It's easy to write off Yalda as just another pretty restaurant, but you'd be wrong. The charming Mediterranean and Persian restaurant has a number of great family-style plates that make it one of the best places to dine in West Midtown. Everything in the restaurant is attractive: from the macrame chandeliers that have more crystals than a healing spa to the mirrors that are so fancy, you half expect them to tell you “who’s the fairest of them all.” So don’t feel awkward if you feel the uncharacteristic urge to pose with your eye-catching, purple, yogurt-washed gin cocktail. And if you're here with a group, request a table in the airy light-filled sunroom where potted plants, cushioned benches, and throw pillows create a mood so relaxed that conversations easily linger long after the tab is paid. For dinner, start with the kashk bademjoon, a delicious, savory eggplant dish that pairs perfectly with warm, soft naan bread. And you'll want to bring a friend, so you can try a couple of entrees. Since items like the tender ground chicken koobideh or juicy brisket kabab run under $20, there's not much here to break the bank or start an awkward tab-splitting argument. Unlike most of the city's restaurants that also look like they could be tears of an interior design magazine, Yalda is buzzy while being unpretentious—a place where friends can sip cocktails at the bar before heading to the club or couples in matching Dunks can stroll in for a date night.