Shamshiri is one of the oldest restaurants in Tehran — a basement establishment near the Grand Bazaar that has been serving traditional Persian food since the 1940s. The location, in the narrow lanes south of the bazaar, is slightly hard to find but worth the effort: the clientele is merchants and workers from the bazaar, which is a good sign in any city.
The menu focuses on the classics: ghormeh sabzi (a slow-cooked herb stew with lamb and kidney beans that is Iran's national dish by popular consensus), fesenjan (duck or chicken in pomegranate and walnut sauce, one of the most complex flavour combinations in Persian cuisine), and zereshk polo (saffron rice with barberries and chicken). The food is orthodox and executed well. No frills, reliable quality, historically significant.