Alounak Restaurant - Bayswater

Alounak is not only one of the few places serving genuine Persian/Iranian food in London, but it is also distinguished by the superb quality of its dishes, and the cheapness of its prices; and, for those of you who like a drink with your meal, it is not licensed, so you can bring your own and not be charged for it.

Whilst slightly gaudy in appearance, but probably authentically so, it offers a series of dishes that more than satisfy the most demanding of taste buds, with food that is bursting with flavour.

For the hungry, they offer an amazing combination starter: Mirza Ghassemi, char grilled aubergine, fried onion, garlic and tomato, Homos (yet another spelling of hummus!), Salad Olivieh, diced chicken breast, potatoes, boiled egg, pickled cucumber, garden peas, mayonnaise and olive oil, and lastly Halim Bademjan, mashed char grilled aubergine, fried onions, herbs, garlic, butter beans, walnuts and kashk, all that for only £8.90.

Wonderful mains run from: marinated baby chicken served with rice or bread or salad, only £6.90, a range of kebabs with both fish or meat, around £6.50, and even a whole sea bass for under £10. Fantastic value for a Central London restaurant.

They have another branch in Russell Gardens, West Kensington.