Armenia – Yerevan

It was great to finally be able to return to Armenia. Since the Pandemic and my own bout with COVID we have had our travels to Armenia delayed repeatedly. I always cherish the time we get to spend with our “God Kids.”

I often joke that Armenia is “the end of the road.” It truly feels that way when it comes to Armenia. Our flight was a short flight from Warsaw, Poland to Yerevan. However, it was one of the very last flights leaving Warsaw. Again, for the second time in a row the security line was non-existent. We still had to navigate the lines set up for normal traffic, but we were the only two people in the security section for a while. We got through with no problems. However, our luck changed quickly. The lines in customs were exceptionally long. The lines in the immigration section were longer than normal. That was due to 3 or 4 planes arriving with passengers who are transiting through Poland, or the EU had recently arrived, and the passengers needed to be cleared through customs, so that they could leave the EU area. Then to add to the fun – the plane was completely full.

We arrived in Yerevan at about 4:00 a.m., which is not unusual for flights from other EU countries. They fly in and quickly turn around and leave. I am convinced that the authorities want to make sure that I would make the flight into Yerevan or into the EU on outbound flights. I may have to wait all day long, but I would make the flight. Our Armenian friend had recently returned to Yerevan from a trip to Japan. She could not enter EU due to her need to have a VISA, but her family was able to leave because of their Japanese citizenship. She had to stay in the airport for about 16 hours. Although that was a long time to wait, she did call it her mini vacation, because the boys were able to leave the airport and she was in heaven. Peace and quite all day long.

Our first afternoon we meet up with friends that we have known for years. Our local friends made reservations near a small village just north of Yerevan. They reserved a covered picnic area right next to a small creek. We were there to cook up “Khorovats.” Khorovats is a traditional bar-b-que, primarily pork, beef, or fish are the most common versions. Armenians love these shindigs. Along with the food, there is alcohol, music, dancing, and singing. I love these shindigs!! I was happy because Khorovats is good for my blood sugar, and alcohol helps a bit too (just don’t tell my doctor).

There were four other parties also enjoying the weather and the location. Each party started out quiet, but within a couple of hours there was loud Armenian music, dancing, drinking, and eating. We started to meet with folks from another group, who quickly took us to their party and feed me even more. I was stuffed! However, they kept offering more food. It’s considered rude to not accept their offers, so I had even more.

We visited a 4 decent to nice restaurants while in Yerevan. The food is good, price was reasonable, and the service was particularly good. The service part of the restaurant business has changed over the years and has gotten better.

Dargett Craft Beer restaurant has been in Yerevan since 2017. It has been worth the repeat visit. This is right in the center of town. Next to the restaurant is an old park that was renovated. This allowed for a relaxing view from the outdoor seating. The beer is good! Dargett brews their beer on site. I tried the Pale Ale and the Stout. Both were excellent. The food is like a typical fast food American restaurant. Burgers, fries, and all the fixings. Many of the staff speaks English, so that made it quite easy to communicate.

Beer Academy was another restaurant that we visited in previous years, but it was worth the return trip. I’m not sure how long they have been established in Yerevan, but they have been there since at least 2019. There are two locations for the Beer Academy, and of course I was meeting friends. That 50-50 chance did not work. Just my luck. The Beer Academy doesn’t have a website that I could find, but they are found on Facebook and google maps. The beer is good as they also brew their beer locally. I tried the sampler. I usually do this to find the best beer. I was surprised that the Ginger Beer was good. I like ginger, but that is usually with Japanese food, not a beer. We meet 8 of my colleagues that I have known for over 10 years. It was great seeing them again. Of course, we had their “go to” dish – Khorovats. It was a great meal.

Although we did not visit In Vino and Vienna Ribs during this last visit, we have been there many times in the past. Both are well worth the visit.

In Vino is a wine bar that has a considerable choice of wines. These wines are not only from Armenia.  They also have selections from all over the world. We could enjoy a glass of wine, unless I was with my wife then it would be 2 to 3 bottles. Not to mention she would always take a bottle or two home. They also have a small selection of snacks, like cheese, bread, olives, and meats that would complement the wines. We always enjoy our time here.

Vienna Ribs is a restaurant that we enjoyed the outdoor seating on a summer night. As with their name the ribs were impressive. 

The full rack was exactly right! Although I don’t think I would eat that much, I would now have to settle for a half a rack of ribs. The garnish to go with the ribs were good. It was fun just to sit on the outdoor seating when the weather was nice and enjoy the time with family and friends. Wonderful place. I would give them a remarkably high rating.

This time in Yerevan I was able to keep my blood sugar under control. The glucose level did increase, but it was less than 10 points average. It helped that I walked around the city and drank plenty of bottled water. It was hot, so water was necessary.