Great food and service! Delicious! The service and atmosphere are outstanding... it was my first time having Armenian food and it blew my mind. Soooo much flavor read more

I ducked in here for lunch with The Bud while seeking shelter from the Chicago wind. What a serendipitous find. The menu consists of kebabs in all manner of meat and mezze plates. The kebabs are served with a flavorful rice pilaf. Their cocktail menu spans the alcohol spectrum, and their beer list includes an Armenian beer/lager. I had the Paloma, a tequila/grapefruit/lime/soda concoction that I recommend with tequila-infused enthusiasm. If I were looking to dessert, I would have tried the Armenian coffee martini that is a combination of vanilla vodka, Baileys and Armenian coffee. Because. Coffee. We were seated at a booth in a row of half-moon booths along one wall where the wall behind each booth is decoratively cut away and back lit. It makes for an intimate and cozy conversation and eating area. This is a perfectly respectable place to stop for a quick lunch before getting back to the vital business of supporting the economy of the Magnificent Mile. I'm willing to bet it's downright romantic in the evening when the Moroccan-style lighting fixtures can really throw their geometric light shapes around the place. read more

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. read more

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. read more

Bland hummus. Bland vege kebob over bland rice. The vege kebob consisted of 2 of each :mushrooms . Tough eggplant, huge chunk of red onion and chunk of zucchini. This was $20. The eggplant was so tough and tasteless I couldn't eat. Drinks were expensive. Would not go again. The bed of rice is a filler of cheap stuff so you feel like you're getting a lot for your money. It's a common practice I see in middle eastern and Indian restaurants. read more

I know Arminian food and I honestly thought I would walk to a very authentic Arminian restaurant. Well the decor was nice and we were seated very soon. The restaurant is managed by Mexican people. I don't care but if you don't know about the food that you are serving than I have an issue with it. Since when Arminian rice is Spanish rice? The two type of rices are totally different. I had Spanish rice. Kabobs we're blend and tasted as if they just throw the meat on fire. My boyfriend ordered Manhattan which was made poorly. I would say I had a Mexican food in an Arminian restaurant. Very blend food. I hope I get to taste a real Arminian food somewhere in Chicago. read more

My mom and I were downtown Friday headed north on Michigan Ave, and as we crossed Ohio she grabbed my arm and excitedly pulled me back across the street. This place has been here since 1969, and she used to eat lunch here when she worked in the Wrigley Building. I have grown up with stories of all these wonderful places she and my dad (who also worked on Mich Ave) used to go for lunch. And back then, lunch was lunch. No grabbing a smoothie with wheat-grass sidecar, no sitting at your desk with a "boxed lunch" from a chain "bakery" consisitng of a half sandwich that was made at 4 AM, limp dill pickle and kettle chips. No....lunch was going out to lunch to eat a wonderful meal. Maybe making it 2, 3 hours long. Maybe a martini or two.....God I wish I worked downtown then. But I digress. The fact that one of my mom's favorite lunch spots was still open, and in the same location made it a no-brainer for me. She was already walking in the door while I perused the menu displayed in the window. The atmosphere is super cozy and romantic. They have the coolest booths to sit in, they're like hollowed out little nooks with pretty, quaint lighting. The bar area and tables up front were also very attractive. Our server was prompt and courteous. We ordered a few appetizers (I'm a little green in the area of Middle Eastern food. And the spelling of things, so bear with me). Baba Ganoush , the grape-leaves stuffed with lamb and rice, and the cheese boregs (this was my favorite!). All that and a glass of wine. It was perfectly delicious. Thank you, and congratulations for passing the test of time, Sayat Nova. It made for a great memory for me and my mom. read more

Sayat Nova - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is my favorite restaurant. Armando is my favorite waiter. The Red Cabbage salad is my favorite salad. The boreg (sp?) both cheese and spinach are my favorite appetizers. I have had almost every entree on the menu. I take everyone I like to this restaurant. It's never crowded, and the ambience is quiet, dim, and romantic at night. During the day, sit in the front by the window. Love it. read more

Through much Yelpaging of the general vicinity, I found Sayat Nova. Then I got real excited. I am a fan of any type of Turkish/Middle Eastern/Mediterranean cuisine, though I had not ever (to my knowledge) tried Armenian food. Sayat Nova to the rescue! It appears to hold a fair amount of people during the dinner rush, but still managed to pull off a cozy, intimate vibe. The lights were dim, the tables secluded, the wine plentiful....aw yeah, baby. My husband and I both tried the "Armenian Combo." It came with Sarma (grape leaves stuffed with lamb & veggies), Boereg (brick cheese and green onions wrapped in phyllo dough), Kufta (meatballs in a mint-yogurt soup), and Eggplant. For dessert, we tried a pistachio Paklava (very nummy). We got a very reasonably priced bottle of very good Italian Montepulchino to wash it all down. Let me tell you what's really good: Boereg. That boereg should come home and live with me. Sure, everything else was delicious, but the boereg? Outstanding. Overall, this was a high quality experience all around. Considering all the food we got, the bill was extremely reasonable. The staff was friendly and didn't rush us (we were there for quite a while). The atmosphere was lovely. No problems here! read more

As someone who is half Armenian, I loved the first time I went there. Everything was compared to Grandmas cooking. Most of the food has done well. The down side is the portion control. I went there for the first time almost a year ago. Since then, I've gone there almost every week. I have a hard time understanding why the portions can go from generous to almost nothing. Sorry, but it's frustrating. the price stays the same, but what I get will change??? If I ate in, it would be easier to comment. The problem is that I usually take a carry out. I gave them an extra star read more

Definitely a hidden gem downtown. Went after work on a Friday for dinner and the place was pretty empty but soon after more people came in. Definitely was not packed. From the outside it seems like there is nothing special about this place but as soon as you enter it's completely different. Dim lighting, candles, cove-like booths and soft music-great as a date place. Was very hard to choose a dish as there are a lot of good choices. Went for the Armenian Combo which was good but a little too much meat for me. Also shared the baba ghannouj which wasn't anything special. read more

Another awesome Mag Mile lunch spot. Reasonably priced, good service, and not too busy (which is a god send considering I work in the heart of the tourist throng). It's a decent sized placed but tucked under a construction overhang on Ohio St. just E. of Michigan Ave. I doubt many tourists notice it as they waddle along crunching Garrett's and sipping S***bucks. (THANK Jeebus!) I treated myself when I went, and I have to hurry up and get back for the other staples of grape leaves, baba ganoush et al. What I did order was a delicious filet of whitefish with mint, cilantro and lime (no, it did NOT taste like a mojito). The fish was baked, moist, golden, flaky goodness. It was served with pita and basmati rice and I had plenty to take home with me to finish for dinner. Its a lovely, cool and dark dining room. If I ever feel like a quiet romantic dinner on the mag mile, I will totally remember this place. I'll certainly be back for lunch. *** *** *** Update: I have been back and tried the Yalanchi Sarma (vegetarian stuffed grape leaves) and the Baba Ghannouj and a tiny cup of Armenian coffee. The grape leaves were quite good, I'm trying the lamb filled version next time (Sarma). The Baba Ghannouj lacked the smoky flavor some have that I'm addicted to, but was still pretty good. The coffee was a perfect treat. It was thick, dark, and had a hint of lemon flavor to it which cut the strong bitterness of the java nicely. The service was slower this time around, but the atmosphere is so adorably romantic and the food good enough not to care. read more

This restaurant was great. I ordered so much food and everything was delicious. I had the Chicken Kabobs and they came with a lentil soup that was delicious. The chicken kabobs were ok. I think i'll try something else next time cause they were nothing spectacular but still good. My friend had the Baba Ghannouj and a stuffed eggplant. The stuffed eggplant was really amazing and she liked the Baba Ghannouj too. It came with pita bread triangles. The price for the entire meal was great and I would recommend going. SERVICE was definitely 5 stars. No wait and frequent check-ins by the staff. read more

We ordered what we thought was going to be a rather large spread to take to a Pritzker Pavilion concert, and ended up not quite having enough food -- the portions here, especially the appetizer sizes, seem small compared to other similar establishments. Otherwise the food was pretty good -- but honestly, we weren't terribly impressed after the rave reviews we'd read here. Some, however, may appreciate the fact that Sayat Nova is next door to a psychic (or maybe the psychic operates out of the restaurant itself? It was hard to tell from the sign). As we were perusing the menu in the window, a woman emerging from the building (and seeming, frankly, a little eccentric) waxed lyrical about her fortune-telling services. So go for the psychic, and consider the food next door a bonus. read more

This is a hidden jem in Chicago downtown. Although the exterior of the restaurant does not look that inviting, the interior is nice and cozy. We went there for our first honeymoon as we wanted to try something other than everyday Italian and American cuisine. We settled on Sayat Nova after reading that it was a decent place for a decent price. We made a reservation for the evening dinner. The person was kind and courteous while speaking to us over the phone. We arrived there 10 mins early and the server seated us at a cozy booth seat that had a couple of candles. The server then recommended us lamb chops which was excellent. We tried the pomegranate wine which was delicious. At the end we did not have any room for dessert so we decided to skip it but they gave us a huge piece of chocolate cake on the house. It was romantic, the food was great, the service was stellar, and the price was not bad at all. It was great!!! We will definitely revisit it in near future. read more

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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. read more

Not sure what everyone sees in the place. Ambiance was fine, but on a Friday evening at 7:00 pm......the restaurant was empty. Friday night on Magnificent Mile should have been packed. Locals know more than U.S. tourists. We should have changed our minds at the sight of an empty restaurant, but decided to give it a shot. A Mediterranean restaurant WITH OUT Fried Kibe.......only for lunch. A Mediterranean restaurant with out Kafta, only lunch on Wednesdays.........I have never heard of such a thing. Chicken Kabobs were fine, chin was juicy but rice was bland. Look for other Mediterranean places, there must be better near the magnificent mile !!!!!!! read more

I have to admit, (blush) I am a sucker for romantic setting. The lights are dim, there are small mirrors on the walls, the booths are charming, when I went there, they were short handed and we waited a very long time for our order, but I love ethnic food and to me it was worth the wait. The food was very tasty... I did lick my fingers...lol. I loved sitting and chatting by candle light, there were little vases with flowers on every table, the environment is definitely the right one for a romantic evening. A one symbolic rose, a little stuffed toy and a dinner at Sayat Nova... That would be so lovely. read more

I had the lunch combination #3. The sarma was delicious, as were the stuffed eggplant and the salad. The Tuesday $2.00 beer special was an unexpected bonus. The waitress was very nice and welcoming, and the place was clean and had a nice relaxing vibe. I look forward to returning for an Armenian coffee and dessert. read more

Great Armenian food at reasonable prices. I had the pleasure of eating here twice - it's within walking distance of the InterContinental Hotel in the heart of downtown. For mezza (appetizers), you can't go wrong with the hommos, yalanchi, olives and cheese and cheese boregs. While I didn't have any, the lamajoun looked tasty too. The kebabs come with pilaf, and were quite delicious. I also tried the "Armenian Combo" on a subsequent visit - it comes with kufta served in a minty yougurt sauce, sarma (meat wrapped in grape leaves) and boregs. While at Sayat Nova it's also well worth it to try a snifter of Ararat Armenian Brandy. I'm not big on spirits, but I have to admit its flavor was fantastic - warmed me right up. Service wsa a bit on the slow side - that seems to be the common complaint about this place, but I didn't find it to be a deal breaker. If anything, this food takes time to prepare well and it's worth the extra time. read more

After reading the reviews here, my boyfriend and I were excited to try this restaurant. We were disappointed. The service was absolutely terrible. They took our orders and didn't even offer us a drink! With just water in hand, which was less than occassionally filled by the wait staff, we ordered the hummos and the baba ghannouj. Skip the baba ghannouj and stick with the hummos, which was okay. It was served with pita wedges. Based on the reviews, we ordered the Armenian combo and the kebab combo and shared both of them. The portions were very small. Of the kebab combo, there were three small slices of beef and chicken. The Armenian combo was okay but we both went crazy for the cheese boereg. I think we would have been happy with just that. The lentil soup the accompanied the dinner was very good, if only very lightly seasoned. It had a nice texture. For dessert, we shared a pistachio paklava. It was okay but very small and only lightly filled at the top layer with pistachio filling. I thought it would be throughout. I felt unwelcome and underserved. Skip this restaurant at all costs. read more

I have nothing bad to say about this place! It's a great NON touristy place to eat right off Michigan Avenue that won't cost an arm and a leg. I found the service to be perfect, but if you go to an authentic foreign restaurant, expect the service to NOT be McDonald's fast. It's not customary to be ultra fast in every single country in the whole world. I kinda enjoy the laid back environment. Atmosphere was grand...cute little alcoves with unique lighting. The waitstaff was great...even pointing out that the soup that I ordered with my vegetarian entree was made with a chicken base. Not that it made any difference to me but if I had been looking to eat a vegetarian meal, they had me covered. Nice attention to detail. The veggie entree was a good smattering of all of their specialties...I liked all of them except maybe the spinach pile. It was just not my taste. My BF had the lamb chops which he LOVED. I wish I'd had room for dessert because the table next to us had this custard/flan looking thing and it looked so good. The waiter has to be commended for tolerating the crabby old man at the table across from us. Typical crabby man out to dinner with his family that is clearly embarrassed of him...bitching about everything. The waiter was gracious and accommodating at every turn. Good for him. Being a waiter sucks when those people come to eat. It's really hard to stay so upbeat in the face of such crabbassery. read more

I decided to go to this place after seeing it reviewed on Check Please on cable, I thought great its local and I need to try more places too. I went with my partner and found it to be just OK. The menu really didn't do much for me, I ordered an entree which comes with a red lentil soup o r a side salad included. Personally i like food to be piping hot when served, not everyone is like this of course. The soup was bland and could have been the same as the one my mother in law makes i.e. nice enough but nothing out of the ordinary. I don't know but when I go out to dinner I want to have something taste like effort has gone into it or that I couldn't make it myself at home. We also ordered a Bauoreg or filo pastry puff with cheese in it. My partner loved this but I always consider him easily pleased and me a whiney old bitch. I dunno but I seem to find fault with everytthing. This would have been pretty nice if it had been hot. It was tepid so really didn't do much for me. The main course I ordered was a chicken and Shrimp kebab type thing. This wasn't bad it was just not very memorable, I mean I get a tiny lemon wedge that felt like all the juice had been squeezed out of it although it hadn't. 4 bits of chicken which was more than enough and 3-4 shrimp, nice enough but nothing out of the ordinary. The chicken tasted like it might have been marinated in something but you know who could tell, it was nice enough. The rice was pleasant enough but nothing out of the ordinary. Overall the $16.95 I paid I felt like it was too much for what I got to be honest. My partner had the lamb chops which at $24.95 was again too much for what he got although he loved them. I think Lamb is quite expensive in Illinois though. The decor I liked, the temperature was perfect, service was good we were there monday night about 6:30 so it was empty. I found the music irritating as it was french and it seemed they were playing the radio as commercials or news kept coming on which is unacceptable and I found it bloody irritating. So ambience would be good with decent music as the booths are quite comfortable. So I give this place 3/5 which is my rating for average, nothing special would probably not go back in a hurry as it's not even a bargain really either. read more

The past two times I've been around the Michigan Ave. area on a Saturday I have gone to Sayat Nova for a late lunch/early dinner. Both times the place has been fairly dead because it was around 4 in the afternoon. Too late for the lunch crown and too early for the dinner crowd but what can I say, I'm always hungry. The food certainly wont disappoint. Both times I've been here I've been satisfied with my selections. The service is always attentive as well. Give it a try and you will be pleased! read more

They provide you with excellent customer service, and the food is pretty good too, but I wouldn't say it is totally worth the price. Prices here are high. I would be ok paying around 7-9 bucks for the meal, but they are around 17-23 and you don't get much for your money. And that makes me sad. Because it is not that kind of spectacular food you can ONLY get at Sayat Nova, it's more like the type of food you can get wherever. Ambiance is great and cozy, drinks were pretty good too. The French martini is definitely my preferred. I had ordered a Paloma first but didn't like it. Without any objections the server changed it for a drink of my choice. I really appreciated this gesture. I really believe if prices were a little lower this would be a great place to be a regular. read more

YUMMY! Ended up here when Purple Pig and Bandera was an hour wait....not to mention jammed. This was exactly what we were looking for...a quite, cute little place. We got a bottle of wine recommended by our server. It was delish! Then we had baba ganoush...YUMMY! I had the veggie platter and friend had shrimp something...HUGE portions. At the end our cute waiter bought us another glass of wine....so sweet. I really liked it. Its a little cute, quaint place...I am sure I will be back!!! read more

Sayat Nova is literally around the corner from where I work. I've passed by this place a ton of times but have never stopped in because...I'm lazy? But my roommate's Armenian and her family was in town, so we all stopped in here for some kebabs and such. And it's adorable! It's like being in a romantic little cave - which is a terrible, but accurate description. The ceiling is a little on the lower end of things, but I'm not very tall so that's not an issue. But the walls are kind of a tan stucco, and all the booths are in these little carved out alcoves - which is what really gives it that cave-like atmosphere. The lighting is from these really intricate tin lanterns that cast all these lovely patterns throughout the restaurant. It's a lovely atmosphere. And then the food happens! I'm Greek, my roommate is Armenian. And our ethnic foods are more or less the same stuff with different names. There's an Armenian version of spanikopita and domathes and baklava...but I stuck with kebabs because if I wanted Greek food, I'd go to Grandma's house. Anyway, the kebabs are really flavorful and the pilaf that accompanies it is perfectly matched. Service was pretty quick, so I'll definitely have to come back for lunch during work one day. read more

I came in at around 5:30, noone was there. The host was on the phone and stuck a figure up to indicate that I should wait for him and he continued on the phone as he decided to seat me later. The food is actually pretty good, but the prices are a little on the expensive side for what it is. Chalk it up to the location. You get warm pita at the table. The stuffed grape leaves are great, for the appetizer dish you get 4 of them for 5 bucks. I had the ground sirlon/lamb kebab dish and it was tasty albeit a bit pink inside, with 4 hotdog sized kebabs and pilaf rice and a grilled piece of onion and green pepper. I also asked for yogurt sauce to accompany the dish. read more

I came in here with my boyfriend to show him some Armenian classics. While the food was OK it was not great and I hate to say it but I was disappointed. The lahmajoun was a big soggy but the kebabs were good. Maybe it was an off night but I feel like this place is hit or miss based on some reviews. The bartender and servers were hanging out and consumed in their own ordeal which was a bit frustrating. I don't think I'll be back, I rather go to Zizi's for Turkish food in Lakeview for homemade bread,BYOB and better prices. read more

I couldn't decide...everything looked so good!! Finally settled on the Armenian combo which included: sarma (grape leaves with minced lamb), boereg (phyllo dough triangles with cheese), and eggplant. I'm not usually a fan of stuffed grape leaves as they tend to be a bit too tart for me but this sarma was SOOOO delicious....full of flavor. actually everything was awesome down to the lentil soup. I wish there was a Sayat in LA. read more

Recent lunch stop. I actually walked past in multiple days before noticing its inconspicuous sign. I was seated quickly and ordered the spicy lamb with onions and peppers. It had a nice flavor and wasnt overpowering in terms of spice. It came with a side of rice and a basket of pits. Overall it was a tasty and fairly quick lunch. I dont think I can comment on the authenticity of the food but it seemed on par with food from that general region (sorry no recent trip to yerevan to compare). Service was attentive and the food was pretty quick to come out. All in all a definite decent option for lunch off michigan. read more

This place is a concoction of very poorly emulated Greek/Lebanese cooking. The portions were extremely small, which was a welcomed thing after I tasted the food. We had 4 kinds of meals at the table, all super greasy and extra salty. VERY disappointed and a shame for ruining Armenian cooking's reputation. The background music is all Arabic, the bar and the ambience seems nice. The appetizers were OK. Just don't order a full dinner here! read more

Love the atmosphere, the service, and the food here. We tried it simply because it was close to our hotel, but it was so good we went back the next night to try some other dishes. Loved it again the second time. Would definitely recommend. read more

Note: this is a review from a November, 2010 visit to Chicago that I neglected to post. I visited this place for dinner. I had red lentil soup and lamb chops, substituting vegetables for the rice pilaf. The food, ambiance, and service were great. I would definitely visit this place again. read more

so, first of all, we called in a reservations hours before showing up, got there on time, and still had to wait ten minutes for a table. I let it go, knowing it's a small place, and a busy night downtown on friday. The floor manager waited our table most of the night, the hostess actually waited us a couple times, the server finally showed up somewhere near the end of the meal, and then, after paying, some old guy gave me the receipt to sign... huh?...wtf is going on here? I realize when I go Eastern and Indian I might be waited on by multiple people, but this was a little much. I ordered the lamb cous-cous which I believe is what I got the first time I went there with a friend, but I had the distinct feeling the lamb made me sick. My girl got a beef kabob with rice pilaf, and I liked it more than my dish. Also, I am more impressed with the Baba ganoush at Whole Foods than here. Overall, I was kinda disappointed but maybe the service put a foul taste in my mouth. read more

I Absolutely adore the Spinach and Cheese Boereg (stuffed puff pastry pockets), yum! The lentil soup is to die for and you can't go wrong with the delicious sauteed chicken or lamb dishes. Their long closed northwest suburban location was my go-to restaurant for birthday dinners when I was a teenager. For awesome Armenian food there are too few choices in Chicago. Since it's Mediterranean food you will see many similarities to Greek food but the taste is very different. At Sayat they use a subtle blend of spices to flavor the food instead of beating you over the head with lemon flavor. The restaurant itself is kind of small, but kind of cool inside with little alcoves in which many of the tables sit. Service was fine as well. Parking is readily available, but expensive, at the numerous garages in the area. Stop here when shopping on the Magnificent Mile, you won't be disappointed! read more

I walked by this place last week on the way home from the film festival and check it before heading back to a flick on Friday night. I don't think we will be going back there. Nothing was bad, however, nothing in particular was good. If you have never had Armenian food, we hadn't, it is a mix of Greek, Persian & Mediterranean fair. Since we eat all of those types of food often we were looking forward to trying this place and broadly got what we were expecting, sort of. Almost everything we had was extremely bland. The Babganosh was lacking garlic and had a strange flavor, I thought it was Hummous at first. The cheese appetizer we got was also flavorless and not at all like similar dishes I have ordered else where. Think yogurt with oil on it, bland yogurt. The Red Cabbage Salad was actually tasty but again most lacking a bit more lemon and vinegar. The soup the lady got was pretty tasty. The kabob we order was by far the best thing we got and had decent flavor, however, came with what appeared to be instant rice. That and the fact that we only got a quarter of a piece of chopped, grilled green pepper and the heart of a white onion for our $13+ was a bit disappointing. On a whole everything was extremely average. We were the only dinners in there for a bit, it was very early when we arrived, so the vibe in the restaurant was sort of weird. The staff was very friendly and the place is well decorated. The booths are not very comfortable at all. The wine listed is limited but decent. Prices were o.k. for restaurants in the area but nothing we had really popped. Sayat Me's Thinks Not RrL read more

I was pleased to discover, when my friends and I were looking for s place to grab lunch, that there was an Armenian restaurant so close to the hotel. None of us had ever eaten Armenian before, so there was immediate enthusiasm for the idea, and off we went. I ordered the sautéed lamb with onions, green peppers, tomatoes, rice pilaf, while others made lunch out of various appetizers, including the lamajoun (baked Armenian thin-crust pizza topped with savory ground beef, minced onions, peppers, tomatoes and spices), the stuffed grape leaves, baba ghannouj, etc. What was surprising -- at least to someone like me who's never experienced Armenian food -- is that if you'd blindfolded me, placed me at the table, removed the blindfold, told me to start eating, and then asked me where I was, I'd have said a Greek restaurant. I guess the cuisines are so similar that there's not much difference between them. Or at least it didn't seem so in the dishes we ordered. Because of that, while I enjoyed the lunch, and all the food was well-prepared, I was strangely slightly disappointed, because I'd hoped I was doing something more adventurous than it ended up being. I would have liked to try the dinner menu to see how it differed from lunch, but my time in Chicago was too full to allow a return. I'd heard from at least three other groups who visited Sayat Nova during our convention, and they all were pleased with the food. read more

Loved our visit! This is a great place for a romantic dinner. The atmosphere was candlelit and the tables are set back in small, beautiful booths. Our meal was delicious and the server was very friendly. read more

Sayat Nova - View of the bar and candlelit tables. - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The food is pretty good. The hummus was excellent, the meat balls in yogurt sauce was moist and tasty. I would order any of the lamb dishes there. 3 stars for food. Really, where else can you get Armenian food and this restaurant is in my neighborhood. But the service is cold and the pita bread was the oldest pita bread I have ever chewed on. Minus 1 star. read more