Updated November 2026 Pasta Factory is still trading near Madar Square, with recent diner reviews from 2025; we have refreshed the menu notes and removed the old 2019 menu.
If you want fresh Italian food in Tehran, Pasta Factory is one of the safest bets in the city. This small, long-running restaurant sits in a quiet residential pocket near Madar Square, a short walk from Shariati Street and just north of Seyyed Khandan, and it has built its reputation on pasta made properly rather than the soft, over-sauced versions you find in many Tehran fast-food places.
Pasta Factory has been around for well over a decade, which in Tehran’s fast-changing restaurant scene says a lot. The room is relaxed and neatly decorated, service is friendly and unhurried, and the menu is short enough that the kitchen does most things well. It works for a casual lunch, a weeknight dinner with friends or a low-key date.
The heart of the menu is the pasta. Expect familiar classics such as spaghetti bolognese, baked penne, fettuccine and penne with a choice of sauces, alongside oven dishes like lasagne and cannelloni. Recent diners have singled out the ravioli with pesto and a vegan tomato and aubergine pasta. Many dishes come in a smaller “mini” portion as well as a standard size, which is handy if you want to try a starter and a dessert too.
Starters cover the usual Italian-café ground: salads (the Caesar is popular), a soup of the day, cheesy garlic bread, bruschetta and beef carpaccio. There are also pizzas, with the garlic pizza getting good mentions, and fries for anyone who needs them. Vegetarians are well looked after, which is not always the case in Tehran.
As with every restaurant in Iran, there is no alcohol. Instead you will find soft drinks and freshly made mocktails, including a virgin mojito, plus milkshakes that regulars rate highly. Leave room for dessert: the pistachio tiramisu is a nice Iranian twist on the Italian original.
A few practical tips:
- Getting there: the restaurant is on a side street off Vaziripour Street near Madar Square. A taxi app such as Snapp is the easiest option; ask for Madar Square (Meydan-e Madar) and walk the last few minutes.
- When to go: it can fill up on Thursday and Friday evenings, so arrive early or go for a late lunch on a weekday.
- Prices: Pasta Factory is mid-range by north Tehran standards. Menu prices change often with inflation, so check our Iran price trackers for a sense of current eating-out costs before you go.
- Paying: foreign bank cards do not work in Iran, so bring cash in rials or a local card.
Pasta Factory is not trying to reinvent Italian cooking, and that is its strength. If you have been eating kebab and rice for a week and want a well-made plate of pasta in a calm setting, it is hard to beat. For more ideas, browse our Tehran cafés and restaurants section or read our other restaurant reviews from around Tehran.
