Touted as an Afghan restaurant buts its just Middle Eastern Food. Very noisy with terrible acoustics. Food prices ok but the wine list had poor selections and seriously overpriced. Guess that's where they are trying to make their money. Has an outdoor patio but dogs not allowed on it!!! Service not great either. Disappointing.

This place is not to be missed if you are in Santa Cruz and if you are even a little fond of Middle Eastern food. The ambiance is quite lovely with the sophistication of a city restaurant. The service is friendly and efficient. The food, though, is the crown jewel. The appetizers are simply wonderful and the portions so generous, a couple of these would make a satisfying meal. The Silk Road Plate along with another appetizer is just fantastic. Most surprising of all, the prices are reasonable. In short, I can't say enough about this place. Don't miss it!

We were very impressed by the friendly atmosphere as soon as we arrived and we got accommodated to move after being seating inside to the outside patio. The outside patio is very cozy so if it is a warm day/evening make sure you get a table outside.
In regards to the food we were all very happy with all our food and my 8 year old loved the Pumpkin Boranee and Vegetarian Maush-awa soup. Lots of great vegetarian options and the balance of the spices are just perfect. We will for sure come back.

I lived in Iran for a year and fantasize about Persian cooking a lot. Most Persian restaurants in my area do kabobs, but the subtleties of the more unusual dishes of that most marvelous cuisine seem only to be found in homes and hardly ever in restaurants. From the moment they put the plate under my nose, the aroma took me back. My dining partner wasn't trying to recall any culinary memories, but he exclaimed over his dish too, so I don't think it was all nostalgia. Laili's bills itself as serving "Silk Road" Cuisine, which gives them some good flexibility. I would definitely go back again.