Alounak in City of London, Westminster

My experience at this restaurant was the worst one I have ever had in my life! My husband and I got there late on Friday night due to me being released from A&E after several hours that day for some health concerns and were the last dine-in customers of the night. We proceeded to order our food which was served up shortly thereafter. Half way through our meal the ambient music was turned off (clearly done to speed us up as it was apparent the staff wanted to leave), with the staff literally just waiting around for us to finish eating. The whole atmosphere became very awkward as we rushed to finish our food. But this wasn't the most shocking aspect of our time there. Towards the end of our meal we clearly heard the manager (an aged, grim looking man named Yousef) talking about us to his waiting staff by the counter (which was only a few feet away from our table)- demeaning us because of how slow we were eating and racistly referring to us as 'disgusting people' given our clear outwardly Arab appearance. We, along with his waiting staff, were shocked by his outburst. At this point my husband and I got up, advised the waiting staff that this was completely unacceptable and left in utter shock and disgust at our treatment. I would strongly urge anyone considering coming to this racist establishment (particularly if of Arab descent) to avoid at all costs! There are a number of other lovely and welcoming halal restaurants on the same street- this place is not deserving of our custom!

The best restaurant in London ❤️❤️❤️ My opinion about this restaurant might be biased, but it’s impossible for me to visit London without dining here❤️

Classic, consistent 'comfort' food! Authentic 'Persian' with a homemade touch. All meats are marinated to perfection, so you can't go wrong with any order, don't forget to have the team w/mint at the end!

The food is good and I recommend it

Enjoyable food, service and atmosphere. A service charge of 12% is applied and doesn’t seem to be a matter of choice.

Kebab and bamieh were soooo good!!!😋😋😋

A taste that honors grace Half and a quarter of the rice was hard and white, with no taste, no salt, or even a little butter The kebab is all chicken and meat, but only one color Homs honors his grace As for their service, it is amazing, the service is amazing But like a taste that is not equal to God 👎🏻

Very cool. Incredible, congratulations to everyone. I worked at this restaurant in 1990. It's still up to date and I have great memories there. I will visit again. Always crowded when I worked there. The foods are great. Best wishes

Best Persian restaurant by far. Been a customer over 30 years.

Iranian restaurant Small and cramped indoor seating No reservation required Suitable for families Our request: Delicious eggplant kashk Mirza Qasmi is delicious A delicious mixed grill plate, but unfortunately cold The rice is nice but still cold Sweet okra Excellent Zarkesh Delicious meat chubzi Reception and service are excellent The seats are cramped and the chairs are not comfortable The bathroom is on the second or third floor

My favorite restaurant for 25 years Try the kobdiyeh-tarshi-okra kebab

The best in London, and the new staff is respectable and cheerful, but they have raised their prices

I visited a friend in London who stayed in a hotel in Paddington . We decided to go to Persian resturany called alunak. The only thing was there Persian , was bread. Food was no way Persian food. Service was diabolical I felt ill after eating the food. Please please don’t call yourself Persian restaurant. One more thing there was a sign in the toilet saying please do not put your paper in toilet . What the hell was that all about.

An Iranian restaurant located north of the Hyde Park area. The atmosphere is less than normal, and as is usual for Iranian restaurants, it is somewhat gloomy and has dark colors. The food is delicious. We ordered kebab, shabzi broth, and chicken soup, and five stars because they provide a bidet in the bathroom (may God honor you) and it was very clean 👍

Cheating on portions very very dry meat force us to pay service charge and burnt kobida kebab

One of the most delicious Iranian restaurants in terms of price, quality and seating

This is hands down the most incredible Persian in London. The meat is always juicy and the bread is made right in front of you and just so perfect. The staff are so kind, they always remember me and go above and beyond to make me feel welcome. I love everyone here and the flavour cannot be matched. I’ve tried many places in London and this will forever be my GO TO. Honestly I crave the food all the time and even my vegeterian sister enjoys it here and everyone i bring, keeps coming back. So cheap for the quality too.. JUST WOW i literally come back three times a week and the quality remains as incredible every visit

Authentic, enjoyable persian experience. Well worth a visit

One of the best Iranian Reataurants I've enjoyed a Kebab at.

It is a very cozy place and it is Iranian food, the tables are very comfortable and you can use pillows for more comfort while you eat. The service is fast and they are very friendly, the menu is large, very varied and the portions are large! My family and I have been going to this restaurant for many more years and the food is always equally delicious and the portions are always very good and large!!! When you go to eat for the first time, you will always come back!!!

Top Iranian resturant I recommend the barg

Lovely atmosphere and authentic Persian food! Very impressed with the service, staff are very pleasant and welcoming. Recommend if your looking for a relaxing atmosphere and genuine good price for some delicious food.

The best Persian restaurant in London

Not run by Iranians and the staff weren’t very knowledgeable on Iranian food. One of us was a vegetarian and the only option was a ‘vegetarian stew’ that was basically a mix of vegetables with tin tomatoes, no other flavours. The starters were good and the bread very tasty. The kebabs were okay too but definitely better options nearby.

Food isnt that bad, but the staff sit and chit chat about customers.

An Iranian restaurant with delicious and delicious food. One order is enough for two people comfortably. Each order comes with rice and salad.

I really recommend this place. Very good food and they make their own bread. Delicious.

I did not like the food. Once I took chicken awsal and rice

The food is delicious, clean and the service is good

Fantastic "Persian" atmosphere. The large oven at the entrance, where the pancakes are prepared by the chef, creates an amazing atmosphere 🤩 Delicious food, perfectly seasoned meat, first-class olives, fresh vegetables, excellent Iranian tea. We have already been there twice and we will definitely visit this place again. The service was fantastically helpful and always smiling. Well, it was a pleasure. The restaurant is definitely worth recommending. This is also proven by crowds of regular customers 😉

Bad meat is full of goodness, as if you were eating a sponge!!! There are much better Iranian restaurants in London, very disappointing the first and last time.

One of the best Persian restaurants to go to. Always great food and love the staff super friendly and can bring your own bottle of drink if you want to. We have been going to this place for some time and they are always generous with their portions and everything tastes great. The clay oven is in the restaurant as you walk in where you can see them making the bread. Also recommend the pot if tea with cardoman and mint. They give you extra hot water as well to dilute the tea as it gets strong after your first 2 cups. Definitely recommend this place.

Terrible service and tasteless food. The rice tasted like packet rice, the chicken had no taste at all, but the lamb was nice. THE SERVICE was vile, as the queues built up outside (God knows why, they must have been giving a discount we knew nothing about) we were constantly asked if we were ready for the bill, when we said we were not ready yet as we were STILL EATING, the miserable faced waitress frequently hovered over our table like a bloomin drone. Out of no where a male waiter or chef, maybe door staff, walked over to our table and told us to be quiet, im still shocked... thee audacity! Soon after we asked for the bill, I asked for the service charge to be removed, the drone waitress then asked "Why?" I explained why but before I could even finish my sentence, she stormed off and took the service charge off. It was laughable at this point, we felt like kids being told off in school. I won't step foot in this place again, even if it was just to ask for a tissue.

I checked some of the reviews of this Alounak before going in and was a bit put off! But when I went in they were all proved wrong so I felt I wanted to give them a glowing review! Instead of being disappointed I was heartily pleased! The main course - a meat and rice dish - was stacked high and definitely good value. I had Baklawa with delicious ice cream for dessert so reckon the visit was really worth it!

I have been visiting this restaurant since 2002, and the quality of food and exceptional service have not changed. The best Persian restaurant in London. Many thanks

Its a fine place, they have very good quality dishes, the grills are fine, the rice and bread are perfect, it would be amazing if they offered half portion dishes, their portions are good but one would try more dishes or order appropriate amount for oneself. The staff are friendly except when the place gets full theyre not very attentive then….. I wouldn’t go back again really but its a good place

Ambience was good, seats little uncomfortable, staff very good, polite and quick service, food was fair cannot be termed as really good, serving were generous, price reasonable,

Great and good service from the best restaurants in London thank you

Alounak is an outstanding Iranian restaurant where every detail is perfected, from the delectable cuisine to the inviting ambiance. However, what truly sets Alounak apart is Hasti, the most helpful and attentive lady I've ever encountered. Her genuine passion for Persian cuisine shines through in her recommendations and attentiveness, making the visit unforgettable. Highly recommend dining here and experiencing Hasti's exceptional hospitality firsthand. All thanks to Hasti 🙏

Best Persian restaurant in London! Perfect food quality with reasonable pricing! Everything was perfect! Food was fresh ! Service was excellent! The manger helped us finding a good table! She welcomed us and didn’t wait so long ! Thanks so much for such an experience

The kebab kubida was beyond amazing

We ate twice in the Alounak restaurant. We received a warm welcome, the dishes we chose were good, we enjoyed the hot bread straight from the traditional oven. We recommend this restaurant.

Heaven! I’m in heaven and could eat my body weight in joy!!!! Visit, eat and repeat, again and again!

Amazing place. Super cute decoration and atmosphere. The music is very nice and not too loud. Everything we ordered was delicious. Waiters are alert, respectful, patient and kind. A man is making the bread in the oven in the middle of the restaurant. Even the way to the bathroom is beautifully arranged! I absolutely loved it.

Amazing food, very authentic and the freshly Made bread is very nice as a add on

Certainly not what it used to be. Food now is average and service is not good, staff are confused with which table ordered what. Simply not worth travelling to when there are so many better places. Used to be the go to place.

Fantastic food including freshly cooked bread, great atmosphere. With BYOB excellent value too.

Excellent food - get the number 19 on the menu. Simply the best -see the picture

Went there with friends. The head waitress was very polite, but the other waiter was very unfriendly, not a service with a smile! The food was below overage, except for the freshly baked bread - the rice was not certainly what you would expect from a Persian restaurant! I was looking forward to one of my favourites when going to a Persian restaurant, the paneer sabzi, which was very disappointing indeed - (rubber cheese topped with a walnut..) sabzi/herbs - were drenched and lacking some traditional vegetables, like spring onions, for example. The platter, (£18.90) consisted of 4 starters that were spread very thinly indeed. For what we ate, and the quality of the ingredients used, it was overpriced - I will not go there again or recommend it to others.

Terrible service, arrogant waitress, the picture on the menu didn't correspond to the actual delivered, will go this restaurant again...

مطعم اكله عادي وغالي بصراحة مطعم كلبة افضل منه وارخص ارجو الانتباه عل الفاتورة المطعم يكرر الطلب مرتين اثناء الفاتوره ( نصب) وكذلك الخدمه السرفيس يجب ان لاتدفع ابدا وانا طلبت منهم حذف مبلغ السيرفس الخدمه من الفاتورة وتم ذلك

We arrived around 6pm, there wasn’t much of a queue. The Mirza Ghassemi and Kabab Koobeideh are delicious! Both are a must try. Just a notice - their portions are a bit big, come in with an empty stomach. Highly recommend this place

So Nostalgic...80's The Best Persian Restaurant in UK sincerity for over 40 years: Authentic flavors of real Grill Houses like in Iran, bread cooked over a wood fire, a real sensation of Culinary travel. The service is friendly, you feel at home. I recommend and thanks So much for this emotional moment

من المطاعم الإيرانية الجميلة في لندن

Nice friendly and cosy restaurant and also lovely staff warm welcoming. Would visit again.

Fantastic place - very nice food and service. Thank you

Great place for the kids and adults to enjoy their time together. Good food selection

Love this halal persian small place. Food is great and deliciousm Service is good too.

Rich and classy interior and the food was really great.

تعامل الموظفين رائع ما عدا العجوز

The service was poor n took long The meat kebab kobideh wasnt good and smelling stingy .

المطعم جميل جدا وديكوره فضيع يعيشك الجو الايراني الاكل لذيذ جلو كباب وزبادي و تكه دجاج ايراني بالزبادي انصح في المكان تعالو جربوه

The atmosphere and vibe of this restaurant is amazing. The interior is wonderful. The stairs to the toilets may actually be the nicer part of the restaurant. The food is solid. Good spot.

جيد الاكل لاباس به جربت مشاوي و باميه

Fair Persian restaurant, acceptable level of food taste however, excellent service very charming. Staff requires a bit of enhancement on the food calibration.

It's a small but nice restaurant, the bread is freshly baked, the food is filling and they do takeaway!

Have been coming here for at least 15 years and never been disappointed Food has consistently been up to scratch, friendly and prompt service, and a cosy atmosphere

Good food. The cardamom tea and the ice creams are very good.

الأكل لذيذ و يستحق التجربة و الزيارة مرة أخرى انصح بطلب الخبز المحضر فوراً أمامك من الفرن مباشرة صحن المشويات المشكل جميل جداً و يكفي لـ ٣ اشخاص بدون اطباق جانبية مرقة البامية كانت رائعة البقلاوة و الايسكريم زعفران بعد العشاء كان تجربة استثنائية برفقة الشاي بماء الورد السعر لـ ٧ اشخاص ( ١٧٠ باوند ) المحل صغير و عدد الطاولات محدود فالعائلات الكبيرة تضع اعتبار لذلك لطول وقت الانتظار لايوجد حجز مسبق للإحاطة

Good Persian restaurant! A bit expensive but delicious food, especially the kebab. Generous portions. Quick service, warming oriental decor.

My all time favourite Iranian restaurant. Consistently great fresh food and excellent service for over thirty years! It evokes memories of my childhood dinning table. Great fresh grilled lamb and Saffron infused Chicken Kebabs rice and freshly baked bread are superb. The daily ‘dish of the day’ are sumptuous dishes. Mine is Saturday’s Baghalli Polo. A divine dish of slow cooked Lamb Shank with dill and broad beans saffron rice. Alounak doesn’t take bookings.Evenings and weekends there’s a long queue but the wait is worth it! They don’t serve Alcohol but you can bring your own wine/beer. It’s open all day from 12.00pm seven days a week. Once you’ve dined here you’d want to come back again and again! I’ve been dinning here regularly on my own and with friends since Alounak first opened thirty years ago!

Came here on a Thursday evening around 5pm to have late lunch with my other two friends. Ordered 2 main dishes: Kebab Koobideh and Alounak Special. Thankfully we only ordered 2 dishes to be eaten by 3 people, because the portion for a dish was really huge! We finished both dishes and all of us were full after that. They were amazingly delicious, or maybe we were just too hungry. Nevertheless, the price was worth with the taste and portion given. The staffs were nice and did their job profesionally. They confirmed that it is a halal restaurant so we can eat lighheartedly. The restaurant was nicely decorated with Persian theme. It feels relaxing to chill and just enjoy our meals. Not to forget that the toilets were clean and provided with bidet, which was a plus point for Asians like us. Would definitely repeat coming here in the future.

Same old wonderful taste from the 90s

The best Persian restaurant in London and value for money

The food was amazing delicious. Home made ice cream was very delicious and very interesting that I never eat before. Everything was super, fast and the porcion was great.

Nice and tasty the bread is fresh from the oven

A Persian Speciality Restaurant Alounak, in Bayswater, London has been a cherished part of our lives for nearly four decades, ever since its inception in 1995. Our visits, whether with family or friends, have consistently been an exceptional culinary journey. The food quality remains at its pinnacle, and the ambiance continues to transport us to the heart of Persia, sparing us the need to travel thousands of miles. During our recent visit, we had the privilege of being attended to by the remarkable Ms. Hasti and her team, including the skilled Ms. Nara and others. They provided insightful narratives about our beloved dishes, which, although familiar, now come with delightful twists that have left our taste buds yearning for more. This enduring excellence is a testament to the dedication of the restaurant's Management, Executive Officers, and the entire staff at Alounak Restaurant, Bayswater, London. We shall appreciate if our compliments are duly conveyed to the Staff concerned, as in addition to making us happy, it will also motivate them and other staff to always strive for their best. Their unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional experiences to their patrons is truly commendable. A journey to Alounak Restaurant, Bayswater, London continues to be an enchanting and delectable adventure, and we eagerly anticipate returning for many more decades to come. Kudos to Alounak Restaurant, Bayswater, London for their continued pursuit of excellence in all their endeavours! Ash-Cash and Ashandkaren

A Persian Speciality Restaurant Alounak, in Bayswater, London has been a cherished part of our lives for nearly four decades, ever since its inception in 1995. Our visits, whether with family or friends, have consistently been an exceptional culinary journey. The food quality remains at its pinnacle, and the ambiance continues to transport us to the heart of Persia, sparing us the need to travel thousands of miles. During our recent visit, we had the privilege of being attended to by the remarkable Ms. Hasti and her team, including the skilled Ms. Nara and others. They provided insightful narratives about our beloved dishes, which, although familiar, now come with delightful twists that have left our taste buds yearning for more. This enduring excellence is a testament to the dedication of the restaurant's Management, Executive Officers, and the entire staff at Alounak Restaurant, Bayswater, London. We shall appreciate if our compliments are duly conveyed to the Staff concerned, as in addition to making us happy, it will also motivate them and other staff to always strive for their best. Their unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional experiences to their patrons is truly commendable. A journey to Alounak Restaurant, Bayswater, London continues to be an enchanting and delectable adventure, and we eagerly anticipate returning for many more decades to come. Kudos to Alounak Restaurant, Bayswater, London for their continued pursuit of excellence in all their endeavours! Ash-Cash and Ashandkaren

Best Iranian restaurant in central london, however bit too small

Great food. The koobideh is the best main of theirs. The chicken and the lamb have limited flavours. It’s slightly lemony but not much else. Salad olivieh and fried aubergine starters were great.

Best Persian food in London; I've been eating here since 1999 and the food always tastes great. As many other reviews point out, their bread is beyond amazing especially when it first comes out of the oven.

افضل مطعم ايراني في لندن ، جربوا عنده كشك باذنجان وميرزا قاسمي

مطعم شيرازي يقدم اطباق منوعة وبداخله مخبز يقدم خبز حار مع الاطباق المختارة

Very nice atmosphere and lovely staff, they charged for service which was unusual and the food that we were served was cold unfortunately

Absolutely delicious food, my partner and myself loved the bread and how it was baked in the clay stove. Excellent service from the staff. We'll definitely be going back.

الاكل لابأس لكن أغلى من منافسية ومنهم واحد قريب منه

Very traditional Iranian food and very friendly service and good for family and friends

My favourite Persian restaurant in London since early 80’s , but the food is not as tasty as used to be. This very sad .

Good Persian restaurant in Bayswater. Had dips for starters. Make sure you order the crunchy bread to eat the dips with - it is a delight. Had mixed grill for the main and the portion was huge. Two massive skewers of well grilled chicken and lamb. Taste was good but a bit dry. Perhaps order a side salad. After-dinner tea was nice and helped us digest all the food. Service is good and the vibe is nice.

It was a long waiting, still they were helpful and trying to arrange tables according to our requirements. Food was really good, servant was very helpful and she was trying to accommodate our wishes through recommending mix of dishes that wouldn’t increase the price yet give us what we want as a group. Really appreciate their openness and friendly approach. Their tea is very recommended after the delicious heavy dishes they have. Both food and experience were excellent would highly recommend it.

delicious and good service, highly recommended

3 years ago, this restaurant was my most favourite restaurant and been there many times. However, I recently went twice and ordered alounaks special and the chicken was really dry and the meat was dry and chewi too. Only koobieda was nice with white rice.

المطعم لاباس فيه بس المكان ضيق للغاية

Such rude person on the phone, talk so rudely to us.

There was a very rude girl answering the phone who speaks only English, as it is a Persian restaurant, I did expect a Persian person to answer the phone and I said Salam but she upsetly said do you mind speak English then I said to her you should speak Farsi then suddenly she hanged up the phone on my face so I tried to phone the restaurant several times again and same thing happened, hanging up the phone on my face for several times, that person is aiming to destroy your business. And you definitely need to have a polite person like your other staff and ladys who I seen I the restaurant. Best regards.

Great place, food is delicious. If you haven't tried Persian cuisine, this is a great place to try. Very friendly.

My favourite Persian restaurant! Delicious food every time, especially the koobideh. Small, family-feel place. Quick service, but they don't rush you out either. Lovely decor too.

Excellent food highly recommend it.

This place is scandalous. We called 2 hours to book a table as we were with a disabled person. When we were there they refused to give us a table without any consideration. This behaviour is discriminatory and shameful.

عادي وما يستاهل المدح الاكل زين بس مب هذاك الزود والأسعار غاليه وما يستاهل