ON A bitingly cold night, nothing was more welcome than a bright and alluring restaurant that reminded me a little of Aladdin’s Cave.

Faanoos, which bills its self as A Taste of Persia, is an eclectic mix of stained glass windows adorned with the 10 Commandments, mosaics, bricks and mirrors, all dwarfed by a huge, ornately tiled cylindrical tandoor oven.

The clay oven, welcomingly positioned by the door, produces the most incredible freshly baked Persian bread that overshadows any bread I have ever tasted. Like the rest of the food in this literally sparkling gem, it is enormous. The gigantic portions seem to be in inverse proportion to the prices, which are surprisingly small.

I should say the starters were not nearly as tasty at the mains. We shared a salad olivieh (£3.50) a curious mixture of chopped potatoes, eggs, chicken and pickled cucumber, mixed with mayonnaise and lemon juice. It felt – and tasted – like someone had just combined a number of left-overs as some bizarre experiment. As the overwhelming taste was mayo, it did not work.

We also shared a hummus (£2.95) which had a lovely consistency, but needed much more garlic and seasoning to give it that welcome kick. Conversely the mains were stunning. My Joojeh kabab (£7.50) – boneless marinated chicken breast and tomatoes chargrilled and saffron rice – was superb, with perfectly moist chicken glazed with a limey, saffrony marinade.

My husband Michael went for the mixed grill (£10.50) which boasted a skewer of boneless chicken and one of minced lamb served with saffron rice and sweet and sour currants. Both meats were tender, with the flavours sharpened by tangy currants.

The currants, which were more like red berries, were so delicious I asked for some extra ones for me and they were happy to oblige. The pats of butter which appear on the side of the plate are supposed to be smothered on the rice, but the meal was perfectly flavoured without. After wading through the mounds of fluffy rice, it was impossible to even think about dessert. As it turned out, ordering dessert was unnecessary, as we were given complementary mini baklavas, which were a little stodgy.

The service is friendly and a little too quick, but I think this is more an eagerness to please rather than an attempt to move you on.

While Faanoos is small – it’s essential to book – it also has a private dining room which seats 45 and is separate from the main restaurant. I would certainly choose that option for a party. There is also a back garden which we plan on trying out when it gets warmer, although there are plans to cover and heat it for use during the winter. I find in this country that rarely works, but brave of them to try if they pull it off.

Faanoos, which has a sister restaurant in Richmond, is the perfect place if you fancy a unique atmosphere and some pretty perfect food. I will try different starters next time.