London food scene: Persian food. A subtle taste of the Middle East.

While we've all doubtless often discussed going out for (or eating in with) an Indian, Chinese, Thai, Lebanese, Italian, or other variety of cuisine at the tip of our evening-planning tongue, Iranian comes up more rarely. Which is unfortunate because not only is it subtle and made with quality ingredients, but it’s also generally a hell of a lot cheaper than most other cuisines. Which, for the quality food you get, is a prized position in these credit-crunched times.

There's a whole gaggle of little Persian restaurants in West London, including Kensington’s Mohsen opposite Homebase in Earls Court, Bayswater’s Alounak on Westbourne Grove, and Sufi in Shepherds Bush. What do all these restaurants have in common? They are tucked away little gems with in-house bread ovens and loyal customer bases addicted to the top-notch food at a price level that will allow you to feast for less than 20 pounds a head.

Persian food is in some ways, a like Iran itself (geographically at least), somewhere between Indian and traditional Middle-Eastern (Lebanese). Its dishes often have a lot of sauce and can be served on pilau rice. Yet it also carries starters that, like Lebanese food,consist of meze and uses lots of skewered meat like Turkish food. The tea (pictured), generally served in Middle-Eastern cups and pots, is flavoured with cardamom – a ubiquitous ingredient in Indian cuisine. But there the similarities and straight fusion stop, because Iranian food has its own personality. Persian meze – sometimes described by first-time tasters as “bland” – is much subtler than its better known Lebanese counterparts, with smoked-aubergine dip being a must-try among these dishes.

Also, make sure you get bread. Persian restaurants tend to have a bread oven on site and in view, giving that flavour that only freshly-baked can muster! And while it uses some ingredients common to Indian food, it has not adopted chili, meaning that while tasty, it's a safe option for those who like to stay away from hot cuisine. The other must-have of Persian food is the lamb kebab, or koobideh. This skewer is tender and has been marinated and subtly mixed with onion, giving it a gorgeous tender texture and fine taste. Other sauce-based Persian dishes use a selection of ingredients including okra and can achieve a sweet-and-sour tinge by using pomegranate along with savoury ingredients. And don't forget dessert: try Fereni, made with rice flour, sugar and rose-water. It's delicious, and truly unique (see image below).