Georgian cuisine is not just food - it is the language a country uses to speak to its guests. Every dish carries the story of a region, a family tradition, and the character of a place. Adjarian khachapuri differs from Imeretian khachapuri just as Batumi differs from Kutaisi - everything is Georgian, but each is Georgian in its own way.
The good news is that Georgian cuisine is accessible and generous. Lunch for two at a decent Tbilisi restaurant will cost you 40-70 GEL and leave you full. Dinner with wine and several dishes - 80-120 GEL. The quality of food here does not depend directly on the price of the establishment: home cooking at a small cafe near a market is often better than what is served at tourist restaurants with a beautiful view.
In this article: 15 dishes worth trying in Georgia, a brief description of each, where to find the best versions, how much they cost, and what to drink alongside them.
What to Know About Georgian Cuisine Before Your First Meal
Georgian cuisine is divided into regional traditions, and they differ from one another considerably.
Kakheti (east) - rich dishes, plenty of meat, walnuts, qvevri. Imereti (west) - lighter cuisine, cornbread mchadi, Imeretian cheese. Adjara (Black Sea coast) - seafood, spicy adjika, creamy khachapuri. Tbilisi - a blend of everything, from street khinkali to contemporary restaurants.
A few basic things that will make your gastronomic trip better:
- Khinkali are eaten by hand, holding the twisted top knot. The first bite is small, to drink the broth inside. The knot is not eaten.
- Georgian dishes are often served family style: large plates placed on the table rather than individual portions. Order several items for two people.
- Wine in Georgia is often brought to the table as a matter of course with food, especially in Kakhetian restaurants. This is normal.
Georgians eat late: lunch from 13:00 to 15:00, dinner from 19:00 to 22:00 and later.
15 Georgian Dishes: What to Try and Where to Find Them
1. Khinkali
Khinkali are the calling card of Georgia. Dumplings filled with minced meat (beef and lamb), onion, coriander, and broth inside, wrapped in dough with a distinctive twisted knot on top. This is a dish from the mountain regions - historically originating in Pshav-Khevsureti and Mtiuleti.
Fillings vary: classic meat (kalakuri - city-style khinkali, smaller and with parsley instead of coriander), potato and cheese, mushrooms, herbs. But the real ones are meat only.
Where to find the best: in Tbilisi - Dul Georgi (3 Lermontov St.), Razapari (several locations in the city). In Kazbegi - at any guesthouse; the khinkali there are mountain-style and different. On the Georgian Military Highway in the village of Pasanauri - this is considered their historical birthplace.
Price: 1-1.5 GEL per piece at an average restaurant. A portion for one person - 5-6 pieces.
2. Adjarian Khachapuri
Adjarian khachapuri is not simply a cheese pie - it is a distinct gastronomic experience. An open boat shape made of leavened dough, filled with melted sulguni cheese, with an egg and a pat of butter on top. Everything is mixed together right at the table and eaten by tearing off pieces of dough from the edge and dipping them into the filling.
A proper Adjarian khachapuri has thick dough along the sides, a runny yolk, and stretchy hot cheese. In Batumi it is at its most authentic: the cheese there is local, Adjarian, richer and more aromatic than the Tbilisi version.
Where to find the best: in Batumi at any bakery on the main streets or at a cafe near the seafront. In Tbilisi - Machakhela (a chain specializing in Adjarian cuisine).
Price: 12-20 GEL depending on size and establishment.
3. Imeretian Khachapuri
Imeretian khachapuri is the more understated sibling of the Adjarian version. A closed round pie filled with Imeretian cheese, fried until golden. The dough is thin, the cheese is lightly salty and delicate. This is everyday food in western Georgia, eaten for breakfast and as a snack.
Where to find the best: at any bakery in Kutaisi and throughout Imereti. In Tbilisi - street bakeries near markets, especially near the Dezerteri Market.
Price: 6-10 GEL.
4. Lobiani
Lobiani is a pie filled with beans seasoned with onion, garlic, and spices. It looks like Imeretian khachapuri on the outside, but the filling is heartier and more aromatic. A meatless, nourishing, and very Georgian dish.
In Racha-Lechkhumi, lobiani is made with bacon - this is the Lechkhumi version, rarer and very tasty. If you see lobiani with chashushuli or Rachian lobiani on the menu, order it.
Where to find the best: at bakeries throughout the country. In Tbilisi - the Dezerteri Market; in Kutaisi - the market near the square.
Price: 5-8 GEL.
5. Mtsvadi (Georgian Barbecue)
Mtsvadi is Georgian barbecue, and it differs from what many people are used to. The meat (beef, pork, or lamb) is marinated in onion and spices without vinegar, threaded onto a skewer, and grilled over grapevine charcoal. It is the grapevine that gives it its distinctive aroma.
In Kakheti, mtsvadi is made with beef and served with satsebeli (a tomato sauce with garlic and spices) or tkemali (a tart, slightly spicy plum sauce).
Where to find the best: outdoors at Kakhetian wineries, where mtsvadi is often grilled over an open fire. In Tbilisi - Kala in the Old Town.
Price: 20-40 GEL per portion (200-300 g of meat).
6. Lobio
Lobio is braised red beans with onion, garlic, coriander, and spices. It is served at the table in a clay pot (keci). This is one of the most traditional dishes in Georgia: it is eaten in villages, at family gatherings, and in simple cafes.
Proper lobio is thick, dark, and fragrant with coriander and utskho-suneli (fenugreek). It is eaten with mchadi (cornbread) and pickled vegetables.
Where to find the best: in small local cafes without a tourist markup. In Tbilisi - Barbarestan, or any home-style cafe in the Didube neighborhood.
Price: 7-12 GEL.
7. Satsivi
Satsivi is a cold dish of chicken (or turkey) in a rich walnut sauce with garlic, coriander, Imeretian saffron, and other spices. It is served at room temperature or cold - always with bread.
Walnut sauce is the foundation of many Georgian dishes, and in satsivi it is at full strength: dense, aromatic, with a slight bitterness from the walnuts.
Where to find the best: in home-style restaurants in Tbilisi. At festive tables in Kakheti. At Rakviani Ganji (Tbilisi, Leselidze St.).
Price: 14-20 GEL per portion.
8. Pkhali
Pkhali are small balls or patties made from boiled or braised vegetables (spinach, beetroot, cabbage, green beans) mixed with walnut paste, garlic, and spices. Served as an appetizer, usually several varieties on one plate.
Colorful pkhali - green (spinach), dark red (beetroot), white (cabbage) - graces most Georgian festive tables. It is tasty, light, and visually impressive.
Where to find it: at most Georgian restaurants as part of a meze selection.
Price: 8-14 GEL per portion (3-4 varieties).
9. Chashushuli
Chashushuli is a spicy braised meat dish (beef or lamb) with tomatoes, onion, garlic, and plenty of spices. It is served in a keci - a clay pan straight from the oven. One of the most warming dishes in Georgian cuisine.
Good chashushuli means the meat melts and the sauce is rich and slightly fiery. Bread is essential: you use it to scoop up the remaining sauce from the bottom of the pot.
Where to find it: throughout Kakheti and central Georgia. In Tbilisi - Kala or Mkhedruli.
Price: 18-25 GEL.
10. Gebzhdalia
Gebzhdalia is Imeretian cheese rolled into a log filled with mint and drizzled with a milk-based sauce. Delicate and light, with a distinctively refreshing mint flavor.
This is a regional dish of western Georgia that is rarely found outside Imereti and Kutaisi. If you are traveling to Kutaisi, trying it is a must.
Where to find it: at restaurants in Kutaisi, especially at Palaty and home-style cafes near the market.
Price: 10-15 GEL.
11. Adjarian Smoked Sulguni
Smoked sulguni from Adjara is a product unlike anything sold in shops outside Georgia. Dense, stretchy, with a smoky aroma and a natural fermented-milk flavor.
It is served as an appetizer, fried on a keci until golden, or simply sliced at the table. In Batumi it is sold at every stall near the market.
Where to buy it: the Batumi market, Adjarian cheese shops in the historic center.
Price: 8-15 GEL for 200-300 g.
12. Georgian-Style Trout
Trout is an important part of mountain cuisine. In Svaneti, Racha-Lechkhumi, and Adjara it is prepared over an open fire, in a keci with walnuts, or in a tomato sauce. The fish is fresh - in mountain areas it is caught straight from the rivers.
In Batumi, Black Sea fish accompanies trout on the menu: red mullet, horse mackerel, flounder. At restaurants on the seafront - a fresh catch from the same day.
Where to find the best: waterfront restaurants in Batumi (Mega Batumi cafe, Baraka on the seafront). At mountain guesthouses in Svaneti and Racha - trout from local rivers.
Price: 20-40 GEL per portion depending on the size of the fish.
13. Tklapi and Tkemali: Georgian Sauces
These are not dishes but sauces - yet without them it is impossible to understand Georgian cuisine.
Tkemali is a tart, slightly sweet and spicy sauce made from plums (green or red) with garlic, coriander, and ombalo (marsh mint). Served with meat, potatoes, and fish. Red tkemali goes with beef and pork; green tkemali with fish and chicken.
Satsebeli is a tomato sauce with garlic, coriander, and spices. Milder and slightly sweeter than tkemali. The standard sauce served with barbecue.
Adjika is a spicy paste made from hot peppers, garlic, spices, and herbs. Adjarian adjika is the hottest. Used as a seasoning rather than a sauce.
Where to buy: at all markets. Homemade versions from local producers are considerably better than commercial ones.
Price: tkemali (300 g jar) - 6-12 GEL; adjika (200 g jar) - 8-15 GEL.
14. Churchkhela
Churchkhela is a traditional Georgian sweet made in autumn during the grape harvest. Walnuts (or hazelnuts, almonds) are threaded onto a string and dipped several times into thickened grape juice mixed with flour, then dried in the sun.
The result is a dense, not overly sweet, flavor-packed snack combining nuts and grape must. Proper churchkhela is not sticky and not soft - it is firm on the outside and crunchy from the nuts inside.
Dark burgundy churchkhela is made from Saperavi juice; amber is from white grape juice; pale yellow is from white juice with less pigment.
Where to find the best: Kakheti in September and October. In Tbilisi - the Dezerteri Market.
Price: 3-8 GEL per piece.
15. Eggplant with Walnuts (Badrijani Nigvzit)
Badrijani nigvzit is fried slices of eggplant rolled around a walnut filling (ground walnuts with garlic, spices, and pomegranate). Garnished with pomegranate seeds on top.
This is one of the most popular Georgian dishes on tourist tables - and rightly so. The flavors are well balanced: rich eggplant, spiced walnut, and a hint of tartness from the pomegranate.
Where to find it: at most Georgian restaurants as a cold appetizer. It is delicious almost everywhere.
Price: 10-16 GEL.
What to Drink with Georgian Food
Georgian cuisine was made for wine, and that is not just a figure of speech. Rich sulguni, spicy adjika, heavy meat dishes - all of them call for an acidic drink alongside.
Saperavi is the main red grape variety. Dark, full-bodied, with berry fruit and tannins. Goes with mtsvadi, lobio, and chashushuli.
Rkatsiteli is the main white grape variety. The European style is light and fresh; the orange (Kakhetian) style is amber with a honey aroma. Pairs with fish, satsivi, and pkhali.
Tavkveri and Mtsvane are other white varieties, less well known but interesting. Ask for them at restaurants or at wineries.
Chacha - for a strong finish. One shot before khinkali is a Georgian tradition worth following at least once.
Natakhtari lemonade - Georgian soda in the Soviet tradition: tarragon, cream soda, barberry. Bright, sweet, and nothing like European equivalents. For those who do not drink wine.
Where to Eat in Tbilisi: A Guide by Format
Georgian food in Tbilisi is available in several formats, each suited to a different situation.
Street bakeries: khachapuri, lobiani, mchadi - fast, cheap, and hot. The best breakfast in the city for 5-8 GEL.
Dezerteri Market: ready-to-eat food at the counters, homemade pickles, cheese, wine, spices. Lunch for 15-25 GEL per person including a drink.
Home-style cafes (sakhli): small establishments with home cooking, menus in Georgian or Russian, no tourist markup. Dinner for two with wine - 50-70 GEL.
Mid-range restaurants: wider menu, English-language menus, table service. Dinner for two with wine - 80-130 GEL.
Fine-dining restaurants: Barbarestan, Culinarium Khasheria, Cafe Littera. A contemporary take on Georgian cuisine, sommeliers, tasting menus. Dinner for two - from 150 GEL.
Approximate Food Budget in Georgia
| Dining format | Cost per person per day |
|---|---|
| Bakeries and market (breakfast + snack) | 10-20 GEL |
| Lunch at a local cafe | 20-35 GEL |
| Dinner at a mid-range restaurant with wine | 40-70 GEL |
| Total per day (moderate budget) | 70-120 GEL |
| Total per day (comfortable budget) | 120-200 GEL |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Georgian cuisine spicy?
Generally - moderately so. Standard dishes are not fiery. Adjika and some sauces can be hot, but they are served separately and you control how much you use. If you are sensitive to spice, simply leave out the adjika.
Are there vegetarian dishes in Georgian cuisine?
Yes. Lobio, pkhali, badrijani nigvzit, Imeretian khachapuri, lobiani, and ajapsandali (braised vegetables) make up a complete vegetarian repertoire. Georgian Orthodox fasting periods exclude meat, so meatless cooking here is well developed.
What if I do not like coriander?
Coriander is one of the core herbs in Georgian cuisine. It appears in khinkali, lobio, satsivi, and many other dishes. If you cannot stand the flavor, tell the server "without coriander" (kinza gareshe). Most restaurants will honor the request.
Where is it better to eat khinkali - in Tbilisi or in the mountains?
Both options are good, but in different ways. In Tbilisi you get city-style khinkali (kalakuri) - more delicate and made with parsley. In the mountain regions you get mountain khinkali - larger, with more onion and coriander and a rougher dough. Try both.
How many khinkali should one person order?
A standard portion is 5-6 pieces. A big appetite calls for 8-10. Georgians eat 10-15, but guests usually need fewer.
Can you buy homemade wine directly from winemakers?
Yes. At the Dezerteri Market in Tbilisi, and at markets in Kutaisi and Batumi, homemade wine is sold by the measure (in plastic bottles) from 5 GEL per liter. At wineries in Kakheti it is bottled in glass from 15 GEL. The quality is considerably better than commercial wine in the same price range.
Which city has the best food in Georgia?
Tbilisi offers the greatest choice and variety. But the best regional dishes are found where they originate: Imeretian khachapuri in Kutaisi, Adjarian khachapuri in Batumi, khinkali in the mountain areas, wine and mtsvadi in Kakheti. Georgian cuisine reveals itself fully when you travel around the country rather than staying in one city.
Georgian cuisine is a part of the trip that cannot be skipped. Nothing here is accidental: every sauce, every spice, and every shape of khachapuri came not from whim but from the logic of climate, history, and the character of the people. Try as much as you can, eat where the locals eat, and do not rush at the table - in Georgia, that is simply not done.
