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In Persian, darband means gateway or door to the mountains – a fitting name for Darband Restaurant, which reopened in summer 2025, just around the corner from where it stood for two decades. When you step inside, you’ll be greeted with a warm “Befarmaeed dakhel” – “welcome, come in” – and you’ll notice the arched doorways.
The new space is bigger with timber and brass accents, while the walls are lined with family photographs. After all, founder Morteza Hemmati opened the original, no-frills Darband with his wife in Auburn in 2005; they have now passed on the reins to their children, Naseem and Hasan, who want to honour the past while reimagining what Persian dining in Sydney can be.
That spirit carries through to the food – simple, generous and full of flavour. Kebabs are a mainstay: juicy, smoky and straight off the grill. Choose between lamb kebabs in minced (koobideh), backstrap (barg) or cutlet form (sishlik), or try the chicken kebabs with wings or thighs. Better yet, get a sampling of everything with the Darband Special – a mixed kebab plate that’s been on the menu since day dot.
Tradition and nostalgia seep through the generous piles of saffron rice studded with barberries and dusted with tangy sumac. Of course, there’s the ghormeh sabzi; a staple in every Irani home, it’s a mixed herb stew with lamb, kidney beans and dried lemons served with saffron rice.
Make sure to finish your meal on a sweet note with a cup of cardamom tea and a serve of bastani sonati –it's saffron ice cream scattered with pistachios. Yum.
Address: Shop 3/28B Northumberland Rd, Auburn NSW 2144
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