Where To Get Great Persian Food In NYC

New York doesn’t have a ton of Persian restaurants, so we’re always excited to visit places that bring the Iranian cuisine to the forefront. There are a few Persian restaurants doing elegant versions of old favorites, with carefully sourced ingredients that showcase the cuisine at its best—but whether you want a cool special occasion spot, somewhere more traditional for family-style platters, or a place with dips that you can eat under a disco ball, you’ll find it on this list, along with tender lamb kebabs, homemade yogurt, fluffy rice pilafs, and a whole lot of saffron.

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No rating: This is a restaurant we want to re-visit before rating, or it’s a coffee shop, bar, or dessert shop. We only rate spots where you can eat a full meal.

THE SPOTS

8.5

Sofreh

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$$$$Perfect For:Date NightsDinner with the Parents

This Prospect Heights restaurant does Persian food with panache, turning out beautiful plates of smoky roasted eggplant, black sea bass in tamarind stew, and big platters of saffron rice that go with everything. The breezy, white-brick dining room is chic but comfortable, and their chef can usually be seen chatting with customers like they’re guests in her own home. We typically reserve Sofreh for special date nights, or a catch-up meal with friends visiting from out of town—just keep in mind it’s a popular spot, so make a reservation in advance. They also have a daytime bakery, Sofreh Cafe, one block away.

8.5

Eyval

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$$$$Perfect For:Date NightsEating At The BarImpressing Out of Towners

Eyval is Sofreh’s cool little sister in Bushwick. Opened by the same team, they clearly share some DNA and a sense of style. But Eyval takes itself slightly less seriously, with neon Farsi lettering on the walls, a communal table in the back room, and saffron ice cream sandwiches for dessert. Get something from each section of the menu. The portions are small, the plating is precise—we especially like the cleverly deconstructed kashke bademjan with whole eggplants, whey, and fried mint oil—and it feels like the first-ever person to French-tuck their shirt would love it here.

8.4

Ravagh Persian Grill

$$$$Perfect For:Big GroupsDinner with the Parents

We love Sofreh and Eyval for dates and special occasions, but if you just want big platters of delicious meat and rice, go old-school. Open since 1998, Ravagh on the Upper East Side is the oldest Persian spot on this list. Their kitchen favors substance over style, but it isn’t exactly casual. The tranquil room, outfitted with polished leather chairs and gauzy white curtains, is just formal enough to host a low-key celebratory dinner or share some crispy branzino and charred lamb chop kebabs with parents. Get a rice pilaf mixed with dill, sour cherries, or saffron to share, and some creamy kashke bademjan as an appetizer. They have another Midtown location on Madison Avenue.

7.8

Masquerade

$$$$Perfect For:Drinks & A Light Bite

Masquerade is a Williamsburg bar where you'll find people dancing under red lights and a disco ball until 2am on Saturday nights. But we'd suggest stopping by earlier in the evening so you can get a full dinner. There’s a short menu of Iranian mezze, like mast-o-moosir and creamy kashke bademjan, plus some bigger entrees, like juicy apricot chicken on a mound of crispy tahdig. Once you’ve eaten, it’s time to order another rosewater Negroni and dance on their super-cute back patio.

7.8

Shiraz

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$$$$Perfect For:Walk-Ins

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This Chelsea wine bar smells like an especially appetizing candle store, with the scent of wine, saffron, rose, and sumac mingling in the air. There are around 100 bottles here to go with the big flavors in their Persian food, whether that’s the tart yogurt on top of the mast bademjoon, the puckery pomegranate molasses covering the meatballs, or the orange zest in the rice pilaf. Add to that the quiet calm of Shiraz’s semi-formal dining room, friendly service, and jazzy covers of Justin Bieber songs, and you’ve got the perfect oasis to escape to after work downtown.

7.6

Brooklyn Noosh

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$$$$Perfect For:Casual DinnersFirst DatesHappy Hours

For straightforward, everyday Persian food in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Noosh is the best option. Their $22 kebab plates hit the spot, and come with a pile of fragrant saffron rice. If you want something heartier, go with the lamb shank or the ghormeh sabzi, which has some interesting sour notes. Brooklyn Noosh is located right in that sweet spot between Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, and Prospect Heights, so it’s ideal for last-minute meetups with friends from the area. Plus, they have a quiet back patio that’s fully removed from the chaos of Atlantic Avenue.