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Al Fresco
Upmarket Mediterranean food in a modern, distinctively feminine, Laura Ashley-style atmosphere, with pastel colours, lacy tones and several round tables.
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Anadolu 1
Baku's numerous Turkish restaurants serve comparatively inexpensive precooked meals in pleasantly semi-grand arch-vaulted premises. Point at what you fancy from the heated display of precooked meals or order pricier made-to-order dishes. A popular choice is Anadolu 1.
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Anadolu 2
Baku's numerous Turkish restaurants serve comparatively inexpensive precooked meals in pleasantly semi-grand arch-vaulted premises. Point at what you fancy from the heated display of precooked meals or order pricier made-to-order dishes. A popular choice is Anadolu 2.
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Asiana
Chopsticks balanced on pebbles give a zen-like low-key appeal that's amply complemented by fine Malaysian and Singaporean food.
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Aslan
Aslan, near the metro station, has particularly good Pendirli Xaçəpuri (cheese-filled flaky-pastry squares).
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Bibi
By far the nicest place in Baku for Persian cuisine, the Bibi offers live but unobtrusive music in its spacious double dining hall with olde-worlde tulip-chandeliers and rush-matting to soften the ceilings. Try the kəşki badımcan (egg plant with Iranian whey).
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Bəh Bəh Club
Kilims on walls, heavy wooden tables and an excellent selection of regional food including hearty saj (sizzler-roast) dishes and fisincan (Azero-Iranian walnut-chicken). The well-performed live music is low-key.
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Çudo Peçka
Many bakeries offer stand-bars at which to eat snacks and cheap if long-stewed cups of tea or cocoa. The Çudo Peçka chain is ubiquitous, and its branch near Hotel Velotrek has seating. However, their system of pre-paying can be awkward if you don't speak Azeri.
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Divan
Baku's numerous Turkish restaurants serve comparatively inexpensive precooked meals in pleasantly semi-grand arch-vaulted premises. Point at what you fancy from the heated display of precooked meals or order pricier made-to-order dishes. A popular choice is stylish Divan.
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Dərviş
This friendly and refreshingly unpretentious, locals-only place serves simple meals in an ancient stone cavern that's photogenic but prone to overheating.
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Fayton Club
This upmarket yet rustic stone-vaulted basement is decorated with handicrafts, şəbəkə and an old cart in an almost-successful attempt to create a feel of 18th-century Azerbaijan. Classic Azeri foods are well made but unless you want the full-blast music show (there is a cover charge), get out before .
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Georgian Home
A quantum leap in style, this suave choice makes wonderfully eclectic use of home-made pottery to give the fashionable interior a real sense of personality. Food is excellent but with prices to match.
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Hong Kong
In a fine Stalinist stone corner-block near the Hyatt, pricey oriental food is served in elegantly modern, mood-lit environment, beneath lamps shaped like abstract squid.
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İnter Grand
Throughout the city you'll find windows selling döner kebabs for around Manat1 : İnter Grand is especially popular.
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Iskəndər
Baku's numerous Turkish restaurants serve comparatively inexpensive precooked meals in pleasantly semi-grand arch-vaulted premises. Point at what you fancy from the heated display of precooked meals or order pricier made-to-order dishes. A popular choice is spacious Iskəndər.
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Kafe Tbilisi
Kafe Tbilisi has a tetchy manager but the prices are very reasonable (if double what the English menu says!). Try the scrumptious eggplant strips topped with walnut paste.
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Kalinka
Calm and remarkably suave, with soaring high ceiling vaults yet very modestly priced and with menu in English. The 'black pearls' (stuffed prunes) are particularly delicious.
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Karvansara Restaurant
Choose from two 14th century caravanserais, one offering atmospherically gloomy private stone cells, the other an intriguing cellar dining room. Prices aren't outrageous but watch out for 'extras'.
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Kavkasioni
The very functional Kavkasioni is well-priced, and the double-decker Megruli khachapuri are superb.
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L'Aparté
Open all-hours with a phenomenally wide ranging menu and surprisingly plush décor given the incredibly modest price-range.
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Lai Thai
The food is lipsmackingly authentic Thai but prices seem steep, given the somewhat unrefined décor.
