Simurgh

We were in London for a long weekend from Stockholm & just happened to walk by this place. We decided to eat there since it was very inviting & that was the best decision we have made in life! Excellent food, excellent ambiance. We’ll be back for sure when in London again :)

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!

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

Nice little restaurant in Covent Garden. very niche persian décor 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!

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!

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

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!

Walked in here on a Wednesday night for a quick bite after work with the boyfriend.
We decided to go for the starter platter it was hummus, grilled spinach with yogurt, meatballs in a tomato sauce and aubergine purée with a flatbread/​pancake.
It was very tasty but we probably wouldn’t have needed it as we then ordered the mixed grill for 2, it was great! nice fresh salad, grilled shrimp, chicken, lamb and my favourite lamb kofta. With three types of rice the meat was fresh and succulent lovely ! My meatlover boyfriend was also very impressed.
We also had a cocktail each (both nice, but dangerous you don’t taste the alcohol!) Then as a dessert I wanted to try the lazy pumpkin as another Unilocaler pointed out it was lovely. And it was ! Not sweet enough for my plus one of the night but hey can’t have it all ! We finished the night with a cup of Persian tea and rolled home ! Great place we will be coming back here soon !

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 purée, 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.

Nice food and service although the seafood items aren’t that good.

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.

It was good, not bad. First experience with Persian food. Wife was greatly disappointed (wanted me to give no higher than 2 stars) with her duck, I was content with my lamb plate. Seemed to have a good crowd and the downstairs area was quiet and relaxing. Overall, an average place in town full of great restaurants. Move on to the next one unless you are craving something average.

nice place, tasty food, friendly staff, a bit pricey

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.