Carved wood, embroidered fabrics and a water feature give this Persian restaurant an exotic feel.
215-217 King St, London W6 9JT, United Kingdom Get directions
"A stalwart Hammersmith spot, Mahdi Restaurant has been serving top Persian classics to hungry locals since 1999. But these days it’s not just locals they’re serving. You’ll often find a queue for a table and once you have a bite of the pistachio koobideh, you’ll understand why. It’s nutty, buttery, and delicious. The other grilled meats are excellent too, and everything is served on an elevated stand for some extra pizzazz. Once you have a bite of the citrussy, charred boneless chicken, you’ll realise that a 15-minute wait is worth it." - rianne shlebak
"Spacious and heavily bedecked, Mahdi in Hammersmith has big energy, big portions, and a big menu. There’s a lot to take in, including several forms of tahdig. Order rice as a side, and it comes with a potato tahdig crust. Or simply mainline a hefty portion of tahdig as a starter with stew. For something a little different, it’s worth trying tahchin — a baked saffron and yoghurt rice with chicken and aubergine folded in. There’s an extensive grill list, but for even more delicious rice, try the baqala polo, rice with broad beans and dill, with lamb shank. Save space for the kashke-bademjan, a sour yoghurt and aubergine dip and close cousin to baba ghanoush. Leftovers to take home are a near certainty." - Hester van Hensbergen
"A stalwart Persian restaurant in Hammersmith, Mahdi has been serving top Persian classics to hungry locals since 1999. But these days it’s not just locals they’re serving. You’ll often find a queue for a table here, and once you have a bite of the pistachio koobideh, you’ll understand why. It’s nutty, buttery, and delicious, and not the only thing that’s great. The grilled meats are all delicious, and everything is served on an elevated plate for some extra pizzazz. Once you have a bite of the citrussy, charred boneless chicken, you’ll realise that that 15-minute wait was worth it. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch" - Rianne Shlebak
"Mahdi is one of the few places that serves soup jo — a tomato-based barley soup — so definitely order that to start. Its kebab grills are impressive in both taste and presentation, but it’s the zereshk polo and khoresh morgh — rice with barberries and chicken stew — that are ones to order." - Amira Arasteh
"A Hammersmith and Chiswick favourite, it’s likely that your home décor won’t be as elaborate as the interiors at Mahdi, which heavily contribute to the experience, but the restaurant’s Iranian food is particularly appealing and tends to travel well. The zabane barreh, a slow-cooked lamb tongue in broth, is a standout, as are the pistachio naans and huge mixed grills for two, loaded with charred lamb chops snuggled by well-rendered fat; joojeh chicken enlivened with saffron and lemon; and, best of all, the koobideh which may well cause arguments if sharing. Although listed on Uber Eats and Deliveroo, Mahdi also offers its own delivery via its website." - Jonathan Hatchman