Tandis is tucked away on Haverstock Hill, a short walk from Chalk Farm or Belsize Park tubes. It's got a starkly modern feel that I wasn't expecting - apparently a throw back to the restaurant that occupied the space before - but this actually gives the restaurant an enjoyably sleek feel. They have a decent wine list - lots of scicilian wines, unusually - and I had a really nice, crisp glass of Chenin Blanc, while Other Half had a Peroni. I'm a huge fan of cuisines where the starters involve warm bread and dipping so perusing this menu was exciting.
We ordered a basket of Persian bread (like a thin naan, almost crispy):
and I slathered this in a thick, velvety, Greek style yoghurt flavoured with wild garlic and drizzled with olive oil:
as well as ashke bademjaan - a smoky aubergine dish with fried onions, olive oil, walnuts, herbs and garlic served with whey:
and finally, (still on the starters here - keep up), Other Half's childhood favourite, salad oliviyeh, made from diced chicken, potatoes, eggs, pickled cucumber and green peas mixed in mayonnaise and olive oil:
All these individual dishes were around £3 - 4, which made them even more delicious.
I can never resist a proper kebab so I went for Kabab barge soltani (£12.90) for my main - a mix of lamb filet pieces and a minced lamb kebab. I liked it - the meat was nice and well cooked - but I wasn't overwhelmed by it, it was a bit like holiday food, and it could have done with something yoghurty. The rice it came with was deliciously fluffy and topped with saffron. I think the Persian practice of putting butter on rice is something I'd do every day if I could live in a onesie.
Other Half had khoresh ghormeh sabzi - a stew of kidney beans and potatoes cooked with fresh herbs and sun-dried limes served with steamed rice - (£7.50) and RAVED about it:
At this stage in the meal I was satisfied, but not overwhelmed. I was also extremely full, so you can appreciate the heroic effort it took to order some baklava (£3.50). The baklava was immense - one almondy piece, so gooey with honey I almost couldn't get it off the plate, the other a beautiful cardamom - flavoured bite that was so good I had to eat it in silence.
There's a lot to recommend about Tandis - especially if you live in the area and are looking for a bit of a neighbourhood hidden gem. Our meal cost around £50 for two and I was unable to eat again for 24 hours afterwards, there was so much food. One word of advice: leave room for the pudding.
