Hafez serves a variety of Iranian and vegetarian dishes at their restaurant to eat in or take away. Pavement seating is also provided.
Hafez
Iranian Restaurant in Bayswater
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Opening Times
| Monday |
Open 12:00 - Closes 00:00 |
| Tuesday |
Open 12:00 - Closes 00:00 |
| Wednesday |
Open 12:00 - Closes 00:00 |
| Thursday |
Open 12:00 - Closes 00:00 |
| Friday |
Open 12:00 - Closes 00:00 |
| Saturday |
Open 12:00 - Closes 00:00 |
| Sunday |
Open 12:00 - Closes 00:00 |
All In London Review
A wonderful introduction to Iranian cookery
Before we’d ordered we were brought olives, naan and hummus, all of which promptly disappeared only to be replenished without even asking (at no extra cost). Salad olivieh, a rich potato salad with mayonnaise, chopped up gherkins, eggs and pieces of chicken, was delicious. Aubergine-based baba ganoush was creamy and tasty, and ‘ash’ was the perfect starter for the current climate. A very thick soup made with barley, rice, lemon and herbs, it’s great nourishment for freezing weather.
For the mains we ordered ‘bademjan’, an aubergine stew with tomatoes and onions. As with baba ganoush the aubergine had been blended finely into a paste, and it was served with saffron rice. Gormeh sabzi, another stew with kidney beans, chives, fenugreek, parsley and dried limes arrived in a bowl and had been cooked till the kidney beans had perfectly absorbed the flavour of the limes. The minced lamb and chicken kebabs were faultless too, well cooked and tasting of saffron and lemon.
We ordered a cinnamon tea which came with complementary baklava while we pondered the dessert menu. We’d eaten enough to feed a small principality, but it just looked too good to pass up. We opted for ice cream, made with rose water, saffron and cinnamon, ‘faloodeh’ which is a sort of noodle sorbet with rose water, and almond cakes.
The meal came to around £30 a head for four people, including two bottles of wine, impressive given the amount of food we’d consumed and the Bayswater post code.
A fantastic meal and a wonderful introduction to Iranian cookery.
Reviewed by Leila
Published on Jan 8, 2009
User Reviews
Anonymous
Jan 30, 2010
Hafez is a little gem. The food is fresh, especially the herb salad that comes with cheese. You do feel like a goat plowing through the greens but it is a wonderful feeling. The service is slow and so I recommend ordering starters fast and then make decisions about mains. The starters are usual Persian but at their best. The kebabs and other meat dishes come with the most delicious buttered rice. The decor is really cool. You don't notice it at first and then little by little you realize you are surrounded by modern art.
Anonymous
Nov 13, 2008
I've been going to Hafez restaurant for at least 15 years and in comparison with many of the other Persian restaurants in London, they have the tastiest food. My favourites are Fesenjoon (pomegranate puree and walnut stew) and the joojeh kebab(poussin bbq).
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