This is a good close place for lunch if you're at Northwestern med center campus. Â They're pretty quick with the food. Â The hummus is outstanding (of course, that should be difficult to get wrong), baba ganoush and tabouleh are very good as well. Â I usually get the app trio of the three as my meal. Â It's reasonably priced, but given that there is always seating and it comes with endless pita, this place works for me. Â One bummer is that they have RC as their cola on tap. Â Of course, I'm a diet coke fan, so that's the one drawback. Â They do have an excellent assortment of loose teas which are great during the winter time.
Review Source:I can't believe I never reviewed Sayat Nova.
I've been to this place for some after hours parties in the past and those were fun. Â Didn't have anything to do with the restaurant, though.
So a group of friends went here for dinner once. Â I have to say, NONE of us was satisfied. Â First of all the vegetarian options were quite limited. Â I'm not picky... in the sense that as long as there's 1-2 decent options I won't complain. Â It's been so long, I don't even remember what I ordered, but I do know I didn't really like it. Â And the price?! Â This place was way over-priced.
So solely based on that experience, I wouldn't give them 1 star. Â Paired with my own experience, I know none of my friends (none of whom are vegetarians, by the way) enjoyed what they had either. Â It was the same comments from everyone - too expensive and food could've been better.
Service-wise, it was fine. Â Nothing out of the oridinary - either in a good way or bad.
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
Went there on a business trip last week after seeing the good reviews. I was quite a bit disappointed. We have a few appetizers to share, and they came up a bit bland. But the big disappointment was the lamb couscous. I LOVE couscous, the one go get in small, non-descript restaurants in the parisian suburbs, loaded with rich broth, crispy merguez and great harissa. This one had some overcooked semolina, covered with small cubes of boiled turnips and a couple of pieces of boiled lamb. The portion was small and for the price ($17 if I recall), that was quite sad. The highlight of the dinner was the wine, a great Lebanese red that was really a mouthful. Service itself was OK, no more. All in all, I paid over $200 for 5 of us, which was quite expensive for the mediocre experience.
Review Source:Armenians are a funny bunch, they are talkative and very welcoming and warm. My friend came here from Hollywood knowing absolutely nobody, but because he looks like an Armenian warrior <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F10qICra&s=f07e67f9fac2d367d4ee1825f162365e76a51ea3b01f9a440508bdf4dd957818" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/10qICra</a> and he is Armenian, he made friends with the owner here right away. The owner is a really nice dude who took the place over from his dad. He sat with us for awhile and chatted. Anyway about the place:
Excellent little known place that my famous Armenian actor friend took me to. You kind of have to know what to get in a place like this, with all this FOREIGN cuisine.
Lentil soup - it was the yellow and this was wonderful. Very tangy and complex.
Beef kabobs - Nice one, made me burp crazy gross stuff for the next few days but whatever bro, I am from the streets.
Hommos - excellent, well done, very tasty, I wish I could get this everywhere, but it seems like nobody can do it consistently.
Spinach Boureg - like a wonderful spanikopita, but I am sure every Armenian dude will argue that they came up with it first until their beards fall off.
Lamajoun - WOW man, this was exceptional, I have never had this before, and it is for sure worth returning to get some on a cold night. Really nice with the sauce it comes with.
Armenian Sangria - I know this has a different name but it was a special, when it is on the menu, try to get it its devine. Tastes alot like a spanish sangria but I didn't want to say anything that would make anyone lose their beards.
Give them a shot if you are looking for someplace intimate and cozy with a very reasonably priced menu for being in the loop. I will return to try the chocolate mousse and grape leaves. Not together. I guess that depends on how much sangria I consume.
How is it possible that I have never written a review for Sayet Nova??? MY family has literally been coming here for three decades. It's my mother's favorite restaurant and she has lived all over the world. I have never had a bad time here, ever. I love the ambiance, the family-ownership, the intimacy, the deliciously authentic food and the exemplary service. Favorite dishes include hummus (I make my own, Lebanese style, and this rivals it), the amazing lentil soup, shrimp kebabs and the truly thoughtful wine selections. For dessert, try the custard. It's a bit like flan, but better. And don't miss the mint tea! If you are a meat eater, which I am not, I have heard only good things about the lamb. I'm very thankful that in a world of crappy chains and rising rents, Sayet Nova has persevered!
Review Source:I couldn't decide...everything looked so good!! Â Finally settled on the Armenian combo which included: Â sarma (grape leaves with minced lamb), boereg (phyllo dough triangles with cheese), Â and eggplant. Â 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. Â actually everything was awesome down to the lentil soup.
I wish there was a Sayat in LA.
I had never had armenian food before. It  seemed very Mediterranean and was a very good place. It wasn't crowded. We had an olives and cheese plate, a delicious hummus dish, and a decent babaganoush plate. We also had a chicken kabob which was more like chicken sausage, but very tasty. I would definitely return.
Review Source:Huge disappointment. Got there with a reservation, restaurant was 2/3 empty and the host takes us to a tiny table across from the noisy bar and wedged up against the entrance to the stairway to the bathrooms. When I asked for a different table, she  pointed to another table so we took it. Not a great start. We were still eating our first course when the waiter showed up with the soup (comes with dinner) and he just plopped it down and walked away. Then while we were still eating the soup, and the first course dishes were STILL on the table, the waiter shows up with our main courses. So really crappy service. As for the food, my partner liked his chicken dish. I had lamp couscous; lamb was gray, overlooked, dry, virtually I edible.  We couldn't wait to get out of there.
Review Source:We had dinner during prime time on a Friday night. We were seated right away, and the place was busy as all get out. This was a wonderful dining experience. I am Armenian and make many of these dishes myself, however due to regional considerations, they were spiced or prepared slightly differently than my family prepares them. Nonetheless, the food is outstanding, and I consider myself as knowing a little bit about this type of food.
The two of us ordered four appetizers and two main courses. The tourshee (pickled vegetables) were amazing, spiced with turmeric and were wonderful to munch between tastings of the different appetizers. The raw kibbe was extraordinary - it's quite different than the way we make it, however, the addition of almond slivers gave it a royal flavor, and the presentation was impressive. Raw meat is quite unpopular in the US, but trust me, this is worth trying, and quite safe to eat. It is a MUST at this restaurant. The rice pilaf is absolutely delightful here. I make it quite regularly and my family grew up on it and everyone's pilaf is a little different. This pilaf tastes just like my grandmother used to make - I was in heaven. We also had the cheese boreg. My guest loved it, but I, myself, found it a little bland - but that is ONLY because I grew up with a different version. It's certainly something a patron should try. The four appetizers between the two of us was plenty of food, and we could have left without ordering another dish at all. I, however, wanted to have their kufteh (meatballs) in yogurt soup, and I wanted to taste their seasoning on the lamb shish kabob.
The kufteh in yogurt soup is the best I've ever tasted. Even better than my grandmothers. The rich yogurt broth is the perfect compliment to the kufteh's. The kufteh's are stuffed meatballs and the seasoning and spices in the filling is what tends to vary from region to region. The filling on these were quite old world and delicious, with hints of cinnamon and other spices that gave it a rich flavor. The lamb shish kabob was to die for! Extraordinarily tender, seasoned well, and done to perfection. We ordered the red lentil soup as a side dish instead of salad, and it too was rich and flavorful; although, it didn't appear that they were red lentils, rather green ones. Nonetheless, still an outstanding taste.
All in all, this restaurant is quite a gem. All of the foods are ultra high quality and the service was excellent. I live in the suburbs and cannot get down to Michigan and Ohio easily, but whenever I am in the area, I will try to make a special visit here. Anyone, whether they are Armenian or not, will find that the food is different, but delicious, authentic, and prepared with care.
Recommend you check out the Armenian specialties! I got the Armenian sampler with a lamb meatball in a yogurt sauce, 3 rice and meat stuffed great leaves, an a marvelous eggplant and tomato concoction, and a phyllo dough and cheese pie thing. all were very well seasoned, obviously prepared with great care. All are labeled in Armenian on the menu (; I was very happy with all aspects of my experience here. The Armenian brandy is quite good as is the ktafi dessert, which is basically cheese and shredded wheat. the "turkish" coffee served was also perfect. I sat at the bar, the bartender was a friendly, chill guy. The restrooms are very nice and quite clean. The place has a somewhat romantic ambience, good for a date Methinky.. Armenian music is playing to add to the atmosphere. I saw several Armenians dining here.
Review Source: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.
Sayat Nova is a real gem. Â It is a family-run restaurant that has been downtown for forty years, a rarity in a downtown Chicago.
Armenian food is similar to Lebanese food, which more Chicagoans seem to know. Â Sayat Nova has Armenian versions of hummus, baba ghannouj, grape leaves, kabobs, couscous, etc....
The food is delicious, healthy, and very affordable. Â Some of my favorite dishes are the Armenian Combo, the Vegetarian Combo, and the Chicken Couscous. Â The combos are great ways to try lots of dishes. Â
The restaurant is cozy. Â I love the little booths with candles. Â It is very comfortable. Â (When I introduced my parents to my boyfriend, this is where I chose. Â I feel like that says a lot!) Â
I really enjoyed a red wine from Lebanon but there is a full bar, if you prefer cocktails.
We had never had Armenian food, so wanted to give this place a try. The owners were working the whole place (pretty much) and were really busy. The place is beautiful. V romantic. Booths are cozy and look like little private stone houses with lovely carvings backlit with 'flame'.
They have nice wine and sangria. Appetizers are standard Mediterranean fare, stuffed grape leaves, hummus, baba ganouj, pickled cabbage, but spiced differently. Very mild but flavorful. The stuffed meatballs in yogurt soup were yummy. The Armenian platter had stuffed eggplant, stuffed grape leaves, kofta - all lovely. The lentil soup is excellent.
Had the rich chocolate mousse cake for desert, and the coffee which was very good.
What a pleasant little surprise! I've walked past this place numerous times and never went in because the exterior really didn't look like much. Feeling rather adventurous last night, I walked in and discover it to be dark & romantic. Really like the booths!
We started out with warm pita & hummus, which was delicious. A small house salad was included with our entrees and it had an interesting vinaigrette, I especially loved the tart red cabbage. Entrees we tried were veggie cous cous and sarma platter. I've often encountered dry tasteless cous cous, but there was none of that here. The cous cous was fluffly with veggies stewed in tomato-based sauce. The sarma was also delicious, but what really won me over was the melt-in-your-mouth stuffed eggplant.
Service was attentive but not over-bearing. Our water glasses were never empty. I'd come back in a heartbeat!
First experience with Armenian food so I can't compare, but the flavors were excellent. Â The cheese boreag was light and fluffy. Â Both the salad and main course (Kupta) featured mint in the description, but it was not over powering. Â Atmosphere was quaint. Â Highly recommend if in the area.
Review Source:What a great find. Â Trusted my fellow Yelper's for this location and I was not let down. Â Small dining area by great service and food. Â It was right off Michigan Ave and easy to find.
We always enjoying non chain location and this was a great find. Â Make sure you give them a chance.
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!
The food here was divine. Â We couldn't have asked for a better meal, more stellar service, or a more welcoming environment for a long early-evening dinner. Â The vegetarian options I tried were delicious, and my husband's kibbeh was just like his Lebanese uncle used to make on the holidays - both of us were incredibly pleased with our experience and will return as soon as we're able.
Review Source:A coworker and I went here for take out today.
He got the vegetarian combo and I got combo #2. The descriptions on the menu did NOT match what we were given.
His was supposed to have couscous, tabouleh, 2 pieces of goereg (philo dough stuffed with cheese or spinach).
Instead: lettuce with a slice of tomato, dressing, small cup of soup, one piece of goereg, plain white rice.
Mine was stuffed eggplant, goereg, tabouleh, and i think something else.
I got one piece of stuffed eggplant, one goereg, lettuce, tomato, side of soup.
That's just sad. Not worth the 9.95, pathetic.
Really dissatisfied.
As a child and now a grown man - I have never uttered in speech or writing the word "yummy." Â Today, will be the first.
The Kibbee I ordered at Sayat Nova was 'ABSOLUTELY YUMMY!"
For three full minutes, I ignored my lunch date - not intentionally  though. Who goes on dates to channel the energy of Charlie Chaplin? Exactly - not me either.
I didn't know that much time had passed as I tasted one of the best miracles known to man - Jajik Yogurt Sauce. Â I even dipped my baked ground lamb in it and let me tell you, it was absolutely pleasurable.
It's located east of Michigan Avenue and west of St. Clair in the Streeterville area. But don't give away all of your attention to the army of pigeons that dominate the area.
If you do, you'll walk right by one of the best Armenian restaurants Chicago has to offer - inconveniently the size of a cafe with very little distinctive outside decor.
But I'll tell you a secret - what it loses in decorated facades - it makes up for in interior miraculous-ness!
The owner is a Lebanese Armenian, so obviously one should expect the menu to be tilted in an Arab direction compared to other Armenian restaurants. Not that that should bother most white people, who whenever they go to any restaurant representing the cuisine of a country within a thousand kilometres of any Arab state immediately ask for falafel and hummus. Anyway, I was unimpressed with the lahmajoun, and I take lahmajoun VERY seriously, so they couldn't attain five stars on that count alone. All the rest of the food however, was definitely good. I had the trout, which was quite nice, and one of the other members of our party had the kabab (don't know which of the many spellings of that word Armenians prefer when writing in English), which she was reportedly pleased with. The börek was nice, and they serve good 3araq. Of course, no one in the region would dare serve coffee without claiming it as their own, so have some "Armenian coffee" (for the curious, coffee cultivation began in the Horn of Africa and left Africa via Yemen)
All in all, I was satisfied and if you're a tourist in Chicago it's worth it to stop in. Although I'm sure there is some better Syrian restaurant elsewhere in the city, the location is very convenient.
In a touristy area, it's a nice respite from the likes of PF Chang's, Buca di Beppo and Grand Lux Cafe.
Located just east of Michigan Avenue, this is another one of those places that I've walked by countless times in my life and wished I'd given it a try sooner. Ah, such is life before Yelp.
Well, better late than never. I met my friend here for dinner and based on her review, and the fact that she lives mere blocks away, I knew she'd be down for going here. I'd never had Armenian food before but the cuisine is similar to Lebanese and Greek, and I happen to love both, so I was pretty sure I'd like this place.
I arrived early and got seated in a cozy booth and started to look at the menu. The music that was playing definitely sounded familiar...it turned out to be the Armenian muzak version of "Paint It Black." How funny is that?
I started with an Effen Cucumber cocktail that proved to be very refreshing on a warm, early-spring evening and my friend arrived and ordered the same.
We caught up a bit and decided to order some baba ghannouj to start. It arrived with triangles of pita bread. I thought the baba ghannouj was just average (it was a bit stringy) and wished the pita bread was warm, but it didn't stop me from eating my fair share.
For entrees, my friend ordered the 'Armenian combo' and I ordered the lamb shish kebab. The combo is a great way to try a little bit of everything, which is great for first timers. I enjoyed my shish kebab as well. The lamb was tender and flavorful, but erred on the side of being a smidgen overcooked (that's just a personal preference though). The basmati rice pilaf was a perfect side dish and it also came with some grilled veggies. Â Mains come with your choice of a salad with mint vinaigrette or lentil soup. It was a bit warm for soup but I wished I would've gotten it as my friend always gets it when she comes here, and the salad was nothing special.
We declined dessert but our waiter let us sit and talk and we didn't feel rushed, even though it was quite busy by that time.
I really liked Sayat Nova and I will definitely return. It's an oasis in a sea of corporate eateries and the prices are more than reasonable for the area. Plenty of options for vegetarians and as well as meat eaters. It's ideal for a date, a group, or just to have a leisurely meal with a friend. Â And besides, it reminds me of this song that I recently rediscovered (which I love):
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DYsSa8Whfp9A&s=3f862fb01ac93649908ba9b29340a38be6d3cd0f9515c07d3103e0f62dca87ae" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>
One of our favorite work places to eat lunch downtown off Michigan Avenue and for a moderate price. We have our favorite waiter (with the mustache - excellent excellent to dine with) and the food is wonderful. We love the number 8 and 9 (chicken and rice/lamb with rice) and we go there quite often. It's quiet, on the dark side (unless you sit by the windows) and extremely comfortable. Everyone that works there is terrific and very friendly.
We love this place, hands down.
The hummus is great (as are all of their other appetizers) and if you ask they'll bring you fresh veggies to dip in addition to pita bread. The Armenian coffee is a great pick-me-up before going back to work and basically everything they have is really good. I love the fish (with lemon and cilantro). And if you ask they will substitute grilled veggies for their signature rice (which is also great).
I highly recommend this place for lunch, dinner, for a group, etc. They have a nice wine selection and their mojitos are terrific too. Try it... you'll like it... Trust me.
On a snowy day in January, I was offered an opportunity to lunch with a good friend of mine at Sayat Nova, and Armenian restaurant along Ohio in the Streeterville neighborhood that's been there for like 200 hundred years. Â Ok, maybe not that long, but I do recall going past there as a KID when they had a very large blue sign...that's all changed now. Â Aaaaaand, you might be asking, as I was all week that week, what exactly is Armenian cuisine? Â Being the Armenian neophyte that I am, I automatically generalized it as "middle eastern". Â And. although the pictures and some of the names may seem familiar, I assure you, Sayat Nova is most definitely NOT generic "middle eastern" eats.
Let's just go to what I had....FOR LUNCH (indeed I fell asleep in my cube...it was a sweet slumber):
We started with a Mezza sampler that included Hommos, Yalanchi Sarma/Sarma, and Spinach Boerg. Â I have to say that the Hommos is the best I've ever had. Â Honestly. Â It is made by hand every day, and I understand they use actually dried chick peas that are re-hydrated, then mashed and mixed with appropriate spices. Wow. Â The Sarma, which are stuffed grape leaves, were delicious as well -- one sweet with rice and raisins and pine nuts and goodness, and the other savory with minced lamb and rice and deliciousness. And, don't get me started on the Spinach Boerg -- sauteed spinach, cheese and scooped up with warm pita. Â Right?
Then we had Lamajoun. The only way I can explain it, just like SN does in their menu, is that it is a thin-crust pizza-style appetizer that has ground lamb, with onion and spices, spread all over the surface, baked until the "crust" is blistery and crispy, and, I couldn't manage to stuff more into my mouth. Â It became the favorite dish from lunch that day -- I can NOT wait to go back and have more. Â
Aaaaaand, now for the lunch entrees -- yes plural, I said entreeS!
We had Kibbee and Lulla Kebab. Â First, the Kibbee, which, to me at first sight appeared to be "baklava"....I soon learned it was layers of cracked wheat and ground lamb baked into a savory, toothsome, hearty little bit of absolute delight. Â The ground lamb can also be ordered as Raw Kibbee (the appetizer), but baked between layers of cracked wheat became something different, and just as tasty, altogether.
Lulla Kebab looks like a "hamburger patty" in a pita, but apart from its appearance there is NOTHING burger-like about it whatsoever. Â The ground lamb kebab was moist and flavorful...the pita was good, but is mainly there as a "handle" to transport that fantastic kebab to your mouth. Â Slather as much Jajik (garlicky yogurt with cucumbers and mint) as you can all over it, then shove it as fast as you can into your mouth. Â Do it before your dining companions can get any, it's THAT good.
Oh, yeah, if the food doesn't wow you, the beautiful interior sure will. Â Gorgeous space, and totally unexpected as you enter off of Ohio. Â
This is not standard "Mediterranean" or "Middle Eastern" cuisine -- it is Armenian, I swear, there is a huge difference, just pay attention to what you're eating and you will be able to tell....I SWEAR IT. Â Excellent value for the price. Â And, the owner is such a warm and friendly guy who greets you with a big smile and hearty handshake. Â I really enjoy it here...and, even if you're not a regular, you will too.
Really cute tiny date place. Â Boys if you are looking for a cutesy 1st date place this is a good one. Â The booths and lighting are romantic. Â The food was good. Â 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. Â Personally, I liked Kan Zaman better though it isn't Armenian but it does serve similar dishes and has BYOB which helps the bill .
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.
Last week fellow Yelper Brett L. and I were trying to find a place in downtown Chicago for a meet up. Â After much hand wringing and throwing of things against the proverbial wall, Brett said "how about Armenian?" To which I replied, "huh?" Â It's just not something one usually hears. Â It's almost like saying "how about that new Viking food place over on Venice?" Â But I digress. Â The food here was delicious, the cuisine not unlike a sublime love child of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean style food. Â
I got the Armenian Combo, which came with Sarma, Boereg, Kufta, and Eggplant. Â Don't ask me to explain what each of those were, because if you put them side by side and asked me "which one is the Boereg?" I couldn't tell you. Â But they all were delicious. Â
Actually, I do remember one. Â The Sarma was lamb in grape leaves cooked in a light garlic sauce. Â You could also get it vegetarian if you wanted. Â
Brett got Kufta, Armenian-style meatballs stuffed with diced lamb, spices, hot yogurt mint soup. Â It tasted far better than it looked. Â
The overall ambiance was subtly romantic, perfect for our budding bromance. Â Topped it off with an Armenian beer and we were set.
Sayat Nova is one of my favorite restaurants in the country. Â Even though I live in Austin I travel to Chicago a good deal and spent two years flying back and forth for business school. Â Sayat Nova was (and is) a regular stop for me. Â I'm Armenian and much of this food is similar to what I grew up with - cheese boureg, lahmajoon, and kebabs are very similar to foods my family made.
I've read several reviews in here that say that the food isn't authentic armenian. Â I think that depends on where your family came from. Â This is very much like the food that I grew up with - my family came from the village of Moosh in the old country. Â Many armenians come from Persia, Georgia, or other countries and the food IS very different. Â Not better or worse, just different.
Bottom line, the food is excellent, the prices are reasonable, the location is great (Ohio and Michigan), and the ambience is dark but comfortable.
Definitely worth a visit. Â Wish I could give six stars.
Note: I have NOTHING to do with this restaurant. Â I just love it and have for several years.
Romantic, romantic, romantic!
Do you get that? Â This place is romantic. Â
Dark, cozy coves with rounded booths and candlelit tables, and what I can best describe as Moroccan influenced decor. Â
Now on to the food.
I've never had Armenian food so dining here was definitely a trip out of my comfort zone.  I ordered the Armenian Combo which consisted of  sarma, boereg, kufta, and eggplant. Â
The boerg (cheese stuffed phyllo) was a cheesy pastry heaven. Â
I really enjoyed the kufta which is a meatball stuffed with diced lamb and spice and served in a hot yogurt mint sauce. Â This was by far my favorite portion of the dinner.
I wasn't a fan of the sarma and that doesn't mean it was bad. Â It just wasn't my cup of tea.
My boyfriend had the Kabob Combo. Â The beef and chicken were oh so delicious! Â Like, mouthwatering delicious. Â
We opted for the Mahalebeya for desert. Â I liken it to flan in regards to its consistency. Â It was good and big enough for two to enjoy.
A side note: Â This place was recently reviewed on Check Please, so get there before its overrun with Check Pleasians.
University of Chicago students come here for "house" dinners in hordes and a select few "in the know" hit it up for the afterhours night scene. Believe it or not, this place turns into a bumping club at night with fabulous music. But only on the right nights though....one time a friend and I got our signals crossed and walked upstairs into what was clearly a 50 year old men's gay bikers bar night. Being 21, female, straight and decked out in BCBG, my friend and I were *fierce*...and totally out of place. We glanced at each other and did the polite thing: rotated 180 in unison and made a beeline for the door.
One of the better-kept secrets on the Mag Mile, Sayat's right off Michigan and if you didn't know to look for it, you'd probably walk right past it. It's not quite a hole in the wall. It certainly doesn't have the glamour that most downtown restaurants radiate, but it doesn't have the ridiculous wait, either.
To sum up, Sayat Nova totes:
Traditional Armenian - I've gotten thumbs up from various cultural foodies across the board. their meat is *delicious* and no, that wasn't dirty. they do their vegetarian well also. hummus is a little lacking though.
Dim lighting - very intimate and cozy, good for a romantic dinner where you want all the attention on yourselves
Reasonable pricing - about $15 a plate
I'm not gonna lie, I was torn at first between being super excited that an Armenian restaurant existed and being skeptical that anyone could make Armenian food even nearly as good as my grandma/aunt/mom/etc. However, for those who care about authenticity: they do Armenian food right here.
My parents came to town and wanted to take me and Stacey A out to dinner. My mom remembered that I had mentioned that there was this Armenian restaurant in Chicago, so we said "hey, let's get kebabs!" and headed down to Sayat Nova.
Ignore the scaffolding and whatnot near the door. There might be construction going on outside, but the inside is cozy. It's a little bit dark, and there are these fabulous cut-out lanterns hanging from the ceiling (I want them for my house). There's traditional Armenian music played at a volume that's audible but not distracting. The tables are big enough to hold your plates, but otherwise quite small - it makes conversation really easy. My boyfriend commented that if it were an Italian restaurant instead of an Armenian one, it'd be just the kind of place you take someone to dinner before you whack them.
Get the boeregs. I'm pretty sure cheese boeregs are my absolute favorite food on the planet, but I am just too lazy to spend hours folding the phyllo dough into little triangles. Sayat Nova has GIANT boeregs, and they're on par with my grandma's (although I like mine a little bit burnt, and the ones here are just golden brown).
Even if you're new to Armenian food, you'll like the kebabs. I got the shish because I always feel like chicken kebabs get too dry, but the combo is really great because you can get the lulla (beef + lamb) too. The rice pilaf is amazing, and tastes almost identical to the kind my mom makes - maybe a little bit less buttery, but still delicious.
Bottom line? I'm Armenian and I approve. I'm psyched that I can come in and get cheese boeregs instead of spending 3 hours making them myself.
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