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Aboozar Restaurant
The rest of the bazaris seem to come here for fast, cheap and tasty meals. Arrive early or the best food will be gone.
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Arabo
This popular underground pizza joint-cum-café offers heavily made-up, crimson-clad waitresses and pizza that's tasty despite the usual Iranian-pizza limitations.
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Azadegan Teahouse
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 ; the qalyanscome out after that.
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Azam Beryani
Biryani is an Esfahani speciality and this modest little place is a favourite of Esfahanis. Join the queue.
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Bame Sahel Teahouse
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. There's also a breakfast buffet.
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Confectionery Shops
Esfahan's famous speciality is gaz, a delicious nougat usually mixed with chopped pistachios or other nuts. It's available pretty much everywhere, but especially in confectionery shops along Chahar Bagh Abbasi St and around Imam Sq.
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Fast Food
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.
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Fereni Hafez
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 around IR2000 ; look for the red sign.
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Kalleh Pache
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.
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Khangostar Restaurant
Located in Julfa Hotel, Khangostar offers probably the best food in Esfahan - locals, our own experience and overwhelmingly positive reader feedback can attest to this. Serves are enormous (even by Iranian standards!) and the menu large and varied, but mainly Iranian. It's busy rather than romantic, and the salad and dessert bars might seem a bit Sizzler, but hey, you won't complain when you get there.
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Khorshid
This modern Iranian place appeals to upwardly mobile young Esfahanis with its relaxed atmosphere and reasonably priced Iranian food.
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Mikhak Restaurant
Just off the northeast end of the bazaar, the Mikhak serves quality Iranian comfort food that seems to comfort half of the bazaris every day. Vegetarians should look elsewhere.
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Nobahar Restaurant
Nobahar has been around forever because it serves reliably good, reasonably priced staples like kababs and zereshk polo ba morgh . It's not stylish and service isn't great, but that's not what you're here for.
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Qeysarieh Tea Shop
Sitting at the outdoor tables, sipping tea, 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, it's often pretty quiet. It's up a steep staircase to the left of the Qeysarieh Portal.
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Restaurant Shahrzad
The opulent Qajar-style wall-paintings, stained-glass windows and mirror work contribute to the Shahrzad's reputation as the best restaurant in Esfahan. And on a good night, it's excellent - strip lights notwithstanding. Too often, however, it's packed with tour groups and the service (and food) feels factory produced.
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Restoran-e Khayyam
Cheap, popular, very local and justifiably busy little kabab, rice and bread place.
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Restoran-e Sa'di
Down the mirrored staircase opposite Amir Kabir Hostel, this place is a classic lower middle-class Esfahani restaurant, with a cheapish, not that stylish, small menu with only half the dishes available.
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Si-o-Seh Bridge
This teahouse at the north end of Si-o-Seh Bridge is an Esfahani institution (not touristy) and the last of the bridge chaykhanehs (teahouses). It's typically male dominated, but foreign women get honorary male treatment and it's invariably a boisterous atmosphere, especially under the pylons.
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Sofreh Khaneh Sonnati
Just off Imam Sq, this restaurant uses stained glass, colourful tiles and takhts (daybeds) to create a Qajar-era (if slightly touristy) ambience. The food makes it memorable, with Esfahani biryani and khoresht-e bademjan (aubergine or eggplant stew) some of the well-prepared and reasonably priced recommendations. To find it, walk out the square north of Lotfollah Mosque, turn left, left again, and up the stairs.
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Teria Ani
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.
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