Iran - Andrew Burke [151]
Sleeping
Mehmanpazir Kaj ( 323 1162; Ferdosi St; s/tw from IR60,000/80,000) The Kaj is unusually presentable for a cheap guesthouse with corridors that have renovated old wall-mouldings. The simple rooms have nicely tiled bathrooms with squeaky clean squat toilets and gushingly powerful showers. Unsigned in English, it’s four doors along from the bridge that crosses Kordestan Blvd.
Nehro Hotel ( 225 5170; Ferdosi St; tw/tr IR70,000/90,000) This great-value place has clean, well-kept rooms above a small shopping centre. All have shower and squat.
Hotel Abidar ( 324 1645; Ferdosi St; s/tw with bathroom IR110,000/170,000). Rather ill-maintained, though standards vary somewhat between rooms. It’s one of few cheaper places to accept single women travellers.
Shadi Hotel ( 662 5112; Pasdaran St extension; tw/tr US$35/55; ) By far the best accommodation in Sanandaj, this very professional hotel deserves at least three of its four self-awarded stars. A choice of restaurants lead off a spacious lobby that wraps around a big copper fireplace. Staff speak English. The hotel’s main drawback is its out-of-town position beyond Mellat Park but shuttle taxis from Azadi Sq pass outside (very fast!).
Other options if the above are full:
Hotel Jabar ( 323 6584; Enqelab Sq; tw with/without bathroom IR118,000/82,500, tr IR100,000) Very central.
Hotel Hedayat ( 226 7117; Ferdosi St; s/tw IR91,100/127,600, without bathroom IR80,200/106,350)
Eating
Typical kababis and fruit-juice squeezers are scattered along Ferdosi St, especially around Enqelab and Azadi Sqs where Shahreqashang ( 322 7706; 7.30-2.30am) serves ice creams and snacks till very late. An unnamed, unexotic teahouse beside the Hotel Hedayat is good for fried egg breakfasts or dizi.
JimJim ( 356 4213; Abidar St; coffee IR6000-9000, Pizzas from IR18,000; 10am-2pm & 4pm-midnight) Gold tables, swirly wrought-iron seats and very friendly staff make this little café a pleasant place for refreshment if walking between Abidar Park and the Khosroabad Building. In Abidar Park itself and beyond Kuhnavar Sq there several places for ice cream, kababs and snacks.
Khansalar ( 662 351; Pasdaran St; meals IR20,000-45,000; 11.30am-3pm & 5.30-10pm) Sanandaj’s most interesting restaurant has waiters in Kurdish costume, plays Kurdish music and has some Kurdish menu options including dokhwa (tinglingly tart barley soup) and various types of köfte (meatballs). There’s kashka bademjun (mashed eggplant with yoghurt) for vegetarians (IR10,000). Take a shuttle taxi from Azadi Sq, alighting opposite the university just before EN Bank.
Jahannama ( 226 4212; Taleqani St; meals IR25,000-50,000; 8am-4pm & 7-10pm) Descend a glittery stairway into a weird stylistic mish-mash of OTT opulence, middle-class kitsch and genuine local artefacts including antique qalyans and samovars. Food is excellent and sensibly priced. Try the delicately flavoured khoresht sabzi (vegetable, meat and bean stew), succulent juje pofaki (marinated chicken morsels) or curious tahchin agusht (meat, raisins and barberries arranged like a gateau between layers of saffron rice).
Shobo ( 324 1179; Shahid Namaki St; meals IR30,000-50,000; noon-10pm) The service is off-hand and our chelo mahi (fried fish on rice) was rather underwhelming, but the downstairs section has a fairly pleasant atmosphere with bed-seats and a central fountain pool. The menu has vague English translations.
Shopping
Several workshops around the Asef Mansion create and sell Sanandaj’s famous woodcrafts, notably inlaid nard sets.
Khaledi ( 225 5680; Shohoda St; 8am-1pm & 3-8pm) This shop