Our story
We came from Iran with one idea — to cook the Persian food we love, and share it with New Zealand. We're a small family business, a working husband and wife, and we're proud to introduce real Persian cuisine to so many people here. It's the cooking we grew up on: charcoal kebabs, slow stews, saffron rice with golden tahdig.
Alireza is on the grill, turning skewers of koobideh, joojeh and shishlik over charcoal, and slow-cooking the Tehran-style stews — ghormeh sabzi, gheymeh, fesenjan. His wife bakes the baklava fresh every morning, in small batches, from a recipe she has been perfecting for eight years. Guests from Tehran tell us it tastes like home — and that's the highest compliment we know.
You'll find us tucked inside the Devonport Arcade, a short walk from the harbour and the ferry. It's a hidden gem, and we like it that way — the room is warm, the Persian music's on, and there's no rush. Pull up a chair, order a platter to share, and stay a while.
Alireza cooks the kebabs and the stews himself. Reviewers notice — "the owner really cares about his craft and has great conversation." He'll happily walk you through the menu and tell you what to order.
Alireza's wife bakes a fresh tray of baklava every morning, in small batches — a recipe she has spent eight years perfecting. A visitor from Perth called it "the best I've ever eaten." We agree.
What we care about
We name dishes by their real names — koobideh, joojeh, ghormeh sabzi, fesenjan, baghali polo, tahdig, bastani — because this is specifically Persian, Iranian food, not a generic kebab shop.
Alireza is on the charcoal grill himself. We are a small family business, a working couple, and we host you personally in the dining room.
The baklava is made in small batches each morning by Alireza's wife — a recipe she has spent eight years perfecting. The saffron ice cream is a guest favourite too.
Everything is Halal, the portions are large, and there are dedicated vegetarian and vegan dishes — falafel, mezze, eggplant and Persian bean & lentil soup.
Hidden in this beautiful little alleyway, you'll find this gem of a place. The food was exquisite and the staff extremely friendly.
— Mehr Uppal, Google review
Café & bar, out the back
One venue, two moods. Up front is the sit-down Persian dining room; out the back is a relaxed café corner for coffee, saffron and Turkish tea, Turkish delight, the fresh baklava and Persian saffron ice cream. Monday and Tuesday we run daytime-only as a café; Thursday to Sunday we're open right through into dinner.