The concept of feasting was pretty much invented in the Middle East by the courts of Shah Abbas and those opulent Ottoman dudes. If you combine this fact with the idea of meze – the relaxed sharing of multiple dishes, and also our speciality – celebrating your vegetarian Christmas with us is a bit of a no-brainer.
The price for our festive menu is £30 a head, and includes Christmas fripperies, cheesy Christmas music, a complimentary glass of Persepolitan Pimped Prosecco on arrival and Mr. Shopkeeper’s best Santa impression. A £10 a head deposit will secure your reservation.
Vegans are very welcome, but please advise us in advance so that we can cater for you magnificently rather than adequately.
A typical menu will look something like the one below – but please note that Mrs. Shopkeeper is nothing if not spontaneous, and the menu sometimes changes hourly, let alone daily.
Cold Meze Starters
Fresh herbs, spiced cheese, pickles and our house marinated olives
Makhdoush – oil-preserved baby aubergines filled with walnuts
Persepolis Ajvar – red peppers puréed with spices – and borani-ye-esfanaj, a dish of cooked spinach with yoghurt
Festive salads
All served with flat bread
Hot Meze Dishes
Fatayer and Sambosic – soft pastries filled with spinach and cheese
Yam kookoo – Persian-style frittata with barberries
Deep-fried breaded halloumi with sour cherry relish
An assortment of falafel
Kufteh or dolmeh
Basically stuffed stuff. Soya meatballs, OR a platter of stuffed aubergine and vineleaves
Seasonal hotpots
Chestnut tagine
OR
Quince, cranberry and lentil hotpot
Both served with saffron rice and salad Shirazi
Pudding
Seasonal Fruits and Pastries
or Cheese Meze
Mint tea or coffee
NB: We will happily consider other catering enquiries and private parties.
NNB: the fab Persepolis tableau above was created for us by the deeply and importantly talented Belinda Evans.