Sadaf Restaurant | Persian Cuisine

**What makes this different:** While the rest of downtown leans hard on tacos and late-night bar food, Sadaf operates in its own lane—the only Persian spot for blocks, serving saffron-scented rice and charcoal-grilled kebabs to a Gaslamp crowd that usually doesn't venture past carnitas. This isn't fusion or dumbed-down; it's the real stuff, the kind of cooking that earns praise from Iranians craving koobideh without strange spices or breadcrumb filler.

The brick-lined space stays unpretentious—no gilded mirrors or overly precious plating, just straightforward Persian hospitality and sidewalk tables that let you people-watch Fifth Avenue while you eat. The koobideh arrives perfectly charred, just ground meat and onions done right, no weird shortcuts. Tadig—the crispy rice that's the litmus test for any Persian kitchen—comes out golden and crackling, the kind of thing regulars order first and share reluctantly.

Lamb shank over baghali polo (rice with dill and fava beans) anchors the menu for anyone who wants to commit to a full meal, though consistency wavers—some nights it's fall-apart tender, others it needs more time. The chicken kabob runs reliable, and the kitchen handles vegetarian requests without treating them like an afterthought, which matters in a neighborhood where plant-based options often mean "we have a salad."

Temperature control can be hit-or-miss—dishes sometimes arrive lukewarm when the kitchen's slammed—but the flavors hold. It's the kind of place that works equally well for a quiet Tuesday dinner or a birthday group of seven, which is rare downtown. Reservations help, especially weekends when the Gaslamp fills up and this becomes the go-to for anyone tired of the usual lineup.