When you are looking for an establishment where you can have a good and inexpensive lunch, pay attention to establishments that are modest in appearance. As a rule, in such unsightly establishments, with a lack of luxury, delicious national cuisine is served at reasonable prices. I would include the “Shanson” restaurant, which is located near the Icheri Sheher metro station, the semi-basement cafe “Arishta”, which is located near the “Puppet Theater” stop, and the “Khazar” cafe, which is located near the entrance to the old city. In all these establishments, although there is not a wide choice of dishes, they are all very tasty and satisfying. Also pay attention to the Turkish restaurant chain Anadolu, where Azerbaijani dishes are also on the menu. The most popular among tourists is the Firuza restaurant on Fountain Square. Prices here are somewhat higher, but you can choose inexpensive dishes from the entire menu and then your lunch or dinner will be quite budget-friendly.

There are also some establishments in Baku that are very popular, interesting, with good cuisine and low prices.

This is primarily the Arishta cafe, which is located on Alizade Street next to the old city department store. It has the widest menu of Azerbaijani cuisine and this establishment is very popular among students, teachers, musicians and creative people.

It is also worth visiting the Shirvanshah museum-restaurant, whose interior is designed in the atmosphere of old Baku. Here there are paintings and antique household items on the walls, and there is also live music. It is here that you can try dishes such as baked lamb in tendir, aromatic pilaf, dolma in grape leaves, walnut lula, kebabs and kutabs made from chestnuts, greens with pomegranate, pumpkins with nuts.

Near the gate leading to the old city from the Governor's Garden there is the Tyandyr cafe. The menu here is small, but you can try aromatic tea and home-baked kutabs. They also serve sumptuous breakfasts of cheese, bread, herbs and dairy products.

There are also fish restaurants in Baku. One of these establishments is called "Dərya" and is located on the shores of the Caspian Sea. You can just enjoy both food and pleasant contemplation of the sea.

You can enjoy a good selection and taste of coffee at the Coffe Station Baku coffee shop, which has an unusual vintage interior. It feels like you are sitting in a station cafe. Here you can try both classic coffee and all kinds of signature drinks. You can also eat at the coffee shop, since the menu includes an assortment of soups, salads and sandwiches.

Baku is a hospitable, thriving city with hospitable people, traditional flavor and incredible original cuisine. For an Azerbaijani, eating is a whole ritual, during which you can meet with your family, talk about life and enjoy dishes according to recipes that have passed through the years and have absorbed the traditions of more than one generation. Therefore, there are very, very many places where you can eat deliciously! We present to your attention the best restaurants in Baku:

Sherbet Club

A restaurant in the city center, where you should go not only for delicious food, but also for traditions and national culture. Here you will be surrounded by ancient walls and decorative items that have seen the change of many eras, live music and friendly staff. The menu is very varied and everyone can find something for themselves. Of course, it’s worth trying shashlik marinated according to traditional home recipes; Azerbaijani pastries, aromatic tea and oriental sweets. The restaurant is suitable both for enjoying a meal alone and for cheerful feasts with friends.

Art Garden

Another place imbued with national flavor and spirit. The ancient building of the Kichik Karvan shed, in which historical objects were collected, makes it also a museum. The cells located in the courtyard housed workshops representing various types of medieval crafts: carpet weaving, pottery, artistic and weapon forging.

As for the cuisine, it is national here. Guests should definitely try traditional dishes: lavangi, kyukyu, piti and, of course, pilaf with different types of meat. It could be lamb, chicken or turkey - choose what you want to taste most, you will be satisfied in any case.

Sultan Ahmet Koftecisi

Of course, the proximity of Turkey has left its mark on the gastronomic culture of Azerbaijan. Turkish cuisine is as popular here as national cuisine, and the best place to try it is the Sultan Ahmet Koftecisi restaurant.

The dishes in this establishment are prepared according to authentic recipes by experts in culture and tradition - high-class Turkish chefs. Here, surrounded by a comfortable and cozy interior in a modern style, you can taste meat with rice and vegetables, barbecue or other national dishes, which will be generously, but expertly, seasoned with aromatic herbs and spices.

Chinar

Perhaps the best and most popular place in Baku with another cuisine close to Azerbaijanis - pan-Asian. Guests of the restaurant will enjoy a magnificent modern interior, which harmoniously fits into the beautiful living plane trees that encircle the restaurant building and create a magical romantic place for lovers to meet. The restaurant menu presents only the most exquisite and delicious dishes from all over Asia, and the highlight of the restaurant is the night bar with the “Dragon Hall”, dedicated to the Azerbaijani legend of a warrior slaying a terrible snake.

You may quickly get acquainted with the architecture and main attractions of Baku, but you can continue making gastronomic discoveries in this city endlessly.

The capital of Azerbaijan is looking less and less like that Soviet city from the past. Baku is constantly being improved, old houses in the center are covered with new facades, and skyscrapers are one of the calling cards of the “city of lights.” Fortunately, tasty and inexpensive food in Baku has not disappeared. It’s definitely worth coming here, if only to eat well and eat a lot.

To be honest, I liked the food in Baku even more than in. This is largely due to the abundance of lamb on the tables of Baku restaurants and cafes. But it’s not just lamb that makes the city’s establishments famous. This post contains a review of the places where we managed to eat during the couple of days we spent in the capital of Azerbaijan.

Food prices in Baku and general impressions of Azerbaijani cuisine

Contrary to outdated editions of “Heads and Tails,” the capital of Azerbaijan did not seem like an expensive city to us at all. Food prices in Baku are perhaps just a little higher than in Tbilisi. Azerbaijan depends on the cost of oil even more than Russia, so at the end of December 2016-beginning of 2017 (i.e. after the fall in oil prices), the cost of living here in terms of rubles was quite inexpensive.

It will most likely be delicious everywhere in Baku. Only the presentation, prices, service (here it can be too insincere, deliberately respectful when you feel downright awkward) and the atmosphere can differ. Otherwise, you can safely eat in any cafe with local food.

A significant difference from Georgian cuisine is the portion sizes. First of all, this applies to meat dishes and kebabs. Portions can be very small (shish kebab, for example, consist of 3 small pieces), but they can also be inexpensive. In my opinion, this is very convenient - without the risk of bursting, you can try several dishes at once. However, portion sizes vary greatly depending on the location. Therefore, towards the end of the trip, we developed a strategy of ordering one dish at a time and only ordering something else after it arrived.

Firuze - getting to know restaurants in Baku

Number “2” among all Baku restaurants in the Tripadvisor rating. Firuza is located in the very center of the city, very close to our hotel. Largely because of these two facts, we decided to start getting acquainted with Azerbaijani cuisine from here.

In addition to the location, I would like to note a separate mini-room with 2 tables, where you feel in privacy, as well as the design of the restaurant. The downsides are small portions and very strange service. I wrote about the portions above, but about the service - I think that while visiting the capital of Azerbaijan, you will definitely at least once experience the feeling of awkwardness that arises due to the fact that the staff is trying too hard. The waiter from Firuza, for example, surprised us with the question “are there any complaints?”, which he asked in order to bring a book of comments. We were even sincerely upset, they say we offended the person or did not praise the kitchen and him enough (and we really liked everything), but a couple of minutes later he asked the exact same question to the next table. Moreover, this question looks strange, given that tips are already included in the bill when calculating :)

As for the food, it was delicious, but later we ate even more delicious food in Baku more than once. Prices are also average for the city.
Verdict- worth a visit at the beginning of your trip. Or you can skip it and go straight to better places :)
A good, average restaurant in all respects for Baku.

Bazaar Kafe – delicious and inexpensive breakfast in Baku

An excellent inexpensive cafe from trendy guys. There are no carpets and the interior is more European style, but they still serve a cool and cheap breakfast. The menu is only in Azerbaijani, but the waiters here are in perfect order and will help you make your choice. Prices for a full breakfast with tea and bread are 5-6 manats. Dovga soup - 1.8 manats. At the beginning of 2017, there are 34 rubles in one manat.

Qiz Qalasi - tea ceremony near the Maiden Tower

Having tea after breakfast is a great idea! Moreover, there is a cult of him in Azerbaijan. An excellent place to enjoy a tea ceremony is located right next to the main attraction of old Baku - the Maiden Tower.

The ceremony includes a kettle with a lit burner, as well as a large portion of jam of your choice. The owner of the cafe recommended olive jam to us and it was delicious and very unusual. The cost of tea: 5 manats, jam - 8, a piece of baklava will cost 2 manats. Those. prices are absolutely ordinary, despite the gorgeous view and proximity to the main attraction of the city.

Muse Cafe - restaurant with a beautiful view

But the Muse restaurant, despite the excellent view from it, was disappointing with its service. However, as expected: it is no coincidence that leaflets with it are actively distributed on the street :)
However, if you don’t expect much, you can come up here to drink tea or fresh pomegranate juice. The view is very nice, especially at sunset.

Tandir in the old town - dream entrecote

Not far from the Maiden Tower there is a notable Tandir Kabab establishment. There are very tasty, but far from the most delicious kutabs in Baku. But the local lamb entrecote is perhaps the most delicious thing we ate in Baku. On the last day they even returned here for him. I highly recommend it to lovers of barbecue and lamb! :) Prices in the last photo.

Restaurant Sah - the most delicious kutabs in Baku

Now let's move on to the most delicious kutabs in the city. We even had to take the subway to get them. I mean, we didn’t go to Shah for them, of course, but it was here that each kutab turned out to have 2 times more filling than in any other place in the city! It is no coincidence that Sah is the first restaurant in the TripAdvisor rating - people here will repeatedly (both in writing and orally, however unobtrusively) ask you to leave a review about the restaurant on the popular site. The restaurant is quite small and generally inexpensive, so you shouldn’t expect chic interiors (as many reviews say). But the delicious food, excellent service and trying on national hats are worth it. Prices: basturma - 8 manats, cheese biz - 6 manats, kutabs for manat, pomegranate wine is 5 times more expensive compared to the supermarket :).

If it weren’t for the amazing kutabs, however, I wouldn’t particularly recommend going here - there are a lot of equally colorful places in the center. But these kutabs...mmm.
Well, great respect for the modern approach and work on the Internet and social networks. The restaurant even has a website in 3 languages.

Sirvansah (Shirvanshah) - the best restaurant in Baku

Okay, it's time to tell you about the most impressive restaurant in Baku and one of the most interesting places I've ever eaten at. Sirvansah is not just a place for dinner, it is a real museum-restaurant. There are a large number of rooms on two spacious floors, each of them recreates some part of the almost lost old Baku. Here there is Stalin’s room, in which he stayed in Baku, as well as thematic ones: hunter, blacksmith, musician (in which we sat). Many rooms have a door - so you can enjoy your meal almost alone. Waiters in national costumes before (or after the meal), at your request, will be happy to show you around the entire restaurant, telling you a few tales about Azerbaijan and Shirvanshah along the way.

The restaurant, like Shah, is not in the center, but we easily reached here on foot. It was in the first half of the day and we were the only visitors to the restaurant. The waiter immediately led us through the huge halls, turning on the lights. The interior was so impressive that, despite the initial plan to just drink coffee, we ate to our hearts' content. When we were taken on a tour of the museum, it was very awkward, because it seemed that everything here would be incredibly expensive, but in fact, prices in Sirvansah are barely above average. The only thing is that the bill immediately includes 10% for visiting the museum (excluding tips). A huge portion of saj - 15 manats, Azerbaijani sweet pilaf - 9 manats. I really liked Saj, the pilaf was not tasty, but we are fans of Uzbek pilaf, when meat and rice are cooked together, so it’s hard to evaluate objectively. But we can confidently say that Shirvanshah is a must-visit in Baku! It’s worth going here for the chic interior, magical atmosphere, and large (by Azerbaijani standards) portions of quite tasty food.

Gunel Khalil, 29 years old, hometown - Baku, food blogger

I have been living far from my homeland for many years, in Europe. But at the moment I have arrived in my native Azerbaijan. I am a physicist by profession, and a cook at heart. I do everything related to food, cook and share recipes on my blog, and learn food photography. I visit cafes, restaurants and write objective opinions about establishments.

Baku is a foodie's paradise, as local people love to eat in cafes. You can find establishments to suit every taste. The very first thing a tourist should try is local cuisine. It is so rich that you may not have time to taste everything.

To try the local cuisine, it is best to take a walk around Icheri Sheher - the historical part of Baku, where there are dozens of restaurants serving national cuisine.

Restaurants Manqal and Burc Qala

In these restaurants you need to try the Azerbaijani soup Dushbara and Yarpag Khingal. The cold season is the perfect time for these dishes. I also recommend trying the most delicate gutabs with herbs, meat and pumpkin.

Manqal is a more budget option, and it is always sold out, the average bill is 10-20 manats.

Burc Qala has above average prices.

Shirvanshah Museum Restaurant

This is not just a restaurant of delicious national cuisine - it is a whole museum. Every room, every office has a hidden history and atmosphere. Half a day may not be enough for you to eat and walk around the entire museum, admiring every detail.

I also like the quality service and live music. Prices there are above average.

Restaurant Chio Chio San

Fans of Japanese cuisine need to come to this restaurant. The cozy and calm atmosphere is suitable for a romantic dinner or get-together with family. The sushi here is delicious and, most importantly, fresh. I would say the best in Baku. And the service will pleasantly surprise you.

Cafe CoffeeMania

If you are looking for where to have breakfast in Baku, then don’t hesitate to choose this cafe.

There is a good selection of breakfasts here, but I recommend taking a set for two. This is a rich option for a Turkish breakfast for only 11 euros. Plus unlimited tea in Turkish glasses. After breakfast, enjoy freshly brewed Turkish coffee.

Restaurant Toro Steak House

Toro Steak House is one of the ten best steak houses in Baku.

This restaurant is located in the green Ataturk Park, where it will be pleasant to stroll after a delicious dinner. The restaurant offers juicy steaks and burgers. Meat and other products used in preparing dishes are produced exclusively in Azerbaijan.

In this restaurant you can enjoy the best national breakfast. A set for two costs 10 euros.

Restaurant MariVanna

A restaurant with a magical atmosphere, here you feel like visiting your grandmother in Soviet times.

In the restaurant you will be fed deliciously and satisfyingly with famous and favorite dishes of Russian cuisine. The menu includes dumplings, homemade pies, herring under a fur coat, and the most tender beef tongue.

The bill will be higher than average, but it's worth it. The location of the restaurant is good; you can stroll along Baku Boulevard after dinner.

Anderson Family cafe and Bakery

For going out with children, the best option is AnderSon. It will be fun for children and tasty for parents. The restaurant is located in the city center. The menu is thought out to the smallest detail so that everything is extremely healthy and loved by children.

There is a play area with nannies and a trampoline for older children. You can watch children in the play area through the glass. And there is excellent service here.

Shaurma No. 1

Everyone should try this fast food, because you won’t find such shawarma with a secret sauce in any other country. It contains chicken meat cooked with spices, French fries, pickles and magic sauce. There are many branches in the city, the most convenient location is the one located in the center of Baku on Fountain Street.

The cost of such shawarma in bread or pita bread is 2 euros. You can also purchase the sauce for an additional 40 cents.

The hospitality and generosity of the states located in the Caucasus is well known to residents of the post-Soviet space. Since getting to Georgia, Armenia or Azerbaijan is not so easy, the traveler who nevertheless has overcome enormous distances becomes the most dear guest. All doors are open for him, the best restaurants in Baku and other capitals, small cafes and kebab houses.

For many tourists, their acquaintance with the beautiful city, its architecture, and culture passes quite quickly. But there is no end in sight for the journey into the world of tastes and aromas of Baku.

"Baku" in Baku

It is not surprising that Baku residents are very proud of their hometown and assign its name to various institutions. Guests of the Azerbaijani capital can be absolutely sure that a generous treat awaits them in the Baku restaurant.

The menu includes dishes not only of national cuisine, but also Russian, European, and Oriental. For the convenience of visitors, the hall is divided into three zones, making the restaurant cozy and convenient for any company. Another highlight, besides the delicious preparation, is the exquisite presentation of each dish.

Azerbaijani glamor

There is an amazing place in Baku called Chinar, this is where the most fashionable and glamorous ladies and gentlemen of the Caucasian capital gather. And although the name of the restaurant refers to the depths of national history, the audience, on the contrary, is very advanced. Therefore, if a tourist considers himself a representative of the fashion elite, a kind of glamorous beauty or a modern fashionable guy, he must check in at the establishment.

Restaurant plus hotel

The latest global trend – for every star hotel to have its own luxurious restaurant – has not ignored Baku. One of the fashionable hotels in the city, Fairmont Baku, has already presented Le Bistro, a French restaurant, to journalists and guests.

In addition to this, in the near future it is planned to open several more delicious establishments of this type at the same hotel, including:

• ALOV Steakhouse, designed for fans of meat cuisine;
• ALOV Jazz bar, where you can listen to good music;
• Cigar Divan with its own unique atmosphere.

The very location of the hotel and its restaurants - in one of the two Flame Towers - is also attractive. The establishment, both literally and figuratively, is at its best. This will undoubtedly be highly appreciated by his guests, including those coming from abroad.