Reviews Albalou

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!

Fantastic food and great service. Masoud is a fantastic host and it was super interesting to learn more about him and this great gem of a restaurant. Look forward to returning soon!

I visited this restaurant today and it was amazing. Firstly, the customer service was excellent , this restaurant met all of our needs! The food was delicious and the portions were very good. The menu was also interesting and we loved that we got Persian tea on the house - it was our first time trying it and it's a great way to end a meal. Lastly I just want to mention that we loved the variety of beautiful decor including a beautiful peacock sculpture and a stunning white tree which was very photogenic. Although we were just visiting London,we're definitely convinced to come back to this lovely spot!

We had dinner there with our two young daughters. The food is of high quality and authentic and fresh. The hummus was the best we ever had, our oldest daughter loved the falafels and the mixed grill we had was superb! The service was excellent! Very friendly and accommodating. We will definitely be back next time we are in London!

My first experience of Persian Iranian food and it was absolutely outstanding, the meat was delicious and so extremely tender. The decor and vibe inside the restaurant is so chilled and easy going. I am definitely coming back to eat. Top tip; ask the gentleman server for his special sauce, its the right balance of cool and spicy.