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There is no dedicated Persian restaurant in downtown Boston: Lala Rokh, the Beacon Hill dining room that held the title for 24 years, closed in 2018. The best Persian food near Boston today is just west of the city, at Cafe Vanak in Belmont and at Roksana and Caspian Persian Cuisine in Watertown, while Stardust in West Roxbury cooks Persian and Mediterranean dishes inside the city limits.
Below are the four places worth the trip, what each one does best, what to order if Persian food is new to you, and how to get there without a car.
Where to eat Persian food near Boston
| Restaurant | Town | Style | Go for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cafe Vanak, 271 Belmont St | Belmont | Sit-down cafe beside its own market | Kebab platters; closed Tuesdays |
| Roksana, 133 Mt. Auburn St | Watertown | Counter service, takeout | Stews and saffron rice; all meat certified halal |
| Caspian Persian Cuisine, 72 Bigelow Ave | Watertown | Sit-down, takes reservations | Flame-grilled kebabs; formerly Molana |
| Stardust, 1753 Centre St | West Roxbury (Boston) | Small neighborhood takeout spot | Persian and Mediterranean plates |
Cafe Vanak, Belmont
Cafe Vanak is the one most people mean when they ask for the best Persian restaurant in the Boston area. In 2022 Conde Nast Traveler put it on its list of the world's best new restaurants, the only New England pick that year. The menu is built around kebabs: beef and chicken koobideh, joojeh (saffron chicken), beef vaziri and grilled salmon, served with saffron rice. Next door, the Super Vanak market sells saffron, nuts, dried fruit and tea to take home. The cafe is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and closed on Tuesdays.
Roksana, Watertown
Roksana is a counter-service, takeout-only kitchen on Mt. Auburn Street, and it is the place for stews. Its herb stew is made with cilantro, parsley, fenugreek, kidney beans and dried lime, and the rice list runs to saffron, barberry and herb rice. All meat is certified halal. Desserts include saffron rice pudding and baklava. Plan an early dinner: it closes at 7 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday and 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday.
Caspian Persian Cuisine, Watertown
Caspian Persian Cuisine is the rebranded Molana, now on Bigelow Avenue, and the most conventional sit-down dinner of the four: flame-grilled kebabs, saffron basmati rice and slow-cooked stews, with dine-in reservations taken. It describes itself as 100% certified halal and is open daily from noon to 9 p.m.
Stardust, West Roxbury
Stardust is the only one of the four inside the City of Boston. It is a small neighborhood spot on Centre Street that mixes Persian and Mediterranean cooking, with Persian eggplant, kebab plates and stuffed grape leaves among its regular orders. It suits a takeout night more than a special-occasion dinner.
Is there a Persian restaurant in downtown Boston?
Not today. Lala Rokh on Mount Vernon Street was Boston's Persian restaurant for a generation and closed in 2018; its rooms at 97 Mt. Vernon St. are now 1928 Beacon Hill, an American restaurant. If you are staying downtown and want kebab and rice without leaving the city, the closest relative is Ariana on Western Avenue in Brighton. It is Afghan, not Persian, but its qabili, lamb over rice, will feel familiar. Ariana opens for dinner only and is closed to the public on Sundays.
What to order at a Persian restaurant
- Koobideh: seasoned ground beef or lamb grilled on a wide skewer, the standard first order.
- Joojeh: chicken marinated in saffron and lemon, grilled in chunks.
- Chelo and tahdig: chelo is fluffy saffron rice; tahdig is the crisp layer from the bottom of the pot, and the part people fight over.
- Ghormeh sabzi: an herb stew with kidney beans and dried lime, usually made with lamb or beef.
- Fesenjan: a sweet-sour stew of pomegranate and ground walnuts, most often with chicken.
- Shirazi salad and mast-o-khiar: diced cucumber, tomato and onion, and cucumber yogurt, to cut through the grilled meat.
How to get there from downtown Boston
Belmont and Watertown are separate towns west of Cambridge, so plan this as a short outing rather than a walk. Take the Red Line to Harvard station in Cambridge, then the 71 bus out Mt. Auburn Street toward Watertown Square for Roksana and Caspian, or the 73 along Belmont Street toward Waverley for Cafe Vanak. Both routes were scheduled to run every 15 minutes from December 2025. Stardust in West Roxbury is easiest by car or rideshare.
For more places to eat once you are back in the city, see how to find good Boston restaurants near you, 10 things to eat in Boston and the best restaurants in East Boston.
Sources: Vanak Food; Roksana; Caspian Persian Cuisine; Ariana; Boston.com on 1928 Beacon Hill and Lala Rokh; Boston Globe on Cafe Vanak; Watertown News on the 71 and 73 buses; Google Places status for each restaurant. Checked October 1, 2026.