Yerevan Restaurants

  1. Ankyun

    Possibly the best Italian food in the city, this place serves great pastas and starters. Try the carpaccio in olive oil or for vegetarians the tomato and mozzarella platter. The steaks are arguably the best in town. The atmosphere is a quiet and candlelit, unusual for an Armenian restaurant.

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  2. Artbridge Bookstore Café

    This is a comfy, arty café behind a bookstore which sells concert and drama tickets. The food is reasonably priced, the décor is very European and there are even nonsmoking tables. Foodwise you can't go wrong with their excellent French toast but the sandwiches and pastas we tried were mediocre for the price.

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  3. Beijing

    Finding good Chinese food in the Caucasus is no mean feat but Beijing pulls it off. It has a smart interior, friendly service and about 300 different dishes.

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  4. Bukhara

    Yerevan's cosmopolitism continues to expand with this rare Uzbek restaurant. You can enjoy authentic Central Asian manti (dumplings - better than the Armenian variety), plus samsa (baked meat pastry), laghman (noodle dish) and plov (a rice dish with meat and fruit) amid traditionally Uzbek décor.

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  5. Café Central

    With its wood-panels, high ceilings, mirrors and art deco air this café feels like a throwback to 1920s. The menu features an extensive range of coffees and cakes plus salads and light meals.

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  7. Caucasus Tavern

    The Caucasus Tavern is one of the more successful ethnic 'tourist' restaurants in town. Waiters in Georgian garb dish up cheap drinks such as mulberry oghee shots, feasts of khachapuri pies and main barbeque platters to the sound of live folk music. They claim to be open all night but may close in the wee hours.

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  8. City Diner

    Did someone raid a Route 66 souvenir gift shop? This place is wall-to-wall with street signs and license plates in a reaching attempt to create a 1950s American diner. The menu of Philly cheese steaks, bacon burgers and cheese fries is geared towards homesick Americans in dire need of cholesterol. The English-speaking waitstaff provides friendly service.

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  9. Dolmama's

    A small, upmarket restaurant in a homey atmosphere where you'll get personal attention, a lengthy wine list and some interesting local specialities. Try the mountain lamb stew or chicken in wine and walnut sauce, made with the freshest produce available.

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  10. Gusto

    Lively, new place for reliable pastas, pizzas and calzones. The scene is a nice mix of singles, families and couples and there is pleasant street side seating.

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  11. Karma

    North Indian restaurant offering excellent tandoori chicken and vegetarian dishes in beautifully decorated surrounds. It also offers cuisine from elsewhere in Asia, including Chinese, Japanese and Thai dishes.

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  13. Lagonid Bistro-Cafe

    A good-value restaurant serving terrific Syrian-Armenian cuisine, including tabouleh, hummus, and grills and kebabs. The décor is fairly simple but the food is fresh and tasty.

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  14. Marco Polo

    A popular meeting place, this big modern café and bar playing cool sounds is at the lower end of Abovyan. It has an extensive list of café snacks (salads, sandwiches, cakes), quite tasty pizzas, and main courses such as grilled lamb with salad. The coffee is good, and you can sit inside on a cold or rainy day.

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  15. Old Erivan

    Part spectacle, part restaurant, this place serves Armenian cuisine amid boisterous minstrels belting out folk music. The atmosphere is cavelike, with lots of antiques and crafts, although the winged centurions are a little over-the-top.

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  16. Our Village

    A rather fun 'ethnic' Armenian tourist restaurant with excellent home-style cooking and rousing live music, plus sturdy pine tables and a long drinks list. Expect to pay for everything that appears on your table, including the bread.

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  17. Phoenicia Restaurant

    A fine upscale restaurant with a refined wine list and an interesting Italian, French and Middle-Eastern menu. Expertly prepared steak, shrimp and chicken dishes, plus a few vegetarian options. Beware of unrequested drinks, wine 'top offs' and other carefully orchestrated rip-off tactics that can send your bill through the roof. You've been warned.

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  19. Restaurant Français

    French bistro aficionados should make their way to this cosy eatery for some fine beef and chicken dishes and tasty appetizers. The menu is written on the chalkboard and black and white scenes of Paris set the mood just right. The building it slated for demolition so check local listing for their new address.

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  20. Samurai

    Atmospheric Japanese restaurant with open seating or recessed tables in small alcoves. Sushi, chahan (fried rice), ramen, tempura and teriyaki dishes are all available.

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  21. Santa Fe

    Very popular place for families as it has an attached playground and kid-friendly menu (fancy a Harry Potter Pasta or Shrek Pizza?), but is sophisticated enough for adults. Very clean toilets are a bonus.

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  22. Sayat Nova

    A colourful, busy institution combining a bar, rooftop café, restaurant and nightclub. The ground floor Amazon Restaurant has a tropical Mayan theme straight from Vegas, plus steaks, pizzas and sandwiches. The café helped introduce nargile pipes to Yerevan.

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  23. Shah Pizza

    Middle eastern hookah joint that feels more like Damascus than Armenia. Most of the clientele are Arab businessmen, travellers and expats. It serves, salads, kebabs and of course pizza, as well as flavoured nargile (hookah).

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  25. Square One

    Turn up at lunchtime any day of the week and you're likely to find this place packed with NGO staffers, diplomats, expat businessmen and local entrepreneurs. The laid-back, congenial atmosphere and English-speak wait staff are attractive, as is the non-smoking lounge upstairs. The American-orientated menu features sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, salads, burgers and tasty breakfasts (served all day). There is another branch at the airport.

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  26. The Club

    One of the classiest places in Yerevan, The Club fuses Western Armenian and French cuisine into a fresh and tasty dining experience. It includes a main dining hall and second drinks-only room with cushions and low tables and a hidden café in the back where you can enjoy one of the best pizzas in town. Live music is occasionally on offer and there is a separate section for books and handicrafts. Wi-fi is available.

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  27. The Color of Pomegranates

    Small, charismatic restaurant decorated with arty relics from Vernissage market. The menu is a mix of European, Armenian and Georgian, with dishes such as khashiama (boiled lamb) and beef chops with prunes.

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  28. Time Out

    Cafeteria style place that makes ordering easy, just pick what you want and pay at the counter. Specializes in salads, fruit bowls, juices and light meals.

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  29. Triumph

    Triumph is a popular place for local youths to preen and promenade. It has a standard range of food and drinks, plus a nice location tucked into a park. Wi-fi is available for a pricey per hour fee.

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