Azerbaijani food combines Turkish and central Asian elements. Rising pollution levels have given rise to alarm about falling fish stocks, but sturgeon is still widely available at a price. Baku has a reasonable selection of Western style restaurants. In the chai khanas (tea houses), men linger for hours drinking sweet black tea out of tiny glasses. A special place in the cuisine belongs to salads prepared from fresh vegetables. Salads are served together with main course. The national cuisine includes more than 30 kinds of soups.

Things to know: Although the majority of Azeris are nominally Shia Muslims, alcohol is widely available.

National specialties:
• The much celebrated plov is a delicious, spicy speciality made with pine nuts, vegetables and dried fruit, in addition to rice and mutton; certain types of plov use chicken instead of mutton and include chestnuts.
• Grilled kebabs of various kinds are popular, including lyulya kebab made from spiced, minced lamb pressed onto skewers.
• Meals often start with rich, heavy soups: piti is a mutton soup bulked out with chickpeas and slowly cooked in individual earthenware pots in the oven and served in the same pots; dogva is a sharp, yoghurt and spinach-based soup containing rice and meatballs.
• Kutab pastries are stuffed with spinach or pumpkin and are similar to Turkish birekas. 
• Badimjan Dolmasi is mutton served with plenty of aubergine and tomatoes, basil, sour cream and butter.

National drinks:
• Wines and brandies are produced locally.
• Sherbets are popular soft drinks made of sugar, lemon, saffron, seeds of mint and basil and other fruit.
• Tea is often served accompanied by various jams such as quince, fig, apricot, white cherry and plum. Sometimes dried leaves or flowers of savory, clove, cardamom and other spices are added to tea. Tea made of cinnamon (darchin) and ginger is popular. Sometimes rose water is added.

Legal drinking age: No minimum age.

Tipping: Expected by waiters and doormen in restaurants – sometimes in advance to ensure service.

Several restaurants, late-night bars and nightclubs have opened in Baku in the last few years, catering largely for the foreign business community and wealthy local business people. Popular bars include Chaplin, Finnegan’s and Lancaster Gate. Concerts, theatre, opera and ballet are a source of local pride and very popular.

If visitors are intent on acquiring an Azeri carpet, they are advised to visit the carpet-weaving centre at Nardaran. Locally produced silk, ceramics and other craftwork is also sold at the Sharg Bazary (a modern, covered market) in Baku. Prices here are likely to be negotiable. Any carpet or other artefact made before 1960 is subject to an export tax and must be certified for export by the Ministry of Culture. Items purchased at official art salons or tourist shops will already be duly certified. This is not true of goods sold at markets or by private individuals.

Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0900-2000.