Konj Cafe, Edinburgh

There’s always something new in Scotland’s food scene, and you can never tell what it’s going to be… but generally speaking, you can work out roughly where it’s going to be. So when we put the new address for Konj into our phones and were told that address corresponded to a random point in the middle of the road, it took a bit of a lunchtime wander to actually track the place down.

And when you find it, you’ll see that it’s a real step up for Faranak Habibi’s cafe, which previously operated from a small space in Tollcross by the King’s Theatre. They’re still in theatreland, but this time they’re bigger and closer to the action, in the restaurant unit attached to the Lyceum on Grindlay Street. All of this is to say that if you take a wrong turn out of the toilets, you might end up with a blast of unexpected Shakespeare.

The room itself is massive, with a mezzanine level upstairs that seems to keep extending forever. It’s difficult to truly fill a space like this, but a few neat design flourishes speaking to the venue’s Iranian heritage brighten it up. Flashes of carpet adorn the walls and lovely little details like pomegranate-shaped salt shakers sit on the tables, and while it’s pretty bright in here, there’s a pleasingly homespun vibe to the place.

A pot of Persian lemon verbena tea is smoky and sweet, and – beginning a theme that will develop over the evening – it’s served in lovely china cups from an ornate glass teapot. In terms of the food, the menu is a mixture of mezze-like small plates, stews, rice dishes and grilled meats and kebabs.

Image: Romina Key.

Each of our small plates manages to be decadent and refreshing at the same time. For one thing, they look great; there’s excellent colour and shape to each dish. Sabzi o paneer (£7) is an obelisk of supremely creamy whipped cheese flecked with walnuts, while the Kashke bademjan (£8.50) pairs smoky roasted aubergine with a lactic tang from cured yoghurt, then tops it off with a variety of delicious textural additions like fried garlic and more of those walnuts. Meanwhile, the Shiraz salad (£6) cuts right through all that dairy and richness. It’s cucumber, tomato and red onion dressed with zingy lemon and sumac, and shot through with mint leaves; simple, but brilliantly put together.

The Ghormeh sabzi (£19) comes to the table with a very different vibe. This stew, made with kidney beans, lamb, and a mixture of earthy herbs, is an almost hypnotically deep green. It’s very very earthy, but pleasingly complex at the same time. On the other hand, the Joojeh kebab (£18) is bright, light and breezy. We do mean that ‘bright’ part literally – the saffron-marinated chicken is an incredible shade of yellow – and it’s beautifully juicy and tender.

Saffron is a recurring thread throughout our meal, bringing depth and potency to everything from the starters to a truly excellent dessert. Faranak’s homemade Persian love cake (£6) is sold to us as ‘like a really great birthday cake’; while you don’t need to tell us twice to eat a piece of cake, this is actually a perfect description. It has all the bounce and lightness of a classic sponge, but delicately flavoured with pistachio and more of that saffron, topped with dried flowers and a light, sweet whipped cream.

Konj manages to work that tricky tightrope between fancy and homely, of offering something opulent and special but without it feeling uncomfortable or stuffy. There’s real care and detail here, from the complex engravings on the tea trays to the lovely carpeting on the staircase and walls to the seemingly endless edible flowers. But there are also vibrant and direct flavours, and dishes that are both exciting and engaging. A trip to Konj has that little something special – it feels like a real treat.

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15-17 Grindlay St, Edinburgh, EH3 9AX
Wed 12-5pm; Thu-Sat 12-4.30pm & 5.30-10pm; Sun 12-4.30pm & 5.30-9pm
konjcafe.com