The Best Persian Food in New York
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The best Persian food in New York, according to the experts: The New York Times, James Beard Awards, and Roadbook have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Sofreh comes out on top, and the good stuff runs deepest in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
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Eyval and Persepolis hold the next two places. The New York Times shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with Grub Street next.
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Rank 1. Sofreh
Persian
Nasim Alikhani spent decades as a home cook in the Iranian diaspora before opening this Persian restaurant in Park Slope at 58, which explains why the food feels like someone's mother finally decided to show the city what she'd been holding back. Whitewashed brick, marble bar, black wood beams. The kitchen is faithful to Persian tradition but loose enough to foam a yogurt or call a pomegranate-marinated rib-eye a kebab. A James Beard nominee for Best Chef New York State.
The awards
- The New York Times The New York Times: 2018 · 2 stars, Critic's Pick · Restaurant Review
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2025 · Nominee · Best Chef: New York State · Nasim Alikhani
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2023 · Nominee · Best Chef: New York State · Nasim Alikhani
- The New York Times 2018 · 2 stars, Critic's Pick · Restaurant Review
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Best Chef: New York State · Nasim Alikhani
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Nominee · Best Chef: New York State · Nasim Alikhani
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Rank 2. Eyval
Persian
The awards
- The New York Times The New York Times: 2022 · 2 stars, Critic's Pick · Restaurant Review
- Roadbook Roadbook: The Best Restaurants in New York City
- Grub Street Grub Street: The 43 Best Restaurants in New York
- The New York Times 2022 · 2 stars, Critic's Pick · Restaurant Review
- Roadbook The Best Restaurants in New York City
- Grub Street The 43 Best Restaurants in New York
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Rank 3. Persepolis
Persian
Persian restaurant on the Upper East Side with linen-draped tables, wide banquettes, and windows onto Second Avenue that make it feel like dressing up is optional but encouraged. The kitchen leans into fragrant, slow-cooked territory: silky spreads, saffron-tinged kebabs over sour cherry rice, and spiced stews that smell like someone's grandmother is running things. Service is warm, occasionally to a fault.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
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Rank 4. Sofreh Cafe
Persian
Nasim Alikhani's minimalist Persian cafe on Flatbush is the kind of place you visit for one thing and leave thinking about it for weeks. That thing is the latifeh, a traditional confection the New York Times flagged as one of 2024's top New York dishes: two rounds of soft, rose-scented cream sandwiched between pastry and rolled in salted pistachios. Made fresh constantly so they never turn soggy, each one disappears faster than you planned.
The awards