The Best Restaurant in Georgia

Background Illustration for Restaurants

Whatever deprivations Georgians have suffered over the years, food hasn’t usually been one of them. Pressed between the Middle East to the south and the Caucuses to the north, Georgia’s kitchens have benefited from both. The widest choices are in Tbilisi, where chefs proudly show off traditional recipes like khinkali (meat-stuffed dumplings), mtsvadi (Georgian style kebabs) and badrijani nigvzit (aubergine slices with walnut-and-garlic paste). In the countryside, dining becomes both more social and informal, and meals can last for hours. Turning down offers of wine, however copious, is a serious faux pas.

FanFan

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For design charm, look no farther than this café a stone's throw from the Sheraton Hotel. A cross between an eccentric grandmother's sitting room and a mixed-media artist's showroom, FanFan draws inspiration from Georgian literary legend and Soviet dissident Chabua Amirejibi, who owned the building. During the day, the brightly covered café tables host lazy conversations over tea and occassional snoozing cats, but at night, the space assumes a restaurant identity, serving regional dishes including its signature bacon rolls stuffed with walnuts and prunes. Live music, mostly jazz, is a regular feature in the evenings.