Anar Persian Kitchen

Sitting chicly between the culinary hubbub of Golborne Road & the mayhem of Portobello market, Anar (‘pomegranate’) is a tasteful, glammed-up venue well worth seeking out. With its low-level seating, bare brickwork & glittering gold wallpaper, it’s certainly a far cry from the Persian rugs & hookah pipes of the capital’s pastiche Middle Eastern restaurants. Keenly priced daily specials might include fesenjan (slow-cooked poussin with crushed walnuts & some eponymous pomegranate purée), & lamb dishes are particularly popular – from gently braised ghormesabzi (an aromatic, herb-infused stew) to koobideh (skewers of juicy minced meat cooked over charcoal). Start with must-o-moosir (a yoghurt & shallot dip, mopped up with warm flatbread) or mirza ghasemi (char-grilled aubergines, tomato & garlic), & round off with something sweet & sticky. The short wine list includes interesting selections from Morocco, Lebanon & Israel.