Not one for veggies, Alounak has plenty of meat on offer, including some interesting seafood. Colourful and cheery, you can sit under a palm tree (fake, of course) while you chomp on your meatballs. As expected, the Alounak staff are super friendly to boot.

Great restaurant, pretty decent fare, best Persian food behind Mahdi in Hammersmith and Hafez in Bayswater. If you don't like crowds, aim to get here early. Trying to get a table without a booking at a weekend is pretty hard, even if you are a couple. Note that they are not too bothered about standards of service and will swipe your plate/glass away from you hawklike, within seconds of you putting it down and usher you to leave after a minimum time at the table...unless you are a big (i.e. big spending) group. Foodwise and decor, thumbs up, service and crowding thumbs down.