Where is every night, like a weekend night?  That would be in Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia.  For a city of a million and a half or so people, they seem to have as many restaurants as New York.  And everyone is having a good time.  We spent 72 hours, which was not enough, but these are the highlights.

A Little History

Armenia was the first country to declare itself Christian in 300 AD.  The story is linked to Khar Virap.  Legend has it St. Gregory was imprisoned by the king because of his Christian beliefs for 13 years.  He was given only water, though legend has it a local village woman would sneak him food nightly.  St. Gregory would have spent the rest of his life in the dungeon, but the king fell gravely ill.  It turns out St. Gregory was the only one who could cure him.  As the king’s thank you, he declared Armenia a Christian nation.

Yerevan

Yerevan is a unique city, that has some remnants of the Soviet era, but a stronger Italian influence.  They have famed architect Alexander Tamanian to thank for the elegant architecture throughout the city, including the famed Cascade.  The Cascade is a stunning stairway made of limestone.  It’s one of the major landmarks of Yerevan.

Besides architecture though, Yerevan is one of the most lively cities in the world. The social life is seven nights a week; every night is like a weekend. There are restaurants everywhere, that are packed with locals catching up.  The city of Yerevan has about 2.5 million people of whom about a million live in the country.  Its restaurant scene though is as lively as the East Village in New York City on a weekend.

Check out our video for the highlights of Yerevan and Armenia.

The List

Stay

The Alexander 

Eat

Lavash Restaurant Yerevan
Sherep Restaurant
Tumanyan Khinkali
Tsirani Home Restaurant
Vostan Restaurant
In Vino
Casa Nostra
Asador
Katsin
Black Cat
Terazza
Wine republic
Dolmama
Poplavok Jazz Cafe

Music/Jazz Clubs

• Malkhas Jazz Club– let me know if you decide to go.
• Mezzo Classic House Club – they have different music every night.  A lot of jazz.
• Kami Club
• Club 12
• Poplavok Jazz Cafe