Iran
Deep within the Sa'd-al Saltaneh caravanserai is this hipster favourite. An English menu reveals heart-starting espressos and lattes, exotic teas and…
Must-see nightlife in Iran
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Iran
With its barrel seats, bottle scultptures, eccentric sculpture-walls and dangling cocktail glasses, this superb, low-lit cafe feels for all the world like…
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Tehran
A coffee roaster dominates the entrance to the slickest of north Tehran's many fashionable cafes and chief hang-out of the city's privileged. Down your…
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Iran
Funky laid-back meeting place bedecked with Pink Floyd lyrics and local hipsters listening to '70s Western rock. Yes, you're still in Iran.
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Iran
A blanket ban has pushed qalyan-smoking out of Mashhad, but in Shandiz you can still relax puffing on water pipes at various upmarket teahouses. While not…
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Tehran
There's been a teahouse here next to Abdollah Khan Madrassa since 1917, and Haj Kazem's father Ali took over the business in 1962. It's now a stand-up 2m…
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Iran
Deep below a conical dome of concentric brick rings, this unique cafe in what was once its greatest underground cistern is the highlight of Garmsar. The…
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Tehran
Although it's plagued by cigarette smoke, this large, multisectioned cafe is still well worth dropping by for its wide-ranging drinks and food menu,…
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Tehran
Lamiz has several outlets of its Seattle-style cafes around Tehran. This super-chic branch is the most central and boasts a wide range of drinks,…
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Southeastern Iran
Hidden within the Aramgah complex, this brick-domed teahouse offers spiritual music and a short menu of well-made Iranian favourites, including a minty…
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Tehran
Who doesn't love a cupcake? At this cute and buzzy cafe close by Tehran University, they're made well-slathered with butter-cream icing, plus there's…
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Iran
The Ferdosi Soffrekhaneh, just west of the bazaar, is one of the most atmospheric, original teahouses in Iran. Housed in a charming old basement, and…
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Shiraz
This trendy spot near the commercial centre of town attracts young Shirazis looking for an international coffee-shop vibe. The technically accurate …
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Shiraz
Attracting a loyal local crowd of liberally minded young Shirazis, overseen by a genial boss, this cafe does a range of brilliant flavoured teas – the…
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Southeastern Iran
West of Imam St at the Imamzadeh Shirekhoda roundabout, Qarbi St rises past a series of older, mud-domed homes. Many are derelict, but near the top (250m)…
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Tehran
On the ground floor of the Hotel Naderi, this pastel-shaded cafe has long been a favourite, attracting a curious mix of students, artists and grannies in…
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Tehran
This traditional teahouse occupies what was the first Iranian bank some 260 years ago during the Qajar era. Carpeted booths on two levels look on to a…
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Iran
Tucked behind the Mashahir Sq cistern, this bustling, midrange family restaurant has a trio of live musicians playing nightly, serves herbal teas (IR20…
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Tehran
On Ghandi's upper level, Cafe de France whisks you to the Left Bank with its dark wood, retro tables and chairs, messy display of books and cosy ambience…
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Tehran
Occupying a pavilion in the grounds of a grand old mansion that now houses Art Centre Galleries, Chai Bar blends traditional Iranian style with a superb…
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Esfahan
Round the corner from the Kelisa-ye Vank, this magnificently painted one-room coffee shop is like an Esfahani miniature, with its exquisite patterned…
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Tehran
Located above Iranshahr Theatre in Artists’ Park, Cafe Gallery is hard to beat in central Tehran as a place to sit and soak up the scene. You can soak up…
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Esfahan
After a few laps of the square, this little cafe is a lovely spot to pause and relax. Soothing music, rich honey cake, good coffee and herbal teas served…
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Tehran
Tucked away down an ornately tiled staircase, this cosy underground teahouse is full of young Iranians flirting, drinking tea, smoking hookahs and eating …
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Tehran
Upstairs in an alley, this charming multiroom cafe is an ideal place to escape the traffic mayhem around Ferdowsi Sq. The Middle European atmosphere, with…
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Tehran
One of central Tehran's most pleasantly designed cafes, Nazdik has both indoor and outdoor areas and a contemporary vibe. It's a popular spot for…
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Shiraz
This casual coffee shop in the middle of an old caravanserai offers a surprisingly peaceful open space in the middle of the busy bazaar in which to take a…
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Iran
As yet it's still a building site, but already this Qajar-era house's seven-tiered windtower has been converted into what appear to be rooms, and by 2018…
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Tehran
Hanging baskets of plants create a fresh, garden feel to the arched entranceway to this cafe named after one of Samuel Beckett's most famous characters…
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Tehran
Occupying a small wing of the old red-brick prison at Qsar Garden Museum, this is one of two pleasant cafes overlooking the surrounding sculpture park…
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Iran
For barista-style espressos (IR70,000 to IR110,000) and even masala chai, seek out this appealing little 21st-century coffeehouse, tucked around the…
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Iran
Expertly made barista-quality coffee (from IR70,000) with a view of the tower from the open terrace (albeit through electricity wires).
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Southeastern Iran
At the rear of a preserved semi-historic building, this tea garden throws together an intriguing, stylistic mishmash of palm-frond shelters, old niche…
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Esfahan
This friendly, family-run little coffee shop is devoted to coffee in a country devoted to tea. Most of the beans are sourced from Brazil, and a range of…
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Iran
Tingling with Sufi-esque music and creating great coffee (IR40,000 to IR55,000) on a professional Simonelli machine, Zhino is just one of at least five…
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Southeastern Iran
Great caffeine fixes provided by baristas whose beards are more Hackney hipster than Mashhad mullah. Tables are old cable spools, a bicycle hangs from the…
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Iran
This pleasant cafe, a short walk downhill from Darbansar Ski Resort, is where locals hang out, sipping coffee or tea, tucking into cakes and puffing on…
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Tehran
A good place to get in touch with Tehran’s hip young artistic community is this arty cafe plastered with posters for events and a wanderlust wall of…
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Esfahan
In a lane off the northeastern corner of Naqsh-e Jahan (Imam) Sq, this popular teahouse sports an enormous collection of bric-a-brac hanging from its…
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Southeastern Iran
Excellent coffee from a Wega machine in a mood-lit, female-friendly cafe displaying pipes, coffee paraphernalia and B&W photos of film stars.
