Rasht is one of Iran's great food cities. The local table is built around rice, fish, walnuts, garlic, herbs, pomegranate, smoked eggplant, and sour flavours that are sharper than most central Iranian cooking. This is the place to try mirza ghasemi (smoked eggplant, tomato, garlic, and egg), baghali ghatogh (beans with dill and egg), torsh-e tareh, and pickled olives.
The bazaar area is best for grazing: fresh bread, olives, pickles, smoked fish, and simple local eateries where the menu may be short but the cooking is direct. For a proper meal, ask locally for a Gilaki restaurant rather than settling for generic kebabs. Rasht rewards appetite more than itinerary discipline.