Faanoos

472 Chiswick High Road
W4 5TT

020 8994 4217


The section of Chiswick High Road between Acton Lane and the one-way Chiswick Road might best be described as 'Little Persia'. Right across the road from Rice House of Kebab & Wrap (see last month's blog) is Faanoos. Recommended by a local columnist for The Times (no, not Giles Coren), this was another first-timer for us.



Faanoos is owned and managed by Abbas Ghamsari. It has sister restaurants in East Sheen and Ealing. The website suggests the restaurants are "based on a style popular at the Tehran bazaar of 500 years ago." It goes on to claim that "Persian cuisine is widely known for its health benefits" partly due to the unprocessed nature of the food; even the bread, which is baked in the traditional oven in the restaurant, is made without yeast and will thus "support a healthy diet and lifestyle."

Our teenage son decided to put this latter claim to the test, opting for a Garlicky McGarlicface garlic bread to start followed by the mixed kebab (on bread), which he washed down with a bottle of K1 Persian beer.

The rest of us shared some houmous, kashk e bademjam (fried aubergine and onions with yoghurt and spices) and a Faanoos special salad (tomato, cucumber and onion with fresh mint and tarragon). We too had to have some of the freshly-baked Persian bread, cooked in seconds in the oven.

For the main course I had the Joojeh chicken kebab with rice, a more natural colour and slightly more chargrilled than the equivalent across the road. Mrs W4 went for the Chelo Kebab Chenjeh, grilled lamb fillet.

There's not a great deal of choice for the vegetarian. You can have a No. 34 (the attractively named "Vegetarian Dish") or pick from two of the other specials, which "can be served as a vegetarian". Our daughter went for the okra with fresh herbs, tomatoes, garlic, onion and spices. The vegetarian credentials of this dish were slightly undermined by the inclusion of lamb.

But the staff could not have been more friendly and accommodating, swapping the dish immediately. Like Rice across the road, the restaurant clearly has a loyal and local fan club. On the Thursday we were there the tables included couples, families, single ladies and groups of men. 

The food is a little better in Faanoos than Rice, and the atmosphere certainly more conducive for an enjoyable evening out. (And if you fancy an enjoyable evening out with 44 of your closest friends then they have a private room.) We'll definitely go back.

As well as the beer, there is a short list of red and white wines; we discovered too late that you can Bring Your Own. 



Food (for 4): £53.00
Drink: £31.40
Total: £94.40