Iranian Food at Gitane

In my quest for ethnic restaurants in London I happened on the amazingly tasty Iranian food at Gitane. This cozy lunch spot is hidden away from the hustle and bustle of oxford street and a great place to hit up for lunch while on a shopping spree. Or breakfast as they are open from 9 till 6 every day.

This cosy little lunch spot has been around for a while. It's run by husband and wife duo Bahman and Negar who opened Gitane’s doors back in October 2012.  The menu changes daily as well as weekly so if you happen to work in the neighbourhood, you won't get the same thing twice.

I went in just after the weekday lunch hour and there were tables aplenty, so I am not quite sure what happens between 12 and 1pm. There is no menu, so you choose what you want from the bowls and plates at the counter.

And there was lots to choose from. I had a very hard time picking what I wanted as everything looked extremely inviting. There were some luscious looking salads; one with fusilli with roasted chestnut mushroom and sundried tomatoes, one with feta, plums and avocado and as well as one with green peas and white beans.

There was also a variety of quiches; one with spinach and apple and one with French beans and tomatoes as well as a saffron rice cake. The main was king prawns marinated in Persian spices and saffron.

I opted for a roasted aubergine salad with a parsley yoghurt dressing and sprinkled with pumpkin seeds. I also had the kuku-ye loubia sabz or as we would say it, a French bean and cherry tomato quiche which, it had no crust which technically makes it a guilt free affair. Just don't mention the cream and cheese.

I was totally going to finish my lunch with some of the gorgeous looking cakes, but I had to change my plan as I didn't even manage to finish the quiche or the salad. Next time.