YEREVAN:

It’s not true that all the restaurants in Yerevan are over-priced. They’re just over-rated. With a little exploration you can find just as good (and better) for half the price. Splurge once to see how new capitalism interprets class, but you’ll get a more tasty meal and more for your money at the numerous bistros in town.

Note: Restaurants generally open between 10-11 a.m. and close around midnight. Bistros tend to close between 10-11 p.m. Bar/restaurants may close later, depending on number of customers. Exchange rate at time of writing is 475 AMD per 1 US dollar.

An old standby, TBILISI, 3 Abovian St. (no telephone); open 10:00-20:00, serves Georgian fare and has tasty Khachapuri at 1000 AMD. PIZZA DI ROMA, 1/1 Abovian St. (tel: 58-70-54); open 12:00-24:00; menu:, is an upscale version of Doka Pizza with pizzas from 900-1500 AMD. KHINKALI, 14, Mashtots St (tel: 53-46-14) open 09:00-21:00, serves tasty Georgian food including khinkali (Georgian ravioli) at 60 AMD each, a full plate is 10-15. Hot dog and fries for less than $1. HEINEKEN, 3 Sayat Nova (tel: 58-46-76); open: 10:00-24:00; is really a bar, but they can grill hamburgers for 600 AMD, and even serve fresh crawfish at 500 AMD each. Typical set meal with potatoes and salad is 1600 AMD. RETRO, 39 Abovian St. (tel: 56-76-06); Open: 10:00-23:00, serves Armenian cuisine with no dish above 2500 AMD. VERNATUN, 1 Pushkin St. (tel: 58-23-71); Open: 10:00-22:00, serves excellent Khinkali and Khorovatz. Menu up to 2500 AMD.

A best kept secret is BUKHARI, 8 Amirian St. (tel: 58-93-63), open 11:00-24:00, is a favorite best kept secret. Menu includes Tezhvezhik (fried liver with onions and tomatoes), kupati, pizza, Abkhazia Khachapuri; ten types of coffee. Everything made from scratch: order an hour before for pick-up or sit down. Nothing above 2500 AMD.

FOOD STANDS offer the cheapest fare, where you can get an "Armenian Hamburger" for 150-250 AMD, piroshki (deep fried with potatoes, ground meat or cabbage as filling) for 50-100 AMD, and Georgian Chebureki (a flat round deep fried doughy bread with spicy meat inside) for 100 AMD each. Located along Mashtots, the flea market behind Metro Haraparak as well as the central Shuka on Mashtots Ave.

SYDNEY, 27/3 Toumanian St.; open 10:00-23:00, has a pleasant relaxed atmosphere done Aussie style. Menu includes sandwiches, pizza and Australian lager. Has a dance floor for 10 people. Close by is the deteriorated KRAKOW, 29/2 Toumanian St. (tel: 56-20-20); open 11:00-20:00, no longer the rare find it once was: classic service with European fare. The new owners have kept the atmosphere, but their menu is typical cutlets and potatoes, and with everything served a la carte, this can easily set you back $10 before you get to the wine list.

RELAX, 31 Moskovian St. (tel: 59-24-15); open 11:00-23:00, is a restaurant, bar and favorite night spot for dancing. Menu includes Armenian grill, real German frankfurters w/bacon and blinchik. HOLSTEIN, 8 Metaghagotsneri St. at Sayat Nova, #22 (tel: 52-69-02); open: 11:00-24:00, is both Moderate and Expensive, depending on your selection among the fish specialties or the very good rabbit baked with apple. Fish dishes include sturgeon, Sig, Ishkhan, octopus, shrimp, lobster, snake, frog legs. Also serve kupati, roasted chicken and khorovatz. Recommended. ARGO V, 3 Khorenatsi St. (tel: 53-21-30), open 09:00-21:00 serves dolma, kufta with mushrooms and chalaghadj (sirloin steaks). KALIBRI, 27 Mashtots Ave. (tel: 53-36-62); open 12:00-24:00 serves grilled food and Armenian cuisine.

ARARAT, Republic Square (tel: 52-79-33); open 11:30-01:00; menu: Armenian grill, fish, special "Suki" meat with nuts and mushrooms serves its food in a hyped atmosphere but with a live jazz quartet. Entrees start at $7. For a taste of Chinese food, try PEKING, 5 Amirian St. (tel: 52-34-07), open 12:00-22:00; very tasty food prepared by Chinese cooks, but overpriced at $3 for salads and entrees beginning at $8. ARAGIL, 31 Moskovian St. (tel: 53-02-21); open 10:00-24:00; serves European and Armenian dishes in elegant Park Avenue setting. Want to digest your food while singing to old favorites? Try KARAOKE, 12 Amirian St. (tel: 53-21-10); open 18:00-24:00; menu includes special "Karaoke" Suki with nuts and mushrooms at 4000 AMD; the Karaoke invasion has begun. PARIS, 1 Melik-Adamian St. (52-69-14); open 11:00-24:00, has two kitchens: European and Armenian. Specialty is Grilled Beef in sauce.

Out of this world prices and dripping with Nouveau Riche atmosphere is MOSCOW, 18 Abovian St. (tel: 52-52-89); open 13:00-01:00; Specialties are fish (octopus at $19, squid at $18). The fish tank bar is something out of Star Trek. If you haven’t emptied your pockets at the dinner table, you can do it at the bar-casino in the same building. Totally over-rated. PULLMAN, 31 Sayat Nova St (tel: 56-42-32); Open: 11:00-23:00, serves fish delicacies costing up to 9000 AMD. Nicer atmosphere than Moscow.

Hamburger heaven has arrived in Armenia at QUEEN BURGER, opposite Kino Rossya (Arair) on Tigran Metz Ave. (56-01-22); open 10:00-23:00; hamburgers, fries, 350 AMD to 1500 AMD for meal with soft drink. SIS BURGER 5 Koriun St. (tel: 52-10-32); open 09:00-21:00, has a cheese burger for 650 AMD, fries for 200 AMD. KING BURGER, in the same building serves same fare for the same price. DOKA PIZZA 26 Sayat Nova St., (tel: 55-55-55); Open: 10:00-23:00; is thick on crust, thin on cheese and sauce. Many locals like it though, and at 95-1200 AMD, they fill an empty stomach. PIZZA DI, Kino Rossya (Arair) by Yarmarka on Tigran Metz Ave. (tel: 58-71-75); open 11:00-24:00; has pizzas between 900-1500 AMD, grill up to 2500 AMD. GOHAR, 8 Isahakian St. (tel: 52-18-60); open 09:00-24:00, has pizza and spaghetti for up to 2500 AMD. BISTRO, 39 Abovian St. (tel: 56-76-06); Open: 09:00-23:00, serves hamburgers and hot dogs. KARMIR ARAGASTNER, 41 Isahakian (by pond) (not telephone); Open: 09:00-24:00, serves Armenian cuisine in park setting. OASIS, 50a Mashtots Ave. (tel: 56-34-21); Open: 11:00-19:00, has English Speaking waiters. Menu includes tasty and cheap blinchik, Adjarian Khachapuri, sandwiches and soups. MAX Bar-Bistro, 8 Koriun St. (tel: 56-73-70); open: 09:00-21:00, serves burgers, fries, sandwiches. AMBER, Kino Rossya (Arair) by the Yarmaka on Tigran Metz Ave. (tel: 56-15-78); open 11:00-24:00, serves pizza for 400-1500 AMD, spaghetti for 1450-3000 AMD.

Food stands are opposite Pizza Di Roma on Movses Khorenatsi St. as it veers off Tigran Metz.

PROSHIAN STREET (i.e. "Khorovatz Street") used to be a reliably cheap place to grab grilled meat. Going upscale in that inimitable Yerevan way, with prices leading the way: one skewer of grilled meat now averages 1700 AMD. Fierce arguments over which has the best, but FAMILY KITCHEN at 43 Paronian St., is a favorite at 1500 AMD a skewer for tender flanks of pork. Also serves kebob, kupati. KARIN S. P. 46 Abovian St. (tel: 56-64-31); open 09:00-23:00, serves grilled food and sandwiches. BAREV Café-Bistro, 14 Isahakian St. (tel: 56-22-25); open 08:30-23:00, is another best kept secret: a classy joint with reasonably priced sandwiches, grill and Armenian cuisine. GINETUN, 48 Nalbandian St. (tel: 58-04-16); open 10:00-24:00, serves kupati, salyanka "Ostri" (sausage soup with peppers), salad "Olivye", beef cutlet "Zrazi" w/mushrooms (meat roll with mushroom filling) 1000 AMD, Khinkali, Pilmenni. A la carte can make it Moderately priced, but the food is fantastic and worth the extra trek to get there. AMIGO, 1 Baghramian St. (tel: 58-90-21); open 11:00-24:00, has a surprisingly affordable grill menu, including their special "Amigo" (mushrooms, beef steak, potatoes) at 2950 AMD.

CHICKEN COOP, 65, Terian St. (tel: 58-92-15); open 12:00-23:00, can be inexpensive, moderate or expensive. A funky New York style bistro that serves Italian, French and American fare. Current features are trout w/tarragon, steamed pork w/melted gouda cheese and Crayfish platters. Meals with drinks $5-20. HAKHTANAK, Hakhtanak Park, Azatutiun Ave. (tel: 25-14-40); open 09:00-24:00, serves traditional Armenian meals in beautiful park setting. Moderate-Expensive.

DZORAGIUGH (Tel: address) is where they take you when they want to impress, but it can fall short of the mark. They’ve been scrimping on the servings lately but still have that ear-splitting music. Easy to pop $15-20 a person with drinks. BASS, in Bass Hotel, 3 Aigedzor St. (tel: 26-10-80), gets good reviews but one vehement pan by a customer who waited more than hour for fish and potato meal, had to make it a take out, and opened the tin foil to discover only potatoes.

VAN RESTAURANT/MOTEL, (tel: (374-259) 4-80-24, ask for Valodia, David or Arsen) offers full dinner for $10 per person. To get to the Van, take the exit off Echmiadzin Highway by the Ferris wheel, and follow the road to the right, the complex is about 1 kilometer from the turn off, on your right.

WHITE HOUSE, overlooking the lake, has a baroque style banquet room with about the best view of the lake. A full meal with two entrees will cost about $10-12. Splurge and enjoy the view.

GETIK is an old stone and wooden house with trellises, mismatched decor, and the incredibly wholesome food prepared by Kima. Typical meal with wine is 1200-3000 AMD. Possible to get takeout grill for about 1000 AMD a person.

ODJAKH, located on the Yeghegnadzor side of town, serves delicious and inexpensive meals. Papik, chef and owner, studied at the culinary Institute of Prague. Dishes start at 400 AMD, a full meal between 1200-2000 AMD.

Along the main road to Sissian are numerous Khorovatz Stands, almost all of them serving cheap and hearty grilled meat and vegetables. Roadside service, with tables arranged outdoors facing the Arpa River. 1200-1500 AMD per "shish" (skewer) of meat, which is enough for two people.

Hotsatun is located just off the center of the town, and has two dining halls. The one to eat in is the small Bread Museum, which has displays of wheat and all things for reaping its wholesome goodness. The menu varies according to season, but a delicious meal with wine and the sweet banter of your waitress Evgenia is less than 2000 AMD per person.