes, us foodies can be quite dedicated like that. After peeking into several corner establishments, by-lanes and alleys, peering through numerous menus and an hour of walking around, with no success, we reluctantly gave up and decided to be a bit more open-minded. These said friends were in town only for a weekend and normally for such occasions I prefer planning in advance to showcase the best of London for such visitors. However, on a whim, we decided to duck into this spot with our fingers crossed that this wouldn't end on a sour note. The ground floor dining area seemed choc-a-bloc with people and we were wondering how long the wait for a table would be but we were soon whisked downstairs to a much quieter and more private area where we sat on low chairs amidst low lighting. Apparently this is a spot with occasional belly dance performances but we were glad that there were no shows on that night for we wanted some conversation over dinner. The menu seemed extensive and rather novel (the menu seems to have been trimmed since my last visit there?) - none of the names resonated with familiarity and the combination of flavours described (sweet dry fruits with spiced meat, etc), while reminiscent of some other cuisines, seemed to promise a good meal. Between the three of us, we decided to go for the Feast Sini for two with a variety of meats and prawns accompanied by salad and a variety of flavoured rice, along with a veggie main to mix it up a bit. I remember the portion sizes being quite hearty and the meal was very tasty. The lamb was really tender and the chicken was bursting with flavour. I am not sure whether my initial expectations were set really low or whether the meal was really that amazing. It could have also been that I was not footing the bill - a famous investment bank was being expensed for this rather lavish spread and I really did not mind ;) Either way, I have pleasant memories of this meal, but I am not sure if the magic will necessarily be repeated on my next visit therefore I desist from giving it a five star rating. read more

Best Persian kabobs! The starter platter with the aubergine, meatballs, etc. had lots of complex flavors and sauces.

There has to be better persian food in London.... Never seen kabobs served in some sort of tomato sauce... Very weird. read more