We headed downtown for some window shopping. After a few hours, we were both hungry. My husband spotted the restaurant. He'd never heard of Armenian food (and was just getting used to eating Lebanese food). I grew up with many Armenians and hoped this place was good enough to remind me of my childhood.... It didn't disappoint. I had the Lahmajoon, Jajik and Stuffed Eggplant appetizers -- all delicious. My husband had the veggie combo. He liked it all too. The tabouli was delicious, and the lahmajoon was exactly as I remember it. Can't wait to go back. I recommend it highly! read more

I stopped by here for dinner w my parents tonite - this was the ONLY good thing to come from staying @ The Inn of Chicago. This place is a relatively small and quiet restaurant. Be a nice date place. We had the Lebneh, Hummus, and the Red Cabbage Salad. My parents really enjoyed these. For dinner my Dad got the Sarma, Mom go a Lamb Kabob, & I got the Lulla Kabob. I had a really good dinner & enjoyed both the restaurant and the company. read more

Intimate, romantic and not your typical first date spot. Taking her out for Armenian food makes you sound like a wordly, adventurous man. DO IT! Make a reservation! read more

Not as exciting of a place as it could have been. They work hard but my smart. Need to focus on quality of service a bit more. I have been there twice and fell into the place by accident. The food is good, service needs focus, not ride or anything, just can be more friendly and more share and more helpful. Cute place though. read more

The place is nice, the staff is friendly and polite, but the food... we were advised to come to this place for really good kabob, but instead we were very disappointed, because it was just 6 pieces of overcooked meat... with rice??? It wasn't that Armenian kabob we know and were looking for! 2.5 stars. read more

This restaurant has the most delicious Armenian food! We enjoyed our time here , between the atmosphere and the very welcoming staff, we are looking forward to our next visit! read more

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! read more

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. read more

I've walked past Sayat Nova for years and never even noticed it was there. Today I did and stopped for lunch. Besides the booth being too small and the lights flickering on and off the whole time, I enjoyed it. Good service, water glasses always refilled, tasty food and lunch downtown for under $20 makes a return visit a must. My friend and I had the Hommos, Lulla Kabob, a stuffed pita, the Chicken Kabob both with salad and rice. All good, not great but all solid 3 star food. Not sure how dinner is, but I would definitely recommend for lunch. One thing, if your over 6 feet tall or a big person ask for a table not a booth. read more

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. read more

This place is delicious and the small booths are a nice touch. We ordered the cheese boureg b/c of other Yelp reviews we read and it was great. I had the chicken cous cous and am excited that I have leftovers for tomorrow. The only reason it's getting 4 stars is b/c the lights did flicker and change the lighting quite often. It was also pretty warm in there. All-in-all it was a very good restaurant that my boyfriend and I will be going back to. read more

I came here for lunch with an old co-worker during the work day. The food was delicious, perfectly sized portions for lunch and the price was right. My friend had the vegetarian combo and I had the combo #2. Both give a good sampling of the offerings an were delicious. We started with hummus and our total bill was under $30 after tax, before tip. Service was good, not pushy an we were able to dine at our place. Would love to come back here for a night out with friends or maybe even a date. read more

Yesterday was a pretty fantastical day in the city so we were lookin for a great place to sit downtown with a patio and down some hard liquor. I never realized it before, but sidewalk bars are pretty much non-existent on the Mag Mile. Anyhoo, this place had a sidewalk cafe and a sign for margarita, martini, and mojito deals. Score!! At the last minute a couple came up and took the last patio table, so we went in and sat at the bar instead. I actually thought the restaurant was kinda quaint. I can't speak for the food, because we only had drinks, but my rating is for the ambience and the convo with the bartendar. We were the only ones at the bar and the bartender entertained us with his vast knowledge of the city and Armenians... though he was Italian. lol I don't recall his name right now. A glance at the menu told us that they were very reasonable for lunch pricing at $10-12 per entree. We decided we'd be back sometime for food and the bartender gave us a menu to take with us. We ended up drinking the margarita, the martini, and a couple other mixed drinks. When he was told the drink wasn't strong enough, the bartendar topped it off. Sweet! A great afternoon in the city and this bar was worth the stop. I forgoed the top rating because when we first walked into the restaurant, the bar was covered with silverware and preparations for the evening rush. I don't think they expected anyone to sit at the bar. It was promptly cleared, however, and we proceeded to a grand afternoon. read more

Really cute tiny date place. Boys if you are looking for a cutesy 1st date place this is a good one. The booths and lighting are romantic. The food was good. The only reason I didn't give it 4 stars was because it is on the pricey side but thats Streeterville I guess. It was a fun night to go to dinner but I'm not sure if I would return only because there are a lot of similar restaurants in the city. Personally, I liked Kan Zaman better though it isn't Armenian but it does serve similar dishes and has BYOB which helps the bill . read more

Never tried Armenian food before, so I went there with an Armenian friend. The experience was great. I expected something in between Russian and Turkish food style, but it was something totally different. Unfortunately, I had a small appetite that day, so I only tried the Kibbee, but it was absolutely delicious. Pay close attention to the sweet perfume of herbs and the taste of lamb... I loved that! Wish I was hungry enough to try the different appetizers, such as Hummus and Labneh which looked delicious... Will come back someday for those ones! Also, a few words about the place. It is quiet and peaceful, but very close to the Magnificent Mile, so the location is perfect. They have a lovely small terrace with only 3 or 4 tables, it makes it so cozy! Finally, the service was absolutely perfect. read more

My only complain is that they put very few amount of food at the plates , I never felt enough when eating there while hungry !! Come on it's Armenian NOT FRENCH resturant. The food is ok but doesn't seems armenian . I didn't like the sarma which is grape leaves dilled with rice because it's sweet which it shouldn't taste like this . The chicken kabab and pilaf are good . I also like lahmajon . Overall Id rather go to turkish or middle eastern resturant If I had to choose one . read more

Great place to visit. Lamb kebab is the best I have ever had! Hummus and Baba ganoush are great also. The architecture inside is fabulous and they had live music when we stopped by for dinner. My favorite! read more

Sayat Nova - Kebab combo - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I ate here for lunch with my husband today and asked the bartender if the restaurant's dinner menu has more Armenian staple dishes such as "mante". He then changed what I said and misled the owner to believe that I had said something else. The bartender took what I said out of context and unfortunately instead of the owner clarifying with us he got very defensive and scolded us for something we literally didn't even say. We gracefully tried to clarify on three occasions and got interrupted each time. I am an Armenian from Dallas and was so excited to support another Armenian during my visit in Chicago but am sadly disappointed in this game of "telephone" turning into a big escalation. I don't appreciate that the bartender misconstrued what I said and started drama and I am upset that the owner ran with it without first clarifying with the customer. This could have all been avoided and is a big case of miscommunication that should have been handled better. The food was good but unfortunately I couldn't enjoy it after that. read more

Loved the mezza platter, ambiance, and service. Definitely a must-try in Chicago!

Great food, helpful and courteous staff, very good cocktails. We really liked this restaurant, and went back twice during our stay in Chicago. Their red cabbage salad is really good, very lemony, and goes well with their other dishes. We had beef and lamb kabobs and lamb chops. Their lamb chops were possibly the best I have ever had. Definitely will go back the next time we travel to Chicago. Bathrooms were nice and clean, and I thought their prices were reasonable. read more

I would have given this place 3 stars, because the food is, on average, a little better than 'ok.' But there are some AMAZING dishes. Their red lentil soup is sooo good, as are the meatballs in yogurt sauce. Their spanikopita is awesome too. And for a (literal) hole in the wall, the decor really sets the mood nicely (though to be fair, my boyfriend thought I was dragging him to some killer's lair). read more

The best stuffed grape leaves I've ever had- nuff said... Okay, I'll say a little more. I lived right next door to this place for 5 years and ate there about once a week, so I guess you could say I'm a fan. Such good Mediterranean, no matter what you order. And the decor is nice and warm and authentic without feeling "themey" Sort of feels like a place you'd expect to find in Cappadocia, Turkey. Oh, and if you get in good with the staff, maybe they'll light up a hooka and play some backgammon with you on a slower night. read more

I have a love/hate relationship with the French Martinis- they are liquid death but soooo delicious. You can't have just one but after falling into a man's belly on the bus, I regretted having 3! Did I mention that they are only $6?? The mouthwatering homemade hummus is THE best I've ever had. Great $5 lunch and with warm pita bread! I've converted many of my friends who all agree. The ambiance and decor is great. Also, the staff and owner are friendly (Hi Andrew! Hi Rupin!), charismatic and non-pretentious. Don't take my word for it, see for yourself! read more

Sayat Nova - Can you tell how much we love the French Martinis?? - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The service was impeccable and everyone was very attentive. Despite the store front look, once you enter the restaurant you are taken to another time and place. We began the meal with the Hummus(it was excellent) and Vegetarian stuffed Grape leaves, these were delightful and not overly acidic. The lentil soup lived up to its reputation and I could have made a meal from soup and hummus. For the entree course, I had the vegetarian combo. The Plaki was excellent but the tabbouleh suffered a little from out of season tomatoes. The meal was capped off with a cup of lightly sweetened mint tea. All around excellent read more

I went to Sayat Nova with my boyfriend for a romantic dinner date. It was everything we expected it to be and better! We made reservations beforehand and were seated at the best table in the restaurant, private and comfortable but with a great view of the beautiful restaurant. Service was great, we never had to wait too long for a waiter to stop by and our waters were refilled any time they weren't full. I had the Armenian Sampler and he had the Kebab Combination plate, and we split the Baba Ganoj appetizer and the Baclava for dessert. Everything was very tasty and the portions were great. We will definitely be coming back to this place! read more

We went here over the July 4th weekend. My husband has Armenian roots, so we were looking for an authentic Armenian restaurant to try. This restaurant is not the case, unfortunately. The atmosphere is calm and well thought out. On the menu there are dishes that you can get anywhere, not something that is uniquely Armenian. Traditional Armenian dishes that my husband grew up on were nowhere to be found on this menu. The portions are very small for the price that they charge. We spent over a hundred dollars and left hungry. The meals are tasty and well made, but for the price and not being authentically Armenian, I could have ate the same in Cheese Cake Factory. read more

I came to this place one time when travelling to Chicago back in 2016. The melting taste of their barbecued chicken? is the softest meat I ever got in life. And I remember that their proportion was good since my friend and I could not finish the meat. read more

A very cozy restaurant if you are interested in no frills Mediterranean like cuisine. We were there for dinner and most of us ordered some sort of a Kebab. It was all very good and simple. The appetizers were good as well. Portions were large and entrees come with a soup or salad. Wine can be purchased by the glass and house wine can be purchased by half or full carafe. This is a cheap alternative to buying the whole bottle. The service was good. The staff accommodated our large group and was nice enough to add an extra table to late comers to our group. This is a hidden, unpretentious restaurant among the fancy steak houses in the neighborhood. If you are interested in some simple food and good service at a very reasonable price, I highly recommend this place. read more

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! read more

Fantastic lamb kebab, a great, cheap house red that paired well with the meat dishes and generous portions - all delivered to our table in excellent time by our server. Even better than the food was the atmosphere. One friend at our table commented that it felt like the alien hookah bar in Star Wars: the space is small, but the plaster walls and backlit cutouts behind the booths give it a really intimate, possibly romantic feel - if that's what you're going for. Outdoor seating available, too. The owner, a very sweet old Armenian man, wandered in and out (not in a creepy way) and you could tell he was familiar with the regulars. Overall, can't wait to go back! read more

Dinner on a weekday. The waiter was not as attentive as we would have liked, but that is also probably because they had a huge private party in the back. We ordered Lamajoun, which is a pizza with ground lamb. It was baked pita bread with a ground lamb paste, which was a bit too dry, but decent. We ordered two entrees - Chicken Cous Cous with sautéed spinach, and Chicken Kebabs. The entrees came with a side of soup or salad, and we got the lentil soup and salad, which were both really good. The entrees themselves tasted good, except that after I ate a few bites, I got really saturated, it was really too rich and tangy for my taste. The portions are huge, and one entree would be good to split between two people, especially if you ordered an appetizer and had soup or salad. I would probably skip this place next time unless I have a sudden hankering for very filling Armenian food. read more

GoVeg's review was spot on. This is a great location with a really intimate interior. The service is great, more of a family owned and run place where everyone serves you and takes care of any needs you might have. Quite attentive and very helpful. The food varies, there are some dishes that are spot on and other that are just average. Last time I was there we had the grape leaves which had good flavor but were a little on the tough and chewy side. The kebabs were well cooked, but lacked a Mediterranean flair. A few of the vegetarian options were a little bland, but also well cooked. Our visiting guest had the lamb and it was well received. The pitas are a bit dry and could be better. Overall this is a decent middle-eastern restaurant with nice staff and reasonable food. The prices are a bit on the high end for what you get, so for that reason it drops it more to a 3 star than a 4, but it's a solid choice if you're in the mood for middle-eastern / Armenian and are in the area. read more

Great location and well-priced. They took a reservation without hassle, and even added someone to our party with no questions asked. Delicious food and beautiful decor. read more

great place and delicious food I went here with my friend , we ordered spinach boreg very tasty and lahmajoun was flavorful .. 100 out of 5 kufteh (meatballs with yogurt & mint , as I think yogurt gave a really wonderful flavor .. I'd definitely come back here for "lahmajoun " :D read more

For my first foray into Armenian food I sampled a number of the combo dishes. Pleasantly surprised by all. The red cabbage and white beans were especially tasty followed closely by the grape leaves. The service was friendly and not overly attentive. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking to try things Mediterranean with a slight flavor twist. read more

Mediocre food; bad service; over priced. If you have ever had decent Armenian or broadly Middle Eastern food (indeed, this place doesn't have many very common and delicious typical Armenian dishes such as muhammara), avoid this place. Flavorless, not fresh vegetables, slimy spinach -- food is the quality of a college dorm caterer attempting (and failing) to achieve Middle Eastern basics. Slow service, and waiters (there were many who all managed to get things wrong) communicated with one another and with us poorly. It was a slow night too -- a Sunday night, maybe 4 other tables occupied when we were there. Most tragic of all, they managed to ruin knafeh! Don't take anyone here who has eaten good Middle Eastern food before. read more

Went with a friend and I love it. We sat at the bar and the bartender was amazing. I stared with the Mezzanine Sampler with taboule (it's a cold food) and sarma (so delicious). The sarma was delicious!!!! I love lamb and this lamb was tender and spiced right. I also love that you can get your food with extra spice. I moved to the lulls kebab. I did ask for a sauce to go on my rice because I felt the rice was dry. I got the garlic yogurt sauce and it did the trick. The kebab needs no help it's perfect on its own. Definitely worth trying! read more

I'm Armenian and the food here reminds me of my grandmothers cooking. It feels like home away from home. Love the staff and the live music. If you're in town or live here I would highly recommend this place. read more

We had a wonderful lunch here! The tabouleh was fresh and flavorful, as was the hummus. The portion of kibbeh was generous. The grilled shrimp were great...not overcooked. Service was very good too. read more

After seeing a show at the Navy Pier IMAX, we selected Sayat Nova as our dinner choice. I was disappointed. When being seated, we were placed in one of the side booths for our party of four. We had to obtain an extra chair so that two were seated in the booth and two in chairs. The booth was very uncomfortable and made us feel very tight. Also, the table space was tight. The server was one of the bright spots since he pointed out elements of the menu that we might have missed. The music was out of place - it was music with a heavy bass beat that sometimes made it impossible to hear the person across the table. Also, conversations here tended to be loud. Well, you say, what about the food? Well the food was OK. I remember from years back when the food here was special in the way they presented it and the uniqueness. Honestly, the poor music and the uncomfortable seating put me in a bad frame of mind to enjoy the food. I will say that my food was fine. I ordered the stuffed chicken breast and it was tasty. However, sad to say, it will be a long time before I return to Sayat Nova. The atmosphere is what it is and if you feel comfortable, you may like it better than I did. read more