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Recently ate here at 9pm on a Saturday with a friend. We shared hummus and a salad as apps, then I had the Lamb and Couscous, and she had the Chicken combo. The food was pretty tasty, decently flavored and the portions were sizeable. The presentation and arrangement were good as well. What was best at this restaurant was the service....I was allowed to take a table of 4 for 2 people....attentive water refills...complimentary baklava after dinner, etc. I don't know if it was an award winning food experience, but I will definitely be back and would happily recommend it to a friend.

While the trio of eggplant, yogurt, and salads were tasty, the trios were priced much to high for the small portions you got. The service drove me crazy. The waitress was sweet but keep nudging us to order even though the restaurant was only 3/4 full, and no one was waiting for a table. Don't order the chicken stew; it is overcooked. The sliced chicken with sour cherries was much better. Overall, it wasn't worth the money for what you got.

My sister and I came here after a lecture at the Met last night. What a delightful surprise! We shared a shirazi salad and the yogurt/spinach/garlic appetizers. The salad was the only thing that was even minimally disappointing the whole evening (kind of bland). But the freebie appetizers were so amazing that we didn't even need the ones we ordered. We were getting full even before our entrees arrived -- especially since we couldn't resist the totally amazing flatbreads that we dipped into everything in sight! We ordered two different chicken entrees (the chicken with saffron and onion) and the chef's special roasted chicken. Both were succulent and beautifully seasoned. We each chose the "plain" basmatic rice accompaniment but even that tasted better and more flavorful than most basmatic rice we've had before. Wine by the glass was reasonably priced and generously poured. We also ordered side dishes of broccoli and spinach and both were wonderful, especially the spinach which had a real "kick" to it. Overall, dinner, service and ambiance were close to perfect. Prices were very reasonable -- and we took home enough leftovers for another meal! Bottom line: go to this place!

This place is wonderful. The food is FAR from being bland...some of the best Middle Eastern food I've found in America, and I've been to the Middle East. The food is extremely unique, fresh and has a punch, and the service is great. Yes, the people who own it and work there aren't Persian. BIG DEAL. I highly recommend this restaurant!

Diners in New York seem to rate a restaurant by the size of its portions. If that is the case with you, this place will be a runaway success as the portions are so large they are unappetitizing. However, the atmosphere is not Persian, the owners are not Persian, the cooks and servers are not Persian or knowledgeable about Persian cuisine, so, of course, the food is not Persian. Worst, the food is underseasoned and very bland, often overcooked and oily, and not particularly fresh. Not even a good example of the generic Middle Eastern so popular in this neighborhood.

We had headed out to try Beyoglu, but seeing its long line, we ventured over to Shalizar instead. We definitely recommend it and will go again. The tabouleh tasted just like the homemade kind made by Middle Eastern friends of ours. The varieties of rice were very tasty and different. The food was cooked and presented well. The lamb with saffron was very enjoyable. Normally we don't like meats with sweet fruit, but the chicken stew with pomegranate was really good. The ice cream trio for dessert was a delightful mix of flavors. We were even given a free glass of wine with dinner, a nice surprise.

If we don't make it to Shalizar at least once in three weeks, we have withdrawal symptoms! The food is yummy and the staff are so polite. Merci Shalizar.