The Persian Restaurant

THE PERSIAN RESTAURANT HAS PERMANENTLY CLOSED.

The Persian Restaurant brings the fragrant and authentic tastes of ancient Persia and the Middle East to a spacious hilltop dining room in Bardon.

For years The Persian was an institution with eastern suburbs diners and, since its move across the river, Coorparoo’s loss has become inner western diners’ gain.

The ambient dining room features colourful tapestry cushions scattered along window seats, a wall mural of the ancient ruins of the ancient city of Persepolis (capital of the 2nd Iranian dynasty) and a takht (traditional dining bed) while to one side of the counter is a cosy candlelit lounge to enjoy a cup of sweet Persian tea or coffee.

On the menu are a delectable array of appetizers, salads and light meals, vegetarian dishes, kebabs, Mains (including Persian or Middle Eastern platters) and traditional desserts.

For starters choose between plates like the Grand Sampler of dips – hummus, nth Iranian Mirza Ghamezi (roasted eggplant, tomato garlic and egg), and Persian staple Mast-o-Khiyar (yoghurt with cucumber and wild garlic) served with fresh premise-baked flat bread, Tah-Dig (another Iranian tradition of crispy crusted rice topped with lamb) or Olovich (Persian potato salad).

On the salads and light meal front choices include Arabic salad Fattoush, classic chicken salad, dolmeh (Mid-Eastern grape vine leave wraps) or Salad-e-Fasi (garden salad with homemade dressing).
Vegetarians have plenty of options, including a Vegetarian mixed platter (a selection of dips, bread, dolmeh, tabouleh salad and pickles) to Do-piyazeh Shirazi (aromatic Shirzai potato and caramalized onion with houswe bread) and fragrant okra stew.

Kababs all come served with rice and grilled tomato and include traditional Persian Joojeh Kabab (skewers of chicken marinated in saffron, lemon and olive oil) and Koobideh (flavoured minced lamb grilled over open fire).

Mains, besides the delectable platters, incorporate lamb shanks and marinated fish (mahi mahi) with stand-outs the fragrant melt-in-the-mouth signature dish Fesenjan (chicken cooked in pomegranate sauce and ground walnuts and served with rice) – a must-try – and Tah-Chin Morgh (chicken cooked with yoghurt and saffron topped with rice then oven-baked).

Be sure to leave room for dessert, with Baghlava (Iranian baklava), traditional Persian sweets dipped in rose water syrup or Akhbar Mashti Ice Cream (saffron ice-cream with thickened cream, rose water & pistachios) served with Pashmak (Persian fairy floss).

Also in the cake counter are daily baked delicious sweets including gluten-free options like Sour Cherry Rosewater Cream Pavlova, Baghlava cake and shortbread.

Need to know: Children are welcome and well catered for at The Persian Restaurant, with high chairs, room to move and the ability to modify the menu for kids tastes e.g, chicken skewers and rice followed by coconut or vanilla ice-cream. And on Saturday nights a belly dancer enlivens things traditional style. 

Nice to know: Takeaway is also available