Armenia and its capital Yerevan are increasingly becoming points of attraction for travelers from Russia. Many natural and cultural attractions, the interweaving of Eastern and post-Soviet aesthetics, the hospitality of local residents and the pleasant exchange rate of the Armenian dram against the ruble can surprise and give a lot of impressions.
In the era of COVID the country is open to tourists from Russia; to enter you will need a vaccination certificate or a negative PCR test result taken no later than 72 hours before arrival.
How to get there and where to stay
An air ticket from Moscow to Yerevan costs from 12,000 rubles* per person round trip. Yandex.Taxi works great in Armenia, so use the application to get to the city center comfortably and inexpensively.
Here are some options where you can stay:
R&R Hotel – from 2100 rubles* per night per person;
Elysium Gallery Hotel – from 1700 rubles* per night per person;
Meg Hotel — from 3200 rubles* per night per person.
What to see and try in different areas of the city
Yerevan captivates with its cozy atmosphere; here, against the backdrop of beautiful mountain landscapes, different eras are intertwined in a bizarre pattern. Numerous cafes and restaurants give the city a special charm. Today we will share with you a list of places where you can have lunch, drink a cup of coffee or dance. They are mainly concentrated near iconic city attractions – Republic Square, Cascade and Opera House. This list includes favorite locations and routes of local residents.
Saryan Street and surrounding area
The main “restaurant” street of the city is Saryan Street (named after the innovative artist Martiros Saryan; his museum is located here, which we also recommend visiting). On both sides of the street there are cafes, bars, restaurants, many entrances and terraces are decorated with garlands, and this makes everything look very festive.
Note the wine bar, store and tasting room In Vino.Hundreds of wines from various regions of the world are presented here, including local pride – Karas and Takar, sets of delicious cheeses and a variety of meat snacks. The owners created not just a store, but a meeting place for wine fans; they believe that “Wine is not just a drink. Wine—contacts with the philosophy and history of the country where it is made.”
Photo: Hro Sev/shutterstock.com
Colorful ethnic bar “for our own” — Calumet Ethnic Lounge Bar is an atmospheric, intimate space with an incredible interior that reflects the influence of the Iranian diaspora. Guests sit on the floor on cushions at low tables, play backgammon or dance. Interesting music is played here and concerts of local bands and DJ parties are regularly held.
At the end of the street rises the historical district of the city – Kond, with houses and labyrinthine streets of the 16th-18th centuries. with a very special atmosphere. At its foot there is a bar The Kond House with a cozy courtyard and a greenhouse. In the evening, from the streets of Conda, you can see how it shines and shimmers with neon colors during the next DJ party.
On the street of new high-rise buildings of Karen Demirchyan, among other street cafes, a unique bar is hidden Simona— in addition to the stylish interior and an interesting cocktail list, they play excellent music here, including on vinyl, regularly host DJ sets, and the work of the bartenders becomes a real performance,
Around the Cascade
Photo: Damira/shutterstock.com
The second restaurant street – Tamanyan – is located next to the Cascade: a complex of terraces, waterfalls and flower beds overlooking Mount Ararat. There are cafes and restaurants serving French, Italian and Oriental cuisine, small coffee shops, pubs and bars. Sit at a table at Dors City Point among the tall arches of pink tuff houses, or cross the small park and sit at August Cafeteria.
In addition, the Cascade is also a cultural point of attraction – inside there is the Cafesjian Arts Center with a private collection of sculptures and furniture of the 20th century, next to Tamanyan Square there is Museum of Russian Art, which displays the works of Russian masters of the 19th and 20th centuries, and a few houses away there is a chamber house-museum of the artist and sculptor Ervand Kochar, who is called “Armenian Picasso”. All the exhibitions are small; visiting them will not take you much time, but will add to your impressions of this area of the city.
In the vicinity of Republic Square
In the area of Republic Square, in a historic house made of black tuff, there is a view restaurant Diamond.Take the elevator to the top terrace and you will have a beautiful view of the Government Building, the History Museum, Singing Fountains and the roofs of neighboring houses. The menu includes many oriental dishes, unusual snacks, traditional flatbreads, meat and vegetables cooked over an open fire.
On the neighboring Abovyan street there is one of the most cozy restaurants serving local cuisine – Abovyan 12. From the street it’s hard to guess that inside there is a large courtyard with tables covered with checkered tablecloths, where families and large groups dine and drink wine among hanging bunches of grapes. In addition to an excellent wine list, this place is distinguished by excellent desserts, for example, aromatic baked apple with cinnamon and dried fruits. The restaurant is complemented by the Dalan Art Gallery with designer souvenirs, jewelry, paintings.
There is a vinyl record store nearby 2nd Floor Vinyl Garage Store and bar. There is an impressive selection of vinyl, including Armenian music. The store is open until midnight and often hosts DJ sets.
It’s definitely worth visiting a special place for the city – Mirzoyan Library. This is a cafe in an internal “Tbilisi” courtyard with wooden balconies and vintage furniture, as well as a private library of books and albums on photography. This is one of the centers of attraction for the local intelligentsia. Spend the evening with a glass of dry red and ice cream with baklava or seeds and salt, looking at the endless paintings, mirrors and decorations on the walls.
Recently, the owner of Mirzoyan Library opened a new unusual place – The Rose Bar, where they create sophisticated signature cocktails, put on good music in the evenings, and use the walls for photo exhibitions. The place looks like a secret one, there is no bright sign next to it, the landmark is a green door with an awning.
Lumen Coffee— a meeting place for fans of third wave coffee. Here you will find a minimalist interior, the best varieties of coffee roasted in-house, and various alternative brewing methods. And also delicious desserts and parties with vinyl music. Secret coffee shop “for our own” is not so easy to find, it is hidden in the courtyards of houses, so follow the navigator.
They also love jazz in Yerevan! The main places where the locals go are Club 12, Malkhas Jazz Club and Ulikhanyan Club are small intimate clubs, each with its own unique atmosphere. The interior of Club 12 is reminiscent of bourgeois salons of the early 20th century, while the others look more democratic. Guests of completely different ages come to listen to the legendary Armenian jazzmen; many concerts end with friendly jam sessions.
To get a better feel for Yerevan, we recommend sitting at a cafe table by the window or on the terrace with a glass of local dry wine and meat and vegetable dishes cooked on the grill, taking your time and observing the life of the city. Exchange a few words and smiles with other visitors, passersby, and waiters. The city will surround you with hospitality, you will be able to feel how everything here is quite simply arranged, but not without grace and charm.
*Prices valid at time of publication
