Narenj in Bournemouth

The food is always very good in Narenj. Very delicious mains and starters. Various kabobs are normally my favourites. Also, on Sundays, Baghali polo and lamb shank is a must. Service is always very friendly, polite and efficient. Food is always freshly prepared, so don’t expect fast food.

We have visited this restaurant many times and have always had excellent food. We are always greeted with a warm welcome by the waiting staff and the owner. Food portions are a generous size. Highly recommend the freshly baked bread and tasty kebabs.

My wife and I went to Narenj last evening for dinner. It was most wonderful and relaxing . The service was excellent and Olga and Toofan went out of their way to make us feel welcome. The food was delicious , authentic Persian and well presented. Portions were generous. Highly recommended. Jawad & Theresa

The main server has no idea about customer service, when asked about making a dish more spicy he said no we can't do that, we'll give you some chilli sauce on the side, but the way he said it was so rude, he could have been more polite, the way he changed his face as if I was putting him out by asking him a question, totally put us off our meal. The food itself was bland, but we expected this, it was ok, edible. We also asked for an appetizer after we'd ordered our mains, and he forgot it. Then after my mum got up and asked for the bill becasue we had waited for so long, he said yes and then we waited a further 10-15 minutes for it, and then again it took another 10 mins to bring the card machine. Really poor poor service. I like my food to be handled by people with good energy, so definitely will not be going here and I don't recommend it.

Narenj is a most amazing Persian restaurant in Bournemouth. Thevfood is fresh and amazing service is friendly and fast. Waheed is warm and welcoming. Highly recommended. Jawad Mandeel

Anyone can cook better than here. Disgraced the Persian cuisine. Visited in April 2021 for a take away

During lockdown, I was craving to eat out and wanted to have a different food with unique flavours than the usual chinese and indian takeaways. I went Narenj and ordered okra lamb stew with saffron rice. Amazing taste ! I couldn't recommend enough this main course, if you like okra based dishes...

Excellent food very authentic ,great place to dine highly recommended Staffs are very friendly , great atmosphere.freshly made bread .

Great service, the waitress was wearing a mask, which I was pleased to see. The food was very good, nice moist kebabs. The wine was good for a house wine, they do others by the bottle. The only problem yesterday when we visited was there were no dessert options available.

We had a meal here, table for two. The reviews read very well so i think i was expecting great things. its clean and the waitress was very pleasant . The home made bread and hummus was delicious, the Kebabs were nice enough and tender the salad and rice was very un inviting and really nothing special . Its a nice enough place but could do with updating a little and a coat of paint to make it a little more inviting as really no atmosphere.

Delicious food..Neat place..Good service..Friendly and lovely staff..The quailty of food and service was excellent

Have eaten here many times and also had many takeaways. Food has always been superb and service always friendly. Will continue to dine there as not only great food, but very reasonable too.

Went here on a Friday night, friendly service and original Iranian food. Had lovely flat bread from the oven and succulent lamb and chicken with rice. We will return.

If you would like to visit Iran try to go to Narenj restaurant in Charminster - Bournemonth and you will feel like you have been transported there. Food was so tasty and fresh, service was great, helpful and so attentive and the atmosphere was absolutely wonderful. Seen the chef making “Lavah” Iranian bread in front of us, listening to the music taking over the feeling of the people and seen everyone singing happy Birthday to our friend were definitely the highlight of the night. It was my first time trying Iranian food and I completely felt in love with it! Of course we had a great Iranian friend who made the evening meal feel even special. Don’t leave without having a cup of tea it had orange blossom in it, just perfect!

Narenj is probably the best Persian restaurant south of London. As usual our food was very well prepared, delicious to look at and delicious to eat. The staff are very patient and good with children. It is now my grandchildren’s favourite restaurant.

Visited this evening with My wife and our 13 year old, had the Hummus and Persian cheese starter, and the mixed grill to share (Lamb and chicken) - Cooked to perfection would recommend this restaurant to anyone who wanted to try authentic Persian cuisine

walked around Charminster looking for lunch. Just liked the sound of the restaurant name. lovely atmosphere as we walked in. we were the only customers for a late lunch.the guys made us welcome and we had a delicious meal, lamb cooked to perfection. He offered us "sumac" a spice mix to enhance the flavour of the lamb. amazing tasteWe were interested in the origin of the cuisine, hence the discussion about a Narenj.the meal was rounded off with a tea made from the Narenj blossomAll in all a gem of a restaurant.

Absolutely love this place, staff are very friendly and welcoming & we found the Persian chicken to be divine!! Will definitely be returning!!

Estuvimos 4 para cenar un domingo y comimos de todo corazón desde el extenso menú. El personal era muy acogedor y la comida era muy buena y las porciones grandes, no pudimos terminar, pero disfrutamos de todo. Vale la pena notar que la comida es más suave y especiada que otras cocinas de este tipo - el vino también era bueno y no costoso - el buen Naan preparado a pedido en su tandoor. . . . .

My partner and I visited here for dinner in August. The food was amazing. Very fresh, very tasty. We selected the vegan option, with freshly cooked flatbread. The waitress was very sweet and gave excellent service. The interior decor is fairly basic but it really didn't matter as you a visit here is all about the food.

Visited today as I was recommended. I booked via Table Pouncer as there was a 12% discount offered and had a confirmation email but on arriving there the guy I spoke to had no knowledge of the booking. Next whilst waiting for my friends he gave me a menu to peruse. There were not a lot of choices and I didn't know what to order. When my friends arrived they were struggling to find something to order and when one friend asked if she could have a Latte he said that they didn't have coffee!!! So after looking through the menu we chose a chopped salad served with Lemon juice and oil flavoured with herbs which was lovely but they didn't like it and chose another dish, No.7 on the starters which they didn't like. Then I ordered Chicken on a skewer flavoured with Saffron and Lemon served with a mountain of Basmati rice which had no flavour. So I ate the chicken which I liked and one friend ordered Lamb Skewer which came with the same rice and a huge flatbread and a slice of cucumber and tomato. I tasted it and it was ok. Another friend ordered a Lamb Stew which she didn't like the taste of. All in all it was a huge disappointment but the owner/Manager was very nice about it and only charged for 2 meals and drinks which I thought was a very nice gesture.Unfortunately we won't be going again.

Great Persian Restaurant. Food excellent, service was great, fresh Naan to die for , portions more than enough. Simply there was nothing not to like. Recommend this place to anyone who wants honest Persian/Middle Eastern food, ideal for Vegetarians as well.

FANTASTIC. Food was excellent, service very friendly and quick. Thank you! Compared to many other Persian restaurants I have are at this would be the best.

Seriously yummy food!! The manager was so kind when we arrived, pointing out we might have ordered too much and helping us order what he thought we’d like. The food was so delicious. Lots of locals which is always a good sign. We sat outside surrounded by flowers screening us from the main road. Quite happy to stay here for a while and order another glass (and maybe some more houmous later).....will be back!!

I was here for dinner and without doubt it was very nice. The atmosphere was friendly, the waiter was a kind girl. The chef cooked the bread in front of us and we ate it with hummus: amazing! Then we had two main dishes and they were nice as well.

Visited for a family meal. Starters were all fantastic, delicious flavours and plenty of choice. My favourite was the sabzi, feta, walnuts, radishes served with freshly cooked bread. Mains were amazing, we all tried different foods, the koobideh was beautifully cooked and served with rice, grilled tomato, raw onion and butter to mix in with the rice... very tasty. The joojeh kebab on the bone was incredible as was the chicken off the bone, served again with rice and salad. Melted in the mouth. Beautifully marinaded meats. The typical Persian drink called doog? was very refreshing. Finished off with black tea which was lovely, very aromatic. We can't wait to return and try more of the delicious menu.

After reading the reviews and with a desire to try traditional Persian food we visited Narenj this evening.

Narenj's food is the best Persian I have had in the UK, outside London. Staff are very friendly, obliging and efficient. There quality of food is excellent. Both the starters and the mains are priced very reasonably. The restaurant is very children family and children friendly. The portions are very generous.

Really enjoyable meal with friendly and relaxed service. The meals had an authentic feel to them. I recommend it.

To me the service you get in a restaurant is as important as the food and can make the whole experience a negative or positive one. Narenj didn’t disappoint.

Five of us visited last night. Seated immediately, service was excellent. Very friendly. Food was very good value, huge portions and was delicious. Finished with a complimentary Persian Tea and dates. Cant wait to go back 😊 Highly recommended.....

Impromptu visit , made to feel welcome even though it was six of us arriving unannounced. We had the tasty starter dishes ,which not only were excellent value but amazingly thought out and put together , and very filling . The main courses were excellent as well , but after such filling starters and freshly made bread we all failed to finish . Amazing rice ,and a great Persian evening , will go again .Thank you .

Have eaten here before and the food is excellent, very well presented good portions and very reasonably priced. Had the sultana and it was very tender, tasty fillet. The service was so friendly you'd think you had been invited to a friends house for dinner. Would recommend this place to all my friends. It's also child friendly with is nice to see. The large screen with its slide show and music is a nice touch.

The restaurant serves Persian meals in a Persian atmosphere including a large screen with images of Iran. The food is good, you have the option of having half rice and half salad in main courses which is more to our taste. The Persian style bread is made to order and is delicious, the Persian tea made with orange flower water is also delicious. Not surprisingly the wine list is limited, but beer available too. We have visited on many occasions and always found the staff welcoming.

What a fab night. Went on a recommendation and we were not disappointed . The staff (esp Vahid) were so friendly and helpful. The food melted in the mouth such lovely flavours and reasonable price . We sat outside as weather warm and felt we were abroad ! Cannot wait to go again. Thank you Narenj x

I had looked forward to experiencing food at this restaurant, since it was praised by another Persian, an acquaintance. This person advised that the Koobideh, is not as good as what you get in London, but I was told the Soltani is nice. We went with our son, coming from London for lunch on Friday, yesterday. We chose three starters, the Sabzi, fresh herbs, feta with bread ( as it comes ), Kashke Bademjoon ( baked aubergine with curd ), Mast Moosir ( yoghurt with wild garlic) and two additional breads, they are prepared in the restaurant as they are ordered. We ordered our drinks, a beer, a coke and a dough ( made with yoghurt, water). Two of us ordered Soltani ( this is with one skewer of minced 'lamb' and one skewer of 'beaten' fillet of lamb, and rice together with grilled two halves of a grilled tomato and the other ordered Bakhtiyari ( supposed to be one small piece of lamb alternating with a small piece of chicken!!! Unsure if this is how it's supposed to be, served with rice and two halves of a grilled tomato. I can honestly say that the best part of our meal was the Mast moosir, (though insufficient wild garlic) and the plate of cheese with herbs. My Soltani, was quite pathetic as the minced lamb kebab was very thin, but much worse than this was the beaten fillet ( usually called Barg) was so beaten that it was almost paper thin. I have been brought up with this kind of food and in London you get really good Persian food, but I was very disappointed with what we were served. I am however willing to give this restaurant another try. What was served to us was so pathetic and disappointing, I was embarrassed. Given the owner's photos on TripAdvisor, hand on heart, they are posted for marketing purposes, as our experience has been nothing like any of the photos.

Beautifully cooked traditional Persian food. I couldn't fault. It's about time Bournemouth had a good Iranian restaurant. I look forward to many more meals here!!!

Nice food. restaurant clean and person serving was nice and friendly. Portion sizes are good. Recommend it definitely.

Met up with friends here for a Sunday lunch time, apart from us the place was empty. The staff are friendly and very good with the children . The menu has a range of kebab options and salads and mezze dishes. We ate lamb kebab, chicken skewers and shebzi ( lamb stew with greens and red kidney beans) . The bread comes hot from the oven. Food was hot and arrived quickly but those of us who have spent some time in the Middle East found it a little bland. The Shebzi was a little salty , on ordering I asked if I could replace the rice ( low carb diet!) with grilled tomato - the waiter found this very odd but eventually agreed I could have a salad instead. Loos were OK , parking is tricky at weekends as you have to find a space on nearby residential streets. Prices are reasonable and one of our party had a beer , the rest soft drinks so not sure if wine available.

Great place to relax and to have some exotic food, stuff is very friendly and the tables are nice and clean, you can order nice fresh bread, There is nice clean toilet. I would recommend this place to friends and family.

Charming restaurant, lovely ambience, warm friendly staff and delicious food. We had the chicken/lamb kebab which was cooked to perfection.

My husband and I had a lovely meal there , the food was excellent, very good quality, good value for the money, the stuff was very friendly, we would go back again .

Excellent and friendly service, delicious food, relaxed atmosphere. Perfect for a chilled meal with a few friends.

Walking Charminster Road with empty stomachs, we stumbled across this restaurant and went inside. Service was very friendly and both the chef and server were very helpful in making recommendations. The food was delicious, plentiful and accompanied by generous portions of homemade bread. The prices were extremely reasonable too with 3 of us filling ourselves to bursting point for a little over £30! Appetisers, mains, drinks, bread and all enjoyed in a lovely atmosphere...fantastic. We'll go back very soon!

Delicious food, delightful service and lovely atmosphere. Couldn't fault a thing. All of us are looking forward to coming back again soon.

This has been around for 8 months and judging by our visit I hope it will be around for much longer. We had a simple lunch, a starter to share and a mixed kebab and a chicken kebab. It was all beautifully cooked and presented. I now want to com back here to try some of their evening dishes, which if cooked with the same care should be delicious. The rice was perfect, the meat succulent and tasty. To start we had aubergine mixed with sour yoghurt and fried onions with one of the best breads ever. There is much here I want to try and will definitely return. The staff were friendly and helpful; all in all a super lunch.

I enjoyed their food a lot. Strongly recommended to those who have never tried authentic Persian food. They serve various types of Kabab. Their starters including maast mousir is awesome. And their fresh naan (taftoon) ! Don't forget to order ''doogh'' as your drink!

Staff are very friendly and food is awesome. You can also see how the bread is being made and tastes delicious. We will definitely go again.

Walked into this restaurant today with my wife and a friend not knowing anything about it whatsoever and only hoping for a pleasant evening with some decent food.

We have eaten in Narenj many times now. The food is always very good, fresh and authentically persian. Service is very friendly and professional. They are very children friendly. Their house wine is also very good.

We tried this local restaurant after reading TripAdvisor reviews and weren't disappointed. Everything is so tasty and the staff very friendly. We didn't know what Iranian food was like before we went but will definitely go again as it was fantastic, the owner was so enthusiastic in telling us about it. The fresh bread is amazing! This is a cosy/homely restaurant and very reasonably priced for what you get. Thoroughly recommend.

It is difficult (if not impossible) to find a good restaurant where authentic Persian food is served. And if you are really into Persian cuisine, you might be a bit disappointed with this. But, Narenj is a restaurant that lives up to your expectations of that authenticity. The food served in Narenj is exceptionally high quality, and if you have ever tried Persian food, you will know with your first bite that it really tastes the same. The bread is amazing, the rice is authentically Persian, the kebab meat melts in your mouth, and last but not least, the dough (yoghurt drink) tastes exactly the same as any Persian restaurant in the land of Persia.

This is the first review I've written but with some justification. I have been excited to visit Narenj for sometime now and I have to say it exceeded my extremely high expectations.

We are getting regular at this restaurant. The food is very authentic and the welcome is very warm. Service is very friendly and nothing is too much trouble. I really enjoy kebab Barb but everything is tasty n all meats very tender. Well done chef. Also fresh bread made in front of you.

Lovely Persian restaurant with tasty foods and also with a good service. There was a good range of Persian food available on the menu with reasonable pricing .I would definitely recommend trying this little gem in Bournemouth .

If you haven't eaten at this restaurant you a missing out. We were recommended to try it and went for lunch we were impressed as all food was freshly cooked and tasty They have a middle eastern bread oven and bake the bread freshly in front of you, crispy and hot straight out of the oven. The starter was delicious and main course was super, can't wait to go back. Enjoy....

First class food in a lovely little restaurant. Extremely friendly engaging staff keen to discuss and recommend Iranian dishes. First rate chef with food cooked to perfection.

We were looking the menu outside, when someone came and invite us to go inside. the invitation was a bit forced, he wasn´t very welcoming, with the only goal to make some money because the restaurant was empty. when we order some water, he brought still, when I wanted tap water. the food wasnt too bad, with exception of my main dish, which was a bit poor honestly.

Thought we would try something different just returned from Croatia which was great mainly Mediterranean/Italian style .So we decided to try a new experience. There was nothing wrong with our meal or service but we decided to go off piste as it were !! Our food was served promptly starter and mains somehow the style and flavours did not suit our pallet which I'm sure we're good for what they are .so I can only say go try for yourself .We probably won't go back but if we did I think the grilled meats like ( Turkish or Greek ) may suit us better .

Persian food (Iranian) is an absolute to try. Flavours and blends of spices create mouth watering meals to die for and Narenj prepare delights for all palates. Excellent service was provided by friendly and attentive staff. Value you for money across the board.

As part of a “date-night” we dropped into Charminster for a bite to eat. Did the usual wandering up and down the high street and took a fancy to this place. It (we were told) had only been open a few months and if our experience is anything to go by deserves to do well. We opted for a sharing platter and there was enough for four let alone two. The food was delicious – the yoghurt based dip with flat bread was alone worth the entrance fee! Such were the portion sizes we had to take some of the food home in a doggy bag – offered immediately, not requested. One other lovely touch was that the waitress offered us Persian tea and a lovely sweet type cake on the house to round off a superb meal. Be daring, try something different and give it a go – we will definitely be back!

We went here mid August- the food was cooked to perfection, the Service was phenomenal and the atmosphere was really great.

Just had dinner here, the service was great, food was delicious and the portions were spot on! Couldn't ask for a nicer lunch

We had the best Chelo kebab ( soultani) at this restaurant Very clean best service friendly staff if you like Persian food stopping at this restaurant is a must when in Bournemouth

It wasn't first time in Narenj and definitely not last ;) Food as usual well made and served ;) Also I love watching yours slides about Iran and Persian culture. The only thing I would change is music :) maybe more happier sounds like from north of Iran ? Anyway that's only my suggestion :) Keep going like that ;) Oh ! Also I'm waiting for proper Persian ice-cream ;)

My friend and I visited the Resturant yesterday during lunch hour. The service was good and very attentive. We ordered Kobideh and Gormeh Sabzi , both every delicious and portions were very good size. I would highly recommend this Resturant and definitely will go back.

This was our first visit to Narenj and we enjoyed the food. The starters were tasty on freshly baked bread. I tried the cholo barg and the meat was delicious and cooked perfectly. The price was reasonable too... I will go back again.

Service is lovely, foods are excellent and prices are normal and only if they would do MIRZA GHASEMI it would become the best in every thing. you will not be sorry to visit this restaurant.

Went there on 18 july, the staff was very ,nice very clean restaurant. The starters are very good but thè maine course is delicious, they have this lamp that is just incredible good. And you have to try the orange cheesecake.

We have been to this resturant on 17 July to have some take aways and order food for our party. First of all the gentle man who took our order has been so great and approachable, don't lose him, he is so good with customers.

This small very casual dining venue has incredible authentic Persian food. A very friendly, informative waiter and amazing value for the high quality food served. We were recommended originally by a local Iranian man who said it was the best Middle Eastern food in the Bournemouth area. We agree as had an excellent range of Vegetarian offerings and the Momtaz (one Fillet Lamb steak and one Mince Lamb Kebab) was delicious and our favourite and we had the perfumed orange blossom tea which was very refreshing. The portions are very generous we will return soon!

I've been to Narenj a few times and it gets better and better! The food is delicious and the staff are so friendly, I cannot wait to go back!

Been living in bournemouth for a while now and i was growing tired of having to drive up to London every time i wanted a decent Persian meal. Narenj is just as good if not better! 100% would recommend.

Been to this restaurant twice. Both times the food has been very tasty and the service friendly and hospitable. I will definitely be going again.

Me and my family visited as we heard that the food was exceptional from friends..they were not wrong. Based on their recommendation me and wife and kids eat marinated chicken, fillet of tender lamb and also vegetarian stew khorest. Highly recommend this restaurant.

Ate here with friends and mixed and matched a couple of starters between the four of us. Main courses were all excellent. We all had lamb dishes and it was cooked to perfection - so tender - as was the rice, although the pickled veg was a bit too sharp. Sufficiently large portions that we could not finish everything. Excellent coffee and tea, although the puddings were a bit underwhelming. Very quiet when we visited on a wet Thursday evening, but the service was polite, friendly and efficient. Would recommend and definitely go again if in the area.

1st visit for me, but others in our party of 10 had been before. (It is located where Salsa used to be).

I really enjoyed my meal at Narenj restaurant. The food was delitious and good value Servis was excellent. Well worth a visit.

Previously Rustic Burger (which was good).

Me and my husband booked a table and we really enjoyed the food as well as the service and surroundings. It really was a fantastic meal with so much flavour. We highly recommend this restaurant.

Lovely little restaurant, excellent food. Friendly service and highly recommended. I have visited twice now and will certainly return. Large portions and good value.

So pleased to hear there was a new Persian Restaurant in Bournemouth, we went mid-week and had a delicious meal, very reasonable and large portions. We will definitely be going back there and taking family and friends, they also do takeaways which is great. Staff were friendly and polite, will be recommending to others.

Good restaurant, authentic food, friendly service, very good value. Highly recommended for a casual midweek dinner or a night out.