.jpg "House Cafes in Yerevan")
Author: Nune Aylanjyan
House Cafes are popular all around the world. Even in our neighbor country, Georgia there are many popular house cafes. Maybe this inspired us to have our version of cafes in Yerevan. If you visited Purpur in Tbilisi, you know what we are talking about. These cafes open in buildings, well at least it is desirable. The interior is very much home alike and cozy. Owners spend money to build that atmosphere. But yet, here in Armenia they don’t need to make such efforts, as the market is not very competitive. One of the interesting cafes is Soviet House Café, which is located in Teryan 25.
This is a very example of house café. You come here, ring the bell and no one asks you questions, cause if you are here, it means you are a precious guest. As in normal houses there is a kitchen, sink, rooms and one bonus, non smokers room. During the winter, wooden oven was placed there, where delicious potatoes were made. There is a Soviet music there, sometimes Babajanyan melodies fly, maybe Splin and Tsoy. The menu is Soviet indeed, mashed potatoes, Kiev cutlet , compote, what else is needed to go back. Customer service is very good, they also hired middle ages waiter who reminds of a man who used ''Красный мак'' perfume. The interior in non smokers room is very unique. You always want to go back to Soviet Café.
MacGuffin Art House
This cozy place address is Pushkin 16. MacGuffin due to it’s small space makes all visitors become friends. Here you can read, drink coffee and just chat with waiters. The creamy interior here, makes you forget daily buzz, out there. Medium lights, pictures on the walls, comfortable chairs this is how this café looks like. The dishes here are very tasty and you can always enjoy lemon tea here. But don’t get the impression, that you can’t get drunk here the bartender offers great cocktails here.
Jean-Paul Existential Cafe
The address of this café is Aram 42/1. I never wandered why Jean Paul or why existential, but the first thing that attracted me was sure its interior. It is kind of a weird to appear in someone’s house with great menu and waiters. It is an interesting feeling when you sit there in an old fashioned couch and go back to 90’s where carpets were not only on the floors, but also on the walls and the music player reminds you about famous Russian group ‘’ Ruki Verx’’ , but with one difference they don’t have such music there. But people come to this house, a house where there is a fireplace, where people came during the winter to get warm. You could occasionally see Aram Harutyunyan there, and also many customers who were silently complaining whether he was going to leave the fireplace for them to get warm as well. The menu is diverse from Baykal lemonade rum to dolma. Yep.. this is Jean-Paul here is everything nuts. The staff changes often you hardly can memorize all of them, but still there are familiar faces like one with Slavonic appearance or the other girl with heavy accessories, but I haven’t seen them for a while though. There is a little smoky atmosphere there, but still very good music and interesting activities. New cocktails are made and there is a special drink every week for 1000 AMD.
Simone De Beauvoir
At Yeznik Koghbatsi 39 there is yet another house caffe named after French writer Simone De Beauvoir. She was a friend of Jean Paul and his ally. Sometimes visitors call this place Jean Paul’s wife’s café. Whether Simone would live here or not, is difficult to answer, but the fact that this place has its regular customers, that is a fact. This place is famous for its balcony, old fashioned poster and ancient mirror. If you have been there and didn’t take a selfie with the mirror, do it next time. You can have business meeting here as well as dates. You can see many couples in there, which can be found on the café’s Facebook page, this thing wouldn’t approve Simone as she was a feminist and was against marriage, but again, this is Armenia and we still get marry in here. Anyway now Jean Paul has his equal name café and the gender issue is resolved.
