Bon Appetit

The Lounge
The food in this upper-class restaurant ranges from Thai to Italian to American. 17 Erfani Alley, Mojdeh Street, Niavaran Avenue, +98 21 2271 5953

Pardis Restaurant
Home-cooked Persian food in friendly surroundings. Valiasr Avenue, north of Parkway Intersection, +98 21 2204 1298

Vegetarian Restaurant for Artists
The Artists’ Forum of Iran shows contemporary art – the attached restaurant is cheap, with delightful food. +98 21 831 7465, www.iranao.com

Suitcase Fillers

Tajrish Bazaar
The place for knick-knacks.

Tandis
Centre filled with boutiques, restaurants and coffee shops. www.tandiscenter-ir.com

At Your Leisure

Tochal Telecabin
At the foot of the Alborz Mountains, the chairlift whisks passengers to 4,000m, ideal for hiking and strolling. Velenjak, Alireza Hosseini Avenue, +98 21 2271 7458, www.tochal.org

From Tehran to Texas

Tehran’s hottest underground rock band, 127, have been showing Americans another side to Iranian life with a string of gigs in Texas. The band performed to enthusiastic crowds in Houston, Denton and Austin.