new they had pastries and cake from when I was las there ....so needed something to bring ove4 to my friends house for dessert. walked in talked to the woman behind the counter. decided on three pieces of roll cake two chocolate one vanilla / pistachio. she rings them up and says that'll be $31.50. if I was not in a rush and running behind I would have walked right out of the store. I paid it disgruntily. I was both shocked and upset. that's why I am writing this review. UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE TOTALLY RIPPED OFF GO THERE. that's a disgrace and she looked at me with a straight face thru the whole purchase. STAY AWAY BIG RIPPOFF PRICES OUTRgeous for a ( specialty ?). You've got to be kidding me ..!!!!!!! read more

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. read more

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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 read more

Cafe Vanak - Mixed koobideh - Halal Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

Falafel sub really needs some moisture. Falafel crumbled into pieces. Needs yogurt or hummus or tahini sauce or you will be reaching for a glass of liquid after every bite. Disappointing. Falafel is seasoned but sort of bland and broke into pieces because it was so dry. read more

Cafe Vanak! Weo love you! Your food is impeccable and your service is top notch! Thank you being in our town and CONGRATULATIONS on a well deserved recognition from Condé Neste!! read more

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! read more

Incredible Persian food!!! My new favorite Iranian restaurant. Everything I had was excellent

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. read more

This is a review of the store nextdoor. I eat kosher food so have never been to the actual restaurant. The store itself is fantastic. The atmosphere is very positive. The owners Mr. Abedin and Mr. Babak go above and beyond to make the customers feel comfortable and are very knowledgeable about every single item on the shelves. Similarly everyone who works here is extremely professional, helpful, and friendly. I love all the Sadaf, Shams, and Galil products that they carry. Highly recommend this store to anyone who is seeking high quality products. read more

I had dinner there twice during my visit to the Boston area. The food was good, but the service was concerning. The first night, the servers--a young man and woman--were friendly, and she even recommended her favorite dish, which was amazing. The second night, our server, an older woman, had an attitude and rushed everything. Some of us were still eating when she started clearing the table. From being seated to paying the bill, the whole visit lasted only 40 minutes--and yes, we had a reservation. read more

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

Cafe Vanak - Chicken Koobideh Plate - Halal Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

We came here on recommendation, and now id recommend to everyone too. Everything was So. Good. 10/10 read more

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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! read more

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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 read more

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. read more

Cafe Vanak - Kebobs were butter coated - Halal Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

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! read more

Cafe Vanak - Buffet for our party of around 20. Delicious and presentation was stellar - Halal Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

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! read more

Got "take out", it was amazing. Prices are reasonable and I also shopped at store next door.

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! read more

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

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.... read more

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. read more

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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. read more

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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! read more

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. read more

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 read more

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

Cafe Vanak - kashk Bademjan and Shirazi Salad - Halal Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

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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!! read more

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 read more

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. read more

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. read more

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

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. read more

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 read more

We just moved to the area and found this place. I agree with the other reviews that the food is delicious, the staff courteous and the interior is spacious and clean. I'd love the pandemic to be over so I could come in and sip a cup of Lavazza coffee and nibble at a dessert. This time I ordered pick up for lunch. The surprise win on our order was the grilled eggplant yogurt. Based only on the name, I thought it would be mostly grilled eggplant with a yogurt sauce. Instead it was mostly a yogurt sauce that tasted of grilled eggplant. It was AMAZING! If the idea appeals to you, I highly recommend it. I ate a bite of it with practically everything else in the meal. So good. I'll be back for sure (not in the least to try all those desserts although I'm not sure where to start and it will probably take me a decade to try them all). read more

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. read more

Nice international food store, specializing in Persian offerings. Got a variety of chocolate wafer-like items here. The sweet cookies are good too. Looking forward to trying the fruit and also the spice selection. read more

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. read more