Sayat Nova Armenian Restaurant — Restaurant in Chicago

I am Armenian and wanted to treat myself for my birthday and I am sad I waited so long to go! Once you walk in you feel transported. It’s nice and dark, there is great authentic music playing (albeit a tad loud for our taste, hence 4/5 stars on ambience), and the staff is very professional. we were led to a very cozy and private corner booth and were immediately feeling like VIPs in a saucy little food cave.

To start we had an Armeni-Teni which was a little sweet for my taste but I’m not a sweets person so take that with a grain. We also had a Sazerac and it was pure poetry. We ended up ordering it again for our nightcap.

Food-wise my husband let me do all the ordering because I am familiar with the offerings. We shared all of the following: Lamajoun which is a flatbread with ground beef and peppers. Listen, I’m always going to say that my mom makes everything better, but this was pretty good. Mezza Sampler: We chose the Labneh, Tourshee, and Yalanchi Sarma. Not a single bad choice has been made so far. Next we received the Raw Kibbee and our server offered us regular or spicy. We chose spicy but we didn’t feel the heat when eating it. It was delicious just not spicy! It was a very large portion, way too much for two people. Generous is an understatement! Then we moved on to the Lamb Chops. There are so few times I’ll remember exactly where I was and who I was with and what I was doing with my life at certain ages and times. I hardly remember the 2010s. I will never forget the first bite of this lamb chop I had on Sunday November 17, 2024. Superior. Transcendent. Excellent. The rice pilaf that accompanied it was also a beautiful experience. Fluffy, moist (I knowww the worst word ever but get over it) and spot on. We ate this dish slowly and thoughtfully. It was divine.

We did not order dessert but there was no need, one came to us courtesy of the staff. Knafi, which I almost cried tears of joy when it came to the table because my great grandma, my grandma, and my mom all made this during my lifetime. They lit a gold candle and sang happy birthday to me which was just so sweet and above and beyond. And it was scrumptious, we damn near licked the plate. It looks like a big pile of baked shredded wheat and it is filled with custard. Such a unique dessert.

I also really appreciated the design of the hand woven fabric on the booths. I grew up with very similar designs on household furniture growing up, and I inherited some cool historic pieces from my family that bear the same designs. I texted my mom a picture and it warmed both of our hearts. So grateful to have found Sayat Nova!!! A favorite on my restaurant list...

Went with some Armenian friends from university. This is Armenian-American food, not Armenian. While I appreciate that the American-born owner is at least attempting to keep his culture alive, some of these dishes are different than what my friends (actually born/raised in Armenia) were familiar with. He had 'kabobs' (spicy ground meat) which were true to form, unfortunately the lamajohn (sp?) was soggy and cold.

The real eye-opener was what the owner/menu called 'sarma'. It's actually called 'dolma' all over Armenia (if you Google 'Armenian Dolma', you get a couple hundred pictures of exactly the rolled grape leaves we ate). When my friends asked the different name, the owner went into some indignant and condescending linguistics lesson about the difference between sarma and dolma and where the words come from.

That's great buddy, but if everyone in Armenia calls it 'dolma', and you want to represent the country/culture in the advertising for your restaurant, then A. don't change the name, and B. don't get all self-important about it. I'm pretty sure the real Armenians know a bit more about their food/history than an American who learned some recipes from his grandma. The fact that he had a canned speech about the difference suggests to me that he's been asked this question before... repeatedly. Again, why so resistant and indignant?

I was giving this place 3 stars, but I got more pissed off when writing this review and knocked another one off. The guy was a dink who has lost touch with the culture he's monetizing. Seeing him belittle my friends over something that he's clearly wrong about is such a...

The atmosphere was cozy and had a romantic feel, especially in the round booth my girlfriend and I sat in. We started with the pomegranate wine, which had a nice earthy flavor but the balance of sweet and tangy that fresh pomegranate has. We also had the olives and strong cheese appetizer. Armenian string cheese is a traditional staple, and it did not disappoint. The server also supplied fresh, most pita, which was unexpected, but perfect and complemented our starter well.

I ordered the lamb shish kebab, cooked medium, and it came out perfectly. Served on a bed of rice pilaf with a grilled green pepper and grilled onion, the lamb hit the mark and reminded me of the old family picnics and dinners. There was no room for dessert, the meal was quite filling. My girlfriend ordered the vegetarian combo dinner, and it had a nice array of options that also tasted pretty good.

The servers gave us the right amount of attention, not too much and not too little. The restroom was clean and the other patrons were pleasant. Overhead, the Armenian music added to the ambience, reminding me of old community gatherings. Prices were reasonable and well worth the experience.

This restaurant won't blow your mind, but if you want a good Armenian dinner experience, you won't find a better place in Chicago unless your parents or grandparents live in the area. Try the...