Most visitors arrive knowing two Georgian dishes, khachapuri and khinkali, and both deserve their fame. But Georgian cooking goes much further than cheese bread and dumplings: walnuts, fresh herbs, garlic, pomegranate and sour plums run through dishes that change from one region to the next. This guide covers what to order, what each region is known for, and how eating in Georgia works.
Khachapuri and khinkali, properly
- Khachapuri is cheese bread, and there are several kinds. Imeruli is the round everyday one with cheese inside; megruli has more cheese baked on top; adjaruli, from Adjara on the Black Sea, is the boat-shaped one with an egg and butter that you stir into the hot cheese at the table.
- Khinkali are twisted dumplings from the mountains north of Tbilisi, filled with spiced meat and broth, or with mushrooms, potato or cheese. Hold one by the knot, bite a small hole, drink the broth, then eat the rest. The knot is usually left on the plate. They are ordered by the piece, often five or more each.
Dishes worth ordering
- Pkhali: chopped spinach, beetroot or other vegetables mixed with ground walnuts, garlic and herbs, served as small balls.
- Badrijani nigvzit: fried aubergine rolled around walnut paste, often topped with pomegranate seeds.
- Lobio: stewed kidney beans with herbs, served in a clay pot, often with mchadi (cornbread) and pickles.
- Mtsvadi: pork or veal grilled on skewers, in Kakheti over vine cuttings.
- Chakapuli: lamb or veal stewed with tarragon, sour plums and white wine; a spring dish.
- Chakhokhbili: chicken stewed with tomatoes, onions and herbs.
- Kharcho: in Georgia usually beef in a spiced walnut sauce; the rice soup sold under the same name abroad is a different version.
- Satsivi: cold poultry in a walnut and garlic sauce, traditional at New Year.
- Shkmeruli: fried chicken baked in a garlic and milk sauce.
- Sauces: tkemali, a sour plum sauce, goes with grilled meat and potatoes; ajika is a hot pepper paste from the west.
- Churchkhela: walnuts on a thread, dipped in thickened grape juice and dried. It is sold everywhere and is freshest in autumn.
What each region is known for
- Kakheti: wine, shoti bread baked on the wall of the round tone oven, mtsvadi and churchkhela.
- Imereti: imeruli khachapuri and light white wines.
- Samegrelo: the spiciest food in Georgia, including elarji (cornmeal with cheese), gebzhalia (cheese rolls in a mint sauce), kharcho and ajika.
- Adjara: adjaruli khachapuri and borano, cheese melted in butter.
- Svaneti: kubdari, bread stuffed with spiced meat, and Svan salt, salt ground with garlic, chilli and herbs.
- Racha: lobiani (bean-filled bread) and smoked ham.
- The mountains north of Tbilisi (Pasanauri and the Kazbegi road): khinkali.
Vegetarian and vegan food
Georgia is easier for vegetarians than its grilled-meat reputation suggests. The Orthodox Church keeps long fasts, including the seven weeks of Lent, when observant Georgians eat no meat or dairy, so most restaurants have plenty of meat-free dishes: pkhali, badrijani, lobio, mushroom khinkali, salads with walnut dressing. Ask for samarkhvo (fasting) dishes if you need them without dairy too.
The supra
A supra is a Georgian feast. The table is covered with dishes from the start and more keep coming, while a tamada (toastmaster) leads a series of toasts: to peace, to those who have died, to parents, to the guests. Wine is drunk after a toast, not in between. You can drink less or say no; hosts don't mind if you say so early. In many homes, especially in the villages, table songs come between the toasts.
Practical tips
- Dishes are for sharing and portions are large. Order a few and add more.
- Many restaurants add a service charge, often about 10%, to the bill; check it before you tip on top.
- The Dezerter Bazaar near Tbilisi's central station is the city's main food market, for herbs, cheese, spices, pickles and churchkhela.
- Tell your hosts or guide about allergies early: walnuts are in a lot of dishes.
Cooking and eating with us
Our private cooking class and market tour in Tbilisi takes about 4 hours: you shop at the Dezerter Bazaar with a guide, then make khachapuri, khinkali and a vegetable dish with a local cook and eat what you made with two glasses of Georgian wine. If you would rather eat than cook, the Tbilisi food and wine walk is a 4.5-hour private walk with five or six food stops and three glasses of wine. Out of town, the Kakheti village cooking day is spent with a family: bread from the tone oven, khinkali, churchkhela and lunch at their table. Guides speak English, and a Russian-speaking guide is available on request. All are private, and there is nothing to pay now. For the wine, read our Kakheti wine guide.
