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Kadus Hotel ( 322 3075; cadus_hotel@yahoo.com; Azadi Blvd; s/d/tr/ste US$60/80/90/120; ) A full-blown refit has cleverly used contemporary-retro touches to bring alive the Kadus’ 1970s architecture. Rooms have trendy faux-antique basins, Western loos and brightly tasteful décor.

Eating

For cheap desserts, nuts and snacks there are stalls around the bazaar. Many cheap kabab barbecues appear at night on Imam Khomeini St and Toshiba Sq.

Kumeh ( 322 6579; Hafez St; kababs IR10,000-22,000; 11am-2pm & 5.30-11pm) The most interesting of a huddle of restaurants in the Park-e-Shahr area, Kumeh has Irano-Hawaiian covered dining platforms outside. Inside is more standard but sharing a post-prandial qalyan here is an ideal way to meet friendly regulars.

Saeed Coffee Shop ( 323 4298; Azadi Blvd; coffees IR10,000-17,000, sandwiches IR20,000-25,000; 11am-11pm) Gently stylish café serving good strong espressos. There’s a billiard hall and decent pizzeria in the same block.

Kourosh ( 222 8299; Gilantur Lane; meals IR30,000-50,000; 11am-4pm & 6.30-11pm) Kourosh wins no prizes for décor but offers numerous typical Gilani dishes including dill-rich bagilah qotoq Click here, zeitun parvarden (olives in walnut paste) and garlic mast. On a good day the mirza ghasemi (mashed eggplant, squash, garlic, tomato and egg, served with bread or rice) can be superb but the fesenjun (chicken with walnuts) is rather tart.

Bijan’s ( 424 5260, 0911-131 2588; bijannabi@yahoo.com; Gaz Sq, Namju Blvd; meals IR40,000-70,000; dusk-11pm Sat-Thu) Soft Mediterranean music, sepia photos and displays of olive-oil bottles create a delightful atmosphere in this very un-Iranian Italian bistro where talented chef Bijan (trained in Sheffield rather than Sorrento) turns out scrumptious pastas served with huge bowls of Parmesan.

Restaurant Tak ( 323 2147; Azadi Blvd; meals IR45,000-90,000; 11.30am-4pm & 7-10.30pm) Three floors of comparatively upmarket dining with Gilani options including torshe tareh, a citrusy dish of local sorrel and egg.

GOLSAR DISTRICT

BFC (Golsar Ave at 100th St; chicken dinner IR17,000; 10am-3pm & 5.30pm-midnight) An amusingly blatant Kentucky takeoff.

Babak (Golsar Ave at 102nd St; cappuccino IR20,000; 10am-midnight) A stylish green, cream and chrome coffee-bar serving sundaes and shakes.

Boof (Golsar Ave at 104th St; burgers IR20,000-28,000; noon-3pm & 5.30-11.30pm) This big, fast-food outlet has a grey-and-neon battleship interior and is worth visiting if only for the futuristic titanium column sinks in the toilets.

Pizza Pizza (Gilan Blvd at 149th St; pizzas IR40,000-70,000; 6.30-midnight) Comparatively pricey but unusual in having female wait-staff and a children’s play area. Order downstairs; menu in English.

Shopping

Farahmand (Imam Khomeini Blvd; 9.30am-9pm Sat-Thu) Souvenirs ranging from Gilaki wooden spoons to amusing wicker frogs are sold at Farahmand.

Cadeau (Imam Khomeini Blvd; 10am-12.30pm & 6.30-9.30pm Sat-Thu) Nearby Cadeau sells plenty of canework and the odd briar pipe.

Nafis ( 772 7308; Bastani Shoar Sq; 9am-1.30pm & 4-10pm) If you’re looking for more upmarket inlay boxes, this is the place.

Getting There & Away

AIR

Iran Air ( 772 4444; Golsar Ave; 7.30am-7pm Sat-Thu, 9am-1pm Fri) flies twice weekly to Mashhad (IR497,000). Iran Aseman ( 775 9594; Rasht airport) flies to Shiraz (IR501,000, Saturday) and Bandar Abbas (IR682,000, twice weekly). Both airlines fly at least daily to Tehran (IR315,000).

BUS, MINIBUS & SAVARI

The main bus terminal is 300m northeast of Gil Sq, itself 2km south of ‘Toshiba’ (Mosallah) Sq. Several bus companies have handy central booking offices. TBT ( 222 3520; Sa’di St) serves most destinations (prices are for mahmooly/Volvo):

Savaris to Tehran leave from five different points along Imam Khomeini St. Informal Tehran and Qazvin savaris pick up at Toshiba and Gil Sqs.

Many buses to Ardabil (IR25,000 to IR40,000, five hours) via Astara start from Tehran and pick up at Istgah Anzali (Valiasr Sq).

Savaris to Astara