Cafe Darya

We had the banquet for 5 and really enjoyed it all, some wonderful flavours throughout the courses. The 12yo even thought it was delicious especially the chicken cooked with rhubarb and apple

One of the most magical restaurants I have been to in Australia. Ate the best vegetarian stew I have ever had. Delightful entrees, exquisite dips and delicious dessert pastries as well. Beautiful flavours, super fresh and really authentic Persian cuisine with a focus on the type of food eaten in the mountainous regions of North Iran.

Feels like stepping into a different world. Reza (the owner) has an awesome life story and spent a ton of time just chatting to us about life in Iran and his past experience as a pro skiier.

I would have paid double for an experience this good. Will absolutely be back again when next in Jindabyne. Do not miss it.

A great Persian Cafe with cool decor and an authentic vibe that makes you feel like you've been transported somewhere else. The food was delicious and authentic. I had the Sanbosag, Camel and Pashmak (Persian Fairy Floss) and was pleasantry surprised by how delicious everything was.

The customer service was also excellent, with the friendly staff managing to fit me in between bookings even though they were already fully booked. I highly recommend Darya Cafe!

If you are after some authentic Persian foods, try cafe Darya, then, friendly staffs ,usually fully booked, so book in advance , No Kabab BTW , byo and cash only , you will like it :)

Update 5 years later
I really like the consistency in the taste of the foods as well as the service in this little cafe in Jindabyne.

The owner is one of the modest chefs I've ever met, knowledgeable and humble.

The dishes you try in cafe Darya are somehow of the forgotten persian cusines that grandmas used to cook back in the old days.

I can't recommend this cafe highly enough.

Delicious food with a great service and atmosphere. Owners are very nice and keen to share their Persian gastronomy. Absolutely recommend it!

Wonderful cosy corner restaurant (book, they fill quickly!), & attentive & excellent staff. Delicious traditional Persian menu, dishes are shared with rice for the table. We had the prawns & slow cooked goat, both with a great sauce, & were lucky enough to get the crispy rice from the bottom of the cooker when asked for more! Chef was friendly & came out to chat about food & his culture

We celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary here and enjoyed all the dishes we ate. Such a nice tucked away Persian restaurant in Jindy. Highly recommended. We had the the kuku (frittata) and the the pastries = veg. For mains we had the lamb and the beef. Sorry I don't remember the names but we have pics. So delicious and would come back next year 👍🏼

Amazing little restaurant! It’s ran by two people who are very nice and genuine. The environment is very lively but also very cozy and romantic. Food tastes delicious and homemade. Also I’ll definitely recommend trying the tea and Nabat with or after your meal, it’s amazing!

If you’re going there during snow season, definitely give them a call or use their website to book a table. It’s a small but popular place so you may not get a table to sit if you haven’t booked.

Thanks cafe Darya for a lovely night!

A very rare find, this authentic Persian restaurant does home style cooking reminiscent of Moroccan tagine in its mix of meat and fruit. The flavours are fresh and light, and the dishes all very different from anything I've had before. We ordered the warm broadbean salad and dumplings as lighter dishes, and both were exquisite. For mains, the chicken with rhubarb was a highlight, and the camel curry (a special on the night) was also great. It's a small place so be warned - the kitchen is not always the fastest. But if you have the time, don't skip it!

Lovely cafe with unique Persian cuisine. Been to so many Middle East or east Mediterranean restaurants, mezza, rice and grilled meats. This is truly different.

Loved this cozy hidden gem.
Authentic Persian.
Staff were very attentive and friendly. We thoroughly enjoyed every dish recommended, especially the Maste-e-Khair: balanced and fresh flavours.
Note this place is cash only but definitely worth it!!

Absolutely amazing! We tried most of the mains and few starters - everything was sooo delicious. Our favourite was chicken and goat.
Very welcoming service - it is a family run small restaurant so you better book in advance. It is being run by 2 ppl so no wonder they are super busy but so easy to talk to when they have a free minutes.
If you are in that area - a must visit. Will be back next season!

Small family run restaurant that quite frankly deserves a chef’s hat. Authentic Persian food that can only be described as exquisite. A fusion of flavours that are simply next level. Definitely a hidden gem.

Amazing blend of homemade and fine dine. Some lower stars only because that's just the way it is but for those who won't judge on minimum spend or cash only etc. It's a wonderful place for dinner. 2 people serving up some amazing dishes. We came here first just after lockdown when not many places were open and again today, just as good 3 years later.

One of the best dining out experiences I've had in a long time. Food and atmosphere were better than anything in Canberra. Hosts were lovely. Great having such cheap corkage and BYO. Make sure you book ahead because it fills up quickly. Booking via email was seemless. Paying cash is no problem at all.

Never had Persian food so thought we’d check Cafe Darya out, so glad we did! A small restaurant so be sure to book. Everything we ordered was delicious, if you have a chance you have to try the lamb shanks!

Our first time here today. If there were 10 stars I would have given them that. Eating their food is not dinner it’s an experience. Kerrie and Reza are running a seamless culinary delight. We ordered 5 vegetarian dishes + desserts and they served it one after another 3 entrees and two mains and it just got better and better. We are from Sydney and being a vegetarian we could never eat at any of the Persian restaurants because most don’t cater to vegetarian. Not just Persian but this is probably best food I have eaten in a long time. I am a pretty amazing cook myself and I know spices - tonight was my husband’s birthday and you made this it so memorable. Thank you so much. Love and respect. I will come back to Jindabyne just to eat your food because I know I won’t get it elsewhere.

We had a delightful meal here. Particularly enjoyed the vegetarian Khoresht-e-Soya.
They're only open a couple of nights a week, but it's well worth the effort to find a night and make a booking.

I have tried to get a booking a few times over the years and finally had my first experience this evening. What a lovely little restaurant. Deservedly Jindabynes number 1 place to dine. Everything was beautiful. The service, the flavoursome food. Everything we ordered was lovely. Thoroughly recommend and we will definitely be back. Thank you.

Loves the food. Lots of unique flavours. The beef, chicken and prawns were fantastic. Rose petals tea was also wonderful.
As my kids put it: "This is our new preferred restaurant now".