Shah Abbas Restaurant رستوران شاه عباس I Persian Restaurant in North Finchley — Restaurant in London

Read other people's reviews before visiting this horrible restaurant or else you'll be in for a nightmare. The food is Rubbish, salty and oily and rude, inexperienced staffs...just don't bother going to this cheap restaurant. The atmosphere is extremely negative and the manager and owner are rude. My friend asked me to have a joint birthday party with her at this place so I unfortunately agreed and had it there last night (wish I never agreed to it) . I always throw my birthday party at SENATOR RESTAURANT and everyone enjoys it and I never had a complaint about their service. Hence that's why they are at the top 10 best Iranian restaurant in UK, they came number 2.

However, this restaurant which you can't vene call it restaurant more like a jail, couldn't even handle 20 costumers!! Usually my guest are more than 40 but due to this covid 19 it shortened it (ps the owner didn't follow the covid rules all of the tables were so close to each other, pretty pointless). They treat all of their customer worse than animals and disrespect them so much (read other costumers reviews) that everyone just wanted to leave the place quickly and never come back, everyone complained about the rudeness of the manager called Shiva. We all felt like we were in a prison cell constenly being told what to do or not to do and bad attitude being given. The owner and the staff including the manager don't even communicate together and the owner lies to cover their staff and managers unprofessional service, they are all over the place and unorganised which is unprofessional. If you can't manage 20 guests then you should simply close down this place. I don't even want to give this prison cafeteria 1 star doesn't deserve it. I Wished I never had my birthday at this place and booked it back with senator as I always do. The owner called Fereydoun requires customer service and hospitality course as he clearly doesn't know how to run a business because his place and his customer service is seriously weak, his attitude and manners are poorly too, because of his and the manager called shivas negative energy it brought down the costumers vibe it ruined everyone's mood that they just wanted to run away from the place. It was worse than a funeral that's how bad the atmosphere was.

I'm so glad that nobody wants to go back there and they wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. I don't know why the owner thinks his restaurant is one of the best Persian fine dinning and he tells all of his customers too lol his probably...

The service is poor, we waited 15 minutes before the waitress came to take our order. Waited 20 minutes to get our starters only for them to make a mistake. We had ordered 2 fresh breads but only received 1 (we were later charged for 2). I asked the lady to bring us another bread as there were 4 of us and we were having a starter platter, but the lady forgot to bring it (again). This turned out to be a blessing as the bread wasn't too nice, it tasted too doughy.

Also for starters we ordered the Tadig with Gheimeh. This was quite possibly the worst I have ever seen and tasted. The Gheimeh looked stale and quite possibly left over and pre heated, the Tadig itself was soft and falling apart. Also the presentation was off putting. The starter platter, especially the Mirza Ghassemi was very nice.

For mains we orders 1x Chelo Kebab Koobideh, 1x Joojeh kebab with salad and 2x chelo kebab momtaz. The 2 momtaz dishes came out first, after a few minutes the Jooje kebab came out and after about 5 minutes the Kebab Koobideh came to the table. By the time the kebab Koobideh came out the Momtaz was cold. The waitress didn't even care or seem bothered that all the dishes were coming out at random times even though we were a group of 4.

We asked for chili sauce and the waitress gave us the Thai chili sauce pictured. I've never known any Iranian to have Iranian food with Thai chili sauce, it's so wrong and the flavours will not complement each other. I know because I ended up trying it. That turned to be a horrible mistake because once we finished eating we noticed the chili sauce had expired a few weeks ago. I showed the waitress and she took the bottle and made a weak blatant lie claiming they refilled the bottle with the chili sauce and that's not the actual bottle. There was no apology or anything, she just walked off.

£110 later and an upset stomach we left never to return back there. Overall it was a horrible experience and I would not recommend Shah Abbas to anyone. In an area where you have an abundance of restaurants and plenty of Iranian restaurants you would expect better.

If I were to rate the food it would be 3...

A Memorable Christmas Feast at Shah Abbas Restaurant

I had the pleasure of dining at Shah Abbas Restaurant this Christmas, and it truly exceeded all my expectations. From the moment I walked in, the warm ambiance and friendly service made me feel right at home. But the real highlight of the day was the food absolutely spectacular!

I started with the Gormeh Sabzi, and it was nothing short of perfection. The herbs were perfectly balanced, creating a fragrant and savory stew that was both hearty and refreshing. The tender chunks of lamb were cooked to perfection, and the rich, deep flavors of the dish were a comforting reminder of the holidays. The rice, served alongside, was beautifully fluffy, with just the right amount of saffron that complemented the stew so well.

The Kobideh, another standout, was equally impressive. The skewers were grilled to juicy perfection, with a smoky, charred exterior that sealed in the deliciously tender and flavourful minced meat. The spices were subtle yet bold, making each bite a delightful experience. Paired with fresh herbs, grilled tomatoes, and a side of buttery saffron rice, it was the perfect combination.

What truly made the experience special, though, was the wonderful staff. Everyone was incredibly warm and attentive, but I must especially mention the lady with glasses, who was exceptionally kind and went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. Her thoughtful recommendations and genuine care made our Christmas celebration even more enjoyable. It's rare to find service that feels so personal, and she made our visit truly memorable.

I couldn’t have asked for a better meal to celebrate the season. Shah Abbas Restaurant offers a wonderful blend of tradition, quality, and heartwarming flavors, making it a perfect choice for any occasion. If you’re in the mood for some of the best Persian food in town, especially for a special day like Christmas, I highly recommend paying...