Colbeh Restaurant

A mosaic-clad bread oven holds pride of place by the door of this long-serving family-run Persian eatery just off Edgware Road, while framed artworks and photos of tourist spots line the walls of Colbeh’s tiny dining room. It’s an intimate and unpretentious setting for some great-value food – not just top-drawer naans but also dips, salads, pickles and kebabs, plus warming dishes such as the spicy ‘stew of kings’ (chicken breast with ground walnuts and pomegranate purée. Come the weekend, expats drop by to feast on comforting plates of baghali polo (special ‘green rice’ with dill and broad beans, served with lamb shank in tomato sauce). To finish, homemade ice creams and faloudeh (Persian noodle sorbet with lemon and rose water) should hit the sweet spot.