Bon Appetit

Amir
Near the Shrine of Imam Reza complex, Amir serves up excellent chelo kebab and dizi – Mashad’s meat broth served in a traditional deep clay bowl. Sanabad Street

Hezaardastan Traditional Teahouse
Wooden beds heaped with Persian carpets, large cushions for lounging and murals from Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh make this a beautiful place to eat – and the food is good. Jannat Mall, 6 Jannat Avenue, +98 (0)511 222 2943

Silk Road Restaurant
Situated in Homa Hotel 2, Mashad’s top five-star hotel, this is a smart international eatery with Western and Iranian dishes. Khayyam Boulevard, +98 511 761 1003

Suitcase Fillers

Bazaar-e Bozorg
Mashad’s grand bazaar sells Khorasan handicrafts and carpets.

Farzini
Saffron is one of the most precious of all Iranian spices and one of the best places to buy is Farzini. Imam Reza Avenue, next to the Lavaheri Hotel

At Your Leisure

Ferdowsi Mausoleum in Tus
Ferdowsi wrote the Shahnameh, the Epic of Kings, in the 10th century. His old home town is now a shrine to the work and the poet is buried under a tombstone carved with scenes from the poem.