If you come to Tbilisi hungry and leave without gaining a few pounds, something has gone badly wrong. Georgian food is one of the great undiscovered cuisines of the world: cheese-stuffed breads, soupy dumplings you eat with your hands, walnut-thickened stews, smoky skewered meat and a table always heavier with dishes than you thought you ordered. It is generous, garlicky, herb-heavy and built for sharing, and it goes hand in hand with the country’s ancient wine.
This guide walks you through 20 dishes you should try on a trip to Georgia, from the famous cheesy khachapuri to lesser-known regional specialities you’ll only find if you know to ask. For each one you’ll get a quick description, how to eat it and a rough price so you can order with confidence. We finish with a word on wine and the legendary supra feast, where to eat in Tbilisi, and honest price expectations.
One thing to understand before you sit down: Georgian cooking is deeply regional. The mountains of Svaneti, the Black Sea coast of Adjara, the western lowlands of Samegrelo and the wine country of Kakheti each have their own specialities, and menus often mix them freely. That’s why you’ll see three different khachapuris on one page, or a soup called kharcho that means two different things depending on where you are. Don’t overthink it — order broadly, share everything, and let the table fill up.
Georgian food at a glance
- Signature dishes: khachapuri (cheese bread) and khinkali (soup dumplings) are the two you must not miss.
- Flavours: walnuts, garlic, coriander, blue fenugreek, marigold and sour plum feature constantly.
- Great for veggies: Georgia has a rich meat-free tradition thanks to Orthodox fasting — pkhali, lobio, badrijani and cheese breads abound.
- Typical price: a hearty sit-down meal with wine runs ₾30–60 (about $11–22) per person in Tbilisi.
- Best paired with: Georgian wine, especially amber (qvevri) whites and Saperavi reds.
The cheese breads: khachapuri and its regional types
Khachapuri is the national dish and the thing everyone remembers. But “khachapuri” is really a family of breads that changes shape and richness depending on which region you’re in, so it’s worth knowing the main three.
1. Imeruli khachapuri
This is the everyday, round, flat khachapuri from the Imereti region — soft dough sealed around a filling of salty sulguni and imeruli cheese, baked and sliced like a pizza. It’s the default you’ll get if you just order “khachapuri” without specifying. Order one to share as a starter; a whole one to yourself is a serious commitment. Around ₾8–14 ($3–5).
2. Adjaruli (Acharuli) khachapuri
The Instagram star: a boat-shaped bread filled with molten cheese, topped with a raw egg and a knob of butter that you stir together at the table into a glorious cheesy lava. It comes from the Black Sea region of Adjara, and the boat shape is said to represent a ship. Tear off the doughy ends and dip them in. It’s very rich — one is easily enough for two people. Expect ₾10–18 ($4–7).
3. Megruli khachapuri
From Samegrelo in the west, this is Imeruli’s more indulgent cousin: the same round shape, but with extra cheese melted on top as well as inside. If you love cheese and can’t choose, this is the one. Slightly pricier than Imeruli at around ₾12–16 ($4–6).
Dumplings, meat and the hearty mains
4. Khinkali
Georgia’s beloved soup dumpling: a twisted knot of dough filled with spiced minced meat (usually pork and beef, or lamb) and a pocket of hot broth. Hold it by the top knot, bite a small hole, slurp the juice, then eat the rest — and never eat the tough doughy top, which you leave on your plate to keep count. They’re ordered by the piece (usually a minimum of five), at roughly ₾1–2 each ($0.40–0.75). Sprinkle with black pepper and skip the fork. You’ll also find kalakuri (city-style, mixed meat with herbs) and simpler mountain versions; mushroom and cheese khinkali exist for vegetarians too.
5. Mtsvadi
Georgian barbecue: chunks of pork (or veal) skewered and grilled over grapevine embers, which impart a subtle sweetness, then served simply with raw onion and sometimes a tart plum sauce. It’s smoky, juicy and utterly moreish, especially with a glass of red. You’ll see it grilled outdoors on day trips, at roadside stops and in the mountains, where it’s practically a weekend ritual. A skewer runs about ₾12–20 ($4–7).
6. Shkmeruli
Chicken cooked in a rich, garlicky milk-and-cream sauce, served bubbling in a clay dish. It’s decadent, comforting and one of the best things to mop up with fresh bread. The name comes from the village of Shkmeri. Around ₾15–25 ($6–9) and generous enough to share.
7. Ojakhuri
The name means “family-style”, and that’s exactly what it is: pan-fried pork and potatoes with onions and herbs, sizzling on a hot skillet. It’s rustic, filling and made to share in the middle of the table. A classic order when you want something hearty rather than fussy. Roughly ₾15–22 ($6–8).
8. Chakapuli
A fresh, springtime stew of lamb (or veal) simmered with tarragon, sour green plums (tkemali), white wine and heaps of herbs. It’s tangy, aromatic and lighter than most Georgian mains — a lovely contrast to all the cheese. Especially good in spring when the young herbs are in season. About ₾18–28 ($7–10).
9. Kharcho
A thick, warming beef soup from Samegrelo, made with rice, walnuts, sour plum and plenty of garlic and spice. Deeply savoury and a little sour, it’s perfect on a cold Tbilisi day. Don’t confuse it with “kharcho” the walnut stew you’ll also see; both are excellent. Around ₾10–16 ($4–6).
10. Kubdari
The mountain answer to khachapuri: a bread stuffed not with cheese but with spiced, chopped meat, from the remote region of Svaneti. It’s seasoned with the distinctive Svan salt (a herby, spicy blend) and makes a fantastic, filling lunch. If you see it on a menu, order it — it’s less common than cheese breads. Roughly ₾12–18 ($4–7).
11. Elarji
Another Megrelian speciality: a thick cornmeal porridge cooked with generous amounts of sulguni cheese until it turns stretchy and gooey. When done well it pulls into long cheesy strings. It’s stodgy in the best way and usually served as a side or a rich main. Around ₾10–15 ($4–6).
Vegetarian stars: pkhali, lobio and badrijani
Thanks to the many fasting days of the Orthodox calendar, Georgia has one of the best meat-free traditions in the region. These dishes aren’t afterthoughts — they’re some of the most flavourful things on the table.
12. Pkhali
Little pâté-like balls of minced vegetables — most often spinach, beetroot or beans — blended with ground walnuts, garlic and herbs, and topped with pomegranate seeds. They come as a colourful trio and make a beautiful, healthy starter. Order a mixed plate to try several. Around ₾8–14 ($3–5).
13. Lobio
A hearty stew of kidney beans slow-cooked with onions, garlic and herbs, often served in a clay pot and eaten with cornbread (mchadi). It’s the ultimate comfort food and a vegetarian mainstay. Cheap, filling and satisfying — usually ₾8–13 ($3–5).
14. Badrijani nigvzit
Fried aubergine slices rolled around a walnut-and-garlic paste and finished with pomegranate seeds. Creamy, nutty and a little sweet-sour, it’s many travellers’ surprise favourite. Almost every restaurant does a version. Around ₾8–14 ($3–5).
15. Mchadi
Simple, dense cornbread cooked on a griddle — the traditional partner to lobio and pkhali, especially in western Georgia. It’s gluten-free and works as an edible spoon for scooping up beans and stews. Usually just a lari or two per piece.
Cheese, bread and sauces
16. Sulguni and Georgian cheeses
Sulguni is Georgia’s most famous cheese — a semi-firm, salty, slightly sour cheese from Samegrelo, sometimes served smoked or fried. Alongside it you’ll meet imeruli (mild and fresh) and guda (a sharp sheep’s cheese from the mountains). Fried sulguni, crisp outside and molten within, is a brilliant snack with wine. A cheese plate runs about ₾10–18 ($4–7).
17. Tone bread (shotis puri)
Watch for the canoe-shaped loaves baked against the walls of a wood-fired clay oven called a tone. Shotis puri is crusty, chewy and best eaten warm straight from the bakery. You’ll spot little bakeries all over Tbilisi selling it for ₾1–2 ($0.40–0.75) — one of the great cheap pleasures of the city.
18. Ajika and tkemali sauces
Georgian meals live and die by their sauces. Ajika is a fiery red (or green) paste of hot peppers, garlic and herbs — use it sparingly. Tkemali is a tart sour-plum sauce, either red or green, that cuts through grilled meat and potatoes beautifully. Both usually come free with your meal or cost a couple of lari on the side.
Sweets and something to drink
19. Churchkhela
The candle-shaped “Georgian Snickers” you’ll see hanging in every market: strings of walnuts (or hazelnuts) repeatedly dipped in thickened grape juice and dried. It’s chewy, naturally sweet and travels well as a snack or souvenir. Look for the darker, less sugary versions. A stick costs around ₾3–6 ($1–2) — the Dry Bridge Market and roadside stalls are good places to buy.
20. Chacha and other drinks
Chacha is the potent home-distilled grape spirit — the Georgian firewater, often 40–65% and made from the grape skins left after winemaking — traditionally poured as a toast at the end of a meal. Handle it with respect; a single glass goes a long way. On the softer side, seek out the range of retro fizzy lemonades: tarragon-flavoured Tarkhuna (a startling neon green), pear, cream soda and more, all worth trying at least once. And, of course, there’s wine, which deserves its own section below.
Georgian wine and the supra feast
You can’t separate Georgian food from Georgian wine. This is where wine was born — archaeologists trace winemaking here back some 8,000 years — and it’s still made in the traditional way, fermented in buried clay vessels called qvevri. The result includes distinctive amber (orange) wines, made by leaving white grapes in contact with their skins, which gives a tannic, almost tea-like character quite unlike anything you’ll find in western Europe. Alongside them sit deep, inky Saperavi reds and crisp Rkatsiteli whites. Ordering a jug of house wine with dinner is cheap and part of the experience; our Georgian wine guide explains the styles and grapes worth trying.
The best way to experience all of this is a supra — a traditional Georgian feast led by a toastmaster (tamada) who guides the table through a series of heartfelt toasts. Dishes pile up rather than arrive in courses, the wine keeps flowing, and it can last for hours. If you’re invited to one, say yes. For a deeper dive into the country’s wine regions, our Kakheti wine tour guide covers the vineyards a couple of hours east of the city.
Where to eat these dishes in Tbilisi
Tbilisi rewards the hungry. For traditional cooking, look to the family-run restaurants around the Old Town and Marjanishvili, where menus lean on the classics above. Fabrika, the converted Soviet sewing factory turned hostel and courtyard in Marjanishvili, is a good hub of casual eateries and cafés if you want variety in one spot. For khinkali, locals swear by dedicated khinkali houses where they’re made fresh to order, and the best value is often at unglamorous spots away from the tourist trail.
A few honest tips: menus are usually in Georgian and English, but photos help — don’t be shy about pointing. Bread and sauces often arrive automatically and may be charged. If a place is packed with Georgian families rather than tourists, that’s a very good sign. And go hungry: the portions genuinely are large, and a single Adjaruli khachapuri can defeat two people on its own.
For a curated list of specific places across price ranges, see our guide to the best restaurants in Tbilisi. If you’d rather build a whole day around eating and sightseeing, our things to do in Tbilisi guide pairs neighbourhoods with what to see and where to refuel nearby.
What Georgian food costs
Georgia is refreshingly affordable by European standards. Here’s a realistic picture for Tbilisi (1 USD ≈ 2.7₾):
- Bakery snack (shotis puri, a slice of khachapuri): ₾2–5 ($1–2).
- Khinkali: about ₾1–2 each; a filling plate of 8–10 is ₾10–18 ($4–7).
- Casual sit-down main: ₾12–25 ($4–9).
- Full meal with starters, main and a jug of house wine: ₾30–60 ($11–22) per person at a mid-range place.
- Upmarket modern-Georgian restaurant: ₾70–120+ ($26–44+) per person.
Tipping isn’t obligatory but 10% is appreciated at sit-down restaurants; check whether a service charge is already added. Portions are large, so order fewer dishes than you think and add more if you’re still hungry.
How to order like a local
If it’s your first Georgian meal, a good default order for two people is one khachapuri, one plate of pkhali or badrijani, a portion of khinkali and one hot main such as ojakhuri or shkmeruli, all to share in the middle of the table. Add a fresh tomato-and-cucumber salad with walnut dressing to cut through the richness, and a jug of house wine. That gives you cheese, dumplings, a vegetable dish and a meat dish — a proper cross-section of the cuisine — without over-ordering.
Pace yourself with the khachapuri: it’s the most filling thing on the table and it’s easy to fill up before the mains arrive. Eat khinkali while they’re hot, because they toughen as they cool. And don’t rush — Georgians treat a meal as an event, not a pit stop, and the food tastes better when you settle in. If you’re mapping meals against sightseeing, our 3-day Tbilisi itinerary slots restaurants and markets in around the main sights.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous Georgian dish?
Khachapuri, the cheese-filled bread, is the national dish and the one to try first — particularly the boat-shaped Adjaruli version with its egg and butter. Khinkali, the soup dumplings, run a very close second and are just as beloved by Georgians.
Is Georgian food good for vegetarians?
Very. Centuries of Orthodox fasting have produced a rich meat-free repertoire: pkhali, lobio, badrijani, cheese breads, mushroom dishes and fresh salads are all easy to find. Vegans should note that cheese and eggs feature heavily, but plenty of bean and vegetable dishes are naturally plant-based — just confirm when ordering.
Is Georgian food spicy?
Not especially. It’s herb-forward and garlicky rather than chilli-hot. Heat mostly comes from the ajika sauce served on the side, which you can add to taste. Most dishes are savoury and aromatic without much burn.
How much should I budget for food per day in Tbilisi?
You can eat very well on ₾50–90 ($18–33) a day if you mix bakery snacks and casual restaurants, or splurge higher at modern-Georgian spots. Street food and khinkali houses keep costs down, while a wine-heavy supra will push the total up.
That’s your crash course in Georgian food — now go eat. Once you’ve mapped out your meals, plan the rest of your trip with our things to do in Tbilisi guide, browse more eating and drinking inspiration in our food and wine section, and read up on the country’s remarkable Georgian wine before your first supra. Bon appétit — or as they say here, gaumarjos!
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