Persian Nights Restaurant

Absolutely delicious! This Persian restaurant nailed it. The kebabs were tender and full of flavor, the saffron rice was fluffy and aromatic, and the fresh herbs and sides tied everything together perfectly. The bread was warm and crisp, straight from the oven. Service was friendly and fast, and the atmosphere was cozy and welcoming. If you’re looking for authentic Persian flavors done right, this place is a must-try! Great staff as well very polite and welcoming

As Persian living in Bay Area, I almost visited most Persian restaurants around, specially famous ones. But I would say today I have found the best of the best Persian food. I was so impressed with the quality and taste of this restaurant . And this will be my best to go Persian food from now on! I wish I give the place more stars but five is max and that’s the least they deserve! Keep up with impressive work Persian nights! 🤗

I was craving Persian food and this definitely fulfilled my cravings. I ordered a customized Kabob plate of Koobideh (ground beef) and Joojeh (chicken breast) and Ghormei Sabzi. The star was the Koobideh! So flavorful and buttery tasting. You must eat this quickly when it's hot. It tastes the best when hot from the grill. The Joojeh was tasty too, but a bit salty just by itself. The Ghormei Sabzi was good, but a little too sour IMHO. Great meal overall! Would definitely come back. I sat in the patio and it was nice, but there were some really loud bikers ruining the tranquil space. That was the biggest turnoff that no one can control. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Wow, hadn't been here since the remodel and they did a great job! The atmosphere is really nice, and they even added a little bar with a TV, which is cool even if it's just beer and wine. The food was super flavorful and fresh. My lamb chops were maybe a tad overdone for my taste, and the portion looked a little small, but it wasn't bad. The service was great though, and I'd definitely come back to try some other stuff on the menu.

Everything here is delicious and fresh!! Everything we ordered was a10/10. The owner is very friendly and you can tell he’s very passionate about his restaurants. He showed us how to eat everything with Sumac and herbs. We will definitely be back.

If you’re craving an unforgettable Persian dining experience, this is a must-visit. Their lamb shank is hands-down the best I’ve ever had fall off the bone tender, infused with rich Persian spices, and paired with perfectly fluffy dill rice. Every bite bursted with bold, aromatic flavors that transport you. The warm hospitality and beautifully crafted dishes make this spot a true hidden gem. If you love incredible food, you need to try this place! If you aren’t sure how to order, just show them my photos and they will know. Enjoy!

Went here with two of my friends because we were seriously craving good Persian food—and there’s not much around until we found this place. The food was amazing, super flavorful, and everything was cooked perfectly. The customer service was also really solid—everyone was friendly and made sure we were taken care of. Definitely coming back. So glad we found this spot!

Cozy, family-run restaurant with excellent, authentic Persian food. The dolmas are like none other & the entrees are generous and fresh. The most fun thing of about this restaurant is that they celebrate every holiday with really cute decorations around the restaurant, which makes the atmosphere very fun and lively. I highly recommend this neighborhood spot for good times and great food!

This place is delicious! I tried the Koobideh Kabob and there are very few Persian restaurants that get the rice perfectly crispy like Persian Nights does. Absolutely loved it! The owners were also very kind and the service was above par. I love the location since you can cross the street and take a walk around the lake.

Absolutely delighted to share my experience with Persian Nights in Oakland! As a regular takeout customer, I can confidently say this place is a gem. The staff is consistently warm and welcoming, making every visit pleasant. The food is beyond delicious - rich, flavorful, and authentically Persian. Each dish is prepared with care and attention to detail, offering a true taste of Persian cuisine. From the succulent kebabs to the aromatic rice dishes, every bite is a delight. If you haven't tried Persian Nights yet, do yourself a favor and order from here. Highly recommend!

Delicious food. I love that these dishes are different than you find anywhere else. The service can be slow but I'm not eating them down because that's a staffing issue. All employee on the floor are working with customers and doing their best given that quality candidates for jobs are difficult to come by. The staff are friendly and kind too.

Fantastic! Great service, lovely location, and the food was delicious. The kobedeh (sorry if spelling wrong) was especially good.

Great food and ambiance! Took my mom, aunts, and siter in laws there for a mothers day lunch and everyone enjoyed their dish. We tried all different kabob plates and we all especially loved that each plate gets its own tadig rice with the crispy bottom!

My boyfriend and I shared a dish. Beef kabob plate hit the spot! The lemonade was good, but not as good as I remembered it and they didn't have a hummus dish to order like I last remembered. I then realized that Bacheesos has been replaced by Persian Nights (in September '23 according to an article online). The outside table unfortunately was pretty dirty when we sat down (coffee stain and political postcard ad left on the table). The yelp check in deal for 15% off was not honored as they claimed they are not in association with yelp. The service was kind, but quite slow on a fairly slow Saturday (we saw many opens seats).

I recently had to go back here as I was absolutely craving some food that would remind me of home. As an Armenian in the Bay, I'm constantly searching for middle eastern food spots and I can't stress this enough: they never live up to the expectations -- except for this place! The food, the ambiance, and the service of this spot is just so good! I was craving their vegan bademjan twice this week alone. I really wish they were on Uber Eats because I'd be ordering this on a daily basis. Y'all have got to try this spot out!

(4.5/5 ) We came here an hour right before closing and what stood out other than the food was definitely the service. We ordered the beef kebab plate and the chicken tachin. The server let us know it may take around 40 minutes for the chicken, and though it was a wait before closing, the waiters still treated us very well. We felt bad that they were already starting to clean up and we were the last customers, but the waiters were still very positive and caring to our table and actually reassured us the food was coming! The chicken tachin plate was definitely worth the wait. The meat was falling off the bone and super tender and juicy. My only reservation was that I wish it was more flavorful. However the quality was amazing. My favorite part of my meal was the golden rice. Like tahdig, it was crispy on the outside but the inside was very moist. I think an egg was fluffed in it? I still think about the rice, and try to find it in other Persian restaurants but have not been able to!

Great place for Mediterranean/Persian cuisine in Oakland. Amazing authentic delicious fresh dishes. Presentation is awesome with individually cooked rice dish with crispy rice/bread on top! So delicate touch! Try Baklava for sure. It's so rich and baked with honey, no sugar! It has plenty of indoor and outdoor tables. Good for groups, kids, small party and casual night out. Heaters around when needed. Owner is a respectable gentleman who's also serving and hosting with very welcoming attitude. Great add to the setting! Highly recommending.

Disclaimer I don't have a lot of experience with Persian food. My Persian colleague took a group of us here. It was such a delight! was smiling from ear to ear with what a positive first experience I had. The portion size was huge. I was able to brings some food home to share. For the appetizer, we had warm Mast O Mousir (pita bread with yogurt with wild shallots). The bread was very soft & pillowy and the the yogurt was very refreshing to balance the heaviness of the bread. The shallot taste was not strong so don't worry about having shallot breath and order away! For the entree, I ordered the chicken Tahchin Morgh. The scorched saffron rice was a new discovery that opened up new horizons for me. The chicken was seasoned well and delicious ( not too salty). For me, the chicken was a bit over cooked for my taste and thus a bit dry but it didn't compromise on the flavor of the dish. I took leftovers home to share and my housemate loved the chicken! Our dining group also had salad and baklava to share :) the baklava had more floral notes than other ones I've tried. I found the overall meal was very aromatic and appealing. Staff was so kind and attentive. Switched our appetizer plates, delivered us our entree plates, and gave us dessert plates to split things. You know when the place is friendly when you walk to the restroom and there's an exchange of smiles with staff on the way.

Walt from Walt's Adventures adventuring next to Lake Merritt in Oakland, California. I have had the pleasure so visiting many Persian eateries in the Bay Area but it was not until today that I visited a Persian Restaurant. Persian Nights has both inside and outside seating. The outside area is covered with additional heating. The soul of this restaurant are the customers. Everything was perfectly prepared and the appetizer was so delicious that we ordered it twice. The rice was presented in a unique way. Never was I ever presented with the rice so carefully and cleverly prepared. I dare say that even the restrooms were cleaned to the point that I expected it to hold an additional table. There are several establishments in the Bay Area to fulfill Persian needs. Many of which serve similar dishes. Persian Nights stands out beyond the others for it presents itself as if you were not just a member of their family but also Persian.

My favorite Persian sit down dinner in the Bay! Run don't walk to Persian nights. Every dish is fresh, flavorful and authentic. The service is always friendly and prompt. The location is an easy distance from the lake and other parts of the East Bay. Come eat their delicious food and support a family business. I wish I lived closer, I'd be here once a week! You can't go wrong with anything you pick, so be brave and try it all :)

I'm not persian so I have no idea wrt authenticity. But the meal was perfect. Service was friendly and fast. Seating was spacious. The lamb lollipops were soft (yet not rare) and marinaded all the way through. We had to order another one because they were so good. The koofteh with tadig had us completely quiet, focused on eating. The eggplant spread appetizer was balanced in all its flavors and texture was just right. They have high chairs.

This used to my office go to lunch place cause of their lunch buffet and the vegan options they have. I believe it has changed since the name is not the same. Anyway, still mostly middle eastern and Persian food. We got all vegan options, Khoreshte bademjoon, ghorme sanzi, domeh, hummus with bread. The food tasted good up until I found a piece of hair in the rice. I didn't tell my friend as I didn't want to ruin his appetite. The service was super slow although it wasn't crowded. It was very hard to find somebody to help for anything even to ask for a check. They must have had a party in the back....lol The menus were sticky and we had to cleaned the chairs cause someone had spilled some liquid (we hoped it was water). But since we couldn't find anyone to help we did it ourselves. Anyway, in the absent of hair in the rice, I would recommend this place specially that they have so many delicious/solid Persian dishes.

Excellent food, atmosphere. The owners are kind and attentive, very professional and welcoming. Will definitely return here for date nights. Btw, they have the most cozy patio.

This place is expensive for no good reason. I tried their koobideh-- it was good... The Barg wasn't that tasty.... and this last time i tried the cornish hen chicken kabab at $38!!!! it was a very small portion , little rice..one roasted tomato..... for $38.... so expensive by all measures ..... why? the birds come frozen at Costco pack of 12 for something like $22.... Hey owner of persian nights... be reasonable pricing your dishes. That dish is not worth $38

What a great spot for Sunday brunch on the porch. The food is delicate but plentiful, refined, flavorful. Will definitely return.

Everything is freshly made with premium ingredients! Food takes a bit to come out, but that's because they make everything from scratch to make sure it is fresh. Their drinks are amazing! Totally recommend!

First time here. Service was poor, they hardly knew how to speak English. The food was bland and hardly flavored. The koobideh tasted frozen and the color of the meat was grey and the grill marks were not authentic. I'm giving them one star for their presentation only. It feels as though they spent more $ on the appearance of the restaurant than the service and food. If they work on this, I'll consider coming back. Otherwise there are other Persian restaurants nearby. Do not recommend. Also, every Persian restaurant I've been to has brought the table some bread, butter and greens. Here, they charge you for it. Surprise surprise...

Really delicious Sabzi and Gorme Sabzi plates! Food was really high-quality and tasted amazing!

We came by this place accidentally because the restaurant we had planned to go to was closed for Memorial Day. So we found this restaurant on Yelp. We sat outside as the weather was nice and most of the tables inside had not been cleared of dishes. It sits on a corner of a very busy street. So it was quite noisy with lots of cars going by, some blasting music. We even witnessed a police car chase. By the colors it looks like it may have been a Mexican restaurant before becoming a Persian restaurant. And there looked to be smoke damage on one corner of the patio going up to the ceiling so it needed some paint touch up to make it a bit more ambient. It took half an hour for our food to arrive even though it was around 3pm and they weren't that busy. Maybe they were short staffed that day? Idk, we won't hold that against them. My husband ordered the koobideh and I ordered the Chenjeh that was pretty much the same as barg. The meat was ok. The beef berg or chenjeh was very tender but did not have that bbq on the fire flavor. Tasted like it was made over gas. Same for the koobideh. Didn't have that charbroiled kabab taste and was quite salty. What saved this restaurant for me was 1. The tadig (crunchy rice) that came with the meal. It was the perfect amount. My husband's unfortunately wasn't crunchy for some reason. And #2 the Persian lemon basil! Loved that they had that with the food. Enhanced everything so much.

Amazing ambiance, and the food was prepared with delicious and high quality ingredients. You can really tell that the owners care about putting the best foot forward for their cuisine!

I'm so excited that this restaurant pivoted to fully Persian food and brought in an amazing chef. The food is not only delicious, but it's also beautiful. This has become a local favorite for us, and we bring new people any chance we get. Can't wait for our next meal!

Absolutely amazing Persian food with many unique dishes. Beautiful indoor and outdoor seating. The staff were efficient, friendly and accommodating. And they have a wonderful and eclectic wine list. Highly recommend!

Great food and great service. We showed up as a group of 25 and they were super accommodating. We ordered appetizers, mix of kabobs, and dessert. Great Persian food with a special touch that sets them apart from other Persian restaurants. They were also super kind all our group's rowdy and hungry kids. The pomegranate ice cream dessert was so so tasty. Will definitely be going back there again!

I recently visited Persian Nights, and it was a fabulous experience with excellent food quality. The renovations have elevated the ambiance, creating a calm and pleasant atmosphere. The owner is not only an amazing person to talk to but also a great hostess. The high-quality food was a highlight; Must-e Musir and Mirza Ghasemi for appetizers were fantastic, and the Koobideh for the entree was exceptionally juicy and delicious. The extensive menu allows for a variety of options, and they even offer a plate for the table with a mix of items to try. I noticed a Persian charcuterie board on other tables that looked enticing. Persian Nights is undoubtedly a go-to place, offering a delightful culinary journey.

Our work crew (about 16 of us) decided to check this place out for the first time. Reservation for noon was easy to book, and seating was very comfortable for all of us. We also noticed that there's space enough outside on the patio if we decide to come back when it's hot. The people are very friendly and our waitress was very accommodating. We were told it was best to pre-order so that when we got there, our large party wouldn't have to wait long. We still had a bit of a wait, but no worries since we were not in a hurry. The food was very delicious, lots of well-seasoned dishes and fresh ingredients. You know that food is good when you're eating your own meal while looking at the next person's plate like "I'm going to order that next time." There's only one reason why I didn't give this restaurant 5 stars. We have some vegans on our team, and it's important that any restaurant we choose has vegan options, which this restaurant does, and our team members ordered those options. However, all the rice was cooked with regular butter, which is dairy and, therefore, an animal product, and we weren't told this. Unfortunately, one of our vegans has an actual allergy to animal products, and she had taken a few bites of rice before realizing what was in it. She ended up in the bathroom, vomiting, but thankfully she was able to get it out before it caused a more serious reaction. So to summarize, this was a great restaurant with delicious food and excellent service. Just be sure to check your dish if you have special needs or requests. Our team will be back here.

I have had better Persian food. The Kobede was a little greasy and not cooked well. It had a soft texture to it. But the other things were good. The service was just okay for being not busy.

Cute Resturant, service was great, but the food was not great at all. The meat had a funny smell and it did not taste like all the other Persian restaurants I've been to, it was off. The salad they gave us had dirt they had to remake it. Then I tried using my check in discount that Yelp has to offer, some older gentleman came to the table and asked how can I help you, I explained can I use this discount, he replied we don't work with Yelp. I found that to be strange if anything the Resturant should thank Yelp because without Yelp they wouldn't had gain my business today. I will not be coming here ever again.

I've seen this restaurant for a while now, and with a friend coming to town I wanted to give it a try. We sat outdoors because of the heating lamps. Santa hats on each of the outdoor chairs was a nice touch for the holidays. There is a wine list and we ordered a bottle of Carmenet Chardonnay. I'm not much of a wine drinker but I like that it wasn't too sweet. For our first appetizer we ordered the bread and hummus. The pita bread served hot with the hummus is really good. The bread had a nice crisp crunch while still being soft. The hummus was probably the best I've had. I've tried hummus from many other spots serving halal food and I love it but I have only ever had it that way, which is smooth in texture but much more like a spread. This hummus was very much like a dip, covering each piece of bread once dipped. It's just really good. I kept ordering more bread and by the end of dinner I asked for a to go container for the rest of the hummus and a box for the bread. I'd come here for the hummus alone, but the rest of the meal did not disappoint. Our next appetizer was the Lollipop Lamb Chops that came with a side salad of pickled red cabbage and a side of sabzi sauce. The sabzi sauce is amazing and reminds me of chimichurri. I've never had lamb chops before but always wanted to try them. We ordered medium well and they were really good. 10/10 for sure. The pickled cabbage is pretty good too, but definitely an adjustment to my taste buds. I like pickled carrots and jalapeños, but I never had this and it was a nice surprise. I ended up eating the remaining sabzi with my main entree, the Kabob Koobideh (angus beef) that came with crispy rice, fresh basil and a roasted Roma tomato. The kabobs were delicious, and the fresh basil added a nice touch to it. I ate about two leaves of basil with each bite of the kabob. The crispy rice was nice and buttery. The flavor is nice and subtle but very good. I love rice and this is one of my favorite preparations of it. Now, I want to find a recipe on how to make this haha. Anyway, I ate the perfectly roasted Roma tomato on it's own, breaking it apart easily with the fork. My friend ordered the Baghali Polo, which is saffron dilled rice with fava beans and lamb shank. The lamb shank comes with a whole garlic head that my friend mashed into the marinade her lamb was in. I didn't try the lamb, but I did try the dilled rice. It was very pretty to look at. You definitely taste the beans in the rice with each bite. In comparison, it is a bit dryer than the crispy rice but I think that's due to the fava beans. I didn't try the lamb but my friend ate most of it and ended up taking home a to go box. The service was great as well. The foods was served hot and I kept taking off my jacket while eating only to put it right back on. It's cold outside, but the food made me feel warmer with my jacket on. Located across the street from the Fairyland side of the lake, I felt that parking wasn't too hard to find around the time of the evening we came which was around 5:30. I saw a lot of people coming for pick up orders too, and not delivery drivers picking up orders so it seems like a neighborhood favorite and I can see why.

I live in San Francisco and have been wanting to find a great Persian restaurant. There aren't any amazing ones in the city unfortunately, but then I stumbled across this GEM. I will be coming back FOR SURE. If you haven't tried this place out, it is a must. Please note the rice comes with its own personal tahdig (fried rice that is crunchy and delicious).

Excellent food however I can't say the same with the waitress, it's bad when you have to ask for service I had to flag her down 4 times she never once came and asked do we need anything or how was the appetizer or food and to top it off she wants a 18, 20 or 25% tip!! Also I didn't like the fact that they charged us $9 for bread and Sabzi I mean most Persian places they bring you bread onions sabzi for free I honestly didn't mind being charged for that but what I did mine is that charge me for extra bread I mean you have two big people that way over 230 pounds 4 slices of small bread is not gonna do it. So he added a $3 extra on bill!!! Why do that when you just ordered $100 worth of food for 2 ppl ? But the food was very good

Best Valentine's dinner ever!!! The restaurant was so well decorated and the food was extremely delicious and plated beautifully. Hands down the best Persian food I have ever had. Also, for valentines they gave each table their own flower/chocolate bouquet to take home! On top of all that, the staff at Persian Nights were extremely welcoming and accommodating. I had missed multiple of their calls to let me know their V-day menu would be different from their regular menu. Even so, they made an exception and let us order an option from their regular menu since my partner is vegan and they even made his dish valentine themed with a heart :') thank you so much Persian Nights for a lovely dinner! We will be back again!

This place is really good! There aren't too many Persian restaurants in the Bay Area but this one is a favorite. We had the Feshenjoon, Tachin, and Ghymeh Bademjoon. Everything was amazing and everyone gets their own piece of tadig. The service was great. The owner himself was there and very friendly brought out come barbari and Sabzi for us as well as tea and musto musir which was also amazing. High quality food. Great service. The seating was very nice as well with in door and outdoor options. There was also veggie and vegan options for the stews, they they were really good!

Went for a birthday dinner! First time at a Persian food spot and it did not disappoint. Started with the yogurt with Cucumbers and yogurt with shallots. I favored the yogurt with shallots. Put it one the pita bread and it's awesome! Ordered the JooJeh Kabob. The crispy rice was interesting to eat. They give you butter to put on the rice and yes put butter on the rice. It's a different and good taste to it. The Joojeh is chicken. I added some of their spice to it. I would order it again. Finally ordered a baklava. And was not ready for the size of it. It's almost the size of a cake slice. But trust me you could easily finish it. The baklava wasn't that sweet, so it's a nice balance of the nutty taste but with a little bit of sweet to it. They also give you their tea to drink with it and it is a nice balance to the dessert. Great experience for my first time eating Persian food

Atypical Persian restaurant. They make an individual size tag dig in a perfect circle. It looks delightful, but doesn't taste very good and I'm not sure why. It bends and is not crispy almost as though it's old. I can't explain it. The kabobs and khoreshes are very good. We go here regularly when in the east bay and are overall happy with it. The service is very pleasant too. What's bacheesos?

We ate here last week, food was great, owner was nice and restaurant was clean, can't ask for more.

Lovely and delicious. We will return often! The menu is fabulous & the service is great.

Been here a few times and the food has been excellent each time. The barg is my favorite kabob here, it's flavorful and juicy. The fesenjan and ghormeh sabzi stews are both delicious. And their desserts are memorable, especially the baklava. Not many Persian restaurant options in the east bay, so definitely check them out if you're near Oakland.

My new favorite Iranian food, every single item on the menu tastes amazing and fresh.

Food is simply amazing and great value. Some of the best persian food you will find in the whole Bay Area for sure. Service is kind and accommodating. The owner is very welcoming and genuine. The persian music was a nice touch. Highly recommend.

Stopped here on the way to gratin casino, oh my goodness!! Everything was so good. The barburry bread with yogurt was served warm and slightly crispy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside. We both had kabob plates that came with rice with tadiq the crispy rice. We're from the South Bay and can't find Persian food this good in San Jose. I guess we're coming to Oakland for Persian food now

Great food and great service . I always enjoy going there. The good food and service are always consistent

If you've had authentic, delicious Persian food, you will be disappointed by this restaurant. The food was unevenly cook, carelessly chopped up, the tadek was fake (obviously cooked elsewhere, then plopped down on top of some rice), the kebababs were disastrously overcooked and dried out, the dolmas overly spiced with cinnamon, in short, it was not worth the visit. The home-make baklavah was the only thing worth eating.

Great ambiance that initially attracted me to the place. Their food was quality and really well cooked. Flavors were unique which speaks for the authenticity. Places like these inspire me to be more selective when choosing new places to eat.

Great food, great service! There is a lot of specialty dishes as well that are hard to find at other Persian restaurants

The food is very fresh, tastes homemade, very simple, but very well done. Service is friendly, quick, and not intrusive. Really enjoyed our time there.

We came back from a long trip and wanted to find a Persian restaurant. We are so glad that we found this place. The appetizers, food, and service were exceptional. Most-e- mossier (yogurt dish) was great. We had several dishes with kabab kobeydeh and zereshk dish with chicken were amazing. we finished w a baklava for the desert which was incredible: fresh, right sweetness and crispy. We will be back! thanks

Staff was very friendly and attentive. Food was decent but not stellar. Prices reasonable.

I have eaten here every day for the last 5 days, twice today - something I have never done anywhere else in my life, and I'm almost 73. The food is delicious and nourishing, and the owner and the people who work here are warm and delightful.