Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse

A complete Tajik teahouse in downtown Boulder, on 13th Street between Arapahoe and Canyon. Outside: blue-framed glass, a painted cornice, eight ceramic panels, a garden planted with roses, a tea garden and a south patio beside the Boulder and Left Hand Ditch, fed from Boulder Creek. Inside, a skylight and tall curtained windows light a hand-carved, hand-painted ceiling, twelve carved cedar columns, carved plaster panels and a central pool with seven life-sized figures.

It is a working restaurant, open daily until 9 p.m., that closes for private events. Street parking on 13th and 14th Streets is paid except Sundays; the lot behind is permit-only on weekdays until 6 p.m. The Boulder Farmers Market runs along 13th Street on Saturdays and Wednesday evenings in season.

The City of Boulder owns the property; Three Leaf Concepts runs the restaurant. Ask the operator first (info@boulderteahouse.com, 303-442-4993). Filming on City property also needs the City film permit: apply at least 14 days ahead.

Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Boulder’s sister city, announced the gift in 1987, and more than 40 artisans made its decorative elements. It opened in 1998 and became a city landmark in 2020.