Mahdi Restaurant

I live in Spain and my wife and me visited London in our last holidays. We decided to eat at least 2 Chelo Kababs in the 4 days we were going to be there. We did eat that excellent iranian (persian) food all 4 days we were there. On the third day, we discovered Mahdis' and we enjoyed it so much. Mainly the iranian restaurants we visited offered not bad food. One of them has Eastern Asias waiters, the other one had nod a good and clean athmosphere, but polite people, but when we discovered Mahdis' we decided to go back also the 4th day. The quality was excellent. The service was ewxcellent to, The price could be better, but it was cheeper than the other two places we had visit, si it was also good. And let me say that in Madrid and Barcelona we have also good iranian restaurantes, but Mahdi, for we two, has been the best one.

So, this weekend, we have got a cheep Ryanair ticket, and we are going to London to continue our touristical visit to the town, but mainly we go there for Mahdi Restaurant.

May be these guys are not professionals serving plates. It could be, but they do their best and being honest, I'm so greatfull to them.
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Farshad M.
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, December 17, 2008

just try them for once. you get addicted. Huge portions. make sure you ask for container to take home. great to eat the next day. Always polite. travel 120 miles round trip to get there and its worth every mile.
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nader
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, October 17, 2008

I wouldnt give the negative reviews too much notice. Since april 2007, I have been going to Mahdi's quite often and each time I go there hasnt been anything I didnt like. The only thing I can say is how erratic the service can be, I mean, one time the mains comes 10 mins or so after starters, which give time to digest it all and other times the mains comes whilst eating the starters!! Since the portion sizes are so large I skip starters and just order mains. But to have prompt servce is a good thing right??. I have even ordered a take away and that has always been ready when I come to collect it. They even throw in a few small red onions and somag (dried spice you put on the rice/meat). My mother is from iran and i can easily compare their rice dishes and starters to hers. I havent tried the rice dishes, except the plain one with the meat but the kookoo sabzi was not good at all. It was made like a rosti instead of an omelette like its meant to be. It tasted greasy and flat so I wont be ordering that again. I will stick to the meat and rice which I find delicious and satisfying enough.

I cant tell if the food is left overs or not, it tastes fine to me and the service hasnt been a real let down for me either. If people dont like going then dont go or speak up if the food/service is inadequate. I am sure the staff will do something to make you happy.
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sonik
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Saturday, September 27, 2008

This place rocks. It has a really nice atmosphere and the food in my opinion is great for what you actually pay. I have been several times with my family, and each time the 2 course meal with drinks come in at around £10 a head. The bread is cooked right in front of you, wonderful.

If I was spending more that £20 a head, I could understand the negative responses, however the food is well priced, well cooked, and plentiful. It may not be the 100% Iranian food, but it is very close.

I would always recommend this to anyone that eats kebabs from the “Vans” or “Take Away” places. It will open your eyes to what a real kebab is like, especially that a shish kebab now a days is costing around the £6.50 mark anyhow!
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R Higman
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Friday, August 29, 2008

When I read the negative comments about Mehdi, I honestly think you guys are talking about another place. My fiance' and I go to Mehdi nearly every week. We've been going there for a year now.

The service is great. The food is absolutely delicious (jojeh kebab, rice etc). hat I love the most in Mehdi is the naan (bread). It's made fresh in the tandoor. Every time we go there we take 4/5 naans for take away and eat it on the way.

I'd definitely recommend mehdi to couples, singles, families and everyone. Whilst at it, i must point out that we've never had bad service from them. But i have seen many customers talking to the waiters like they're a nobody. If you show respect, you'll get respect and they'll serve you properly.
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A Noori
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, July 02, 2008

The place was recommended by a friend, that is good food and great value for money. Although it was our first experience in a persian/iranian restaurant, but everything was beyond our expectation come along by a superb service.

The dishes were not just delicious, but enough for a next day meal too.

We definietly come back with friends in the near future.
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Attila
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Sunday, May 18, 2008

I've been to this place, cause it is convenient and close to me. In my opinion, the food is good. The staff and the management are polite and friendly. Having said that these guys do not have a clue about service. The service is appalling. These guys bring every dish separatley with tehir tumbs in your sauce, instead of using a tray. The soft drinks are served without ice or sometimes a glass. Non of the waiters work in this place, they just pass things to each other. God knows how many useless managers this place have got.When you ask for a bill, the bill is passed between three waiters, your credit card all around the shop, until they find out where/whom they got the credit card from, shocking. Nobody has got a good command of English language in this place.

I stress again, the food is good, and despite the staff being offside, they are polite.

It is an EATERI, not a restaurant.
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Ben
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 3
Thursday, April 24, 2008

I have two complaints about this place. i went there with my family and couple of guests of ours. we were told it's not one of the best Iranian restaurants in London but it's good value for money and food is ok. well I can honstly say the food is not ok and in my opinion it's amongst the worst. If you are used to proper Home made Iranian cooking then don't even go there. The Kubideh looks and felt Slimmy. I don't know what they had put in there but it felt more like a Jelly than kebab. then my Dad ordered Baghali pollow and we all agreed that the Baghali must have been cooked in the microwave or something... it was awful. then there was their Lubia pollow which My sister ordered. It had massive piece of whole meat (the one they used for their Baghali pollow) instead of the diced meat Lubia pollow should have. the only thing we could all eat there was the bread. we asked the waiter to pack everything as takeaway as none of us ate our food. and then we chucked everything in the away. It's true what they say it's value for money but not if you want to enjoy your food. My other complaint. I went to a function and they said They have ordered theur food from Mehdi - No I didn't eat the food, but then again not many otheres did either cos they were so late delivering it.
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Farid
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 3
Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Mehdi is a great Iranian (Persian) restaurant and my family and I go there at least once a week as it is local to were we work. There service is good, food absolutely delicious and the Noon man is an absolute pleasure (especially for our daughter). The only things that I can recommend to them is that they give you extra plates/forks/glasses/serviettes if there is more than two people seated (when you sit down this should be done) and that they pay attention to the cleanliness of their utensils and tables. I have spoken to them about this and they welcome the critic and have since improved greatly. The atmosphere, size of portions and food is what keeps us coming back every week. I have not been to another Iranian restaurant since discovering this little gem! Thank you!
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Tia Sorensen
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, January 21, 2008

Went to Mahdi twice first time i wasn't happy with the service as the starters took 20 minutes to come then our kebab took 40 minutes to come...and on top of that they said to us that there is no more rice left...so instead we had to have the kebab with bread...they did not apologize at all.

since then my family and friends have stopped going there
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B
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 4
Tuesday, December 25, 2007