The most common words are خوشمزه (khoshmazé — literally “good taste”) for delicious, and لذیذ (laziz) for tasty/flavourful. After a meal, saying خوشمزه بود (khoshmazé bud — it was delicious) is always appreciated. عالی بود (āli bud — it was excellent) is the stronger compliment.

The standard phrase is حساب لطفاً (Hesāb lotfan) — “the bill please.” You can also say حساب می‌کنیم (Hesāb mikonim — we’d like to pay) or simply چقدر شد؟ (Cheghadr shod? — how much is it?). Be prepared for the ta’arof exchange where your waiter or host may insist the bill is already handled.

بفرمایید (Befarmāyid) — you will hear this constantly. It means “please, go ahead,” “come in,” “please help yourself,” or “please sit” depending on context. When a waiter says this, it is an invitation to proceed. Also essential: ممنون (Mamnun — thank you) after every interaction, and لطفاً (Lotfan — please) with any request.

Tipping culture in Iran is less formalised than in Western countries. A tip of 10% is appreciated and increasingly common in upscale restaurants in Tehran. In traditional chāykhāne (tea houses) and simpler establishments, tipping is less expected but always welcome. In restaurants outside Iran serving Iranian communities, standard local tipping norms apply.