Indeed! It’s so much about the food here. Having a hasteless dinner with a bottle of wine, enjoying incredible meal, listening to live music, getting to know people at the neighbor table – priceless! And so affordable – Oh My Goodness! So affordable, that we managed going out every single night to a good restaurant, ordering whatever we like and choosing a good wine. Below are a couple of tips and places where you can have a delicious meal with a good atmosphere for a nice price.

Breakfast. Here you don’t have any problem of choice. You should only decide how much time is in your command. This will define the place you choose. Fast food that you grab on the street costs almost nothing: in Kutaisi we had a Kada for 70 Tetri (25 cents = 0,7 Lari. Further I will give the prices only in Lari: keep in mind, you have to divide it to 2,4-2,7 to get a price in Euro) and a simple chachapuri (that tastes good but not so amazing as special ones) for 1,8 Lari while exploring the city and not willing to wait in a café.

In Tbilisi, on the opposite, we went to a nice open café and ordered an Adjarian chachapuri (Acharuli/Adjaruli) – here the dough is formed into an open boat shape and the hot cheese inside is topped with a raw egg and a pat of butter before serving. You should mix the cheese with the egg and butter and eat it together with the dough. Mmm, yummy! A huge, huge portion that is enough for two if you are not extremely hungry. Costs about 8 to 12 Lari for a portion.

You can order an ice-coffee for 3 Lari, Coca-Cola for 1,5 Lari. Mineral water 0,5l costs in small shops on your way about 20-50 Tetri depending on the proximity of touristic attractions. By the way, you should try the salty mineral water. Same price, new taste. A lot of minerals, but still very specific. Some people say it quenches your thirst. Anyway, try to get to know if you like it or hate it.

Fruit is in abundance, fresh, juicy and tasty. For instance, 1kg of grapes costs 1,5 Lari. Another local thing you should try is churchhela. It’s receipt is ages old: it is made by dipping strings of nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.) or dried fruits into thickened grape juice with addition of flour and drying it in the sun. One piece costs 2 to 4 Lari. Looks, probably, a bit weird, but tastes gooood.

In Kazbegi we were very short of time and bought just a bread on our way to a hill we were willing to climb. De-li-ci-o-us! Freshly baked, crispy, flavorous, huge (talking about the size of the portions again). Bread is called “puri” in Georgian and is being baked in a deep circular clay oven. We had luck to find one bakery right next to the place we stayed.

After climbing a hill we had a light lunch at Khavi, a restaurant that offers a fine selection of meals and cheapest prices in the very heart of Kazbegi (next to the “bus station”). It was recommended by our host, but we didn’t manage to get inside the night before as it was booked for a private dinner.
Instead, the evening before we had a great meal in a place called Shorena’s Bar Restaurant (Al.Kazbegi Square). We ordered a recommended dish called “Shkmeruli” – chicken cooked in milk and garlic. It took us a while (more than an hour for sure, but be prepared: in Georgian restaurants you should not be in a hurry – it always lasts long if you want it cooked from A to Z and be super fresh).

Excuse me, but I will repeat myself again: the portion is sooo huge, enormous. Enough for 2-3 persons. It cost 25 Lari. The eggplant cooked with tomatoes and spices – 9 Lari. A bottle of wine Kindzamarauli, the best wine they offer in Shorena’s, – 32 Lari. Second best – Saperavi – 23 Lari. Chacha – 5 Lari for a shot.
The waiters in this restaurant speak at least four languages (Georgian, Hebrew, Russian and English) and have an interesting sense of humor. An answer to our any question was first “No”, then they did what they have been asked. Young funny guys, have an Israel’s flag in the room and singing Georgian pop songs with a TV on. A charming evening with a nice couple from Tel-Aviv and lots of wine.
Another thing to do in Kazbegi in the evening is to go to the Hotel Rooms Kazbegi and grab a drink there. The prices and not Georgian at all. But the view is breathtaking. Those, who do not climb the hill to get to the Gergeti Trinity Church, should definitely enjoy the view on the terrace of this hotel.

In Tbilisi we went twice to the same restaurant, called “Georgian”. Not so easy to find, as I recognized later. The restaurant is in a small cellar, open late in the afternoon, live music every evening: two elderly guys playing American songs and some other swingy-jazzy music. A liter of wine costs about 15 Lari. You should try mushrooms baked in cheese with nuts, khinkali, suluguni (local mild cheese), you should just basically try everything! And local Georgian Brandy. If you like it, you can find it in the wine shops in the city. It costs 14 Lari and more. Wine you can buy for 6 Lari and higher. For my favorite Kindzamarauli I paid 18 Lari in Tbilisi and 7,5 Euro in the duty free in Kutaissi. That was the medium price. It can cost 40 euros and more. But one of the best red semi-sweet wines I’ve ever tried. Definitely a must.
The best dinner we had in Batumi in the restaurant Shemoikhede Genatsvale (8 Noe Zhordania St). It cost us 48 Lari – where else you could enjoy a whole palette of local cuisine and drinks (out of that 16 Lari a bottle of white wine, Chachapuri on a stick, fried suluguni in a pan, four khinkali, meat dish, 2 shots chacha). On the photo delow is suluguni fried in a pan. A bit bread and tkemali sause (beware, a lot of coriander as in almost all dishes of Georgian cuisine) – is all what you need for these savory moments.

We were stuffed and happy. However, not only the meal was good but so was a “show”. Next to us, about 15 Georgians at the table sang before they started their meal, during and after. Strong voices, great sense of melody, surprisingly good sound. We were literally impressed. It suited very well together: delicious slow meal and powerful voices. Applauses followed. The link to the video is below (filmed somewhat secretly):

Georgians singing

Last night before our flight back to Berlin we spent in a restaurant “Palaty” (Pushkini Street II) in Kutaisi. Medium check with wine was 45-50 Lari. We had something different that we tried in Georgia before: a lechkhumian smoked pork on a wooden plate, with local moist bread and slices of suluguni. The combination was heavenly savory, and the portion, as ever, immense.
We absolutely come back to Georgia to enjoy more great stuff and authentic cuisine. And wine, for sure!