Cafe Vanak

Its always a insightful day when you give yourself a small introduction to another culture through food! The beef koobideh is tender, you dont need the knife to cut it! (Minced beef on skewers, duh...!) Its usually served with a bed of rice as the main course. (keeping it light so It wasnt ordered.) The grilled veggies (tomato, bell pepper and onion) its veggies. Hummus is smooth n light, how it should always be. I ended it off with Saffron Ice cream, what a distinctive yellow color! its pretty mellow n earthy, the floral sense (Assuming thats what rose water does...) is delicious not overpowering, Cant go wrong with pistachios on top for the crunch. More people should rave over Persian's unique ice cream flavors which they sell in the cafe and there store next door. Its another reason to skip the thanksgiving turkey!

I had albaloo polo and jooje. The jooje was very good but there was so much rosewater in albaloopolo. Koobide wasn't our favorite either. But they were very friendly and we had great time here.

We flew from Los Angeles to Boston and were craving Persian food. The location was convenient (15 minutes from Boston) centrally located with the cutest decor. The service was excellent and truly superb. The staff was extremely welcoming and made us feel at home. The food was absolutely delicious. The appetizers were amazing and the koobideh and stews were authentic and mouth watering. They have an incredible variety of pastries (freshly made), baklava, teas and snacks to go as well. If you’re looking for delicious food and excellent service, look no further. This is the BEST Persian food in Boston.

100% authentic Persian food. Beef Kobedieh is the best dish they have. Saffron pistachio ice cream and honey cake are the 2 best desserts.

Best Beef Kubedeh in town! It became a ritual for our family to come here atleast once every month.

I had a really disappointing experience at Vana Cafe. I ordered the koobideh, and the quality was way below my expectations. Not only did it taste off, but it also caused me stomach issues shortly after. I wouldn’t recommend this place if you’re looking for quality Persian food.

We ordered the Vaziri and Sausage with Cheese, and they were amazing! A gem Persian restaurant in the US.

The portions are generous and the chicken was so tender, cooked in an unusual walnut pomegranate sauce that was delicious. The wait staff was friendly and service was fast. The reason I gave it 3 stars for atmosphere is because most seats are next to large windows making it a little cold.

Came here for a friend's birthday around 4pm. We called in advance just to let them know we have about a group of 9. The table was ready when we got there which was perfect. Ordered the beef koobideh. Cooked to perfection. Every bite was juicy and tender. Sprinkled some saffron onto the rice for tinge of bitterness and sweetness. Vegetables were charred and easily to cut into. Service: fast and quick. Everything came out fresh. Definitely recommend this spot to everyone!

A wonderful taste of where I grew up An authentic, cozy, exquisite & full of love corner restaurant, Vanak Food delivers the very essence of Iran to Boston. A wonderfully put together menu offering all my favorites and more. You simply can't go wrong with Persian food. Especially when it's made with such love. You can tell that every dish is comprised of the best ingredients, all the exquisite spices & herbs that deliver the heavenly aroma it's known for. And of course made with all the love. To all Iranians in Boston, go to Cafe Vanak for a taste of home. And to all non Iranians, don't miss out. Thank you to the warm staff at Cafe Vanak for the lovely hospitality. We will be back very soon.

We came in with a large group late on a week day evening after an event and the Cafe Vanak staff were gracious enough to welcome our party. We ordered a large spread of food and drink with a few of the favorites below: * Tabouli Salad * Kashk Bademjan * Saffron Chicken with Barberry Rice * Grilled Salmon * Vanak Combo (we loved the grilled veggies on the side too!) We ended up getting most of our dessert to go from their dessert counter, and we particularly enjoyed the baklava (sold per piece) and the honey cake (sold by weight). They also had a selection of Persian ice creams in fun flavors like saffron pistachio, jasmine, Nutella, and more!

Ordered takeout from here. The beef koobideh was amazing. Shirazi salad and yogurt shallot dip were good. Unfortunately I really did not like the beef stew with eggplant. It had a strong off-putting flavor which my husband thinks is charcoal from how it was cooked. We ended up throwing that dish out but finished the rest.

reminds me of my childhood friends mothers persian cooking (minus the tahdig). Flavorful, good portions, the shallot and cucumber yoghurt are great. The lamb is a must try as well. Will definitely be back but also hope one day they sell some tahdig- best part of the rice :)

My teammate highly recommended me to try the Persian food here at cafe Vanak and it did not disappoint us. My hubby and I had lunch here last weekend and loved our meal. Hole in the wall kinda restaurant, super duper packed with lots of people. The service is quick and very approachable. We ordered the eggplant dip which was out of the world served with freshly baked lavash bread. We got the chicken koobedeh for main course served with flavoured yellow rice and grilled veggies. The meat was so tender it was melting in our mouth. No effort of chewing required. Must visit if you are in the Belmont area.

Decent persian food. This place had the best persian food in Boston, but unfortunately, the quality of the dishes has been going down in recent months

Had a great and authentic Persian food experience here at Cafe Vanak last Sunday evening. We showed up at 7 PM and were promptly seated. The eggplant mix was a flavorful combination of eggs, eggplant, and tomato sauce. The basmati rice was lovely and the chicken kebab was tasty and juicy. I also had the shirazi salad which was light and refreshing. The interior of the restaurant has a cool Persian vibe! Definitely recommend.

By far the best Persian food you can find in the Boston area. Definitely more of a takeout place though, wouldn't go there for the ambiance! Also a bit expensive.

Shish kabob good. Decent pricing. Lots of sweets there. Friendly. Restroom available. D Patnod Lic Ac Cambridge

The food is very good, but diners beware. You will be charged a 20% surcharge if you eat in the restaurant instead of getting it to go. I have never heard of this before. They pitch it as a discount for to-go orders, but one look at the prices shows otherwise. The in person prices are very expensive. The service and ambiance are both good, but this surcharge is very off putting.

The service and ambiance were good and they are quite friendly!! The food portion is decent as well! The only thing that is a bit sad is that the prices are slightly high! The sweets are amazing btw!!

I've been meaning to try Cafe Vanak for a while, and finally did last month. There's a 20% discount for takeout which is nice. I got the chicken kabab plate and the chicken eggplant dish. The chicken kabab had good flavor but the chicken was on the tougher side. The vegetables and rice were fine. The chicken eggplant dish was new to me -- seemed like chicken and eggplant cooked inside of a thick rice patty. It was quite sour, and the pervasive flavor was the tanginess. Neither the chicken or eggplant was particularly good either. I probably wouldn't come back, but if I did, I would try the soups. The food we had was overall a bit lacking in moisture/sauciness, especially the chicken kebab.

Definitely the best Persian spot we've had near Boston! Staff was extremely friendly, service is very quick, food comes out piping hot and fresh, and the ambience is comfortable. I ordered the mixed koobideh and have never had such juicy meat. Ended the night with the saffron ice cream and it was delicious! Will definitely be back

It is a cafe; more a lunch or take-out venue, so if you're looking for ambiance, you won't find it at dinner time. I had Saffron Chicken with Orange Peel. There was way too much rice, and almost enough chicken. The price on the menu was $30, which, because there were no vegetables on the dish, struck me as overpriced. One friend had Tahchin Chicken and eggplant which was a bit dry. Another friend had felafel, which she liked. The wait staff was mostly nice, but why were they sweeping and putting chairs on the tables at 8:30 pm when they close at 9:00 pm? We were there to visit, but clearly we were holding them up. I know they have a slew of rewards, but I certainly won't be returning.

Popular place on a Saturday night, but why wouldn't it be?! I like that they have a Persian store right next door. The people here are very nice and welcoming... when you speak Lebanese to them! Ha I just lucked out by going here with someone who spoke the language. The vibe is what you'd expect from a family owned cozy small Persian restaurant. The food was really good, but I am leaving one star off only because the koobideh wasn't as tasty as I know it to be from Houston. It was still good, just lacking flavor and I feel like most people wanting Persian food think koobideh. I recommend getting the lamb! Very delicious! Also pricing here is a bit high for where it is located and the type of food. Do I mind paying it? No, but I can see other people minding. Still recommend absolutely giving it a chance if you're in the mood for Persian food as they have a vast menu and I will consider returning.

My friends and I came here after they were raving about the place. There was plenty of street parking available, but I can imagine it can get limited on weekends since it was a Wednesday night we came. It was almost a seat yourself process as there were limited staff given the amount of tables and customers. We shared what I believed to be the Large Noodle Soup, Stuffed Grape Leaves, and Eggplant Mix. There were scant amount of noodles in a simple tasting herb broth. Grape leaves were ever so slightly bitter with a neutral tasting vegetarian filling of rice and more herbs. Eggplant mix was probably my favorite out of the three which was made even better with the thin pita our waitress brought over. For entrees, my friends got Dill Rice & Lamb Shank, Beef Koobideh Plate, and Salmon Plate. Overall, I thought the rice was more on the bland side but ideal texture. The lamb was moist but could have benefited from additional braising time and seasoning. I loved the beef skewers and the fire roasted tomatoes, peppers, and onion (which were slightly under cooked). I didn't try the salmon but it looked pretty. For dessert we tried a variety pre-packed container of pistachio and nougat goodies. I thought they were moderate but could pass on them next time I come. Overall, we had a decent experience but would rather check out places closer to where I live in the north shore. Servers were nice but it was a tight space for the amount of tables there. BYOB is allowed for those who would like to sip while eating.

Came in for a birthday celebration with a reservation based on great reviews. The food was good, the atmosphere left much to be desired. The vibe was that of a fast food establishment that lacked warmth. ok for a quick bite in a rash, not suitable for a celebration or a romantic dinner. While our server Ivan (hope I spelled his name correctly) was kind and helpful, the rest of the experience was not great. About an hour and 10 minutes into our dinner a middle aged woman who worked there approached our table, looked at our dinners that haven't even been eaten half way and declared: " it looks like you are finishing up here". When we said we weren't finished and were hoping to get desert, she told us that there was a reservation for our table and that during busy times there was an hour allowed. She then disappeared. It was curious that she chose to approach our table and not the one that came in after us but was seated before we were seated... or any other tables there. It was also curious that about 2 minutes after that unexpected encounter, a table for 4 became available and then about 10 minutes later there were at least 3 more open tables....Those tables were not filled by the time we left. Why did she take it upon herself to approach us in such a cold and unexpected way? Why did she refuse to come back to talk to us when we asked our server several times to ask her to return? Not an experience to want to come back to....

intrigued by the 20% off takeout deal, so we wanted to try. After waiting 15 minutes we were given an excessively stapled bag. after clashing with the bag we found the wraps at the temperature of inside of a fridge. question is, if the wraps you sell are pre made why the 15 minute wait? sell halal food but try to trick people into thinking their food is being cooked waiting them around? shame

This place is amazing! What a beautiful Iranian establishment. They have real authentic Iranian cuisine and a great selection! I had a soltani and it was cooked perfectly. The Joojeh kabob was so moist and the pieces were huge! The koobideh was also amazing! I have to come back and try more very soon. There is a lovely market attached where I stopped by to get some sour cherry jam, labneh, persian pickles and bread! I love having this place close by! It reminds me of home.

Staff were friendly! The kebabs were OK however too much butter coating and slightly more expensive than other places in the area! Ash was good.

Excellent food. Nice service. Neat and clean! Lamb Shank was the best! We had Chicken Koobideh and Falafel also. It was equally good. Everyone in the family loved the food!

Great staff, good music and amazing food! Large portion that came out so quick, delicious and reliable. Best persian food in the area!!!

A friend booked the restaurant for her book club gathering. It ended up being just under 20 people. They laid out this beautiful buffet. I've had their food at home before but it was next level having it in the restaurant. Everything, and I mean everything, was perfect. In the restaurant the flavors and variety of the Buffett was amazing. Best Iranian food I've had outside of LA. Service was 5/5, food 5/5, ambiance 5/5. Doesn't get better than this. And best thing was they let us, the guests, take home whatever was leftover from the buffet. It's a good strategy because I can't imagine the food waste otherwise at most places that just clear the dishes and throw out leftovers. Highly recommend!

Good service and good staff -food been served delicious and fresh Highly recommend to visit Vanak and enjoy delicious and Iranian food Good luck

Well service was fantastic... it has to be when they serve you yesterday's chicken wings ... reheated to a sad temperature of tepidly cold... this use to be a nice place but I believe the tide has turned... please find yourself another place to dine... $20 for yesterday's reheated chicken wing that were dryer out and cold

We had a private dinner here on a weekday evening a couple weeks ago and the owners were so hospitable and generous. The food was displayed beautifully and everything was delicious. The total cost came out somewhere in the mid $30s per person for an amazing spread for about 30 people. It is certainly more of a daytime cafe style place vs. a nighttime dinner place but it worked out perfectly for our weeknight dinner outing. Can't wait to go back! I may order catering from them for my next dinner party at home.

This place is awesome!! The food is fresh and tasty! The best hummus I have ever had! The dinner plates are so yummy; the rice is superb! The tea, served in glass mugs, is the best! They serve it with rock sugar stirrers, so unique! A total find! The lighting is bright and energetic within the establishment, and it is attached to a market with yummy food products! Such a great assortment of teas!!

A Gem in Belmont! Just found this special spot in Belmont. Whether you have enjoyed Persian food in the past, this is a must try. Beautifully prepared food in-house, so fresh and tasty. They have a smallish cafe and a market next door. The owners are super helpful too. https://www.vanakfood.com

Delicious food with interesting flavors. Or server was so helpful in guiding us through the menu as we weren't familiar with Persian cuisine. Really nice atmosphere.

This is a wonderful little place and very flavorful. We did take-out and enjoyed the chicken koobideh kabab plate. It was our first time having this meal and really enjoyed it. There was plenty for leftovers. We look forward to trying more menu offerings.

Extremely delicious: fresh, well-seasoned and large portions. Great service: the people were absolutely lovely. I did not like the overhead lighting, but who cares....I will be back!

Best Persian food I have had on the east coast. I love the koobideh especially. Staff is really friendly as well.

5/5!! Wow. One bite and immediately became our new favorite Persian restaurant! This is a very cute and delicious restaurant and Café- the epitome of authentic, friendly family run restaurant - interesting to find on yelp it's listed as a grocery. Favorite- The grilled beef skewers were so delicious juicy and flavorful. Best I've had including LA and Northern California. Also got lamb shank was very good, one of the best. The dill rice is amazing! It's pretty authentic as we were the only patrons not speaking Farsi - in a full house Friday mid afternoon The prices were surprisingly cheap and probs the best value we've had in a Boston area meal. We had the 2 hefty entrees, Tabouli salad, 2 saffron teas for around $65. Staff is very friendly, attentive. space is cute, bright, heigh ceilings- lovingly decorated, bright very clean. can't wait to come back and take our family!

Met a group at Cafe Vanak for lunch. It was a great experience - will definitely go back. Great service - friendly and efficient - and food. Chicken was cooked and seasoned perfectly! Charming Persian decor.

I was excited to go here for a long time. It really stuck me as mediocre, either that or I don't like Persian food as much as I would have thought. Service was standard. Price was expensive in par with the Boston area. Small tables but a good setting.

Beautiful mom and pop place. Everyone there is super nice. The restaurant food is incredible, one of the highlights of our trip. The store next door has lots of great stuff that you can't find hardly anywhere. Will be back for sure next time we go to Boston.

Finally tried this place and honestly I don't know why its so popular. The food was "meh" and overpriced. Also its not so good for vegetarians. Service was OK. There are so many middle eastern places around Boston I wouldn't go out of your way for this one.

Worst chicken koobideh I've had in my life. The meat was probably 70% fat and 30% chicken meat. Absolutely unbelievable that they can serve something so disgusting at such a nice restaurant. I think the hummus they served me had more protein than the chicken koobideh

We did a phone order for pickup at the store and it was super easy and hassle free. A cute little store front with a couple dine in customers, but I was able to walk right up to the counter and pickup my order within 25 min of placing it. The food was delicious, the highlights were definitely the beef koobideh kebab and the hummus. We also got the chicken kebab and the grape leaves, both of which were delicious. Would highly recommend this place for a quick bite or something to take home!

Home made cooking at its best. We liked everything that we ordered from this cafe, mixed rice and stews are among the best.

The beef and chicken koobideh kabobs were excellent, as was the Saffron Chicken w/Orange Peel. Rice was perfect. Tabouli was flavorful and very fresh. Server was very friendly. Lively place. Nice owner.

If you want a home-cooked meal that's authentically Persian- this is the place!! This is now by far my favorite Persian restaurant. I went here last night for the first time and ordered the Ghormeh Sabzi to dine in and a Shirin Polo to go, and my friend ordered the beef koobideh! I tend not to like koobideh at restaurants because i am so particular about the taste. That said, i had a bite of my friend's and it was Sooo delicious- i will definitely be ordering it next time. The Ghormeh Sabzi and Shirin polo reminded me of my grandmother's cooking, and she's the best cook i know :) EVERYTHING about the dishes was excellent!! The sholeh zard and halva were amazingggg too!! The service was beyond kind and professional! Our waitress was the absolute sweetest! The owner brought over complimentary tahdig to the table and was the most personable beautiful soul! The place was packed! Many take out orders and dine-ins! The Attached store next door was as if you walked into a store in Tehran. So many authentic Persian goodies- not just Sadaf brand . They have my undivided business for life!

This food is unbelievable. Had the lamb stew, saffron chicken, chicken kebab, malt beverages, yogurt drink, pistachio cookies, rose and mango ice cream, a couple of the cakes. I wouldn't go back for the olives or the grape leaves but everything else was EXCEPTIONAL. The attached grocery store is amazing. Service is exceptional. Seating outside is first come, first serve. WILL DEFINITELY BE BACK OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

Super good food. Ordered the saffron chicken and the leg of lamb and portions were pretty good and the taste was amazing. 10/10. Service was a little slow but that was because they were super busy, I don't recommend ordering in store and instead just calling ahead. I had a pretty big order and had to wait 40 mins but the wait was worth it for the food.

If you are looking for a clean and vibrant place to eat good Persian food than you should definitely stop in at Cafe Vanak. All the staff are super nice and friendly, which make the experience even better. The Chicken Kabab was very juicy and tasty, the Kashke Bademjan was excellent, the Kabab Koobideh was a mix of beef and lamb which I enjoyed. Also, don't forget to get a Saffron TEA with Nabat ... so good. It is very chic and cozy, even the Bathroom is nice and clean.

Best Persian food in MA! I believe this store was also featured in Conde Nast's Traveler Guide. I've only ordered from UberEats but everything has been exceptional. Get the lamb shank. Super generous portion and the meat is tender and moist. Beef koobideh is also great. Can't go wrong with anything on the menu.

Do yourself a favor and try this restaurant out! The best persian food I've had in the US!! Super friendly staff and warm atmosphere!

As a Persian foodie, it does not get better than this. Their food is great! Not oaky, great! Real genuine Khorasan saffron is used when and where it's needed. The couple that own the place are great too, Babak and Zohreh. Super friendly. If you want to know how it feels to have a good Kabab Koobideh in Tehran ( Similar to Kofta Kabab or Adana Kabab) in a good high-end restaurant in Tehran's Bazaar. This is definitely the place. I don't know much about music, culture, literature, etc. But I do know food :) and this is good Persian food.