Must-see restaurants in Armenia

  • The Club

    Yerevan

    Fusing western Armenian and French cuisine, the seasonal menu at this fashionable basement restaurant includes salads, traditional village dishes such as…

  • Cherkezi Dzor

    Armenia

    This fish restaurant is so popular some Russians have been known to fly here to try the fish and fly back the next day. Seating is in open pavilions…

  • Carahunge

    Northern Armenia

    Why the owners of this excellent cafe and bookshop chose to open in sleepy Stepanavan is a mystery, but it's a welcome sight for travellers passing…

  • Lavash

    Yerevan

    It’s tough to land a table without a reservation, but Lavash is worth the hype. The menu is fresh and highly Instagrammable, from the ghapama (stuffed…

  • Herbs & Honey

    Armenia

    This highly Instagrammable cafe is owned by Artush Yeghiazaryan, an Armenian who spent 18 years in Switzerland before returning home. Besides offering…

  • Kchuch

    Northern Armenia

    One of the best restaurants in Armenia, Kchuch is located in the middle of a lush park in the heart of Dilijan. Most of the food is baked inside brick…

  • Ankyun

    Yerevan

    Ask local foodies to nominate the best Italian food in town, and they inevitably choose this place. The chef uses seasonal ingredients to create pizzas,…

  • Losh

    Northern Armenia

    This restaurant is split into two. Downstairs there's Losh, serving mainly lavash (flatbreads), dips and starters. Upstairs is Tava (meaning pan in…

  • Dolmama’s

    Yerevan

    Often described as Yerevan's best restaurant, Dolmama's is housed in a rustic 19th-century dwelling. The menu focuses on eastern Armenian dishes with…

  • Emili Aregak

    Armenia

    This small heartwarming bakery run by the Emili Aregak support and resource centre employs Gyumri youth with disabilities and their mothers. The European…

  • Twelve Tables

    Yerevan

    Entered through an artsy handicrafts shop, this cute-as-a-button tearoom has a whimsical decor reminiscent of a grandmother's living room. The menu is…

  • Grand Candy

    Yerevan

    Ask any Armenian child to name their favourite place, and they're likely to excitedly shout 'Grand Candy!' This sweets shop and cafe is painted in candy…

  • Kharpert Restaurant

    Yerevan

    Inside Yerevan's Tufenkian Hotel is this elegant room centred on a fireplace. Kharpert serves a seasonally driven menu including modern rifts on…

  • Aperitivo

    Yerevan

    This excellent cafe lining the Cafesjian Center's sculpture garden is an understandably popular place to sip a colourful cocktail from a skull-shaped…

  • Eat & Fit

    Yerevan

    For a quinoa bowl, avocado toast or 'detox' juice, Yerevan’s hip and health-conscious come to this trendy cafe which faces the park. The large menu has…

  • Karma

    Yerevan

    The South Indian chef who runs Karma cooks up incredibly tasty curries, tikkas and biryanis as well as a delectable nutty korma. However, meals come with…

  • Wine Republic

    Yerevan

    Wine Republic is well aware of Armenia's geography straddling Asia and Europe. It has one menu dedicated to pan-Asian cuisine and another featuring…

  • Lahmajun Gaidz

    Yerevan

    This Syrian-Armenian restaurant feels as good for your heart as it does your stomach. The family that runs it escaped Aleppo in 2013 and brought recipes…

  • Yerevan Tavern

    Yerevan

    You'll need a big appetite and a willingness to be noisily entertained to make the most of this traditional Armenian dining experience. Popular with large…

  • Pascal & Diodato

    Armenia

    Named after Armenians Harutyan Pascal and Johannes Diodato, who opened the first coffee shops in London (1652), Paris (1672) and Vienna (1683), this cafe…

  • At Gayane's

    Yerevan

    If you can’t experience a home-cooked Armenian dinner, this hidden restaurant is the next best thing. The food is cooked with soul and the setting…

  • Ponchik Monchik

    Armenia

    Ponchki (oval pastries injected with vanilla custard; AMD200) and monchik (with Nutella or blueberry; AMD240) are the dangerously addictive namesakes of…

  • Garni Fish Restaurant

    Garni & Geghard

    At the bottom of a rough road near Garni Temple is this highly enjoyable pond-to-table restaurant. Trout swimming in private ponds are caught fresh and…

  • Old Ashtarak

    Armenia

    Owned by Syrian-Armenian engineer and architect Habib Haroyan, Old Ashtarak is housed in a century-old, black-tuff building with gorgeous balconies and a…

  • Poloz Mukuch

    Armenia

    In a historic building opposite the old beer factory, this popular place prepares khash (beef and potato stew), khinkali (spicy meat dumplings), and…

  • Anteb

    Yerevan

    Serving 'western Armenian' dishes similar to those enjoyed in Turkey, this is one of the most popular eateries in Yerevan. The decor and service are…

  • Tapastan Yerevan

    Yerevan

    Graze on sliders, prince fish or Armenian tzhvzhik (chopped beef liver) at this popular place specialising in wine and tapas-style small plates. The food …

  • Florence

    Armenia

    Florence's funky interior (the flower wallpaper in the bathroom is a trip), as well as its atmospheric courtyard, make for a trendy casual fine-dining…

  • Jingalov Hats

    Yerevan

    If you’re stumped on what to eat, you can't go wrong with a jingalov hats, the only item served at this small restaurant. Jingalov hats is a soft…

  • Gouroo

    Yerevan

    A local architect's house has been transformed into this excellent casual fine-dining restaurant, which features light meals free from added sugar,…

  • Elegant Restaurant

    Armenia

    As classy as Kapan gets, this large restaurant functions as a cafe, bar and restaurant and is popular with locals wanting to enjoy a night out on the town…

  • Tsovagyugh

    Lake Sevan

    On the road in between Sevan and Dilijan is this immensely popular supermarket and bakery. Incandescent doughnuts, baklava (honeyed pastries), wraps,…

  • Khinkali

    Yerevan

    This is the best place in Yerevan to try boiled or fried khinkali (Georgian ravioli-like dumplings). To eat a boiled-beef one the traditional way, grab…

  • Flying Ostrich By Dolmama

    Northern Armenia

    There was great excitement in Dilijan when this branch of Yerevan's upmarket Dolmama Restaurant opened next to the Aghstev River in 2014. Serving what it…

  • Tur Baza Cafe

    Armenia

    With a charming flower-filled terrace, tables overlooking the river, cold beer on tap and a large menu of cheap Armenian eats, this cafe is the most…

  • Abovyan 12

    Yerevan

    Enter through the tempting Dalan Handicrafts Shop and venture into the lush courtyard lined with artwork, cute tables and a central stage that…

  • Avan Dzoraget Restaurant

    Northern Armenia

    Few Armenian dining experiences are as pleasant as this one. Graze on your choice of an impressive array of salads and appetisers, many of which are…

  • Zanazan Restaurant

    Lake Sevan

    Housed in a huge barn-like building constructed with local stone, this restaurant serves good-quality food, yet it's pricey considering the small portions…

  • Slobodka Restaurant

    Northern Armenia

    The women at this charming restaurant near the museum don't speak any English, but they're happy to show guests what's in the refrigerator and on the…

  • Lagonid

    Yerevan

    Langonid has been serving its robust rifts on Levantine dishes to loyal regulars for more than 20 years, so it knows what makes diners happy. The food is…

More destinations you need to see