You wouldn't believe that Persian Delights Cafe on Surbiton Rd, Kingston is only 7 months old if you walked into it.
Upon entry, your eye is immediately drawn to the decor.
From the floral wall to the array of cakes and other sweet treats lining the display counter, the whole atmosphere of the shop brings about a sense of elegance and refinement; "[My] favourite thing [is] the interior because I did it - everything!" says Sumiya Reza, proud owner of Persian Delights Café.
Both Ms. Reza and her husband (who conveniently owns a computer shop next door) are of Afghan heritage, and this is reflected in the café's main speciality - sheeryakh, a type of ice cream.
Made authentically, the process of this involves cream in a large metal container surrounded by ice in order to freeze it into ice cream - a process which you can see for yourself, behind the counter!
It comes with toppings cardamom and rose but additionally can be customised with toppings of pistachio, almond, walnut and roohafza, a popular syrup.
This is also Ms. Reza's favourite item of food on the menu - "very nice - everyone likes it," she claims.
Sumiya Reza is proud of her culture, having left Afghanistan 20 years ago.
The cafe staff take it as their duty to provide traditional Persian food, as this cuisine is limited in Kingston, and are all wonderfully welcoming to newcomers and returners.
A dish of pilaf with lamb shank was initially priced at £16.99, but the owners have since realised that this may not be affordable for all customers - especially students, which there are many of in Kingston.
It is because of this that they have decided to reduce the price by £4 and use lamb chunks instead of a lamb shank, which is expensive!
Persian Delights cafe also boast a hidden room behind the main restaurant, where events such as birthday parties can be booked with buffets - there are three fixed menus: £14.99, £24.99, and £34.99 which consists of a three course meal.
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