Nestled in the heart of Covent Garden, Nutshell is a modern Iranian restaurant offering a range of dishes, with plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans. These dishes are crafted from only the freshest British produce, flavoured with authentically Iranian spices, herbs, fruits and nuts. There is a proper range of regional dishes here, celebrating both the ‘floral north and spicy south’ of the country.
As with many Middle Eastern restaurants, there is an excellent set menu here, brimming with punchy sharing plates. Kick off with breads and dips, smokey aubergine with caramelised feta, hummus, salt-baked beetroot, and mushroom croquettes with barberry and burnt onion yoghurt. Between this platter of starters and the mains, you might see a seared scallop with hazelnut and kashk.
Mains at Nutshell celebrate vegetables just as much as they do meat. Vegans can enjoy an aubergine and celeriac kofte with heritage tomato and clementine, while seafood lovers can opt for the yoghurt marinated halibut with quince and pear puree and saffron confit fennel. More carnivorous diners can choose from a Gressingham duck breast with burnt aubergine puree, red plum sauce and heritage carrot, or a robata grilled lamb rump with rhubarb puree, crispy shallots and salsa verde.
Iranian desserts are a delight, celebrating fruits, nuts and dairy in equal parts. At Nutshell, this comes in the form of a feta cheesecake with marinated baby figs and hazelnut, a toasted flour tart with dates and pistachio or a dark chocolate ganache with puffed rice and charred orange. Going a la carte offers even more delicious dishes to choose from.
At Nutshell, there is a short list of creative cocktails, combining Iranian flavours like saffron and turmeric with spirits like gin, tequila and whisky. There is also a diverse list of wines from all over the world, including entries from Lebanon, Morocco and Armenia.