Tehran
Mehrdad Mzadeh is the creative director and co-founder of Studio Shizaru, the Tehran and Los Angeles-based design studio responsible for some of the most modern spaces in Iran's capital, incorporating the country's traditional aesthetics into new and contemporary shapes.
This interview is part of "The World Made Local" , a global project of Condé Nast Traveler in the seven international editions, which gives voice to 100 people in 100 countries to discover why their own territory should be your next destination.
How does your work connect with Tehran?
Shizaru is a small design studio and our relationship with Tehran and Los Angeles is the same as a chef who takes risks: we work with local product and we present it in contemporary dishes. We love being connected to the world and speaking in a foreign language that everyone understands, but we don't hide our accent.
If we only had one day to see Tehran, what should we do and see?
I would recommend you to stay longer because the city is huge... and more than anything because you would be stuck in traffic most of the time. Still, these are the essentials:
stay in the hanna boutique hotel to explore the city center on foot after a good breakfast (I also recommend Gol-e-Rrezaieh, Café Restaurant or Café Naderi). Your route should start at 30 Tir street , seeing the old passageways and peeking inside homes with open doors. There is a museum and some houses that are cultural heritage and are over 200 years old.
At lunchtime, go to Gol-e Rezaeieh or Cafe Naderi , two old restaurants in the area. You are not going to eat dishes of the height of a Michelin star, but I guarantee that they will take you on a journey through our history, being the places where political activists and bohemians ate. If you want to take a walk through the oldest Iran, you have to have dinner at the restaurant Boomi . It's like an experience fresh out of the Shahnameh (The Book of Kings), serving Iranian and contemporary fusion food.
Other sites I like are UPS , which serves kebabs in a garden north of the city. EITHER Vitrin Kitchen , with Iranian and Italian cuisine. In the Hotel Fardis there is chinese food and Kenzo , Japanese cuisine. Taj Mahal for Indian and Muslim cuisine, a restaurant that is always full in Tehran's Old Bazaar. If you are vegetarian, try the Iranian dishes made with eggplant, such as kashk-e-bademjan . And if not, sink your teeth into the stews and, of course, the kebabs.
Mehrdad Mzadeh
Where can we have a good drink?
If you have alcohol, at an Iranian friend's house. If not, in Rira Coffee , La Femme Chic or Hanna Boutique Hotel.
What monuments or places do we have to visit?
Shahr-e-King (Ray), south of Tehran, one of the oldest cities in the world. Even many locals don't know it exists. It is full of historical sites and gives you the opportunity to see ancient architecture (it is more than 8,000 years old). The north of Tehran is perfect to go in winter, especially if you like ski ... plus it costs less than half what it costs in many other places in the world. It's also great for people watching... like Tehran's richest.
Tell us. something about your city that we don't know...
There are two lifestyles in Tehran and one of them is like something out of The Matrix. Because on the one hand there is the public life that you see in the streets and the other is behind closed doors. It can be confusing to foreigners but depending on who you hang out with, you might experience some of the most luxurious lifestyles in the world (with local parties or underground music). It's hard to explain, but I promise you will be surprised.