Do you love Persian cuisine as much as I do? Aromatic dishes infused with massive amounts of herbs, fruit, and nuts; platters of juicy grilled meat; and rice elevated to an art form? Most Iranians will say it’s one of the finest culinary traditions in the world, and I heartily agree.
Naturally, I’ve been wondering about the refurbished Shiraz on Cowley Road and am happy to report that my recent dinner was a tasty success.
Shiraz is a small, neighbourhood restaurant with an invitingly informal atmosphere. It was packed on Wednesday evening, so I was glad we had reserved our table. We were greeted warmly and left to consider the menu, though help was there if we had questions about the wide range of dishes.
We made some excellent starter choices, if I say so myself. We had a little bowl of Kashk-bademjan (£6.49) a meltingly soft-cooked aubergine dip topped with fried onions, walnut, and kashk (think salty, thick yoghurt). It was delicious scooped up with some soft Persian flatbread.
The second dish was Ash Reshteh (£6.49), a thick soup packed with beans, chickpeas, noodles, and masses of herbs. A topping of fried onion, mint and kashk added just the right sharpness to the earthy taste. We agreed that we will come back regularly just to have this for a hearty lunch.
The generous main courses were presented quite simply but also packed in the flavour.
My Makhsous grill platter (£19.99) featured two lamb skewers: one with cubes of tender marinated fillet, the other a fragrant kofta-like kebab. Of course, there was saffron rice on the side, and although it seemed like too much food, I ate it all. We also had Zereshk Polo Ba Morgh (£13.49), a chicken leg and thigh cooked in an aromatic tomato sauce. The accompanying rice was brightened by the garnish of pistachios and sweet barberries, so I helped finish that too. And finally, we couldn’t resist ordering a classic Fesenjan stew (£17.99): slow-cooked chicken in a rich sweet-sour sauce of walnuts and pomegranate molasses. A non-instagrammable brown food, but oh so very comforting and flavourful!
Dessert posed the only potential disappointment of the evening, as they were out of most options. Luckily, we turned things around by ordering the ice cream. Distinctively rich, elastic-textured, and floral with rosewater: good Persian ice cream is a saffron-coloured delight. Try it and thank me later.
Overall, I’d recommend Shiraz for a casual meal, Persian style. Service is really friendly, though it got a little bit slow when the restaurant was busy later in the evening.
Good to know:
• You can get starter and main course sharing platters.
• There are some veggie options, but the menu will appeal most to meat-eaters.
• Beverages are non-alcoholic.
Shiraz
47 Cowley Rd, Cowley, Oxford OX4 1HP
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