Dolma: The Underground Restaurant in Baku that serves Local Delicacies
Reaching the place
I put in the name in Google Maps and begun following the directions provided. We walked down alleyways, onto the sidewalk of the main road and into a market area filled with shops, cafes and restaurants. We came close to the location, and saw the restaurant's nameplate on one side. However to our surprise, the nameplate led down a line of stairs into the underground. We were a bit skeptic at first, but all our doubts of the place vanished once we entered through the main door. We had initially thought, maybe it would be a small underground place, but it turned out to be a big restaurant with many tables. If we were not following Google's directions, we would never have found the place.
About the Restaurant
Dolma Restaurant is named after Dolma - the stuffed vegetable dish originating from Turkish cuisine. The restaurant offers a variety of local Azerbaijani dishes, including several kinds of Dolma. The restaurant interiors are modelled around local Azerbaijani designs, and offer a fabulous local vibe to the customers. Seating in the restaurant is divided into various sections through use of walls, which makes one feel that they are sitting in a small enclosure with only a few tables around them. We were seated in one such section along with a few other customers.
The Food
After deliberating for around 10 minutes, and asking Google Gemini about food recommendations, we were ready for our order. We ordered an Eggplant Salad, their famous Grape Leaf Dolma, Chicken Fillet in a Pot (chicken and vegetable saute covered with bread), Azerbaijan's famous Shah Pilaaf and a Black Tea Pot.
The service started with black tea, after which they brought in the Eggplant Salad. The eggplant was fried and mixed with tomatoes. It is one of the best eggplant presentations that I have tasted - right alongside the Eggplant Rolls that we tasted in Georgia. Grape Leaf Dolma was served next. It was delicious, but it was the weakest tasting dish that we ordered. Next came Chicken Fillet in a Pot. The server cut the top covering bread to reveal the saute dish. It was another delicious serving that we enjoyed with the covering bread. The last dish to be brought out was Shah Pilaaf - pilaaf cooked inside flaky bread. The server put on another show while cutting the Pilaaf bread like a cake. This was another delicious dish that we enjoyed together with the flaky bread.
Overall, everything that we ordered was good, but we specifically liked the Eggplant Salad and the Chicken Fillet in a Pot.
Below is a summary of the prices that we paid.
| Dish Name | Price in Local Currency (AZN) | Price in Steem |
|---|---|---|
| Eggplant Salad | 12 | 138 |
| Grape Leaf Dolma | 12 | 138 |
| Chicken Fillet in a Pot | 25 | 288 |
| Shah Pilaaf | 50 | 575 |
| Black Tea Pot | 10 | 115 |
The Service
All the service staff that we interacted with were very courteous. From the moment we stepped into the restaurant they took care of us. Each of the seating sections of the restaurant seemed to have individual servers, due to which all of our orders were brought in without much delay. The server also gave us a nice show while cutting the Shah Pilaaf, which was an added bonus for us. At the end of our meal, we had no problems in paying the bill using my debit card. We found the overall service to be good.
Conclusion
The restaurant had a good traditional decor, the food was great and the service was amazing. Overall we had a great time in the restaurant. I would certainly recommend this place to anyone who is visiting Baku Old City and wants to try their local delicacies.
📍Date of Visit: 21st January 2026
📍Google map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/xK3D36oqkTy1gN8V8
📍 Steem-atlas:
[//]:# (!steematlas 40.3698974 lat 49.8369509 long Dolma Restaurant, Memmedemin Resulzade d3scr)
📍 Complete address: Memmedemin Resulzade, Baku 1001, Azerbaijan
⏲️ Operational Hours: 11.00 am - 02.00 am
Very detailed review. It would have been interesting to know if the restaurant is accessible to those with mobility issues, given that it's in the basement, and if there are vegan options besides salads.
@hotspotitaly That is a good point. I will keep it in mind for my future posts.
Now that I look back, I do remember them having vegan salads and a section of vegetarian dishes, but they do not have a lot of them. And the area we entered from only had stairs. This entrance was not wheelchair accessible. I personally don't know if they have some other mode of entry for people with mobility issues.
It would be helpful if establishments better marked any accessible secondary entrances to avoid discouraging customers upon arrival.