Where to eat healthy food in Yerevan?

healthy food

Very often I’m asked if it’s possible to easily find good quality, delicious and healthy food in Yerevan. Luckily, you can skip any fuss around this and find healthy food choices anywhere in Yerevan, both in physical locations and on the web. My post is dedicated to healthy eaters, so if you’re one of them and find this article helpful, ping me on Twitter and Instagram with #ArmeniaTravelTips.

What food is healthy?

Healthy food is a broad and generic term and can be defined and interpreted differently. So let’s make it clear: good nutrition is the base of it. And that may be sourced from both meat and plant-based options, may include carbs, fat, protein and all the other necessary stuff. If you’re vegetarian, on a weight-loss diet, practice keto or other specific diets with exclusions, don’t be overwhelmed by this post. What you don’t eat is not always what’s unhealthy. The approach to gluten and carbs, and every other food choice depends on the perspective and on how your, individual, body reacts to different foods.

So the conclusion is: unhealthy food is low on nutrition. That can be either healthy food that’s cooked in an unhealthy way or food high in calories, sugar and fat and low in nutritional elements. Now, when this is out of the way, let’s see what healthy food options we’ve got in Yerevan.

Healthy vs fast food: resisting the temptation

You will see fast food restaurants like KFC, Burger King, Mr. Gyros in all districts, malls and of course in the city centre. No doubt, grabbing food on the way or ordering at a fast-food restaurant is simple and easy, especially when you’re in between tours or museum visits. And very often this choice saves much time for some other planned activities when the schedule is fully packed. Some would argue that fast food is exactly what a traveler with limited time in the destination needs.

Well, let me disagree with that. And the reason is that in Armenia you won’t have to put much effort into finding healthy food options. These are embedded in our local cuisine. And that’s a great reason to avoid fast-food chains while in Armenia.

International vs local cuisine in Yerevan

There’s a known truth: the more the choices, the better the options. This also refers to the healthy food options in Yerevan. It’s basically the only city in Armenia that has so many different cuisines presented. From Indian to Mexican, from Asian to Middle Eastern, all these cuisines have specialized restaurants with their traditional healthy food options. Actually, if you are a Muslim traveller, don’t worry! You can find restaurants that provide halal food.

When it comes to the regional Armenian cuisine, it’s worth noting that Armenia is a very, very centralized country. The capital city Yerevan is some kind of a hub for businesses, culture etc. So, naturally, cuisines of different regions in Armenia are presented in Yerevan, too. Maybe not always in all restaurants, but it’s always possible to find services and restaurants offering something from each place. Also, Armenian cuisine of different regions is very diverse in its nature due to centuries of relative seclusion of the communities divided by mountains.

So where to eat healthy food in Yerevan?

The first thing that comes to one’s mind, of course is the eating out. I think the restaurant scene in Yerevan is greatly underestimated and one of the best things you can do in Yerevan is EAT! 

If you want to enjoy fresh and healthy food Gouroo (see the location here) in Yerevan is a super interesting and delicious alternative to traditional restaurants. It’s located in the city center, and has a beautiful neat yard. The food is great and the place is very popular. So, give it a try!

Mayrig Restaurant (see the location here), originally founded in Beirut, is located in a cozy corner of the city center. It serves a great selection of healthy dishes. Along with excellent cuisine, a warm atmosphere and high quality service, also hearty breakfasts make this restaurant one of the most popular ones in Yerevan.

If you’re looking for a semi-healthy meal and want a few options, The Green Bean (see the map here) sounds like it really is a place you might want to have a look at. If you are vegetarian or gluten-free, you should better bookmark this place. They pride themselves on offering a decent selection of veggie options on the menu. So, it’s worth a try.

Where to order healthy food from?

The recent 5-6 years have been a period of rise of food delivery services. At this moment there are around 10 food delivery services available, mostly delivering in Yerevan. And along with them, many restaurants and cafes have launched their own delivery services. I’ve compiled a list of food delivery apps in Yerevan and beyond earlier, so make sure you check those options out.

Half-prepared food

Let’s speak about something else now: where to order healthy food that can be prepared at home? This refers to the semi-manufactured foods that can be purchased online in the fresh form or frozen at supermarkets. 

Very often when ordering food at peak hours you get it eventually in not-a-very-fresh state. And certain foods are not even deliverable. You know, traffic jams, distances and so on. So if you don’t want to eat out or get food that’s no longer fresh, this is a great option. In all cases where your place has a small kitchen to cook or heat food, this option is a nice alternative if you’re into cooking.

Recently a new semi-manufactured food delivery service, Foody, has launched in Armenia. This is a totally new philosophy in the sphere as Foody presents itself as something in the middle of cooking at home and restaurants. Reducing time spent on cooking and reducing costs of eating out. Most importantly, this service has a ton of healthy dishes in their menu from different regions of Armenia, including those from my list of superb foods you have to try in Armenia.

What’s your experience with healthy food options in Yerevan?

If you ask me, Yerevan is a paradise for those who love to eat healthy. Choose from a variety of international and local cuisines, order through a click or cook it yourself in no time. No worries, your trip will be an enjoyable experience and eating healthy shouldn’t be compromised. 😉 As it’s also important to eat in a nice environment I suggest you have a look at some of the best open-air cafes located in Yerevan.

If you find this post useful, and even if not, please reach out to me on Twitter and Instagram with #ArmeniaTravelTips. I’d really like to learn more about your healthy eating experience in Armenia.

Featured image credit: @brenna_lynn on Unsplash

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