Shalizar is a taste of Iran in West Ealing

Not having booked and completely unaware of what was in store for me, I headed into the restaurant alone and was comforted to see a handful of families seated at the tables, the smell of the meat cooking at the open grill and the sound of a man singing while playing the guitar with another on keyboard.

While waiting for my two guests, it was plain to see that the restaurant, which takes up two shop units, had been tastefully decorated with warm autumnal colours, the rows of tables arranged as if expectant of Iranian families and the open grill was a nice touch.

It did take a few minutes to be given a menu though and I had to get the attention of one of the many waitresses to order a coke.

My partner arrived and we ordered calamari, mahi-e-kilka or whitebait, and hummus with nan on the side for our starter and a bottle of red wine which we hoped our waitress was able to hear over the loud music and stereo hanging just above our heads.

The dish portions were so generous and neatly presented, the nan came in a silver-wired basket, the hummus drizzled with oil and the fish dishes each had a lettuce leaf with a yoghurt and gherkin dip and lemon.

Although both were deep fried, the calamari and whitebait felt light and not too saturated with grease and was a pleasant starter, all for under £4 each.

Our friend then joined us and we ordered our mains of Barg (lamb fillet), chenjeh (lamb dish) and soltani, grilled lamb and minced lamb all served with rice and a grilled tomato although we opted to have half the rice portion and salad instead.

Again, the main dishes were impressively large but our salad request was forgotten.

The meat took up the length of the plate and was already cut for the diner to easily slice their knife into.

We all agreed the marinated meat was tasty if a little dry and so we ordered a side dish of yoghurt and garlic.

The saffron rice was fluffy and went well as an accompaniment to the meat and yoghurt side.

My friend struggled with his portion and was more occupied by the women who had taken to the dance floor.

After getting through another bottle of red and enjoying the atmosphere in the restaurant, we were jolted back to the reality of West Ealing with the arrival of the bill.

Service charge was included already, one of my pet hates, and we paid £77 plus tip for three starters, three mains, two sides, a coke and two bottles of wine.

But what you couldn't pay for was the atmosphere, being completely immersed in a different culture and right in Ealing.

I wouldn't recommend Shalizar for a date or for taking out your grandparents, but it's a green light for everything else in between.