Food
Taking Orders: Berenjak
by Abigail Spooner
Just when you thought London couldn’t fit in another square inch of restaurant space and make it a success, Berenjak brings home-style Iranian cooking to the capital to prove us all wrong.
![Mezze2](/uploads/media/960x/02/8812-Mezze2.jpg?v=1-0)
Where is it?
On Romilly Street, in the heart of Soho’s bustling food and drink scene.
What’s all the fuss about?
Taking its inspiration from the streets of Tehran with a touch of modern refinement, the sharing-style food at Berenjak is comforting and full of flavour. It’s a kebab house, but not as you know it…
![Back-room](/uploads/media/960x/08/8808-Back-room.jpg?v=1-0)
What’s the place like?
Exposed brickwork, crumbling walls and mosaic tiles give a shabby-chic feel to this buzzy restaurant, with a busy open kitchen at the front and a cosier room sprawling with plants tucked away at the back. We secured seats at the counter top with an enviable view of the chefs.
![Open-kitchen1](/uploads/media/960x/04/8814-Open-kitchen1.jpg?v=1-0)
What did we eat and drink?
We got a taste of just about everything on the concise, well-thought-out menu, including a refreshing sharbat cocktail. Letting the chefs lead the way on our culinary journey, we dipped in and out of a selection of mazeh (sharing plates) to start. Seeded sourdough flatbread, puffed up and freshly baked in the tandoor oven, was a delight dunked into silky-smooth black chickpea hummus (an absolute must-order). We also polished off Kashk e bademjoon, a smoky aubergine dip with whey, walnuts, and crispy onions, and Panir sabzi, a traditional platter of feta, fresh herbs, nuts and radishes.
![Kababs2](/uploads/media/960x/00/8810-Kababs2.jpg?v=1-0)
Next up, we tried Khoresht ghaimeh bademjoon, a fragrant aubergine and yellow split pea stew, with the addition of meltingly tender, fall-apart beef shortrib for extra meaty measure. A side of wonderfully fluffy saffron rice, laced with goats butter, and torshi, a little pot of pickled veg, paired particularly well with the richly flavoured stew. Two juicy, charcoal grilled kebabs arrived hot from the mangal grill; chicken marinated in a saffron and lemon yoghurt, and an Iranian classic made with minced goat shoulder and onion. Both were expertly spiced and served alongside a fresh chilli pickle – not for the faint hearted – as we learned the hard way.
Despite feeling fit to burst I’m a firm believer that there’s always room for dessert, and a baklava ice cream sandwich was the perfect sweet-toothed end to a first-class meal.
![Restaurant](/uploads/media/960x/05/8815-Restaurant.jpg?v=1-0)
Your verdict?
It’s walk-ins only, so be sure to go before the queues are snaking around Soho. But whenever you visit, you’ll be rewarded with slick service and a feast for the senses. I’ll certainly be back.
![Mezze](/uploads/media/960x/01/8811-Mezze.jpg?v=1-0)
Lasting memory?
That heavenly hummus.