At Gayane's — Restaurant in Yerevan

For our last night in Yerevan, my wife and me decided to avoid all these mainstream and touristic Armenian restaurants. We were looking for something cosy and authentic and we hit gold at Gayane's The place is a gem hidden in the heart of Yerevan, inside and entrance to habitations...not visible from the street, so you'll have to deserve it :) The lady who owned this place, also lives there. You'll technically be like a guest in her own home. If you are looking for a genuine and authentic experience, you'll be at the right place. The food is authentic and delicious. My wife and me felt like we were having dinner at an aunt's place. Gayanei took the time to explain us the menu and the origin of her restaurant. At the end of the dinner we even had the honor to listen her playing a few songs on the piano in the dining room (and the other guests also join to dance and clap in their hands)...She used to be a musician. There are a few reasons wich make me want to come back to visit again Armenia. "Gayane's" (especially the lovely owner)...

Unfortunately, I didn't have the same experience everyone else seems of have had. While the cabbage dolma I had were good enough, the lamb bughlama - a suggestion of the owner - was not. It was predominantly bones and fat, and there were whole pieces then that I didn't touch because I couldn't find meat on them. The owner realized that I didn't care for the lamb but didn't make an effort to do anything about it. Perhaps it's because I was a solo diner and the last guest of the night, but considering I had a reservation, this does not seem to be a good enough reason. Such a shame that I spent 2 days trying to get there, just to be...

The rave reviews aren't wrong! At Gayane's is a cosy place with delicious home cooked food. Gayane was kind enough to try and explain some of the Armenian dishes to me and her meal recommendations were spot on. The eggplant dolma especially was super tasty. Prices really reasonable especially for the portion size!

The place is a bit hard to find - best is to walk in through the arches at 35 on Tumayan street then turn right and walk all the way down to the end where the restaurant sign is softly illuminated. If you see a small park you've gone...