"When you position a restaurant inside of a 100-year-old “castle” that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places, things can fall into Bridgerton-esque kitsch quickly. Yet, Midtown’s Divan errs on the side of elegance with four levels of granite-walled lairs, glass-bottom floors, and towering windows. The clientele, a well-dressed mix trying to impress corporate clients, dates, or parents, keeps the mood elevated. So, too, does a well-crafted array of Persian-inspired dishes. The pomegranate-drizzled turkey and pistachio kufta is something out of a meatball-themed dream. The basil-sprigged scallops and the slow-roasted lamb shanks are flavorful triumphs of the highest order. Take your meal or wild fruit hookah on the outdoor patio, where you can feel like a royal overseeing a kingdom of joggers and double-parked cars. Divan's Persian Feastphoto credit: Amy Sinclair Divan Restaurant & Barphoto credit: Amy Sinclair The Chicken Kabobphoto credit: Amy Sinclair" - DeMarco Williams
