Esfahan's food culture is as layered and intricate as its tilework, and eating your way through the city is one of its great pleasures. The city's signature dish is beryani — not the rice dish you might expect, but a spiced minced lamb mixture, slow-cooked and served tucked inside flatbread, ideally eaten standing at one of the old stalls near Imam Square at breakfast. It's smoky, rich, and deeply satisfying in a way that nothing else quite is.

The bazaar is your best friend here. Wander through the vaulted corridors of the Grand Bazaar and you'll find vendors selling gaz, Esfahan's beloved nougat made with rosewater and pistachios, alongside saffron, dried barberries, and mountains of fresh herbs. Grab a glass of hot tea and a corner of fresh sangak bread from a street baker and you'll understand why Esfahanis take quiet pride in their culinary traditions. This is not a city that rushes its food, or its flavors.

For sit-down meals, the teahouses and traditional restaurants around the Zayandeh River and the Si-o-se Pol bridge offer a dreamy setting alongside solid cooking. Look for fesenjan, the walnut-and-pomegranate stew that manages to be both tangy and deeply savory, or ash reshteh, a thick herb-and-noodle soup that feels like a hug in a bowl. Abbasi Hotel's restaurant is worth the splurge for the setting alone, but honest, excellent food is just as easy to find in a humble neighborhood chelo kabab joint.