Eating out is one of the great pleasures of life in Tehran. The city has traditional kebab houses and teahouses that have barely changed in decades, a fast-growing café scene, food courts with mountain views and a surprising range of international kitchens, from Lebanese and Iraqi to Thai and Italian. This guide brings together all of our restaurant and café coverage, sorted by type of meal, with a link to the full guide for each.
Restaurants in Tehran open and close quickly, so it is always worth checking a place on Google Maps, Balad or Neshan before you set off. Menus are often in Persian only, so photographs of the dishes help; the Persia Learning course has a lesson on food and ordering. Foreign cards do not work, so pay in cash or with an Iranian bank card, and see our guide to the cost of eating out in Tehran for current prices.
Cafés and coffee. Our newest guide covers 11 cafés in north Tehran that are open now, from Tajrish to Shahrak-e Gharb, with Persian addresses for your driver. For the bigger picture, see our top coffee houses in Tehran and the best coffee roasteries and bean shops. Historic cafés are a Tehran speciality: Cafe Naderi, once the haunt of writers and poets, the Famouri House in a restored mansion, and Gol-e Rezaieh. Don’t miss the world’s smallest teahouse in the Grand Bazaar. For a café with a social mission, read about Downtism Café, and for laptop working, Jo Generation Z. The Vartan House garden café is one of the prettiest in the centre.
Persian food. For a traditional meal in a historic setting, try Vakil Tojjar, or go upmarket at Shandiz Galleria. Our guide to the top grill places covers kebab, and the best restaurants in the Grand Bazaar and Grand Bazaar eateries guides take you to the classic lunch counters of the old city. During Ramadan, see what to eat at iftar. To learn more about the food itself, start with barbari bread, the city’s breakfast loaf, or try cooking at home with our recipes for ghormeh sabzi, fesenjoon, joojeh kabab and tahdig.
International cuisine. Tehran has more variety than its reputation suggests. Our round-ups cover the best Chinese restaurants, the best Thai restaurants and the top Indian restaurants. For Arab food, head to Dowlat Abad for falafel and shawarma and Iraqi restaurants. Italian fans have the Pasta Factory near Madar Square, and the city’s pizza story starts at Davoud Pizza, its first pizzeria. Burgers and doner have their own followings: see the best burger places in north Tehran and Doner Garden. If you are cooking Asian food at home, Behjat Abad market is where to shop.
Vegetarian and vegan. Persian cooking leans heavily on meat, but options are growing. Read our guides to the best vegetarian restaurants and vegan restaurants in Tehran.
Sweets and desserts. Our best places for dessert covers ice cream, pastries and cakes across the city.
Food halls, food streets and eating with a view. For a casual meal with plenty of choice, try Address Food Hall in the north, the street food of 30 Tir Street downtown, or the food vans on Bab Homayoun Street. Outdoor complexes such as Bam Land by Chitgar Lake and Fly Land in Saadat Abad combine food with city views. The Sky Lounge at the Espinas Palace is one of the best-known rooftop restaurants, and the riverside teahouses of Darband are a Tehran institution after a mountain walk. Our history of the ASP Towers complex covers another long-standing eating spot.
Restaurant reviews. We have also reviewed many individual restaurants, and all of the following were confirmed open in November 2026. Rasm-e No serves Persian food beside the river on the Fasham road, and Mestooran recreates old Tehran in a villa in Niavaran. Boomi Persian Kitchen puts a modern spin on Iranian dishes, and the Swiss restaurant has been a Tehran institution for decades. For something different, try Lebina for Lebanese food, Nakaya for Japanese, Barzil for steaks and burgers in Saadat Abad, or Cheraghan at Bam Land. For a special occasion, see our most romantic restaurants.
Staying in town for a while? Our cost of living guide and the Iran prices tracker will help you budget, and our hotels guide lists the hotel restaurants worth a visit.
