Ivani Restaurant

“I've wanted to get around to this for a long time. I started an account just to write this review. This place is off the charts! I wish I discovered it earlier during my time in Dilijan. It was, by far, the best dining experience I've ever had in Armenia. Food was an absolute treat—rich and tender and prepared with love. Atmosphere was warm and lovely. Service was superb and made us feel like royalty. And most of all the mountain-hugged views were simply breathtaking. Gera, the wonderful person behind this place, is an great chef and an even better host. We were treated with such warmth and hospitality and felt so cared for. On my first visit to Casanova, I ordered "khokhob", a kind of slow cooked lamb chops made with pomegranates and butter and served with rice; it was flawless—I've never tasted something so flavorful and delicious! We were then served sweet homemade wine which was simply the best wine I've ever had. Naturally, I returned for two more visits, once in a small gathering and another after a big exhibition with a large group of friends. Both times I was so pleased and excited to show people this hidden gem and was never the least bit disappointed. This is a dining experience you can't miss. Thank you Gera for a beautiful time. Best wishes to you and I hope to visit again!”

“Excellent food, both for breakfast and dinner! Traditional Armenian cuisine but very well done with love, the way you would feel at your grandma's place. Homemade jams, breads, yoghurts, sallads with local produce and the stuffed aubergine! 🍆 And with a view to die for outdoor and simply cosy inside. Just go there!”

“First, I can't even tell you just how surprised we were to feast like royalty. We had no idea. This was just a last minute booking at the Casanova Inn. We had no idea the treat we were in for. Second, there was not a single thing that we ordered that was not absolutely fantastic. Every single item, every little detail, every bite was superb. The wine recommendation was excellent. The owner is clearly making a dream come reality. The food is simply delicious. We ordered far more than we could eat just because it was all so good. And then the next morning breakfast looked like an actual medieval feast. All the candied preserves, fresh fruits, baked goods, and then entrees. We had to roll ourselves out of their, but every bite was worth it. Thank you so much for our wonderful stay. It was a true highlight on our month long trip through the Caucusus.”

“This restaurant is truly amazing! Honestly, quite often I don't enjoy much eating out as food done “without soul” even when technically perfect tastes kind of empty to me. But in this place meals are prepared individually with great love to what he’s doing and to his guests by an outstanding chief and person Gera. The menu is huge, can suit any food preferences, vegetarians, vegans or people with special diets can also find plenty of options here, which was a really nice surprise for me. One of the things I’ve tried was so called Imam Bayaldi, which is translated as “the imam fainted”, and it is really that tasty ;) Many thanks and our warmest wishes to you, Gera!”

“Fine place to dine in Dilijan and the view also good.All dishes avallable and service is excellent by profession”

“Food is from local production, it is Bio/Eco quality, home made and there is wonderful wine selection. The place has healthy spirit and you will feel very welcome. Thank you for your hospotality.”

“The hotel has a very cozy and relax atmosphere. We just love our stay there. Beautiful views, rooms with balcony, very professional and welcoming approach. And unusual high quality gourmet kitchen with great wine selection. Thank you Gera!”

“During our stay we had dinner at the restaurant and we can strongly recommend to do so during a stay at casanova inn! The owner is a great chef who prepares excellent meals from scratch. This might cause the waiting time to increase a bit but it is definately worth the waiting and in the meantime you can enjoy the views on the Dilijan mountains. We had the chicken stew, salad with beans pomegrenate walnuts, bread and lentil soup which were all cooked to perfection.”

“We stayed at the guesthouse (see separate review) but wanted to write specifically about our evening meal here also. We ate here twice in the evenings, both meals were excellent and the environment is great. Gera is an excellent chef. In the particular the Chicken khockhob (definitely spelt wrong!) was a highlight and probably the best meal we had in our week in Armenia, so flavoursome. Dessert was a locally baked cake with ice cream, which again was excellent. We sat and ate delicious food and drank beers for about 4 hours whilst looking over the Dilijan valley, can’t recommend it enough!”

“This was the best food we ate anywhere on our trip in the Caucasus. It’s cooked from scratch from fresh ingredients from the local area. Be it trout from the mountain rivers, pork from forest pigs or potatoes from the garden. The chef Gerra cooks every meal with love, and that’s why it all tastes delicious. I can’t recommend this restaurant strongly enough.”