Chelo — Restaurant in London

Atmosphere review:

Located in a nice area. Nice outside seating, have to say though that it wouldn’t be nice unless you were seated outside on a summers day. There are 4 small tables inside and hardly any space.

Also, the demographic of people who attend this restaurant are a bit strange. Very snobbish and bizarre, super judgemental and eavesdrop-core. Not really the vibe, it was giving superiority complex.

Table issues: the tables are slanted, and I understand this is because of the slanted pavement but perhaps there could be a way to fix this like maybe adding some decking or a brick of some kind to straighten the table. All drinks, foods and plates, cutlery fell on the floor several times. Drinks fallen and spilt into the food dishes because of this issue. Almost impossible to enjoy your meal because you’re constantly panicking about whether you’re going to consume it, or the floor will first. Can’t say I’d wanna eat here again to be fair.

HOWEVER! The food was actually really good, I did like it. Will say though, less olive oil in the hummus (especially when the olive oil isn’t a good extra extra virgin one) felt like I was just drinking cheap olive oil at one point. Not a vibe. The people I was with also really enjoyed the food.

Service: one of the waiters was super adorable and friendly, other one looked like he wasn’t enjoying life but then again he did have to serve us so I don’t blame him. I was also a waiter once so I get it my g.

I have to say it is VERY overpriced per dish, the portion sizes are tiny, ridiculously small. We also paid £3 for some chilli sauce which was approx 2 tea spoons of chilli sauce which wasn’t even great. It was NOT giving.

Overall I acc wouldn’t go back and I wouldn’t order from here either bc the price does not match the portion, and the vibe just wasn’t all that.

Yeah idk...

We visited Celo this evening because the menu looked interesting and the google reviews mentioned you could bring your own alcohol. Unfortunately , after the waiter checked with the manager / owner, we were told you could not bring your own wine which was disappointing . We therefore ordered a bottle of Spanish rose for £22 but it was total plonk and could not cost more than £5 in a supermarket ! We then ordered two meze starters and some bread . The meze starters were MIRZA GHASEMI and SHIRAZI SALAD. Both cost £8 + and were tiny portions . The aubergine was quite tasty but the salad was just chopped cucumber and tomato with some onion and the ingredients would cost no more than 40 pence if you made that size portion at home . Given the starter portion sizes , we decided to order one main initially to share . We ordered the TAHCHIN MORGH and whilst it was tasty , I’m afraid that for £18 , it is simply not good value . It was largely baked saffron rice with some chicken pieces in the middle . The cost of the ingredients would be no more than £1.80 so a tenth of the menu price . I’m afraid that given you have to buy expensive ‘cheap’ wine and the food portion sizes are quite frankly pathetic , I could not recommend Celo . I thought I had found a great place in Maida Vale but sadly , will not be returning . I would also mention that the one toilet has a very discoloured and stained toilet seat which does not give a good impression . I suggest the owner invests £30 in a new...

If you’re strolling through the quiet neighbourhood of Maida Vale and your stomach suddenly yells at you for something amazing, follow that voice straight to Chelo. It’s a tiny place—four round tables inside and a few more outside, so don’t bring your entire extended family for a family reunion. But trust me, the smallness is part of the charm. It's cozy.

Now, let’s talk food because, well, that’s the real reason i am here more then i should. It’s like Chelo put a magic spell on me: every time I try to branch out and order something new, I end up with the same thing, I know boring. My go-to? The Mirza Ghasemi. Smoky, rich, and so addictive I might need an intervention. After that, it's always either the Kobodeh or the Kebab Sultani—because why fix what’s not broken, right? And the rice. Oh, the rice. The Tahdig is that crispy, golden crust that you fight your family members over, but you win because, hey, you're the one who ordered it. Inside? Fluffy, moist perfection. Eating the Tahdig at Chelo always takes me back to my childhood, when I’d fight my friends for the last piece of crispy gold stuck to the bottom of the pot.

Now, let’s talk dessert. The Baklava is solid, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not the star of the show. Still, it’s a sweet ending to your Persian feast, like the cherry on top of a sundae—just not the most exciting.

Chelo, with a Small space yet big flavours. You’ll leave full, satisfied, and probably with a slight rice-induced food coma....