I was pleasantly surprised by the food in this restaurant. The service was excellent, our food arrived quite quickly, and was very fresh. According to the waitress, the meats are organic, the seasonings of the lamb and chicken and rice were excellent and perfectly cooked....More

I wish I could say that I was blown away by my experience here but it was only ok. My wife and I went for lunch and found the surroundings very nicely decorated, immaculately clean, and the service was very nice although our lunch took...More

This small restaurant is in the lower level of an arcade one block off the Plaza on San Francisco Street. The wonderful aroma has intrigued me during shopping nearby, and tonight I decided to try it. The service was excellent, the atmosphere simple but pleasant....More

I'm not really sure why the other reviews are raving about this restaurant. The service was slow (and there was only one other person besides me in the restaurant.) The food is severley overpriced for lunch and the food was only acceptable. I ordered the...More

This little gem is located right off the Plaza. The food was delicious- both appetizers and entrees and very affordable. Both my husband and I are vegetarians and were pleased with the options. The service was terrific. We can't wait to go back.

A little bit off the well trodden path, but worth the effort to find it. A family business, serving genuine Persian cuisine. The service can be slow sometimes if the kitchen is backed up, but any wait is amply rewarded. Go when you are not...More

I've eaten at Persian restaurants almost a hundred times since I go to LA and Little Iran a lot. A Syrian rug dealer in a shop Santa Fe mentioned Istalif to me and said he eats there a lot. I was spoiled by having eaten...More

Istalif is located in the heart of Santa Fe on San Francisco Street, between the Lensic Theatre and the Plaza. While shish kabobs are featured, Istalif offers a variety of other dishes, including many vegetarian entrees, appetizers and soups. We ate there before a Lensic...More

Not busy, but the food was excellent. If you're hungry and the New Mexican restaurants are busy, try some Persian food!

We were walking around downtown Santa Fe and were looking for a place to stop, rest our feet and have a snack. We saw Istalif and thought we'd give it a try as we were burnt out on "South Western" food. Off the appetizer menu...More