Mazadar Restaurant
Fairfax / Mediterranean / $$
When you crave Kabuli pulao, you go to an Afghan restaurant. If you want saffron-suffused kebabs, you’ll probably head out for Persian food. But for those who are craving both, as well as specialties from elsewhere in Central Asia and the Mediterranean, there is Mazadar Restaurant.
Since Ida Beylee took over last year, the Fairfax restaurant has taken on vivid new life. Every day from 2 to 6 p.m., there’s an afternoon tea party featuring pots in flavors like ginger with honey and cinnamon. Guests sate their hunger with a wrap before moving on to one of Mazadar’s handcrafted desserts. Those include buoyant rosewater flan and saffron ice cream that comes in petite Day-Glo yellow scoops so soft they threaten to melt into nothingness before they hit the table. This would be a crying shame; it’s worth a visit to the restaurant for the floral sweet on its own. It matches the chairs, too, which are decorated with black-and-white flowers.
At mealtimes, Mazadar is especially hospitable to vegetarians. The Vegetarian Delight is a plate divided between three meatless stews, each more delectable than the last. And they’re virtuous enough that there will be caloric intake left for ice cream.
See this: A fountain covered in aqua tiles burbles at the center of the chic space encircled with pillow-loaded banquettes.
Eat this: Mazadar Sampler, Vegetarian Delight, saffron ice cream
Service: Informal. Owner Ida Beylee takes personalized care of her customers.
When to dine here: You’ve got a vegetarian you want to treat right—and you want a meaty kebab, too.
Feature image by Alice Levitt
This post originally appeared in our November 2021 issue’s Best Restaurants cover story. For more food reviews, subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
