Baku is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, a Caspian Sea port where a walled medieval Old City, Belle Epoque oil-boom mansions and the glass-and-steel Flame Towers share one crescent-shaped bay. Visitors come for the UNESCO-listed Icheri Sheher, the Heydar Aliyev Center, a seafront boulevard, mud volcanoes and rock art at Gobustan, and a tea-and-plov food culture at very low prices.
Azerbaijani cuisine blends Caucasian, Persian, Turkish and Silk Road influences, built around lamb, rice, herbs, saffron, sumac, dried fruit and walnuts. Plov (rice with saffron and toppings, often with a baked bread crust called shah plov) is the national dish, joined by dolma (stuffed leaves and vegetables), qutab (thin stuffed flatbread), dushbara (tiny dumpling soup), piti (Sheki mutton stew baked in clay pots) and Caspian sturgeon kebab. Tea in pear-shaped armudu glasses accompanies every meal, with jam, sweets and pakhlava. Baku prices are moderate: a casual meal costs about AZN 15-30 (approx $9-18) and a sit-down restaurant dinner about AZN 40-90 (approx $24-53). The manat is pegged at 1 USD = 1.70 AZN.
Must-try dishes
Iconic dishes that define Baku.
Plov
Saffron rice served with lamb, chestnuts and dried fruit; shah plov is wrapped in a baked lavash crust
Dolma
Minced meat and rice wrapped in vine or cabbage leaves or stuffed in aubergine and tomato; three sisters dolma combines all three
Qutab
Thin pan-fried flatbread filled with herbs, pumpkin, cheese or lamb, eaten with sumac or yogurt
Dushbara
Small lamb dumplings in clear broth, dried mint and vinegar
Piti
Mutton, chickpea and chestnut stew baked in a clay pot, a speciality of Sheki
Tendir bread breakfast
Traditional breakfast of oven-baked bread, qaymaq cream, honey, cheese and tomato eggs
Sturgeon kebab
Caspian sturgeon grilled on skewers, usually with sour narsharab pomegranate sauce
Pakhlava
Layered pastry with nuts and sugar syrup, cut into diamonds, served with tea
Top restaurants
Handpicked picks for the best dining experiences.
Restaurants by cuisine
Browse picks grouped by cuisine type.
Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani Tea House
Street food
Local flavours at affordable prices.
Qutab from market stalls
Freshly griddled stuffed flatbreads sold by the piece
Find it at: Taza Bazaar, Samad Vurgun St
Tendir bread
Hot clay-oven bread, often sold at bakeries along the Old City fortress wall
Find it at: Old City along the fortress wall and neighbourhood bakeries
Tea and sweets
Pot of black tea in armudu glasses with jam and pakhlava
Find it at: Cay Bagi 145 Tea Garden, Old City
Food markets
Where locals shop and graze.
Taza Bazaar
Baku's main covered produce market with fruit, dried fruit, walnuts, herbs, Lankaran tea, cheese, meat and fish stalls plus grill canteens and qutab stalls
Hours: Daily, mornings are busiest
Dining etiquette & tips
Navigate the local food scene confidently.
Many restaurants add a 10% service charge; if not, leave 5-10% in cash
Carry manat in cash: some Old City restaurants say card machines are not working, and market stalls and small cafes prefer cash
Tea is served in small armudu glasses with jam or sweets; ask for refills
Some Old City venues such as Mugam Klub add up to 15% service and close for private events, so phone ahead
Dinner service starts around 7PM and many central restaurants stay open until midnight or 1AM
Alcohol is served in most restaurants; Azerbaijan is a secular country with a Muslim majority, so modest dress suits mosque-area dining
- Vegetarian
- Possible: aubergine and tomato salads, qutab with herbs or pumpkin, dolma with vegetables, kuku (herb omelette) and bean dishes
- Vegan
- Limited; ask for herb qutab and vegetable salads without cheese and confirm no meat stock is used
- Halal
- Common; most Azerbaijani restaurants serve lamb and beef and pork is rare, but alcohol is widely served
- Gluten free
- Difficult; bread and qutab dominate, but grilled kebab, plov without crust, and salads are naturally gluten-free
- Kosher
- Limited; the Jewish community in Baku can advise on kosher meals
Food budget guide
What to expect at different price points.
| Level | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | AZN 15-30 (approx $9-18) per meal | Qutab stalls, bakeries, market canteens and Old City breakfasts |
| Mid-range | AZN 40-90 (approx $24-53) per meal | Central Azerbaijani restaurants such as Nargiz, Firuze and Qaynana |
| Upscale | AZN 90-150 (approx $53-88) per meal | Art Club and tasting-style dining; exchange rate used is 1 USD = 1.70 AZN |