Simorgh
Simorgh 481 Lordship Lane, SE22
Meal for two about £85
On one of the hottest days of the year last week, I stepped into a time machine, a Tardis, a Persian restaurant called Simorgh. Its vast interior, deceiving from the outside, seems to go on and on and on. Open since March this year, Simorgh immediately caught my eye — not just because of the gorgeous golden dragon above the door, but because it’s the sister restaurant of Persepolis, which has been a Peckham stalwart for the past 25 years. Self-described as an “off-the-wall veggie restaurant”, it has become a firm local favourite synonymous with homely, affordable Persian cooking (and the opportunity to BYOB).
Big shoes to fill for Simorgh, then, which bills itself as Persepolis: the meat and fish version. Located in a bit of a weird spot on the corner of the South Circular, the space was once an Edwardian pharmacy whose medicine cabinets remain inside Simorgh, neatly labelled for cutlery and the like.
What’s so good about Simorgh, which it has obviously inherited from Persepolis, is its friendly and approachable vibe — it really feels like home cooking, which translates to each dish in both flavour and presentation.
The menu is almost as extensive in size as the inside and features an impressive selection of kebabs, fish, cold and hot starters, casseroles, daily specials and sides, which run the gamut from every type of skewer under the sun to unfamiliar yet exciting-sounding Persian delicacies. This might be overwhelming to the laypunter, but each item is well explained with a bit of humour thrown in: the Simorgh team describe their ash reshteh soup (basically a Persian noodle soup) as THE most popular IN THE WORLD, caps included. When the Persepolis team announced that Junior, aka Amir, would be the man in charge at Simorgh, they pointed out that despite his nickname, “He’s over 40 and has ‘fam’ to look after. All the grown-up stuff.”
The falafel were divine and among some of the best I’ve had
This kind of energy is infectious and seeps through the walls. Junior/Amir was my waiter for the evening and the service was second to none. There was no fish available when I visited, a shame as this was the part of the meal I’d been looking forward to most given the heat of the day. Instead we started with falafel, pleasingly served with a side of mayo as a dipping sauce. These were divine and among some of the best I’ve had, well, ever: perfectly crispy on the outside and moist within, warm herbs and spices singing. I could’ve eaten 20 but was only served three.
I was introduced to paneer sabzi, a classic Persian appetizer made up of chunks of feta, radish, trimmed spring onion, walnuts, mint and basil, all sitting harmoniously in a bowl. My job was to place all of the above into a crisp naan bread and chow down. No issues there.
Then came the holy trinity of dips: baba ghanoush and hummus, both of which were silky to a fault (you get lots for your money with these) and mirza ghassemi, a kind of warm salsa dip of smoky aubergine, garlic, onion, tomato and eggs, which are subtly scrambled into the mix. This was a highlight. Zeytoon parvardeh, olives marinated with walnuts, were picked at over the course of the meal — deliciously sweet with a sharp taste that made for a decent palate cleanser between dishes.
Time for the main event: jujeh kebab on the bone, aka a whole baby chicken marinated in lemon, onion and saffron. This was the lemoniest chicken I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting. I loved the presentation — vibrant pilau and white rice complemented by a cube of orange baked rice (sticky, chewy, really good) artfully arranged next to said kebabs, alongside grilled and fresh veg, a dill-y dipping sauce and a mini-Lurpak for those of us who like our rice extra buttery. Lots going on.
Finally came the kebab-e-barg, a chargrilled fillet of lamb in saffron butter. This was the one dish that let the side down — though the set-up was similar to the jujeh; it was dry and felt lonely on the plate, like it needed another element to bolster it. That said, Simorgh is an excellent addition to south-east London’s ever-growing arsenal of local spots. I’ll be back, if only to sample the fish…
What you say
Helen Lederer
“Congratulations to Persian restaurant @simorgh_se22. First Saturday night triumph — a must-go-to new place — bastani saffron ice cream still with me in spirit.”
Peckham Peculiar
“Lovely lunch @simorgh_se22! Thanks Amir and co for the great hospitality.”
Rosanna Neophytou
“Wow! SUCH a delicious meal and beautiful restaurant. We came on a Wednesday evening and will be coming back to try all the different daily specials.”
