Sayat Nova Armenian Restaurant in Chicago

This is one of the little gems I like going to when I come to Chicago. I would suggest they use a splash of ice water and a bit more garlic and olive oil in the baba ganoush when blending it. These folks are such sweet people, the little booths are wonderful, and the lighting is very eclectic. In fact, ambience is one of the reasons to go here. I suggest anyone going here tries it at least twice with different dishes to form their opinions.

Incredible atmosphere and delicious, authentic food

Wonderful atmosphere, amazing food, and friendly staff. Highly recommend!

Great atmosphere and delicious food. I highly recommend a reservation. Compact space and they get very busy.

Subtle differences between this and other Mediterranean cuisines. Food was wonderful

Extremely good, cozy place that would make you feel like home. Excellent food brings back good memories of the homeland. And the bar is one of the "must try"! Wines and hard liquor from the motherland will make your evening the most memorable.

This was my first time trying Armenian food and it was amazing! The atmosphere is so welcoming and cozy, the food was absolutely delicious and our server was extremely nice and explained each of the meals that interested us. I had the mezza sampler with Armenian spinach, hummus and sarma and my family had the sautéed shrimp and sautéed chicken. The portions were a perfect size especially for the price :I’ll definitely be coming here again and I recommend this place to anyone interested in trying something different.

This is an amazing restaurant. Its right off Michigan, the staff was warm and friendly, and the food was truly excellent. Sat on the patio and watched the sun set down Ohio. One of my best dinner experiences in recent memory.

Enjoyable. Most of our party went vegetarian, two went meat. As a meat eater who sampled the vegetarian Ill say I think the meat dishes were better.Nice atmosphere.

Amazing food! Had raw meat, falafel, shish kebab. All of it awesome.

This place is an absolute gem. The food is amazing, service is top notch, and the atmosphere is cozy and intimate.

Amazing atmosphere, amazing waitress and friendly owner. I loved the music and the food. I even asked for the name of the music and the owner came to give it to me. I appreciated how the waitress crossed out the charges when I had mentioned that I needed rice substituted with hummus. She was very accommodating. My only critique is that there is not enough waiters, and I felt that the wait is rather long to get someones attention when wanting to add to your order

LOVED it! Definitely well above average for Middle Eastern food. Grape leaves are FRESH & delicious! I havent found many Middle Eastern restaurants that make fresh grape leaves. The tabouli was also very good as well as the beef kabob & lamb kefte. And so healthy & perfect for a hot summer evening. The decor is so charming & cozy & the music is fun. If I lived here I would be a regular. Try it out if you are in the area. Skip the baklava though. Didnt taste fresh. I can personally make excellent baklava much better even I am à 100% European descendant but damn I can COOK.

Lula Kebab was the bomb! Red Lentil was great, too.

Great food, service, and cosy atmosphere. We enjoy it every visit to Chicago and I am sure you will.

Very mediocre food, nothing to do with the gorgeous Armenian cuisine. The chef does not know what "cooked to medium" means - everyrhing was overdone. Not recommended.

Really solid place, Rueben the owner is a really chill guy and great with customer service. The food is immaculate, the drinks are awesome, especially the Armen-tini. If you see a Bartender with glasses and his name is Gabe, hes my best friend, so give him a shout out. Although hes new, he is a really nice guy and will do his best to serve you. His Armen-tinis are on point 👌

Romantic booths, delicious food. I will definitely be back. Loved the shrimp.

We had supper last night (May12/22). It was delicious! The kebobs were cooked to perfection and the seasoning used was so tasty. We had stuffed grape leaves to start and knafi for dessert. Everything was so good, if I lived in Chicago I would be a regular!! You must give it a try!

Nice atmosphere great food and hands down BEST coffee you will ever have!!

A little disappointed. I’m Armenian. My family survived the genocide. April 24th is a big day to us and no one in the place is Armenian, nothing honoring that day, one of the most important in out history. The clients next to us talked about how this place reminded them of a place in Turkey.We ordered raw kibbee - it had spices more like an Indian restaurant that Armenian-wasn’t good. Served with pita that tasted more like naan. The chicken kebob was over spiced the beef kebob was perfect. The pilaf was under cooked so it was still crunchy. The jajik was decent. We decided not to stay for dessert. The atmosphere was pretty.

There is a reason this place is still around after 50 years! It’s sooo good. Great food and a cool vibe!

I stopped into this place once a few years ago on my way home from work. Maybe the fact it was Armenian drew me in? I don’t know, I like trying new and different foods and things, and I had never had Armenian before. It’s a pretty slender place inside, but the bartender and owner were warm and welcoming, and the food was good. I would compare it as being somewhat like Indian food maybe? but I’m no expert. Maybe Mediterranean? I just know I would go back again, and frankly I don’t know why I haven’t other than it’s a little far from where I live and don’t always walk by it. Well worth the experience though.

Tried for the first time here and I loved the food. Ordered Falafel, Chicken Kebab and Knafi! All of the tasted great.

Great service and food that you cannot get anywhere else! I truly enjoyed this meal and plan to come back next time I am in Chicago.

We ordered lots of smaller dishes and everything was delicious. Our favorites include the hummus, shish kebab, the pickled cabbage and shawarma. And the paklava. And let me not forget the sautéed lamb.... The service was great and the Armenian wines were a great addition to a great dinner! .

Great new ambiance and same awesome food. Had the Kabob combo and it was delicious! Also tried the Armenian Whisky and happy to report it was good. Great place is back and gearing up for more.

Great lunch specials close to navy pier. Good food and friendly host. Owner even came around and made sure we had everything we needed. Nice mix up from the usual type of cuisine you find down town.

This is one of our favorite places. Weve been coming here for the nice atmosphere, friendly service and great meals for over 45 years. They make the best and most consistent hummus, tabbouleh, boereg and lentil soup on earth. We like to split the kabob combo dinner because we fill up on appetizers.6/12/21 They are closed now-hope they reopen.

Went there last night for dinner for my first time but my friend had been going there for years. They were able to adhere to my strict food allergy list, which was impressive. I ordered the lentil soup (and I did not care it was a warmer evening, because I had heard that soup was awesomeand a lamb dish with tomatoes and rice...MY MEAL WAS INCREDIBLE!!! Perfectly cooked and seasoned. I cannot wait to return!

Food was excellent and atmosphere enjoyable. Live music was a good touch. We had an Armenian platter - had some interesting foods I wasnt used too but nothing bad. Great flavors and service.

Amazing dinner, first time here. Appetizers of plaki, labneh, Jajic, with fresh pita. Kebab combo of beef, chicken and lulla. Armenian combo of eggplant, sarma, boereg, and kufta. Three star of the meal, we didnt bother taking a photo of, cause it was a side that came with the meal, was a red lentil soup. This place was great! Armando was very helpful!

I had such high hopes for this place because the food on the menu reminded me of home. I knew I was going to be disappointed from the moment I tasted the Sarma as an appetizer— it was strangely sweet. The rest of the food was just extremely mediocre. If it’s your first time tasting Armenian or Turkic food please don’t come here — it won’t be an accurate representation of the food! If you’re from the area and are hoping to get a taste of home, I also wouldn’t recommend it. The service was great though.

Belied expectations. The online menu said that there were a lot of vegetarian options. Not only was disappointed with the options, but with quality as well. There was no flavor in any of the dishes that we tried. The two stars are just for the cocktails. They were really good.

Food is not bad, but portions and prices are not balanced. Small portions for unjustified big prices.I ended up paying 100$ for what you see in the picture, including a beer, coffee, a small dessert and 15% tip.

Boring portions. Just a bunch of rice and couple pieces of meat for $18. Was expecting more. The meat was good. Super small appetizers. Bill was $78 before tip. Still hungry. Dont feel like stuffing myself with plain rice.

Definitely expected more out of this restaurant due to the solid reviews it received on Google. Had the stuffed eggplant and lentil soup for starters. The lentil soup tasted amazing. However, the soup could have been warmer. The stuffed eggplant needed more seasoning for added taste. The main entreés looked much better than they tasted as well. What I do like about the restaurant is the décor. This place definitely has a lot more potential.

The food was delicious. Service was excellent. Loved the appetizers (from the pictureand entree was good as well, I had kebab combo for $21.95. Definitely will come back.

Very cozy. Nice staff. The lentils soup was amazing. The live music was a tad strange.

Wonderful atmosphere and food. I ordered a combo plate because I had never been in an Armenian restaurant prior to this. Homemade soup was delicious. Very reasonably priced right around the corner from the Gap on Michigan Ave. Live entertainment was there on Wednesday night. It was my last night in Chicago after spending 8 nights in the Marriott Hotel for the United Astrology Conference 2018. We only had to walk across the street and we were at Sayat Nova!

This place has awesome food! Warm service and tasty drinks. Try the Greek and Armenian beer to bring out the fine flavors in the luscious cuisine. Rack of lamb is amazing, but the menu is filled with delightful veggie offerings. Super deep menu.

A unique experience with a different twist to a Mediterranean style of cooking. Great atmosphere and exceptional service.

Good food, simple, yet delicious.They have a fixed menu as well. Cozy feel to the restaurant, just off the Michigan Mile.

A delightful place to grab drinks. They have live music. Went on a Wednesday evening to catch Bob Solone (plays piano). The atmosphere was cheerful and warm. Loved the place and the drinks.

The pita bread had an off taste. My wife is Armenian she said it didnt taste like grandmas cooking, that her home cooked meals were much better. Very small tables, small restaurant service seemed slow. Although the waitress was very kind.

I wish this place was in New York. Amazing food, service, atmosphere, drinks... lovely prices.

A beautiful restaurant whose friendly staff know and love their food. I ate my way through samplers while my Armenian girlfriend explained how great each dish was. Delicious, authentic, and good prices especially for the level of service. This is a must-dine experience. They are great for gluten-free and vegetarian if needed, and I saw them fit in a large group on short notice.

I was in town for the Chicago Midwinter dental convention with my partner and office staff and took them here last night. I have eaten here before on various occasions, with my wife and family and have always had a great experience. Her father was Armenian and her family has frequented this place over the years. As usual, the food was excellent, and everyone in my party was pleased. I ordered the kebab combo and everything was cooked to perfection. If you have never experienced Armenian cousine, I highly recommend this restaurant.

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 wont blow your mind, but if you want a good Armenian dinner experience, you wont find a better place in Chicago unless your parents or grandparents live in the area. Try the pomegranate wine!

The food was great, but nothing exceptional.We ordered two appetizers, got one right away but we had to wait a few minutes for the other one to come. Both appetizers should have come at the same time, for us to enjoy everything at once. Appetizers were good.The meal was alright. I took the lamb couscous. It was alright, but some vegetables were under cooked and the couscous was also under cooked.Apart from that it was good enough.