A Night of Persian Delights at Bha Bha

Last night was a first for three of us—Karen, Dave, and me—but old hat for our friend Ira, who’s been dining at Bha Bha on 5th Avenue in Naples, FL for nearly 20 years. We now understand why.

Karen had spotted that the Persian restaurant was offering a special prix fixe menu through August 28 and quickly made the arrangements. Good move, Karen.

TripAdvisor calls Bha Bha the “Jewel of the Crown” of cosmopolitan 5th Avenue, and they’re not exaggerating. This is high-end, adults-only dining—no strollers, no dogs, and definitely no BYOB. The menu blends classic dishes from Iran with a modern Florida flair. While there’s duck, quail, seafood, and vegetarian options, lamb rules here—braised, grilled, and paired with saffron rice so fragrant it’s almost perfume. The wine list is impressive, the bar is full, and the dress code is casually elegant.

Fun fact: in Farsi, bah bah (به به) is an exclamation of delight—think “Wow!” or “Yum!”—and that’s exactly how we felt.

At 5 p.m., we were the first to arrive, but by 5:45 the place was buzzing, and by the time we left, there wasn’t an empty table. The décor sets the tone: white tablecloths, gold napkins, little lamps at each table, turquoise Middle Eastern fabrics on the cushions, and gold beaded screens framing the room. Service was warm, attentive, and at just the right pace—never rushed, never slow, just perfectly in sync with the evening’s mood.

Karen, Ira, Sue, Dave

Our meal was a parade of flavors.

Dave picked a light Pinot Grigo that went well with all of the dishes.

I started with an asparagus salad tossed with Shirazi mix, kalamata olives, tomatoes, basil, and French feta. It was a refreshing, light starter for a steamy day in Naples.

Dave chose spicy New Zealand green-shell mussels in a tomato-garlic-herb broth that made him pause mid-bite just to appreciate the spice blend.

This is the red sauce - but not the mussels

Karen and Ira opted for stuffed eggplant with lamb.

For entrées, I had yogurt mushroom lamb, fragrant with (I suspect) turmeric and cumin.

Karen chose koobideh kabob—seasoned ground beef skewers with char-grilled vegetables and basmati lentil rice.

Ira went for apricot tamarind lamb, its sauce the perfect marriage of sweet and tangy.

Dave had chicken rashti, a Persian classic with onions, garlic, dill, and turmeric.

Every plate delivered layers of seasoning so subtle yet complex that you almost wanted to eat in slow motion. By the end, we all agreed Persian cuisine had earned a place among our favorites.

Dessert was Baklava and Persian Ice Cream. The Baklava was light, not loaded with honey like the Greek version.

Now, if I want to become a regular, I might need a part-time job to support the habit—but honestly? Worth every penny.