LDNReview
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Sadaf Restaurant (Garden)
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When it comes to your favourite go-to restaurants in London, you’ve probably got a healthy rotation of decently priced, satisfying meals that you’re pretty set on. Well, this is our pitch for why Sadaf Restaurant (Garden) should be added to that rotation.
This airy spot behind High Street Kensington is the type of place you’ll visit time and time again, not because the food is unlike anything you’ll ever have tasted, or they’ve got a harp player in the entrance, but because this is the kind of reliable spot with tasty food that’s worth knowing about. After temporarily closing their original Bayswater spot for refurbishment, they opened this second, bigger location on Campden Hill Road. And they’ve maintained the same quality of food, from excellent freshly baked naan that you can smell as soon as you walk in, to the aromatic chicken biryani and tender koobideh skewers that you’ll be reluctant to share. The bottom line is, this is a superbly dependable restaurant with great Persian classics.
Ideal for dinner with the parents, or catching up with friends, the right way to have a meal here is in a group situation. That way you can get the mixed starter selection, which means more opportunity for scooping excellent kashk e bademjan in warm bread, as well as some meaty koobideh skewers, lamb chops, and juicy charred joojeh for the table. The grilled meats all come with rice, but we’d still recommend ordering the chicken biryani, because it’s that good. While the service can be a little slow when it’s busy, one thing you never have to worry about when hitting this Kensington spot is all members of your party getting full. And, if you get the biryani, you probably won’t have to worry about your lunch the next day either. So the next time you’re thinking of playing it safe, head to this wholesome restaurant for some tasty Persian classics.