Restaurants in Georgia
Being a former part of erstwhile Soviet Union, there is a distinct Russian flavour in Georgian cuisine. Though it is called the ‘haute cuisine of the Soviet Union', Georgian cuisine is unique and has a surprisingly diverse variety. Each region has its own distinct speciality and almost all of them are well represented in Tbilisi.
[read more]Despite modernisation and passage of time, the Georgians have maintained their culinary tradition.
Our Georgia Restaurant Guide below will tell you all you need to know about food and cuisine in Georgia. Get acquainted with the local produce while shopping in the marketplace before heading out to taste the authentic flavours fused together to perfection in one of the many great restaurants in Georgia.
Get familiar with the local restaurant scene in our Georgian destination: Tbilisi.
Food & Cuisine in Georgia
It's more about quantity than quality in Georgian cuisine. The variety is a treat to the foodie and sure to satiate your gastronomic cravings. There is an assortment of eateries that dot the city, each with its distinct flavour. Tempting aroma of freshly baked bread and kachapuri (cheese in dough) lingers from the eateries through the day, making it difficult to pass by without trying a bite. Kachapuri and other baked items are available with all vendors who line the streets. These are sold from behind glassed bakery cases. A single piece of kachapuri usually costs 50 tetri or 25 US cents.
Georgians have a healthy appetite and love to eat making eating out in Georgia a memorable experience. They spend long hours eating and enjoy their multi course cuisine. Food is usually supplemented with large amounts of Georgian wine and vodka. On weekends all the courtyards and verandas are filled with families enjoying a good meal. Georgians consider their cuisine the best and find it difficult to accept other cuisines, because of which it is difficult to find other continental fare in Georgia restaurants.
Vodka and wine are the Georgian's favourite beverages. Fresh juice sold at stands and kiosks on street is the popular non-alcoholic beverage. To have the complete Georgian experience, it is recommended to partake in a supra or dinner party. A toast maker or tamada is selected to toast the evening. He then spices up the meal by asking the guests to drain their glasses. A supra may last for hours and is often followed by singing. The meals are in courses and many litres of wine are gulped down along with it. Customers of restaurants in Georgia order multiple bottles of home grown Georgian wine. The local favourite is ‘Separavi' or red wine.
Khinkali or meat dumpling is a famous Georgian dish. The history of making Khinkali can be traced to historic times. Khinkali is made in all regions of Georgia. The eating of Khinkali is an equally interesting process - it is eaten by grabbing the doughy dollop on the top with the fingers or fork, taking a bite, drinking out the juice, and then eating the crust. Khinkalis are tasty, filling and goes well with beer.
Wine making has been practised since the 3rd millennium BC in Georgia. It is considered one of the oldest homelands of viniculture in the world. This is exactly why wine making has remained one of the fascinating symbols of Georgian history and culture. Wine making has not only contributed to history but also to the economic activity of the country. Many Georgian families own vineyards and make wine for commercial purposes.
Georgian wines make great gifts for friends and family. Mukuzani, Kindzmarauli, Hvantchkara are some of the Georgian wines that has won international accolades at international wine exhibitions. These wines go well with typical Georgian food like satsivi, lobbi, hinkali, kachapuri and 'churchkhela', the delicious sweet dish made of dried grape juice with nuts.
Georgia is known for its diversity in cooking. An assortment of spices is used in the cooking meats and vegetables of different kinds like beef, lamb, pork, chicken, fish, eggplant, kidney beans, hot peppers etc. A typical Georgian menu will have Mtsvadi (barbeque), roast pig, chanakhi (tortellini), tabaka, khinkali, chakapuli, kachapuri, phkhali (spinach leaves in spices), satsivi, badrijani and churchkhela.
Walnuts are used a lot to thicken soups and sauces. It is also sprinkled in desserts by coating it in caramelised sugar. In churchkhela they are passed through a string, dipped in sweetened, thickened grape juice and then dried into chewy, aromatic 'candies'.
The cafés, street food and restaurants in Georgia are better established and organised than in many of the other former Soviet republics. Tourists visiting Georgia prefer shislik, a Georgian kabab and a salad of tomato, cucumber, and walnut with fresh herbs and delicious bread. Smoked Georgian cheeses, potatoes and mushroom soup complete the meal.
Nightlife in Georgia is limited to international hotels. The highly acclaimed Georgian State Dancers can be seen only in Tbilisi. The Rustaveli Georgian Drama theatre, celebrated for its Shakespeare productions, can also be viewed in Tbilisi.
History of Georgian flavoured water
Lagidze, an entrepreneur and owner of a network of water producing plants, started experimenting with different flavours of water. He used different herbs and spices and put them into a solution for producing water. The final product is what we now enjoy as mint water, citron water, cream water, tarhun, etc.
