Anar - Restaurant Award Highly Commended
High-class Persian dining in the Emirates Palace 4 Reviews
A trip to Anar is all about the boldly scented flavours that separate Persian dining from that of the wider Middle East. The staff are dressed in jaunty peasant gear and guide you to your table beneath a bright, mosaic ceiling.
The extensive menu takes you on a comprehensive journey through the country’s culinary heritage. The kufte ye anar o peste – lamb with almond, pistachio and aromatic herbs stewed in a pomegranate broth – is the pick of the starters; the soft, sweet meat practically melting into the sharp pomegranate jus. For those wanting something lighter, mirza ghasemi – baked eggplant with stewed tomato and egg infused with garlic and turmeric – is an unctuous, gooey mush of garlicky sweetness.
There is a wide variety of meat and fish main courses, but avoid the ghurme sabzi, which is slow-cooked lamb in a mixed herbal stew with red kidney beans, as it is bitter and drowned in a swampy-looking liquid. But the shahname kebab – beef tenderloin marinated and dusted in black pepper – is, though less adventurous, reliably juicy and tender.
Pudding may prove a bridge too far for some, but try and leave room because these are spectacular. Falude bastani is a thing of beauty: pale, tangy noodle sorbet sprinkled with rosewater and pistachio nuts and served with saffron ice cream. And to wash it all down: scented and soothing Persian tea. Anar is as impressive as ever.
By Time Out Abu Dhabi staffTime Out Abu Dhabi, 1 January 2009
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