Diba is the perfect Persian spot for south west Londoners. A key dish when ordering is the lobiya polo gardan: the traditional rice and green beans dish but with lamb neck as opposed to the more commonly used leg or shoulder. The baghali polo — dill rice with broad beans — is another excellent choice.

Using fresh and organic produce, standout dishes on the menu include the kabab torsh — chargrilled lamb in pomegranate juice — and the restaurant’s anar beech, a stew of pomegranate, walnuts, fresh herbs and chicken served with saffron rice.

Berenjak is one of the more central spots to find Persian food. Focusing on small mazeh — taste in Farsi — style dishes and chargrilled kebabs, the jujeh kabab is one of the tastier dishes, available marinated in classic saffron or as a tond — hot in Farsi — version, with chilli, and somagh.

A little gem in Acton, Kish Express is a firm favourite among locals. It’s still soup season so definitely place an order for ash-e-reshteh, a traditional Persian soup with herbs, beans and noodles. For mains, the best bet this Nowruz is its mahi kebab, grilled sea bass with saffron rice.

Ideal for those looking for a more casual way to celebrate Nowruz, this spot serves up Iranian street food via a series of speciality baguettes. The bandari — beef sausage — and olivieh — Persian potato salad — are excellent but the best ones are maghaz and zaban: seasoned lamb brain and beef tongue.

Another OG in Persian cuisine in London, Lavash is an excellent choice for the Iranian New Year meal. The best dishes to order are the tahchin, crispy rice cake with chicken which also includes aubergine, and the classic sabzi polo mahi, so the traditional herb rice with sea bass can be enjoyed for Nowruz.

A strong contender among Persian restaurants in London, Croydon residents are lucky to have Abshar. A must-order starter is the kashk-e-bademjan, fried aubergine with walnuts, and Persian kashk (whey). Mains-wise, don’t miss out on the joojeh kebab on the bone, one of the most flavoursome grills on the menu.

Most people order one of the kebab meals at this Iranian restaurant. Opt for the kebab soltani, to get a mix of koobideh (minced lamb) and barg (lamb fillet). Its lamb chops are also noteworthy.

Both the khoresh gheimeh, lamb stew with split peas, and the gormeh sabzi, lamb stew with herbs and kidney beans, at Sufi are really excellent. The gormeh sabzi comes as a main, as well as on top of tahdig, Persian crispy rice, in starter form — whichever is the preference.

A great Iranian spot in West Ealing, the meat is cooked particularly well at this restaurant. Considering it forms part of its namesake, the dish to get at this Persian palace is the shishlikeh shandiz or Persian style lamb chops). Super succulent and bursting with flavour, order double to ensure no one misses out — and consider the lamb neck, with its melting onions.

The chargrilled kebabs are excellent at this popular Persian eatery. But Alounak’s Saturday special is baghali polo, broad bean stew with dill rice and lamb shank, and as Nowruz falls on the weekend this year, it’s an excellent alternative to sabzi polo ba mahi, the herb rice with fish.

Kish is another hidden Persian gem. Salad olivieh is a nostalgic dish, and eating it in a restaurant is often anti-climatic — but Kish ticks the box. It also serves dizi or ab goosht, which translates as meat broth. This potato and lamb stew is a staple in Iran and the epitome of the country’s soul food.

Don’t be fooled by the ‘Pizza’ in the shop sign, for this Persian takeaway spot is underrated. The best starters are the dolmeh (fitting for Nowruz) and tahdig with khoresht, the classic Persian crispy rice with a stew, while the parseh special — a mixed platter of kebabs — is the must-order.

One of London’s oldest Persian haunts, this restaurant is dedicated to serving up classic Iranian food. Its sea bass dish is served with saffron rice, rather than sabzi polo, but it’s still one to order if eating traditionally is the aim for Nowruz.

Afghani restaurant Ariana also serves lots of classic Persian dishes for its Iranian customers. Start the meal with kuku-e-sabzi, the afore-mentioned green herbed eggs, and enjoy ghemeh badenjan, a lamb and aubergine stew with split peas for the main course.

Maryam Shams’ restaurant in Ealing has come back strong to dining in, after acting as a community hub for local school meals during COVID-19 lockdowns. Its Nowruz menu is yet to be announced, but expect the ceremonial dishes for which it is famous. Weekly lunchtime boxes are also available, with rotating monthly specials.