Photograph by Martha Williams
The restaurant space in One Buckhead Plaza, at the corner of Peachtree and West Paces Ferry Roads, has always been prime real estate. It has been everything from Nava under Kevin Rathbun to Ford Fry’s King + Duke. Now, it’s Delbar, under Fares Kargar’s hospitality company Nooshe Jan Group. Nooshe Jan is a Farsi phrase meaning “May it feed your soul.” It isn’t just a name; it’s a promise.
Following the success of two other Delbar locations in Inman Park and Alpharetta, Delbar finally opened in Buckhead in November 2024. Anticipation was high after the restaurant’s other Buckhead space faltered due to lease negotiations. Kargar says he is up to the challenge. “This project has been a dream to work on,” he says. “This is one of the most famous buildings in Atlanta—a jewel.”
People have a clear vision when they’re working on their dream.
With each Delbar, Kargar wants to transport you to the places he loved growing up in Iran. Since Delbar Buckhead is a freestanding space, unlike the other Delbars, Kargar had more control over creating the vibe. Incorporating elements of Iranian design was a priority. The restaurant employed Iranian designers and artisans to create the elegant warmth of the space, which is divided by carved screens and abundant potted plants.
Photograph by Martha Williams
The bar’s pink Moroccan tiles—very of the moment—glow like rose quartz. It’s the perfect place to start the night with cocktails, which have fun names, such as Saudi Money and the smokey rum- and mezcal-based Magic Carpet infused with baharat, a spice blend that includes coriander, cumin, and cinnamon. Even nonalcoholic drinks, like the Sharbat e Khiyar—made with coconut, mint, and cucumber—are incredibly balanced and never too sweet.
The service can feel like a hug from a distant relative—well-meaning but occasionally awkward. The staff, though eager to please, range from servers with intimate knowledge of the menu to those who stumble over dish pronunciations. Kargar acknowledges the challenge. “Servers are hard to find when it comes to cuisines like ours,” he says. “You have to teach them a whole new language (Farsi), what polo (rice) means . . . That’s just the start of the training.”
When the dishes arrive, they stun. Kargar is a storyteller who is in love with Middle Eastern food, and he draws influences from many places. The food at Delbar is primarily Persian, with Turkish, Lebanese, and Iraqi elements. He also says it’s sometimes hard to attribute exactly where a dish is from since many cuisines have similar food. “You really can’t tell where each dish comes from because it will start a war in the Middle East,” he says with a laugh. “Everybody invented falafel.”
Photograph by Martha Williams
Photograph by Martha Williams
Like many people, when I dine out, I want food I cannot replicate at home. Eating at Delbar is always such a treat. You can easily feast on grilled lamb kabobs, the restaurant’s peerless tahdig (rice with a crispy top), and labneh (strained yogurt) dip, but the menu urges you to dig deeper to discover treasures. Take the seemingly simple meatball, the kofta Tabrizi. The grapefruit-sized ground lamb and beef meatball has a core studded with dried dates, pistachios, and pomegranate that spills out of its center like strawberry doughnut filling when split open with a fork. It’s covered with lemon yogurt and pomegranate syrup. The delightful interplay of the sweet, savory, and tart ingredients showcases the depth and complexity of Persian cuisine. The dish is full of personality.
“I’m a huge flavor guy,” says Kargar. “I like a punch of flavor. If a dish doesn’t have a big flavor, it’s not my kind of dish.” Even the salads manage to elevate ingredients I have had many times before. One example is a red and green endive lettuce salad with orange and grapefruit segments and candied walnuts. A puckery dressing of preserved lemon vinaigrette and Aleppo pepper turns the combination on its head.
When you ask, Kargar provides an origin story for each dish. Most are based on nostalgia for something a relative cooked. The whole branzino stuffed with walnuts, pomegranate, and herbs stands out with such a story. It’s a dish his mother used to make him in Iran, but this is his version. “The branzino stuffing takes six hours to cook,” Kargar says. “It’s a very time-consuming dish, and the entire cooking process is borderline between burning the stuff and making it perfect.”
Photograph by Martha Williams
The stuffing fills the split fish, which is then grilled over the restaurant’s open fire. I can’t say I have ever had better branzino. The flavor combination is so unexpected, but harmonious. The tang of the pomegranate and the richness of the walnuts paired with the ethereal, flaky fish is a combination I have recalled many times since that evening.
Ordering grilled chicken seems like a waste when more interesting-sounding dishes like braised lamb neck are on the menu, but the honey harissa chicken is special. The chicken thighs glazed with the sweet heat of the honey harissa glaze are transformed by the heat of the fire as their edges crisp. The accompanying kohlrabi pear slaw and pickled onions counteract the spiciness and sweetness of the chicken with welcomed acidity. I kept returning for more, even though the excellent lamb neck sat beside it.
Desserts are equally interesting and over the top, if you have any room left after the sesame-studded flatbread rounds (as big as pizzas) that stream endlessly out of the kitchen. The baklava ice cream sandwich is beautiful, too, in its composition of flavors and presentation. Vanilla ice cream is sandwiched between layered phyllo pastry and covered with crushed rose petals, walnuts, and pistachios.
Overall, Delbar Buckhead shines like the glossy pomegranate seeds that crown many of its dishes. The food is superb, and Kargar’s passion is undeniable. If the restaurant addresses the service issues, it has all the ingredients to be the jewel that fulfills Kargar’s big dreams and nourishes the soul.
This article appears in our April 2025 issue.
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