Shehrezade
346 Kensington High Street (W14, near Olympia tube)

I had walked past this place so many times over the years I wonder why I never went in. I love Persian food (as those of you remember my glowing review of Pars in Los Angeles), but always wondered about this place -- which looked more bar/club than restaurant.

So on my last day in London, as I was running to a meeting nearby, I thought, why not? The only fault of mine was to rush, as it was excellent.

The place is decorated in grandeur and exuberance, from the faux-fresco on the ceiling to the fountains. It is really over-the-top, but in a cool way. I can see why this place is such a hotspot at night. However, today it was my stomach, and not liver, that needed feeding.

Even at 1pm, they were barely getting going (again the evening theme), but they brought out a most excellent chelow kabab-e koobideh -- the wonderful grilled mince lamb. The spices used were just amazing, and the tenderness was fantastic. I hate to say this, but this place blew Pars right out of the water, no matter how good that was.

Unfortunately, I had to swallow the large portion quickly, so that marred the experience -- my fault. This is definitely a good place for food, but maybe not lunch. It's a bit slow staff-wise and they're more worried about getting ready for the evening's festivities. Nevertheless, this is an awesome place, if you ever end up near Olympia.

Food: A-
Atmosphere: B
For Lone Diners: B-