Caspian Mediterranean Kitchen

Not So Great Experience Reservation is a must, especially on weekends — the place gets extremely crowded. While the food was amazing and the outdoor seating had a nice vibe, the chairs were uncomfortable and the overall experience fell short. Service was slow; we had to wait a long time just to get the check. Staff seemed overwhelmed and placed the dishes without much attention or timing. If you’re going for the show, keep in mind it’s only indoors — not available outside. I’d still recommend Merza Qasni for the food, but be prepared for delays and a busy atmosphere. بسم الله اوله و اخره الرز لذيذ the rice ia good

A great restaurant offering authentic Iranian cuisine. The atmosphere is lovely, the staff are courteous, and the food is delicious. Portions are generous and offer excellent value for money. The garnishing is mouthwatering, adding to a truly appetizing experience. A must visit if you’re in the area.

Delicious food! It’s fresh and full of flavor. One of the best hummus I’vd had. Great customer service and nice ambiance. Loved the patio with the florals.

Solid Mediterranean spot. Been twice both times had a Persian cucumber martini and hummus to start. Both the tzadziki garlic yogurt and yogurt w cucumber are good. Falafel are solid with tahini dip. Kobbideh beef skewers were great. Rack of lamb pops were unreal!! Ozzie and the rest of the staff are great. Recommended!

Our party of 6 and 2 babies came here for an early dinner and first off, it is very spacious, easy/plenty parking, and people here were very kind and welcoming. I ordered the lambsicles and they were cooked and tasted perfect! I also tried others - salmon, koobideh (beef and chicken), and chicken kabob. We ordered the samosas, which was amazing, and a side of raw onions and tzatziki! Everything was really really delicious with all fresh and good ingredients. Too bad there was no live music/dancing. Make sure to come on a Wednesday, when they do have music/dancing.

We went to Caspian Mediterranean Kitchen for our monthly get-together. Upon arrival, the staff greeted us with warm, friendly, and professional service, which made a great first impression. The restaurant’s interior design was pleasant, and the presentation of the dishes in elegant and well-arranged plates was definitely commendable. However, unfortunately, the quality and taste of the food did not meet our expectations. The dishes were not warm enough, and the flavors lacked freshness and depth. We ordered a variety of items to try different options, but unfortunately, none of our friends were satisfied with their meals. After dinner, we went out to the patio to enjoy some hookah, but the quality was also below expectations and didn’t add much to the experience. Overall, the friendly service and appealing presentation were the highlights of the evening, but the food quality and additional offerings definitely need improvement.

We went for thanksgiving with reservations. It was a buffet . My wife had a Bariatric surgery and l requested the server showing him Proof saying she cannot eat less than half plate . He initially said “we will charge kid’s price” as there are no chefs for menu item today and at the end saying my manager didn’t approve. Also there are kids in patio eating and they allow smokers in patio . We ordered ice cream and the server forgot about us and my kid was waiting for a long time . Still I didn’t make a single complaint and paid the full cost for 2 adults and tipped 20% of the cost. Treat your customers well and show them kindness and empathy without any discrimination

We recently dined here and found the food to be mediocre based on our experience. The meat and kabobs lacked seasoning and didn’t deliver the depth of flavor we were hoping for. That said, the service was excellent—attentive, welcoming, and efficient. One point worth noting is the ambiguity around the restaurant’s branding and cuisine. While the name and menu may suggest Mediterranean fare, the offerings lean more toward Persian cuisine. It’s important to clarify this distinction, as Persian and Mediterranean cuisines are distinct in both flavor profile and culinary tradition. In short, a Persian kitchen isn’t a Mediterranean kitchen!

VERY FUN NIGHT! I am specially impressed with the singer and all the entertainment they had. The food was delicious as well as huge portions.

Great food and great music We always go there for big birthdays Barg beef and chickens are the best Not fond of kubideh though

The first location in Irvine closed but the owner relocated here and honestly I think I like the new set up more than before! Walking in, you're greeted with statues and an overall infrastructure that tips its hat to Iranian heritage. I've been there twice, and both times it does take a while for a staff member to realize you're waiting for them to seat you but everyone's rather friendly all around. The waiters are all attentive and are willing to answer questions about the food if you ask them to--not something they used to do before and I'm glad they changed that, going to this restaurant isn't so daunting to a lot of my friends now! Let's talk about the food! It's pretty good but the price is rather high considering the amount that you get. The quality of the food has gone up since its relocation and I couldn't be happier, don't get me wrong BUT it's not enough to justify the price hike in my opinion. Overall I would say Caspian is a good place to visit if you'd like a taste of Iranian cuisine, but the price is something that keeps me personally from visiting more often than I'd like. Who knows though, you might think it's worth it. My moms kitchen definitely spoiled me when it comes to Iranian food

Worst food I've ever tasted in my life. Absolute trash. We ordered beef filet mignon, beef souvlaki shish kabob, salmon, and chicken kabob, and the moment the plates came out, the food itself smelled like a dead animal. The beef smelled expired--like it had been sitting out of the fridge for a week. It was so spoiled, and rotten we couldn't even swallow it. There were 5 of us, and each person tried one piece of the filet mignon before spitting it out and wrapping it in a napkin. We didn't even touch the souvlaki skewer after smelling it. When I told the waitress to let the kitchen know their food was clearly expired and unsafe, they had the nerve to remove only ONE skewer from the bill. No manager came out to say sorry. No apology from the chef. Not even a single word from the owner. Nothing. Zero responsibility. Awful customer service! In the end we paid $180 for disgusting, foul-smelling food that should never be served to any human being. If you respect yourself, don't even step foot in this place. This was our second visit--our first time wasn't great either, but today was unbelievable. This is our last time here!

I love Persian food and was excited to discover that this building that had housed so many failed restaurants was Persian. And, I was blown away at what a beautiful job they did in converting it from the last concept. It is really attractive. But, restaurants are about the food, so the jury was still out. The minute I was handed my menu I searched for my favorite flavor - Fesenjoon. The walnuts and pomegranate and molasses are the ugliest, yet tastiest combination ever. Sure enough, it was there on the menu. So, we ordered the Fesenjoon and Qabuli Pulao, which is basmati rice with raisins and carrots and almonds. We chose lamb as our protein. The Fesenjoon was amazing. It was paired with crispy rice, which was so crispy and delicious. I am salivating as I am writing this. The Qabuli was excellent also. The service was fine...efficient, but nothing special. But, we were treated to live music. The whole experience was much better than we expected and we can't wait to return.

Shout out to Server 19! Sorry, didn't get your name. He was extremely accommodating, and made us feel welcome. Inside is very nice. Most people dress nice, but some were very casual, too. We made reservations for 6:30pm and got pretty good seats. Singing started at 7pm, belly dancer came on a little after 8:30pm. All the food tasted really good, but neither of us liked the tahini sauce.

I tried the lunch buffet today and was very impressed. The restaurant is beautiful inside, with a large dining room and outdoor seating. There is even a stage for live entertainment. The buffet had great variety, beef, chicken,fish and plenty of fresh veggies. The chicken kabobs were my favorite, juice, tender and full of flavor. I also loved the the warm pita bread, the hummus and yogurt dip. The only downside was the fish, which had a noticeable smell and did not taste fresh. Its a solid buffet with lots of options, especially the kabobs and sides. I would come back for sure.

Stopped in for lunch on a weekend, very excited after seeing high reviews on Yelp. We arrived at opening, the restaurant was pretty empty. We were seated outside on the patio. The entire restaurant is very well decorated and well kept, very cute for a girls lunch, date or special event. The food was okay, we tried the red lentil soup which had good flavor, the fattoush salad and split peas with eggplant. Glad we stopped in, I would consider returning for the buffet option during the week.

Our party of 6 and 2 babies came here for an early dinner and first off, it is very spacious, easy/plenty parking, and people here were very kind and welcoming. I ordered the lambsicles and they were cooked and tasted perfect! I also tried others - salmon, koobideh (beef and chicken), and chicken kabob. We ordered the samosas, which was amazing, and a side of raw onions and tzatziki! Everything was really really delicious with all fresh and good ingredients. Too bad there was no live music/dancing. Make sure to come on a Wednesday, when they do have music/dancing.

Very nice ambiance, food and service, we celebrated my friends b-day there, we were able to decorate the table, add balloons flowers and favors to the table... Very nice singers that accommodate all guests and sing different languages, belly dancer Brenda our server was amazing Thank you to Maddi the manager, she went above and beyond to make sure the party was a success... Thank you

Ambiance ~ 5/5 STARS romantic and entertaining; very welcoming; the bathrooms are super clean Food ~ 5/5 STARS the most delicious vegetables and meat dishes I've ever tasted! Dinks from the bar or sodas are delicious. Parking ~ 5/5 STARS easy access and handicap parking is adjacent to the restaurant.

Update! We went the other day for a small personal celebration with friends. When we walked in they were hosting a large corporate event which made me happy to see them doing well. We were seated at a great table away from the activity. Service 10 out of 10. Regularly checked on which was appreciated. The food. 10 out of 10 again. We all ordered something different and it all came out at the same time hot and fresh! The pricing is comparable to the service and quality of menu items provided so understand this isn't one of the typical corporate restaurants in the area that put you thru like a machine. What a great Jewel for the community to have a special occasion! This is worth a long drive if you are contemplating distance. We will most definitely return.

Great ambiance inside and yummy food, just a bit pricy for me. I came with 3 others - my friend who also wanted to try this place, and 2 others, including someone who loves Caspian. I really enjoyed our time here. It's a great place for dinner and a convo, and seeing belly dancing :). Service was great too.The mezze plates were so yummy i could've eaten it all myself. They let us mix and match a beef and chicken koobideh, and we also tried a baghala polo with lamb. We ended by splitting a cheesecake and 7 layers. It'd be really cool to try this place again for the lunch buffet. I'm sure it'd be really high quality food.

So glad we found this gem with delicious appetizers, kabobs and pastas. Capsian is a beautiful restaurant. Perfect for a date night, special occasion or anyone who just wants an amazing night out. We had Brenda as our server and she was so sweet, attentive and really made sure we enjoyed our time. The very talented belly dancer and live music was an added plus. Highly recommend.

Very clean restaurant with a nice lunch buffet. Everything was solid, but nothing was exceptional.

Beautiful restaurant! Came in on a Sunday for lunch. It was completely empty. Ordered a few different dishes to try. It was pretty good. Trout was very dry, pasta with shrimp was excellent. Chicken kebab was good. Service very friendly. I think it's a better place to come for dinner when they have music and belly dancers. Worth to check out if you are in the in the area.

Lots of protein options! Above average priced, but well worth the visit! Good for those on low-carb diets.

Alright, this place was definitely not what my family was expecting at all and very underdressed for the dinner. The inside is very clean and nice and has some beautiful decor and statues that were pretty cool! As far as the food, everything genuinely tasted great. The hummus and the 3 Hot Plate Platter are a must-have! We could not stop eating all the sauces and hummus with the pita bread. The entrees were recommended by our wonderful waitress, who said the lamb is the go-to. The lamb IS the go-to. Had wonderful flavor and seasoning. Perfectly cooked and very moist! The rice was alright, not the best, and very dry, but of course, you get the lamb dish for the lamb, not the rice. The chicken kabob was also great and perfectly cooked chicken with wonderful flavor and zest of lemon! I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for Greek food! Also, our server was honestly the best of the night. I forgot her name, but she killed it and was on it with the drinks. She made the night more special, and pray God be with her and her twins!

WOW!! this was our first time dining at Caspian Mediterranean Kitchen. We dined here on Saturday night, the parking lot was easy to navigate. We had made a reservation and our party had arrived so we were able to find them quickly. There was a live band and singer and the artists were amazing!! the music was a little loud (personally) so it was a bit hard to hear the my family speaking at the table and we were seated at one of the tables farthest from the stage. The belly dancer was also amazing and so sweet!! in terms of the service, Chris was outstanding. he was attentive, gave great advice as to what to order and was efficient in his service. He was also very sociable and we were able to chat with him for a few minutes. The food was also oh so so good!! we ordered a few appetizers that were gone so quickly between the five of us, we also ordered 4-5 entrees and all shared the plates, the portion sizes were great, the proteins were juicy, and the rice was delicious. we will definitely be returning!

Service, ambiance, food, and live music! Staff is attentive and courteous. The menue offers entrees to satisfy the most discriminating diner.

Delicious!! Beautiful location delicious food and easy parking my fav!! Located in a parking lot with a variety of great stores like hobby lobby target sees candy michaels etc so after you're done eating you can walk it off! I would definitely recommend this place for a delicious lunch and dinner! Friendly service clean place and delicious food!! Hummus chicken shrimp pita bread everything was just delicious!! They also offer a lunch time buffet if you are in the mood for that as well during the week!

Delicious meal, great ambiance, our server was fantastic!! His name is Aldi . We We're here for lunch and enjoyed the lamb shank the Beef Koobideh, the Turkish delight with vanilla ice cream.

The food is overpriced but the quality does not worth the price. We had a party of four , all the food came cold on the table. Heaven on the fork resturant is the best in S Cali as the service, food quality and the presentation is excellent. Nice ambiance though.

Per usual Caspian is incredible. The food is always amazing and taste so fresh. Absolutely love getting the beef soltani and getting the best of both worlds. The servers are always on top of it and friendly. Ambiance is one of a kind with live music in the weekends and a constant party while you eat and after as well! The only thing that was off about this visit was the bartender, the drinks tasted like they didn't have much alcohol and watered down severely.

Decided to try Caspian out one night and what a great surprise. The place is decorated with a clean and vibrant aesthetic - the neutral tones paired with the bright lights at the bar create a very modern Mediterranean beach restaurant vibe. The food was fantastic - made to order and very fresh. The baklava and the vegan ice cream are incredible. Perfectly flaky baklava with the right level of sweetness paired with the saffron, rose water and cardamom flavors - amazing! The thing that made it even better were our host and server, Aldi and Moses. Very friendly, welcoming and accommodating with our questions about the cuisine. Totally made the experience so much better. Definitely a recommended place to check out in the area. Ask for Aldi and Moses - they will treat you well !

Great Mediterranean food! Came for lunch opted out of buffet and ordered straight from menu. Beautifully decorated place and great service ..hummus app is large enough for a meal and had three different flavors ..highly recommend ordering this ..finished off with a great salad topped with salmon ..salmon perfectly cooked and not dry ..this place looks like can be livelier if come for dinner ..will be back !

We had a lovely time last night. It was packed!! There was live music and dancing. Very enjoyable.

Interesting. Am not from the region but this place is good and dishes are plentiful. Learned that they also have lunch buffet around the mid $20s on Friday and Saturdays. They have kabobs, Lamb dishes, shrimp, and a bunch more! They also have a full service bar with live entertainment tonight, Sunday night! With a belly dancer even! Had a good time and good dining.

In town for a conference and stopped in for a late dinner. The food and service were amazing. We will definitely return. We were assisted by Ali and Aldi. They were kind and accommodating. Thank you!

got the chicken and steak kabob. The food was amazing along with the server Moses. Highly recommend this restaurant.

Our favorite Persian restaurant! great food, ambiance and service but its on the pricey side! We would eat here on special occasions only, most of the time we order food togo.

Caspian Mediterranean Kitchen located in Foothill Ranch off Bake Pkwy offers delicious Mediterranean food in a spacious yet tranquil setting. Apparently this restaurant used to reside on Culver but moved 2 years ago to this location. Arrived here for lunch and was promptly seated. The menu contained a great selection of starters, salads, kabobs, pasta and dessert. For starters, we ordered the fresh hot pita with yogurt and eggplant. Very fresh tasting and is a great way to start the meal. For my main course I ordered the Chicken Kabob plated and it was very tasty with the chicken well seasoned and grilled. It also came with a veggie skewer which had amazing flavor. Overall I had a lovely experience as the food was great and would definitely come back when I am in the Lake Forest area.

Amazing food. The koobideh was fantastic. Place is beautifully decorated. Staff is very attentive. The owner was very hospitable. We are going back Friday evening for live music and dancing. They also have weekend brunch. Great for after church service at Saddleback Church.

Excellent new location for large parties and delicious food Recommend the lunch buffet on Wednesday, Thurs or Fri - $25 with a big variety of all the most popular Persian dishes . Also included shrimp skewers which was a huge plus and appreciated. Usually not found at a lunch buffet at this price point . Their chicken kabab is made with thigh meat which is juicy and tender. Their koobideh also excellent and melts in your mouth . Recommended .

Soleil was absolutely amazing. She made our experience an incredible one. The food was delicious and the entertainment was excellent. I highly recommend Caspian!!!

Jesus made our dinner experience fabulous! Great times at Caspian restaurant Service was great, food was delicious

What an amazing dining experience this evening at Caspian Mediterranean Kitchen. We had reservations for 5pm which is early when dining at a Mediterranean restaurant yet we were both hungry for their amazing food. Soliel was our amazing server and what a dynamo she is. Not only did Soliel provide superb customer server to my wife and I, she also tended bar and handled several other tables. What a wonderful person and what we had hear from her she is a super mom as well. The ambiance was pleasant and they play some awesome music prior to the late night live music they offer. We started with the Kashk bademjan and a side of cucumbers with a Caesar salad with ice tea. The food was fresh, tasty and plentiful. Soliel checked back with us and we ordered our entrees. We both had the koobideh combo entree with my wife opting for rice and I substituted the rice for a wonderful veggie skewer. The food, service, ambiance and people are amazing. We also had an opportunity to speak with Reza another amazing server and the manager who is always welcoming and a pleasure to interact with. We finished the evening with a coffee and my wife opted for the vegan ice cream. Such a delightful time and dining experience. The restaurant is spotless and beautifully maintained. Highly recommended.

Clean & tasty food with a nice atmosphere. Large indoor & outdoor seating areas and live music some nights. Lunch buffet few days a week too. Check their hours of business-not same everyday.

Amazing good, amazing service, amazing outdoor AND indoor seating. Also... it's really clean. Makes me enjoy eating there even more. The food was very good and amazing portion, will be back!!

I am disappointed tbh. I love this place when it was in Irvine. The food is good, the music is still great but the layout is poorly designed. The dance floor is right near entrances that servers and people need to get to go outside. A giant bar that blocks the view of the dance floor. In the old location, the dance floor was in the center so even if you didn't want to dance yet, you could just sit and watch for a bit and get back into it. It just doesn't have that cozy feel. But the music and food and drinks are great

I made a reservation on Saturday Morning for 6pm. We arrived at 5:45pm only to be turned away for inside seating and offered outdoor seating when There was nothing regarding this seating arrangement in the verbiage when the reservation was made. The workers poor attitude and lack of customer service skills was disappointing. We were told we can only eat inside until 7pm and then would have to depart from the inside area of the restaurant. We drove an hour to eat here and we will not be coming back again after this horrible experience.

Excellent food. Wonderful service. Amazing ambiance. Wonderful experience! Had my husband surprise birthday party, and everyone that attended had a great time. A wonderful experience

The best Mediterranean restaurant i have ever gone to. Very beautiful environment, modern, the food is excellent and so delicious. Best service and kids friendly, very friendly and polite staff. We will be back. Good background music. thank you Dr. Hamid Rowshan

Amazing food!! It's such a vibe and there's always music and dancing Their Kabobs are very good

Great food , and excellent service. Thank you Moses and Jesus. Live music by Nadia is really fun too.

We've been to Caspian many times over the years. This was my first time at the new location for lunch and the food was quite disappointing. The menu has changed to include burgers and pasta. While cut out some traditional Persian dishes. The split pea with eggplant was supposed to have meat but unfortunately had no meat at all. The flavour was bland, as if the split pea had just been cooked in a tomato sauce and nothing else. The loobia polo also contained no meat and the flavouring was from a combination of spices. The barg was ok, but as a Persian restaurant for the price at lunch the portion was quite small. Caspian has always been a favourite. Sadly we will not return after this experience. Very poor quality food while very over priced. Would give zero stars but unfortunately that is not an option.

Great food quality, ambient, and hospitality. Our servant, Moses, was great and so energetic from the beginning to the end of our Sun lunch. Thanks Caspian

The grilled chicken thighs were amazing. Loved the way the rice was prepared too Staff was all very friendly Appreciated the lamps that were set on the tables once the sun set. (The only suggestion I have ... please replace the lamps that don't have an amber hue ... 80% of the lamps had amber hue but there were a couple lamps that had this harsh white light that kinda threw off the vibe) Otherwise, love. Will be back again!

Fun Persian restaurant with an upbeat vibe later at night. We enjoyed the crispy rice with the eggplant split pea stew. Also not pictured were the kabobs which were seasoned well. There is live music and a large banquet hall they often use for parties. This seems to be the spot in South OC for late night Persian hang outs.