24–25 September 2026 | Leonardo Royal Hotel Den Haag Promenade
Armenia’s rich culinary traditions will take centre stage in The Hague on 24 and 25 September 2026, when the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia, in cooperation with Diplomat Magazine and the Leonardo Royal Hotel Den Haag Promenade presents the Armenian Food Festival.
The event forms part of the celebrations marking the 35th Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Armenia.
H.E. Mr. Viktor Biyagov, Ambassador of Armenia, has announced the dates of the festival, which will bring two Armenian chefs to The Hague especially for the occasion. Over two evenings, guests will have the opportunity to discover the flavours and culinary traditions of Armenia through a menu featuring modern fusion interpretations of traditional Armenian dishes.
Food will serve as a gateway to Armenia’s cultural heritage, creating an opportunity for guests from the diplomatic, business, cultural and international communities to experience the country through its cuisine and discover Armenia as a booming culinary tourism destination.
Two chefs, one culinary journey
Arayik Amzayan and Stepan Burmistrov are Yerevan-based chefs whose careers combine restaurant projects, culinary education, gastronomic events and international competitions.
Chef Arayik Amzayan is the founder and chef of Central Kitchen Armenia, founder of Kuwa Izakaya, and co-organiser and brand chef of Yerevan Food Fest. He is also co-founder and brand chef of Gastro Camp Armenia and has worked as a project chef and manager for a range of restaurants and hospitality projects in Armenia.
His professional career began in Yerevan in 2012 and has included positions at Avenue Lorange, Diamond House Hotel, Moscafe and Bella Italia, among others. His international competition record includes winning the Silk Road Chef international competition in 2018 and taking first place at Cuisine Taste of Culture in Cairo. He was also a finalist at the WorldSkills International 2013 competition in Leipzig and placed fifth at the Young Chefs Olympiad in India in 2018.
Chef Stepan Burmistrov has spent years getting to know Armenia through its kitchens. Today, as Chef and Co-owner of Niko Kitchen & Bar in Yerevan, he belongs to a generation of chefs giving Armenian cuisine a distinctly contemporary voice.
His path to Armenia was shaped by more than a decade in professional kitchens and an unusually broad range of culinary influences. Working alongside guest chefs from Peru, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Argentina exposed him early on to very different ways of treating ingredients and tradition. In Yerevan, Stepan became Executive Chef of Gouroo Club & Garden, one of Armenia’s early healthy-dining concepts. At Niko Kitchen & Bar, that concept has found a more personal expression.
Together, the two chefs will contribute different experiences and perspectives to the festival while maintaining its central purpose: presenting the richness of Armenian cuisine.
A taste of Armenia in The Hague
The Food Festival will be hosted at the Leonardo Royal Hotel The Hague, where the visiting chefs will work closely with the hotel’s culinary team lead by Chef Sido de Brabander. Preparations will begin weeks before the two festival evenings, including coordination of the menu, ingredients and kitchen requirements.
The dinner concept is designed to allow guests to experience a broad selection of Armenian flavours. The menu will feature traditional dishes and will provide an introduction to the country’s culinary identity, from its longstanding traditions to the way Armenian cuisine is interpreted by today’s chefs.
For the Embassy of Armenia, the festival provides an opportunity to showcase the country through one of its most accessible and engaging forms of cultural diplomacy. Gastronomy can open conversations about Armenia’s history, traditions, tourism, culture and contemporary identity while bringing together people who might otherwise encounter the country through very different channels.
For Diplomat Magazine, the Armenian Food Festival continues a series of national Food Festivals in The Hague that use gastronomy as a platform for cultural exchange and international engagement. The events bring diplomatic missions together with the hospitality sector and the wider public, creating an informal environment in which countries can present their heritage and contemporary identity.
On 24 and 25 September, the flavours of Armenia will therefore travel to The Hague, carried by two chefs with experience spanning Armenia and international culinary competitions.
The Armenian Food Festival promises to be an invitation to taste Armenian food; to discover a country through its traditions, creativity, wines and hospitality.
Armenian Food Festival
24–25 September 2026
Leonardo Royal Hotel The Hague
- +31 70 352 5161
- Email: meetings.royaldenhaag@leonardo-hotels.nl or info.royaldenhaag@leonardo-hotels.nl
