OUR curiosity had finally got the better of us. For years, Toots and I had walked past the joint and wondered what lay beyond those mysterious waterfall windows.

Paradise has been a fixture on Great Western Road for as long as the Duke of Wellington has had a cone on his head and judging by the favourable reviews online was pleasing fans of Persian cuisine.

I’d been given a tip off that the restaurant doesn’t serve alcohol - although diners are free to bring their own bottles for a corkage charge - so we buckled up in the Buick and headed downtown to Kelvinbridge, recently voted one of the world’s coolest places to live.

I’d been told Persian food owes its diversity to The Silk Road, which ran through what is now Iran.

Major staples of Iranian food include rice, various herbs, cheese, a variety of flat breads, and some type of meat (usually poultry, beef, lamb, or fish or vegetables.

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Toots and I were doing Meat-free Mondays and while the menu read like a carnivore’s paradise with kebabs and skewers aplenty we were pleased to see the V sign next to a number of dishes.

With more and more people reducing their meat intake and the restaurant’s prime West End location, we were hopeful it could deliver a tasty vegetable-based feast.

We ordered some naan bread to start, which is freshly made in the restaurant’s clay oven and dip of humous while we decided on the main event.

The bread was crisper than the type we were used to in Indian restaurants but it was quickly hoovered up and the humous had a nice spicy edge.

Things had got off to a good start so hopes were high the starters and mains would measure up.

I liked the sound of the Paneer Sabzi, which was described as fresh green herbs, tarragon, spring onion, radish and vegetables with feta cheese and walnuts. But when it arrived at our table I was surprised to find a plate full of raw ingredients that looked like they had still to be transformed into a starter.

Glasgow Times:

While a plate of raw spring onions and herbs might please Bugs Bunny it did nothing to whet my appetite. Since it didn't have a V sign for vegetarian next to it, I wondered how it would go down with the meat eaters?

Blondie fared slightly better with her salad of chopped red onion, cucumber, tomato and mint but said it was nothing to write home about. Still, we had our mains to come so I was hopeful the joint could prove it doesn't only cater for carnivores.

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I had chosen one of the traditional stews with fried aubergine, yellow split peas and a special tomato sauce where the lamb was substituted by mushrooms, which didn’t seem like a fair swap cost wise but I was hopeful the taste would make up for the cash. Sadly the dish was not the taste sensation I’d hoped it would be. The best thing about it was the strange addition of a handful of chips scattered on top.

Glasgow Times:

Blondie wasn’t any happier with her stew, which was similar to mine but had the addition of kidney beans and was a very unappetising shade of grey as well as over salted.

After the disappointing starters and mains, we skipped dessert and headed to the Buick, our curiosity about the restaurant satisfied if not our appetites.

Food

Humous and naan bread £5.65

Paneer Sabzi £4.50

Shirazi salad £4.50

Chelo Koresht Ghaimeh Bademjan £10.50

Chelo Koresht Ghormeh Sabzi £10.50

Drinks

Sparkling water £1.90

Persian tea x 2 £3.00

Total: £40.55