Of the cuisines of the former Soviet republics, Georgian is arguably the best. It’s certainly one of the most travelled in recent years, with Georgian restaurants popping up in capitals around the world. Kyiv is no exception, with several new Georgian restaurants opening in the last two years.
Georgian cuisine reflects the country’s unique geography and climate – it is good wine country, but it also sits on the crossroads between east and west, and Georgian cuisine has been influenced by the cuisines of its European and eastern neighbors, blending them with its own unique cooking style.
Famous for its unexpected combinations of flavors, spicy dishes and top-notch delicious wines, Georgian cuisine is increasingly winning the hearts of Kyivans. The Kyiv Post has tracked down the city’s best Georgian restaurants.
Chacha Bar
The restaurant’s delicious food, cozy interior and lively Georgian music make it the ideal place for a night out with friends. The Chacha Bar offers various grilled meals for reasonable prices. Grilled salmon is Hr 148, grilled lamb chops (chalahach) go for Hr 99, and chicken lula kebab is Hr 78. Those with sweet tooth will be tempted by the kada sweet Georgian pies (Hr 68) or churchkhela traditional sausage-shaped candy (Hr 55).
Chacha Bar has drinks for different tastes and budgets – vermouth (Hr 750 per bottle), whisky (Hr 1,700 – 4,800 per bottle), and cognac (Hr 410 – 3,920 per bottle). A bottle of good Georgian red wine goes from Hr 410 – 1,700 a bottle.
11 Volodymyrska St. Open daily 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Chachapuri
Chachapuri restaurant serves meals prepared according to traditional recipes. Visitors can enjoy various types of chachapuri (bread stuffed with cheese) for Hr 88 – 98, a range of salads (Hr 74 – 80) and a wide assortment of lula kebabs (Hr 62 – 72). Gourmets will most likely opt for the tasty pan-fried chicken tapaka for Hr 151 or a spicy chanakhi with stewed pork and vegetables for Hr 94. Chachapuri offers a good selection of Georgian red and white wines that go for on average of Hr 250 per bottle. The glass of chacha – Georgian pomace brandy – offered to clients as they enter as a compliment from the restaurant’s chef, makes a pleasant start to a nice evening out here.
36A Taras Shevchenko Blvd. Open daily 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Shoti
Shoti restaurant takes its name from Georgian home-made bread made in the shape of a boat and baked in a traditional tone oven (pronounced “ton-AY” – a Georgian circular clay oven). As in any Georgian house, the traditional tone oven takes central place in the restaurant’s interior, which along the wooden and stone décor gives this place a homely and cozy atmosphere.
Shoti’s menu has dishes from all of Georgia’s regions. Try the Mingrelia chachapuri for Hr 139, the Svanskubdari filled bread for Hr 149, or the Imeretia nachmalayer cake with sulguni cheese for Hr 99.
Vegetarians will enjoy the fresh spinach pkhali (a dish of chopped vegetables) for Hr 99, spicy lobio (red kidney beans mashed with coriander, garlic, walnuts and vinegar) for Hr 99, or rolled eggplant with walnuts for Hr 129.
The sweet dishes menu features godzinaki (caramelized nuts, fried in honey) for Hr 21 a slice, pakhlava (sweet layered pastry with nuts and honey, similar to Turkish baklava) for Hr 29, sorbet (Hr 35) and matsoni yogurt (Hr 69). There are also various types of lemonade for Hr 45-49, and the restaurant has a good selection of wines.
9 Mechnikova St. Open daily 12 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Mama Manana
Located on Kyiv’s busy Velyka Vasylkivska Street, this restaurant offers delicious food and good service. The highlights of the menu are dolma with veal and pork (stuffed vine-leaves, very similar to Greek dolmades) for Hr 105, khinkali (Georgian dumplings) stuffed with lamb and mint (Hr 22) and shashlik skewer-grilled lamb, chicken or pork (Hr 540).
The restaurant has an impressive array of 12 types of tasty traditional Georgian chachapuri cheese-stuffed bread, and the matzoni yogurt with mint and honey (Hr 48) might be the best choice for dessert. The wine card includes red and white wines (Hr 155 – 1,100 per bottle), traditional liqueurs (Hr 35 per glass) and Georgian whisky (Hr 65 – 99 per glass).
44 Velyka Vasylkivska St. Open daily 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Mimino
One of the oldest Georgian restaurants in Kyiv is located in the city’s oldest and most picturesque district of Podil. The restaurant offers numerous traditional Georgian gourmet dishes, such as chushushuli stewed veal with tomatoes and herbs (Hr 155), spicy sameba with lamb and grilled vegetables (Hr 655) and kabuleti fish fillet served with rice and spices. The wine menu includes Georgian, Chilean, French and Italian wines. Georgian live music and the pleasant semi-darkness make this restaurant an ideal place for romantic dates.
10A Spaska St. Open daily 12 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Khmeli-Suneli
One of the Kyiv’s best-known Georgian restaurants, Khmeli-Suneli is located in the Pechersk district not far from Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. The restaurant is a spacious three-storied building where ethnic décor and modern loft style are harmoniously interlaced. It has a second-floor open terrace that, however, offers a quite dull view. The up-scale restaurant serves traditional Georgian meals like chakhokhbili stewed turkey with fresh herbs (Hr 145), khashlama stewed veal (Hr 140) and gebjalia sulguni rolls with mint (Hr 89). To complement a meal with drinks, choose tarkhun lemonade (Hr 54), traditional Old Kakheti brandy (Hr 73) or home-made Georgian vodka chacha (Hr 45).
4/6 Suvorova St. Open daily 12 p.m. – 12 a.m. n
