We visited Albalou on a warm Saturday afternoon. It's a stunning restaurant both inside and out. We were greeted by the owner, Masood. He was warm, friendly and kind from the outset. We knew immediately we were in good hands. We started with the doogh (Persian yogurt drink). This is very hard to get right. I often find it too salty or too minty for my taste. This doogh was perfectly balanced and set the scene for the rest of the meal. To start, we ordered mirzeh ghasemi (aubergine, tomato and garlic dip) and olvieh (mayonnaise based salad with egg, chicken, gherkins and potatoes) along with some freshly baked bread. Both were fantastic but the olvieh was a standout. Again, it's one of them salads that can easily be overpowered by too much of one ingredient. Like the doogh, this was again perfectly balanced and very moreish. For mains, we got the momtaz (minced lamb kebab and chicken breast kebab combo) and ghormeh sabzi (herb stew with lamb, kidney beans and dried limes). Both came with rice. The rice was perfectly steamed and had the right amount of saffron. The lamb fell apart in the ghormeh sabzi which showed a lot of care went into preparing the dish. The kebabs were also very tender and well seasoned. We were offered dessert. However, we were too full and opted for the Persian tea to finish the meal. This was the perfect end to a perfect meal. Again, even the tea was perfectly balanced as it can be too bitter for some. We asked for some loose leaf tea to take home with us. Masood generously obliged. All in all, this was a perfect meal with a perfect host in a perfect setting. I'll definitely be back soon with more of my friends. Thank you Masood and the team at Albalou!