Travelling in Armenia as a Vegan

Let’s start by saying that if you think veganism is too difficult or rare in Armenia, luckily you’re completely wrong ?

Not that Armenia is full of trendy vegan restaurants and cafes, far from that. Armenians really love their meat and food is pretty dairy heavy… but because some traditional Armenian dishes are actually vegan.

Lent probably has an impact on it. Christians abstain from animal products for some time during the year and some restaurants even have a Lent Menu.

When eating out you can always find something vegan, like hummus, falafel, nuts, dried fruit or tabbouleh (green salad).

Here is a list of traditional Armenian food that is accidentally vegan

Tabbouleh – Salad made of bulgur, mint, onions, and tomatoes, salt, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Ghapama – stuffed baked pumpkin dish with boiled rice and dried fruits and nuts.

Lavash – A thin flatbread made with flour, water, and salt, and sometimes sesame seeds and/or poppy seeds.

Armenian garden salad – Made with tomatoes, basil, parsley, cucumber, romaine lettuce, salt, lemon juice, wine, vinegar, and olive oil.

Dolma – cabbage leaf rolls stuffed with rice, a variety of herbs and normally meat but you can just ask have it without it.

Jengyalov Hac flatbread stuffed with green herbs.

Soups – vegetable soups can be found almost everywhere. Aveluk soup, Cornel soup and Rose hip soup are a must.

Basooc dolma – pickled cabbage leaf with lentils, chickpeas, red kidney beans, and grains, mixed with spices. It is served cold and sometimes with dried apricot.

Lenten Dolma – grape leaf rolls stuffed with rice and spices.

Yerevan has some great places serving delicious vegan meals that you can try while travelling in the capital city of Armenia. Here is a list of the TOP VEGAN RESTAURANTS IN YEREVAN.

Do you know any other Armenian traditional dishes that are vegan-friendly?

Top Vegan places to eat in Yerevan

Armenian cuisine is rich in vegetables, meat, fish and lavash (flatbread), what doesn’t mean, that is not a good country to travel as a vegan. Especially the capital Yerevan. 

You start seeing some vegan/vegetarian dishes poping in the menus slowly in Yerevan, and many traditional Armenian dishes are accidentally vegan.

From my experience, Yerevan restaurants, in general, serve quality food and have always some options for vegan even if not identified as such.

Here, is a list of great places from where you can have a delicious vegan meal while travelling in the capital city of Armenia, Yerevan.

TOP vegan restaurants in Yerevan
Jengyalov Hac

Cosy place that serves just one dish, the delicious Jengyalov Hac a flatbread with an assortment of about 20 types of fresh herbs from Artsakh. This is a great place for a cheap, traditional, tasty meal in Yerevan.

Dr.Veggie
A health-food shop and vegan cafe with an entirely vegan menu, serving some local dishes without meat. They have salads, dolma, blinchik and delicious soups.
Life food 

Raw vegan restaurant with a beautiful terrace space on Saryan Street. The food is delicious and they make creative combinations of flavours. They serve amazing burgers, pizza, ice cream, cake, drinks, bowls, soups and wraps.

Twelve Tables

A restaurant with great vegan options like soups, salads, bruschetta, burger and an absolutely divine raw vegan chocolate cake that you can’t miss.

Gouroo Club & Garden 

A cosy restaurant on Saryan Street offering organic, sustainable, natural, and local food. The most popular vegan dishes are the salad with avocado and apple, Soup Laksa and Cauliflower steak. The green juices are also a must.

Soul Kitchen

A Western Armenian home-style cooking restaurant that offers some absolutely delicious vegan dishes.

Elie’s Lahmajun

A cosy traditional family-run business that has some vegan options and exceptionally friendly staff.  They serve Armenian food in the heart of Yerevan and have an affordable menu and delicious food.

Crumbs The Bread Factory 

A coffee shop specialised in European bread and pastry baking.

But apart from the huge bread varieties its also a perfect place to stop and have a cup of coffee or a light healthy lunch. They have a few vegan options on the menu, including a baked falafel sandwich, soup, a delicious vegan sandwich and salad.

Eat&Fit

A great place with a fair amount of vegan options, perfect to go for a cup of fresh juice, a delicious snack or a light healthy meal.

Karas 

A vegan-friendly fast-food franchise with some vegan options such as Lenten dolma, vegetable cutlets and lentil soup.

Have you been in Yerevan, are there any other worth mentioning places serving delicious vegan food?