Take a walk on the exotic side of life and submerse yourself in the sensory delights of Persia by visiting Yalda Persian Restaurant. People from all walks of life are attracted to Persian cuisine, drawn in by its imaginative and seductive aromas and flavours, and this restaurant recreates it using authentic cooking methods and the freshest ingredients, serving delicious dishes in plush surroundings reminiscent of their origins. Yalda offers an evening full of Eastern promise.

Start your journey with one of the tempting appetisers, or go for a more authentic experience and order a mezze to share, comprising a choice of five different dishes. Classic hummus, dolma – stuffed vine leaves – and spicy meatballs are all here, as well as some more unusual offerings; the mirza ghassemi, which sees crushed baked aubergines, with tomatoes, garlic and free-range eggs is particularly worthy of a mention.

The main course menu presents an assault on the senses, with imaginative spices all enhancing a fantastic selection of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes. Again, if you find it difficult choosing, try a selection – the special sini kebab for four people gives you one skewer of lamb, four skewers of minced lamb, one skewer of marinated baby chicken, and two skewers of chunks of marinated boneless chicken breast, all charcoal grilled and served with four portions of saffron rice and grilled tomato – a fantastic way to sample the talents of the chefs. Other tempting dishes include gheymeh bademjan, a finely chopped lamb stew with fried aubergines, split peas, tomatoes and dry lime; and fesenjoon – chicken simmered with ground walnut and a sweet-and-sour pomegranate sauce, truly a treat for the tastebuds, served with fluffy saffron rice. If you can’t make a decision visit on a Sunday and tuck into the lunch buffet between 1pm and 3pm. With The Mayflower Theatre right on its doorstep, Yalda makes the perfect pre or post-show dining venue, and it’s conveniently located just a two-minute walk from the central Southampton train station. So if you’re looking for something just that little bit different, Yalda certainly won’t disappoint.