Rumi's Kitchen

by Chef Invisible T.

I always get a kick out of yelpers that take away stars for valet service. Whether it be for opening doors, parking the car to close, or because there is valet service at all. Ha ha! Most people don't realize that the restaurant owners pay for this service, but they cannot actually police them a 100% of the time too. Half the places that use valet have to because of the size of their lot. If one or two cars park out of place then the rest of their available parking is screwed for the night. I had to get that off my chest and everyone should not take away stars for the valet.The lot is very small at Rumi's, thus they use valet to park your car 15ft away. On to the experience. Rumi's is an excellent choice for a nice semi-casual evening out. The prices to quality to plate portion equation is a steal. All the food is spiced right , simply prepared, and just plain good. I came to Rumi's a few days after eating a very high priced birthday dinner at Aria(a top rated ATL resto)-now I had the house specialty rack of lamb at the touted Aria and I got to sample my girlfriends rack of lamb at Rumi's. Hands down winner =Rumi's. Not only was the lamb better tasting but three times the size for under half the price. Leaves me wondering how these guys are making money and how Aria is always so packed.(not that it is bad just pricey for 80's style dining.) Persian food is good and this is Atlanta's best option. I hear the lunch sandwiches are killer but I have only been to a handful of very pleasing dinners. The owner is cool and enjoys his hookah when the resto is not full. Try everything and go hungry.

by Dave B.

It cracks me up that both the owners and their customers refer to the restaurant and cuisine as Persian. Let's get something straight. This is an IRANIAN restaurant. I guess calling it Persian, like a Persian rug, makes ignorant Americans feel better about spending their money at Rumi's. Persia became Iran nearly 75 years ago.The Iranian food is excellent; best in Atlanta.

by Deanna S.

Darn it, I was hoping to be the first to review this place! I've only eaten Persian food once, so I didn't know what to expect. I was told this is the best place for it anywhere, so I'll have to refer you to those who are Persian food fans.   It's a little far away in an area I would never go to - it's near an adult movie store and something called the "Sugar Shack". I'll probably only come here again if I'm meeting up with friends. I didn't like the eggplant appetizer because it was too crunchy and stringy.  But the eggplant puree (not sure of the actual name of it) I had for a side dish made up for it. My main course, chicken kabob, was also excellent.  But if I do go again, I'm ordering the beef kabob. I tried my friend's and it was to die for. Very juicy / tasty  beef!  Probably the best kabob I've ever had. Oh, and I puffed on a hookah for the first time. Who knew they come in flavors?  So it made for a good all-around experience.

by Jackie K.

AMAZING PERSIAN FOOD!This is by far my favorite restaurant in the Atlanta area!  I go here all the time- The staff is great, the food is consistently awesome, and the ambiance is nice.The lamb kabobs and steak kabobs are wonderful. Cooked to perfection, never overdone.  Every dip on the starter menu is amazing, as well as the fresh bread.  They have a nice wine list as well.

by Diana L.

I had driven by Rumi's (named after famous, old school Persian poet) and was always curious as to what sort of ambiance was contained within because of all the fancy cars parked outside. I finally went after work with five other people and we ordered a feast fit for a rabble of starving mobs! I saw Persians dining in which raised the restaurant's "authentic ethnic experience", if you put any stock into that. My first time eating Persian food and it was awesome! We ordered lamb, beef, chicken, seafood, humus stuff, four different kinds of rice, all kinds of legumes... Kabobs, grilled meats, cooked and sauteed in delicious spices... Since we had such a large party, the server made the excellent executive decision to combine our platters. One entree serving size is more than enough for any starving denizen, imagine six entrees combined, more powerful than the forces of Voltron! Haha.I can't wait to go again :D

by Alex H.chloe's mom c.Peter Y.Burton S.Maggie L.

I would comfortably call this the best Persian dining experience in the Atlanta area. The flavor of much of the food is comparable to Persepolis down the street, but the presentation, ambiance, and quality of the ingredients puts it a notch above. The similarity to Persepolis is not surprising, as the spirit behind this restaurant left Persepolis to take the cuisine presented there to the next level.I almost always get a crispy rice (tahdeeg) appetizer and the koubideh and barg combination. The chicken is also close to perfection, as it's always appropriately seasoned and never dry. The hot tea service is a good complement to these.The only negatives to this place are the parking and that it is too popular. I'm happy when my favorite places do so well that it is difficult to get a seat on a weekend night. However, this means plans and reservations must be made, as spontaneity is not rewarded. Along with this, the parking lot is tiny and has terrible driveways. There is valet service, but there's not quite enough room for two cars to queue entering the place. These plus the (appropriate) price point bring it down from a five to a four, as I wish I could make this a more regular dining experience, but instead have to make it a special occasion.It really is the best persian food, as everyone but 2 people have stated. I wish there was a stupid or idiotic button for reviews on other peoples reviews. It seems the only options are useful, funny, and cool. On more than one occasion I have wondered when they were gonna give us better options, I would certainly utilize them. Anyways, I have had preety much everything on the menu with the exception of the lamb, since I dont eat that. and their salmon, but really why would you go to a persian restaurant  and get salmon anyway?My favorites:  Mast Mousir, Kashk Badenjoon, tahdeeg koobideh, or barg.Middle Eastern is one type of cuisine that I could eat everyday. I learned to love it while I was living in Qatar. Walking into Rumi's and smelling the sweet scent of grilled lamb with spices, memories of my time in the desert came back to me. Tonight, I only had an appetizer and the rack of lamb but the flavor was on point. Although some pieces were more charred than others, the main part of the meat was very tender and juicy. My date had the lamb kebab plate and it was like little chunks of heaven. Decor was very modern and chic, and our waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable. I definitely recommend this place if you like middle eastern or don't know where to go for a date. I think they have hookahs too but I'm not sure.Huge fan of the lambshank stew and barg kabob at Rumi's. Great location, great atmosphere, great customer service. 5 stars.Wow! Visiting this place was a treat!I just got back from a small birthday dinner here, and I must say... I am impressed!All of the food was delicious! The pita bread was the perfect mix of soft, yet flaky (not doughy), and the hummus was the best I've ever come across!The good thing about going in a large group is the ability to sample off of each others plates. I ordered the lamb shank (which is dark meat, like a leg... nobody at our table knew this, I decided to be brave... so if anyone else out there is as sheltered as we are, I'll go ahead and tell you what shank is!) . It was absolutely delicious, fall off the bone tender and YUM! The marinade has a slight citrus flavor. It is served over rice seasoned with dill and mixed with fava beans. All delicious!I also tried (and excuse me for not knowing the Persian names) my boyfriend's charbroiled beef sirloin kabob over bread with yogurt dip. I bet the real name is is only 5 characters long, but hey... we already had a few glasses of wine before I even picked the menu up, so I REALLY can't remember names! ANYways, this was also fantastic! The perfect charbroil taste, without the nasty burned aftertaste. I also ate the largest shrimp I've ever seen. It actually tasted more like lobster... mmmmmOne of the reasons I was impressed is the friendliness of the staff and the manager's sincere eagerness to make sure we enjoy our dishes. He walked around the table and recommended ways to eat our meal (dips, seasonings, etc...)  and even convinced me to suck the bone marrow out of my lamb bone for the nutritional value. I can actually see some people enjoying that flavor, but it tasted a little oily for me =/It's decorated nicely as well, and you'll notice the scent of fresh lilies that are  placed around the restaurant. Great atmosphere!The only negative was that our waitress seemed a little impatient when we were trying to figure out the bill. There were 11 of us, and they can't split checks... that'll take a few minutes, and possibly even a calculator since we all had drinks!

by K d.

The food is absolutely delicious!  I loved their starter of feta cheese, walnuts, herbs and radishes with the warm flat/pita bread.  Great service, constantly refilled my drink and the food was soooo good.

by Gerald S.

There are a few good Persian restaurants in Atlanta and this is definitely one of them.  There parking is valet, so it's easy.  The ambiance is excellent - the bar is very comfortable, the staff very friendly, and the tables very comfortable.  I sat outside on the patio - which was great.  I would recommend a reservation.  Once you sit down, the waiter brings over water and an arrangement of radishes, mint, cheese, olives, and a basket of warmly toasted bread.The wine list has plenty of selections - the temparanillos and granaches were good.  I also had the Kashk Badenjoon or eggplant appetizer, which blew me away.  The eggplant is sauteed with onion and Persian cream, and topped with a touch of mint and thinly sliced crispy caramelized onions.  My cousin had the lamb shank.  Now, I don't eat meat, but I almost wanted to dive into this dish - it looked and smelled wonderful.  I had the vegetarian entree, which was a veggie kabob.   I couldn't decide on which type of rice to get, so the very nice waiter offered to set me up with both  the sweet saffron Basmati rice mixed with almonds and a special orange zest sauce and the saffron Basmati rice - amazing. I highly recommend this restaurant, if you venture OTP.

by Bobby G.

This is the best Persian restaurant in Atlanta hands down. The best two entrees are the Chicken Barg The Kabob Soltani. I usually go back and forth between the two. If I were to pick one, I would defininatly pick the Chicken Barg (it is not on the lunch menu but you can still order it)As far as appetizers go, they are all great but I usually order the Mast Moosir at the least (this is also not on the lunch menu but you can still order it)

by Peter Y.

Middle Eastern is one type of cuisine that I could eat everyday. I learned to love it while I was living in Qatar. Walking into Rumi's and smelling the sweet scent of grilled lamb with spices, memories of my time in the desert came back to me. Tonight, I only had an appetizer and the rack of lamb but the flavor was on point. Although some pieces were more charred than others, the main part of the meat was very tender and juicy. My date had the lamb kebab plate and it was like little chunks of heaven. Decor was very modern and chic, and our waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable. I definitely recommend this place if you like middle eastern or don't know where to go for a date. I think they have hookahs too but I'm not sure.