Cafe Vanak

My teammate highly recommended me to try the Persian food here at cafe Vanak and it did not disappoint us.My hubby and I had lunch here last weekend and loved our meal.Hole in the wall kinda restaurant, super duper packed with lots of people. The service is quick and very approachable.We ordered the eggplant dip which was out of the world served with freshly baked lavash bread.We got the chicken koobedeh for main course served with flavoured yellow rice and grilled veggies. The meat was so tender it was melting in our mouth. No effort of chewing required. Must visit if you are in the Belmont area.

The food is very good, but diners beware. You will be charged a 20% surcharge if you eat in the restaurant instead of getting it to go. I have never heard of this before. They pitch it as a discount for to-go orders, but one look at the prices shows otherwise. The in person prices are very expensive.The service and ambiance are both good, but this surcharge is very off putting.

Had a great and authentic Persian food experience here at Cafe Vanak last Sunday evening. We showed up at 7 PM and were promptly seated. The eggplant mix was a flavorful combination of eggs, eggplant, and tomato sauce. The basmati rice was lovely and the chicken kebab was tasty and juicy. I also had the shirazi salad which was light and refreshing. The interior of the restaurant has a cool Persian vibe! Definitely recommend.

The service and ambiance were good and they are quite friendly!! The food portion is decent as well! The only thing that is a bit sad is that the prices are slightly high!The sweets are amazing btw!!

I've been meaning to try Cafe Vanak for a while, and finally did last month. There's a 20% discount for takeout which is nice.I got the chicken kabab plate and the chicken eggplant dish. The chicken kabab had good flavor but the chicken was on the tougher side. The vegetables and rice were fine.The chicken eggplant dish was new to me -- seemed like chicken and eggplant cooked inside of a thick rice patty. It was quite sour, and the pervasive flavor was the tanginess. Neither the chicken or eggplant was particularly good either.I probably wouldn't come back, but if I did, I would try the soups. The food we had was overall a bit lacking in moisture/sauciness, especially the chicken kebab.

Definitely the best Persian spot we've had near Boston! Staff was extremely friendly, service is very quick, food comes out piping hot and fresh, and the ambience is comfortable. I ordered the mixed koobideh and have never had such juicy meat. Ended the night with the saffron ice cream and it was delicious! Will definitely be back

It is a cafe; more a lunch or take-out venue, so if you're looking for ambiance, you won't find it at dinner time. I had Saffron Chicken with Orange Peel. There was way too much rice, and almost enough chicken. The price on the menu was $30, which, because there were no vegetables on the dish, struck me as overpriced. One friend had Tahchin Chicken and eggplant which was a bit dry. Another friend had felafel, which she liked. The wait staff was mostly nice, but why were they sweeping and putting chairs on the tables at 8:30 pm when they close at 9:00 pm? We were there to visit, but clearly we were holding them up. I know they have a slew of rewards, but I certainly won't be returning.

Popular place on a Saturday night, but why wouldn't it be?! I like that they have a Persian store right next door. The people here are very nice and welcoming... when you speak Lebanese to them! Ha I just lucked out by going here with someone who spoke the language. The vibe is what you'd expect from a family owned cozy small Persian restaurant. The food was really good, but I am leaving one star off only because the koobideh wasn't as tasty as I know it to be from Houston. It was still good, just lacking flavor and I feel like most people wanting Persian food think koobideh. I recommend getting the lamb! Very delicious! Also pricing here is a bit high for where it is located and the type of food. Do I mind paying it? No, but I can see other people minding. Still recommend absolutely giving it a chance if you're in the mood for Persian food as they have a vast menu and I will consider returning.

intrigued by the 20% off takeout deal, so we wanted to try. After waiting 15 minutes we were given an excessively stapled bag. after clashing with the bag we found the wraps at the temperature of inside of a fridge. question is, if the wraps you sell are pre made why the 15 minute wait? sell halal food but try to trick people into thinking their food is being cooked waiting them around? shame

i do not believe that i have ever been to cafe vanek. Exactly where is it located? perhaps sometime if i get the chance to be in the area, i may pop in for a bit.