Iran - Andrew Burke [200]
QUICK EATS
The lower end of Chahar Bagh Abbasi St has the greatest concentration of Iranian fast food joints, selling pizza, sandwiches, burgers, ice cream and, occasionally, real kababs. The roads leading into Imam Sq also have a few options, but not the square itself. The small but growing café scene is best in the streets around Vank Cathedral, where several atmospheric little places compete for business.
For genuinely Iranian fast food, try the following places.
Kalleh Pache (Map; Bazar-e Bozorg; 7am-5pm) If you take the ‘when in Rome’ philosophy seriously, or just like the taste of sheep brains, then this tiny shop is for you. Turn east off Hakim St where the bazaar roof crosses the street, and look for the men about 20m along.
Azam Beryani (Map; Chahar Bagh Abbasi St; biryani IR18,000; 9am-4pm Sat-Thu) Biryani is an Esfahani speciality and this modest little place is a favourite of Esfahanis. Join the queue.
Fereni Hafez (Map; Hafez St; 8am-midnight) For an Iranian breakfast experience (at any time of day) head for where you can enjoy a delicious bowl (or two) of fereni (made of rice flour, milk, sugar and rose-water) for IR2000; look for the red sign.
TEAHOUSES & CAFÉS
Sitting in an Esfahani chaykhaneh (teahouse), sipping tea through sugar and puffing on a qalyan, is a quintessentially Iranian experience. The Qeysarieh Tea Shop is probably the highlight, and stopping for tea as you wander along the river is something Esfahanis have been doing for centuries (see the boxed text). The bazaar is also a good place to discover tiny local places where grizzled but welcoming old fellas puff away on the qalyan with nary a care for modern antismoking legislation.
Abbasi Hotel Teahouse (Map; Shahid Medani St; 4-11pm) The setting at the back of the hotel’s courtyard is a delight, and while you might need to start singing to get a waiter’s attention it’s worth the effort after 6pm, when you can tuck into the famous ash-e reshte (noodle soup with beans and vegetables; IR9000).
Si-o-Seh Bridge (Map Enqelab-e Eslami Sq; 8am-11pm) This teahouse at the north end of Si-o-Seh Bridge is an Esfahani institution (and it’s not touristy) and the last of the bridge chaykhanehs; see the boxed text). The teahouse is typically male dominated, but foreign women do get honorary male treatment and it is invariably a boisterous atmosphere, especially under the pylons.
Qeysarieh Tea Shop (Map; Imam Sq; 8.30am-11pm) Sitting at the outdoor tables, sipping tea (IR5000 per person) and puffing qalyan (IR10,000), is the perfect way to soak up this beautiful ‘half of the world’, especially when the colours and moods of the square change in the late afternoon. And despite its position, the Qeysarieh Tea Shop is often pretty quiet. The tea shop is up a steep staircase to the left of the Qeysarieh Portal.
Azadegan Teahouse (Chaykhaneh-ye Azadegan; Map; 221 1225; off Imam Sq; 7am-midnight) In a lane off the northeastern corner of Imam Sq, this is the classic old-style teahouse, with an astonishing collection of teahouse-junk hanging from the walls and ceiling and grumpy men lined up opposite each other sipping tea and smoking…ahm, hang on… It’s just sipping and eating before 6pm; the qalyans come out after that.
Bame Sahel Teahouse (Map; Chahar Bagh Abbasi St; 7.30am-midnight) On the top of Sahel Hotel, Bame Sahel is a bit rough around the edges and very local, and all the better for it. Escape the traffic for tea, or enjoy a good dizi dinner (IR27,000). There’s also a breakfast buffet (IR20,000).
Teria Ani (Map; Vank Kalisa Alley, near Vank Cathedral; 9am-midnight) This is allegedly the oldest café in Esfahan and with its dim interior, regular clientele and oddball characters, it feels like an inner-city dive bar.
Shopping
Esfahan has probably the widest selection of handicrafts in Iran. The best buys are carpets, hand-painted miniatures on camel bone (many of the artists run the stores themselves and are happy to give demonstrations), intricate metalwork