Saye Book Café

Saye Book Café is built like a big cottage in the middle of Rasht's Mellat Park, named after the celebrated Gilani poet Houshang Ebtehaj, whose pen name was Saye. Deep bookshelves line every wall, and locals settle in for a slow afternoon with a novel and a coffee rather than a quick stop.

It has become a favourite meeting spot for Rasht's students and writers, with outdoor seating under the park's trees when the weather allows and a genuinely unhurried pace that's rare for a city-centre café.

Local tip: Go on a weekday afternoon for a quiet corner to read; evenings and weekends draw a livelier crowd.

Good to know

• Where: Gilan Province, Rasht, Ahmadzadeh Blvd, Iran
• City: Rasht