Sayat Nova East Armenian Restaurant

by Eddy C.

I can now say I've tried Armenian food.  Verdict: it's kind of like Middle Eastern food, with a little bit of Swedish, German and Polish influence as well.  I had dinner with my cousin and we ordered the following:* Labneh (dip made with yogurt, olive oil and mint) - so so, resembled cream cheese mixed with olive oil* Lamajoun (thin crust pizza with ground lamb, onions, tomatoes and spices) - tasty, sort of like a lamb quesadilla* Lamb Cous Cous (chunks of lamb cooked in a tomato broth) - my cousin enjoyed it, said it had a lot of flavor* Armenian Combo (lamb grape leaves, Armenian meatballs, baked phyllo stuffed with cheese, and eggplant) - the meatballs and phyllo were terrific, not so keen on the grape leaves and eggplantThe entrees come with a red lentil soup or salad.  We both ordered the soup and were quite pleased.  We also got the Armenian Coffee at the end of our meal.  Thick and rich -- I was a fan.  Service was decent, though I did not appreciate our server immediately recommending the most expensive dish when my cousin asked "What's good?".  It's worth a try if you've never had it before, though I don't think I'd go back to Sayat Nova any time soon but only because I don't think I especially care for Armenian food.

by Michael W.

My wife and I were in Chicago for our first anniversary and I was looking for a quiet neighborhood Middle Eastern restaurant for a dinner on Saturday night. Sayat Nova fit the bill perfectly. All the previous reviewers who describe the restaurant as romantic and intimate are right-on. The place isn't large, but it has a lot of quiet charm. The half-shell booths are cozy, and have interesting geometric patterns cut into the wall that are lit from behind - a nice touch. And this might seem like a small point, but the place was quiet! We were able to talk and chat without shouting to hear each other - I really appreciated that. It helped that the restaurant wasn't full when we were seated. In fact, we didn't have to wait at all for a table (this at 8 pm on a Saturday night!). Our waiter was friendly and helpful when we asked questions about the menu items we weren't familiar with. We started with hummous, which was creamy and exactly to my liking. It was served with pita bread still hot from the oven. For the entree, I went out on a limb and ordered the Kufta Dinner, which is Armenian-style meatballs stuffed with diced lamb, spices, hot yogurt mint soup. The hot yogurt soup gave me pause, but it was delicious! And to top it off, the desserts were outstanding. My wife ordered the Mahalebeya - a rice flour custard with crushed walnuts and cinnamon that she couldn't stop raving about. I had the chocolate mousse, which rivaled the best I've had anywhere. Bottom line, it was a great experience, and just what I was looking for. We'll definitely come back again.

by Gayle G.

I don't know anything about Armenian food.  I used to work with an Armenian lady who made the best baklava though.I have a friend in town at a conference downtown and we decided to have dinner down there.  Since I don't spend much time in the loop I was at a little bit of a loss, but when we drove past this place I remembered having seen it on Check Please!  We walked in with absolutely no wait.  We started with a 1/2 carafe of the house red for $16 and an Armenian flatbread pizza. It was made with ground lamb and was kind of a cross between a pizza and a quesadilla without the cheese.  All meals come with your choice of red lentil soup or a salad, we got one of each.  The salad was fresh and crispy, but the soup.  Oh the soup!  It was delicious.  I'd come back just for a vat of that fabulous soup!!!  I'm tempted to give an extra star just for the soup.We had a lamb cous cous and a kebab combo for our meals.  Both were very nice.  On to the service....it was interesting.  When we knocked over our carafe of wine shortly after we arrived, it was replaced very quickly and the bartender came over to help us clean up.  We waited a really long time to place our orders. We received our app and still hadn't placed our dinner order.  We waited and waited.  I swear, they were playing a game of "don't make eye contact" with us.  It was almost weird.  The place was only about 25% full and there appeared to be plenty of staff.  It wasn't bad service, just inattentive.I don't think that I'd make my way downtown just to eat here, but if I'm in the neighborhood and have a hankerin' for soup, this is where I'm going.

by Andrea N.

I really like this place and have ventured here a few times with an Armenian who was satisfied with the dishes.  It's very cozy and quiet inside.I believe their specialty is the lulla kebob.  Their lamajoun and raw kibbee are their top appetizers.  Their rice and soup is extremely lacking.  If you are really hungry, be prepared to order more appetizers.

by Mike E.

After years of walking past Sayat Nova, I realized I needed to give it a try. I am fortunate in that my business associates enjoy trying different foods. We ordered 3 things and split them so we could try several items off the menu. Aren't you jealous?We had the cheese boureg and sarma for appetizers, both were delicious.  The sarma had a nice tart sauce.  The boureg was artistically scorched and yes there was butter involved in its making.Not only did we choose 3 meals from the menu, but one of them was combo kebabs so we could try chicken, beef, and lamb.  So this was the equivalent of sampling 5 meals. Clever, huh?  The other 2 choices was kufta (lamb meatballs) and lamb cous-cous. Can you tell my co-workers aren't afraid of lamb?  All were good, if you can pick several I can recommend these, if you're only picking 1 I would go with the kebab, but I like grilled meat. Considering that Lamb was tender but the combo gives you more tastes makes a hard decision.And yes, you should try dessert. Malabeya was good as was the knafi, but the knafi was fairly similar to flan/custard.Wait staff wasn't perfect.  We thought he forgot the beers, they showed up after the appetizers and it took a while to get the bill, but not the realllllly bad experience others have related.$30 per person including tip. Definitely on our list for return trip.

by Keith T.Joe C.Mike E.HungryChicago M.Leigh R.

Try to sit in the back where the booths are carved semi-circles half embedded into the walls, dark and private. This place is a treasure.  There's a gay bar on the second floor and a fortune teller on the third, Sayat Nova exists in a small 100 year old 3 story building between an enormous, recently built condo building (I miss Cambridge House) and a Gap in downtown Chicago, a block east of Michigan avenue.This place is a treasure, my favorite is the Shwarma plate, a marinated beef dished, served over a bed of rice pilaf, with a side of pickled red cabbage and a tahini sauce on the side.  The jajik and hummus are great and the pitas are always warm and fresh.We saw the review of this restaurant on Check Please, and it looked and sounded really incredible.  I have never had Armenian Food, so I have nothing to compare it to, but if this is the best that Armenia has to offer, I will probably remove it from my list of places to go. We had a selection of three appetizers, the kebab combo and salads. The Hummus was OK, nothing to write home about, but decent.  The Raw Kibbe which was raved about on the show, was bizarre, and had very little taste.  It was better when you poured a lot of olive oil on it, but otherwise it had the look, and texture of cat food, but without the Fancy Feast flavor.   I really didn't "get it" and nobody at the table seemed to either.  The Kabob combo was decent, but again, not special.  The rice that came with it was actually tasty, and helped make the dish.  The cabbage "salad" was basically chopped up cabbage with some vinaigrette.  It really wasn't much of a salad, but more of a side dish to go with the meal, or perhaps a garnish?  It tasted OK, but again, it was strange.  The one thing I did love was the atmosphere.  It is warm, inviting, and feels very comfortable.  Maybe they were having and off night, and I just happened in at the wrong time.  In general I was disappointed.After years of walking past Sayat Nova, I realized I needed to give it a try. I am fortunate in that my business associates enjoy trying different foods. We ordered 3 things and split them so we could try several items off the menu. Aren't you jealous?We had the cheese boureg and sarma for appetizers, both were delicious.  The sarma had a nice tart sauce.  The boureg was artistically scorched and yes there was butter involved in its making.Not only did we choose 3 meals from the menu, but one of them was combo kebabs so we could try chicken, beef, and lamb.  So this was the equivalent of sampling 5 meals. Clever, huh?  The other 2 choices was kufta (lamb meatballs) and lamb cous-cous. Can you tell my co-workers aren't afraid of lamb?  All were good, if you can pick several I can recommend these, if you're only picking 1 I would go with the kebab, but I like grilled meat. Considering that Lamb was tender but the combo gives you more tastes makes a hard decision.And yes, you should try dessert. Malabeya was good as was the knafi, but the knafi was fairly similar to flan/custard.Wait staff wasn't perfect.  We thought he forgot the beers, they showed up after the appetizers and it took a while to get the bill, but not the realllllly bad experience others have related.$30 per person including tip. Definitely on our list for return trip.A very exotic and unique place in Chicago!It is probably the only Armenian restaurant in Chicago on such a fancy scale and location. I went there twice and was very satisfied overall. The ambiance was amazing as you can sit under the decorated cave-like booth. The candles glowing behind you make you feel like a caravan stop  in Black Sea region. The decors look Turkish and Persian, but definitely has very strong Russian influence.The food tastes above average, but the portion could be bigger. The recommended drinks are Ginger Ale. The entree is a hit or miss. Kebab combo is good. NY Strip is not good (my fault, I should not order NY Trip in an Armenian place). Sauteed Lamb is great. The desserts are all good. I tried two of them before, and they never fail!It is somewhere I would take my family and friends when they visit Chicago! Great location!Finally stopped here for lunch after FOUR years of working around the corner. The food is really good. Honestly, I've had better, but this is pretty darn close. The lunch portions are very healthy, the price is right, and the service is attentive and prompt. You can walk right in and get seated.The hummus was just okay - i've totally had better - see Couscous for the best hummus in Chicago (at least that I've found so far). If you are in the area it is way more low key than anything else. Definitely NOT a tourist trip like scary Grand Lux. Steer clear of michigan ave restaurants except this place. It really should be in a more chill neighborhood.Owner is cool!

by Jin K.

This place is awesome for Lamb Chops.  If you like taste and you can enjoy lamb...definately go for the lamb chops. - the portion is 3 large chops - which is quite satisfying but because it's so tasty it will leave you wanting more.  The wine selection is a little limited but they definately have all the other spirits there that will satisfy your palate. All the appetizers are solid choices and I would recommend getting at least two.  The ambiance is definately of the romantic sorts. A great place to take a date and have an evening of conversation over scumptious food.

by Lori L.

Romantic, romantic, romantic!Do you get that?  This place is romantic.  Dark, cozy coves with rounded booths and candlelit tables, and what I can best describe as Moroccan influenced decor.  Now on to the food.I've never had Armenian food so dining here was definitely a trip out of my comfort zone.   I ordered the Armenian Combo which consisted of  sarma, boereg, kufta, and eggplant.  The boerg (cheese stuffed phyllo) was a cheesy pastry heaven.  I really enjoyed the kufta which is a meatball stuffed with diced lamb and spice and served in a hot yogurt mint sauce.  This was by far my favorite portion of the dinner.I wasn't a fan of the sarma and that doesn't mean it was bad.  It just wasn't my cup of tea.My boyfriend had the Kabob Combo.  The beef and chicken were oh so delicious!  Like, mouthwatering delicious.  We opted for the Mahalebeya for desert.  I liken it to flan in regards to its consistency.  It was good and big enough for two to enjoy.A side note:  This place was recently reviewed on Check Please, so get there before its overrun with Check Pleasians.

by Ashley V.

Another Check Please recommendation that truly hit the mark! After a long evening of Mag Mile shopping my mom and I decided to try this place for dinner. 8pm on a Saturday night and it was only a 15 minute wait. We managed to grab a few seats at the bar and ordered an excellent bottle of Syrah/Grenache for a reasonable $30. The menu (and friendly owner) mentioned that all the wines served at the restaurant were from small family owned farms. Loved the concept. For appetizers we ordered the hummus and the phillo wrapped cheese dish. Both were simple dishes done really well. For dinner we decided to split the Kufta meatballs and the combo Kebab. I was truly impressed with the Armenian specialty Kufta meatballs. They were HUGE meatballs filled with ground spiced lamb and in the most delicious lemon cream type sauce. Both me and my Mom were blown away by them. We also enjoyed the kebabs, which I thought were not only well-seasoned but also had an excellent grilled flavor. The staff is small and the crowd keeps them busy but they all managed to stay friendly and deliver great service. The owner was also very friendly and chatted with us for a few minutes about the place. This restaurant is truly a gem in the mix of the tourististy Cheesecake Factories and TGI Fridays of Michigan Avenue. Go, order the meatballs, drink a bottle of wine and thank me after.

by Joe C.

We saw the review of this restaurant on Check Please, and it looked and sounded really incredible.  I have never had Armenian Food, so I have nothing to compare it to, but if this is the best that Armenia has to offer, I will probably remove it from my list of places to go. We had a selection of three appetizers, the kebab combo and salads. The Hummus was OK, nothing to write home about, but decent.  The Raw Kibbe which was raved about on the show, was bizarre, and had very little taste.  It was better when you poured a lot of olive oil on it, but otherwise it had the look, and texture of cat food, but without the Fancy Feast flavor.   I really didn't "get it" and nobody at the table seemed to either.  The Kabob combo was decent, but again, not special.  The rice that came with it was actually tasty, and helped make the dish.  The cabbage "salad" was basically chopped up cabbage with some vinaigrette.  It really wasn't much of a salad, but more of a side dish to go with the meal, or perhaps a garnish?  It tasted OK, but again, it was strange.  The one thing I did love was the atmosphere.  It is warm, inviting, and feels very comfortable.  Maybe they were having and off night, and I just happened in at the wrong time.  In general I was disappointed.