Although it was during Ramadan that I dined at the Niayesh Hotel restaurant, every single meal there was excellent. This particular lunch was a tour-de-force of some Shirazi favorites, including:

– kalam pulao, a rice dish with cabbage and meatballs
– ghormeh sabzi, a national classic, prepared using a variety of herbs, kidney beans, and lamb, served (this time) over tahdig, crispy rice from the bottom of a pan
– Shirazi salad, with tomatoes, cucumbers, and sour grape juice
– doogh, a carbonated salty yogurt drink, aka a probiotic powerhouse

The staff, a mix of Iranian and Afghani, are friendly, the atmosphere airy, and the city, a historic dynamo.