Naroon launches three restaurants to boost ‘tremendous potential’ of Persian cuisine

Persian restaurant group Naroon has opened three new sites in London amid an expansion push.

Naroon was founded in 2020 by cousins Reza and Mohammed Malekzadeh and is named after a suburb in northern Tehran, where Reza was raised.

Prior to Naroon, Mohammed had launched food delivery start-up Delion in 2012 and opened plant-based café Kin in London’s Fitzrovia in 2014, while Reza had a background in management consultancy.

The new openings include the relocation of the group’s first restaurant in Fitzrovia to a nearby site in Oxford Circus, which has triple the number of covers and a larger kitchen.

Naroon is also launching a café concept called Counter by Naroon, which will serve breakfast, brunch and takeaway options such as khagineh (Persian sugar omelette), sosis bandari (sandwich with spicy sausage, onion and tomato sauce), and nargesi (spinach and eggs).

The pair have also taken over the former Galleria Persian restaurant in London’s Marylebone to “continue the tradition of great Persian food in this part of London”.

Mohammad, director at Naroon, said: “We’re delighted to launch our three new sites. Each restaurant and café gives us the opportunity to share our food and culture with an even wider audience and we’re really proud of our new spaces in these prime central London locations.”

Reza added: “We feel that Persian cuisine has tremendous potential in the London market with the right quality of food and service, consistency and authenticity, while also being approachable.”