Enjoying a family meal is a way to not only enjoy delicious home-made Armenian food, but also to experience true Armenian culture and hospitality. The cuisine is laden with breads, meats and vegetable dishes. Salads are also quite common, as are a number of different fruits which grow naturally around the country.

A lavishly prepared feast in one of the villages of Armenia is an experience that you're bound to cherish!

This Armenia Restaurants Guide gives an indication of what kind of food you can expect to encounter on a trip to Armenia. Further down this page we have named some traditional Armenian meals, as well as a description of what they are, as well as some beverages of which Armenia is quite famous for. These can be purchased during your stay, and our Armenia Shopping Guide will help you decide where best to look, along with offering some other great Armenia souvenir ideas. Eating out in Armenia will be a memorable part of your Armenian holiday and we have listed a number of restaurants which you may wish to dine at during your stay.

You can check out information about what the local Armenian dining scene is like in the destinations below, as well as some of our local suggestions on places to have a meal. We currently have food and cuisine information for:

- Yerevan

Food & Cuisine in Armenia

Armenian Food

Bread - Bread is eaten with almost every meal, and there are two traditional types. One is Lavash, which is flat bread that is then rolled into circles and prepared in tonirs, which are earthenware ovens in the ground. Lavash is usually used to wrap cheese or meat. The other traditional bread is called matnakash.

Dolma - Again, two types of dolma are popular throughout Armenia. Normal dolma is meat wrapped in either cabbage or vine leaves, and then served with garlic and matsoun, which is similar to yoghurt. The other type is known as summer dolma, and is meat stuffed into pepper, tomatoes and aubergines.

Gavar kufte - Minced meat spiced with onions, and then rolled into balls before being boiled. It is normally sliced and served with butter.

Khashlama - Boiled meat and potatoes.

Kebab - Spiced mince meat cooked either in a pan or over a fire.

Harisa - An ancient and traditional meal closely tied to Easter. It is made of wheat and chicken, and many families still serve it on Easter Day.

Spas - A popular soup, consisting of flour and egg, which are then stirred into matsoun.

Fruit - Some of the common fruits throughout Armenia are apples, cherries, mulberries, peaches, pears, strawberries and watermelons. Armenia is also reknowned for its apricots, which are often considered the best in the world.

Armenian Drinks

Armenia is famous for its brandy, vodka and wine. Particularly renowned is Armenian cognac, which was a favourite of the former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. Beer has also been produced since almost biblical times, and is cheap and of reasonably good quality.

Armenian Coffee is similar to Turkish or Greek coffee, thick, dark and sweet. It is usually served with an array of pastries and cakes, and is taken at the end of every meal.