Travel Blog about the hot spots of Tehran, Iran

Where in Tehran's are the nicest cafes? Enjoying a beautiful view? Nostalgia in the oldest cafe in town? Or looking for the trendy hotspots where baristas serve coffee to the hipsters of the Iranian capital.

See here the pictures of our visit to Tehran

The Iranian capital, Tehran, does not easily reveal its charms. When you enter the city, you will see an endless number of hideous buildings, all built together in a crooked and scant manner. Normally you will have plenty of time to admire these buildings, because there is a good chance that you will be stuck in traffic for hours in this ever-expanding metropolis. 
For the capital of a country dotted with ancient cultural and architectural highlights, Tehran itself has surprisingly little to offer. There is of course the bazaar, the shah's old palaces and some of the country's best museums. But for the real highlights of Iran you have to visit cities like Yazd, Shiraz and Isfahan. Add to that the fact that it is often suffocatingly hot or very cold here and the city sighs large parts of the year under a grey smog layer and you understand that Tehran is not the most popular destination of Iran.

But if you want to get to know contemporary Iran, you can't ignore Tehran. This is where it all happens. Not only politically and economically. The city has a large, young population, many students and every new trend can be seen here. The latest trend is the rise of hip coffee tents, similar to the hipster cafes we know. They are sometimes hard to find, but once found often an oasis of tranquility in this busy city. And good coffee, elsewhere a rarity in Iran. 

One of the new hotspots in Tehran is the nature bridge. It has only been open for a few years now and is already one of the city's top attractions. A modern multi-storey pedestrian bridge connects a district with a park. Trees have been planted everywhere, flowerbeds have been planted and, on this rare and beautiful spring day, I have a wonderful view over the snowy mountains. Tehran has been built against the Alborz Mountains and on a sunny, clear day, the city suddenly gets a very pleasant view, especially behind the cherry blossoms in the park near the Nature Bridge.

On the lower level of the bridge there are a number of coffee tents, not the hippest places in the city, but with the most beautiful views. Incidentally, the bridge only really comes alive in the evening. Many lights color the bridge and many inhabitants of the city come strolling across the bridge and the adjacent park. Within walking distance of the bridge is trendy Gandhi street. A street full of trendy clothing stores, restaurants and trendy coffee tents. Many clothing stores of the famous foreign brands have already disappeared, due to the recent boycott of the U.S., which has disastrous consequences for the economy of this country. Something that is also clearly visible in the north of Tehran, the chic part of the city, where the nouveau riche and the old wealthy families live. Many Italian and French fashion brands have had to make way for Iranian clothing stores in the shopping malls there. Also there, in the shady streets of North Tehran, are several coffee tents, some located at the top of the shopping malls with beautiful views of the mountains.

But I drink my coffee in one of the trendy tents in the Ghandi Shopping mall, all situated around a courtyard. You can sit outside or enjoy the French atmosphere in the small tents inside. In the evening the intelligentsia of Tehran meets to discuss the state of the country.

In the centre (as far as you can speak of a centre in Tehran, but I mean the area around the bazaar), there are some of the nicest coffee tents. Here are some that I visited.

Not hip, but nostalgic: cafe Naderi, the oldest coffeehouse in the city. Interior is still the same as it used to be, according to my Iranian travel companion who used to spend whole Fridays (the Iranian Sunday) with her family here as a child.

Very hip is UpArtMaan, a popular place full of hipsters and alternative dressed students. They don't wear headscarves, but trendy knitted hats. The cafe is partly located in a greenhouse full of plants. These plants can be found in almost every hip cafe.

A typical artist cafe is Godo Gole Yas, founded by a famous actor. Lovely cafe in an old house with a large courtyard. Good place to get away from the heat and crowds, enjoy a herbal tea or a good coffee and watch the trendy youth of Tehran. There is an old Volkswagen in the garden and of course many plants.

A nice student cafe, located within walking distance of the Mashad Hotel, is no 65 Yard cafe. Also here a nice garden where you can enjoy smoothies, coffee, herbal drinks and small meals in the shade. Students come and go in this popular place.

One of the most stylish cafes is Tehroon. Beautiful old house, all in old style left full of cozy rooms with sofas and table lamps. Good food here too!

Ps, if you want to visit these places yourself, keep in mind that they are sometimes hard to find. Do not expect any signs, nor are they usually visible from the street side. All these cafes have an instagram account where you can find the address to pass on to a taxi driver. Of course, Pyala Travel can also add a stop at one or more of these cafes if you book a city excursion through Tehran. Or maybe you would like to book a daytour along some of these coffee tents?