Pike Place Market in the spring and summer can get quite busy and navigating the market when you’re in a rush is not always the easiest. Being a local means I don’t need to knock off a bucket list of famous market places in these time periods and I try and use this opportunity to be more spontaneous when I visit. I didn’t have a ton of time for lunch the other day so trying some of the places I have in mind for my 52 weeks of Pike Place Market eating project were out of the question. I remembered that I’d seen someone eating something delicious at Farvahar Persian Cafe one day when I wandered by and it didn’t look too crowded so I thought it would be the perfect day to try eating there.
When I ordered I was told that the cafe was a little busier today than usual so it might take a bit of time. I looked around and saw a couple people waiting, so I thought it might take about 5-10 minutes and I sauntered to nearby Rachels’ Gingerbeer and ordered a White Peach Gingerbeer drink and sat down to wait.
Suddenly a group of about 20 men showed up in front of Farvahar Persian Cafe….apparently they had ALL ordered before me.
And that made me realize this cafe must be a true gem.
When I was finally called for my food, I had that terrifying feeling that after all this wait I might be disappointed. But no. This meal was absolutely incredible and I practically inhaled it. I ordered a vegetarian plate that had tofu, beans and rice and I don’t think I’ve ever had something that tasted like this before. It might have even been my favorite meal in the market so far. (A sandwich I tasted at Three Girls Bakery might have been life-changing too….)
So I’m thankful that my 2016 market project is expanding my restaurant base. There are lots of food options at the Farvahar Persian Cafe that range from vegan and probably-gluten-free to meals that include a variety of meats and I noticed that many of the guys in the big group of 20 ordered a chicken skewer dish so that must be a popular item too!
(PS. Rachel’s Gingerbeer pairs really nicely with this food so it’s awesome that they’re side-by-side and there are lots of nearby seating options in this area.)
(PPS. Farvahar Perisan Cafe has kids’ meal options and a lot of seating nearby so it might be a great place to take kids at the market too. Strollers would be fine in this area, but I don’t remember seeing a high chair.)
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)