Alounak (Bayswater)

Very good food in a not "over-the-top" decorated Persian Restaurant like Behest on Harrow Road. Best Koobideh I've had, beats Behest on Harrow Road by miles. Service is attentive and efficient. I would recommend having the Salad Olivieh and the Chelo Kobaab Koobideh. Didn't make a whole in the pocket!
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Zak
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, June 25, 2009

I work nearby and absolutely love it, having tried just about every other restaurant in the neighbourhood. I can particularly recommend the Wednesday special - lamb and aubergine - with the Taftoon bread. The lamb is so beautifully cooked, always nice cuts of meat used, and the large portions mean there's enough for a doggy bag too. As a former vegetarian with some meat-squeamishness about what might lurk in meat stews, this is a place I trust. The standard veggie dish is also flavoursome. I'm not sure whether the bad reviews about the food itself on this site were expecting strongly seasoned food and were therefore disappointed, but it's the subtlety of the dishes here which is what I like. It's always packed in the evenings - the only restaurant along this end of Westbourne Grove outside which queues form - says a great deal about the quality of what's on offer. Yes, sometimes the wait is quite long, and the staff may not be hugely attentive, but those aren't what I take away from eating here. I love it!
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Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, March 25, 2009

I ate here Saturday with a few friends and it was extremely disappointing. The staff were horribly rude and their service was basically absent except for the questioning our late friend as our table was apparently re booked quite soon after our reservation. The meals arrived quite quickly which was nice but the food was quite awful. Everything was highly priced and yes the plate was fairly full but the food was very bland and had no flavour. The BYO was the best part of the night but the restaurant dont actually have any wine glasses.

I will not be eating here again.
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Amy
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 2
Monday, January 12, 2009

Was there earlier today. The prices was good and you get a plate with a lot of food but the taste was really nothing special. I dont know if it is special for this restaurant and it was long time ago since I eat persian food but it was like everything was tasting the same.
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Julia
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 6
Wednesday, January 07, 2009

i think the best restaurant in the UK

the best food fresh food best quality and good servis

i tryed another restauran in london but i perfer Alounak
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RaMiN - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, November 29, 2008

Me and my friends were not impressed with Alunak at all. Being iranian myself, I know what the food should taste like. My dish was FAR from being good. I was firstly disappointed to see there was only kebabs on the menu. Persian cusine has far more to offer. There were no khorest dishes, only one per day as a special. So I ordered Baghali polo with lamb, when it arrived there was no sauce at all with the lamb, it was bone dry. The rice was soaked in butter which made it very sickly.

To top it all off the staff were extremely rude, we had to ask at least 4 times for everything. I was having a drink and the waitress took it away from me just as i'd but it down and was no where near finishing it. We were also accussed of 'hogging' the table by one of the waitresses. I would never visit this place again. It is not a true reflection of persian food or persian people for that matter.
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Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Oh my god the meat is just delicious!
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Nana
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Thursday, September 11, 2008

Delicious food reasonably priced. Shame for the level of service. Our waitress was rude and unprofessional: she brought wrong drinks to the table and, moreover, when we politely told her that our main course was not what we ordered, she got ennoyed and didn't even doubt being wrong again.
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Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Sunday, May 11, 2008

Delicious starters such as persian cheese and fresh herbs, smoked aubergine puree dip and cool yogurt and garlic, all to be eaten with light freshly baked bread. The main courses (if you have any room for them) are less impressive but good nonetheless - basically different sorts of well presented kebabs. To eat well will cost you about £20 not including drinks, but as it is a BYO anyway, you can bring whatever you want and they do not even charge corkage. The queue outside the door was testament to how popular this place is, so get there early.
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Rick Brown
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Monday, April 07, 2008

Great food, value for money.
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Nazim Raza Syed
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, March 22, 2008