Khinkali is not only a favorite Georgian food amongst locals and foreigners alike; it is a quintessential part of the country and culture. The dumplings are synonymous with the country itself: as the hamburger might evoke images of busy Americans dashing through fast-food restaurants or diners, and fish and chips bring to mind battered cod and greasy chips in newspaper eaten in a rainy English town, Khinkali conjures pictures of strong beer, raucous laughter, full bellies, and impromptu singing and dancing.
Eating Khinkali holds a special place of its own in Georgian social culture. Attempting to consume the dumplings incorrectly can even constitute a mild faux pas, especially if one makes use of any cutlery; Khinkali must be eaten by hand (social customs aside, this also prevents a messy plate). Sucking the juices out of the dumpling after an initial bite prevents the Khinkali from bursting, though the thick doughy stump at the top is generally not eaten and left on the plate. In some social circles, leaving the stumps on the plate is part of a friendly competition as to how many Khinkali one can eat.
Generally filled with pork, beef or a minced meat mix of both and supplemented with herbs or spices, khinkali can also be filled with cheese, potatoes and mushrooms during fasting periods, which allows vegetarians to enjoy a cornerstone of Georgian cuisine.
Our Top 5 Khinkali restaurants in Tbilisi:
KHINKALI HOUSE
A veritable labyrinth of tables, booths and private rooms, this underground restaurant manages to be simultaneously cavernous and cosy. One hall has a stage at the end of the room, allowing customers to enjoy traditional live music and watch as Georgian diners, infused with beer and patriotism, take to the dance floor and exhibit a famous national talent.
The jolly noise of music and diners enthusiastically guzzling beer and devouring the dish for which the restaurant is named contribute to an atmosphere that manages to be hearty but not overwhelming. Even in the loudest room the booths maintain a feeling of privacy, but quieter areas in the multi-floored restaurant can be occupied at need. As the name suggests, this restaurant produces some of the finest khinkali of various types in the city, but a host of other dishes (Georgian and otherwise) are also on the menu.
Address: 37 Shota Rustaveli Avenue
KAKHELEBI
Located far from the city center, close to the airport, visitors to this restaurant all agree that the journey is worth it. The interior décor is an aesthetic reminder of Georgia's mixed heritage; the pale walls and soft blue colours are highly evocative of the eastern styles of Turkey and Persia, and not the kind of interior design typically found in Georgian restaurants.
Specializing in eastern Georgian cuisine (specifically the wine-region of Kakheti), this restaurant boasts a wide and varied menu. While its khinkali ranks highly, multiple trips are highly recommended; the Khachapuri, barbecue meats and soups are of the best.
Though the restaurant is not as large as others in the city, traditional dance and music performances are sometimes put on, a spectacle that no visitor to Georgia should miss. Many foreigners often complain about service standards in Georgia, but Kakhelebi's waiters are professional, attentive and friendly. Prices are a fraction higher than at other restaurants, but this is to be expected with quality.
Address: 2 Saknavtobi Kakheti Highway
ZAHAR ZAKHARICH
This restaurant is named for the happy story of a Tbilisi restaurant owner who always kept a table free for impoverished people to eat at for free, a mark of the legendary Georgian hospitality. Located near the Dry Bridge and the city's Flea Market, Zahar Zakharich is notable for its own variants of khinkali.
While khinkali is generally made of a beef-pork mince, Zahar Zakharich offers a number of types favoured by its customers. Khinkali made with lamb is rare (though not unheard of), and this restaurant's lamb khinkali has proved popular with guests. The mushroom and coriander khinkali is another favourite not often found elsewhere.
The khinkali itself here is marginally smaller than those served in other restaurants, but with a higher proportion of filling within, a testament to the many and varied ways in which one of Georgia's favourite dishes is made.
Address: 3 Right Bank Mshrali Bridge
TIFLIS
A restaurant named for the classical name of Tbilisi with an appropriately classical Georgian appearance, within though its exterior resembles a European gastropub. Tradition is mildly broken by Tiflis in its serving of Czech and German beers, which are relatively new but popular additions to the country's beer menu. While there is a surprising variety of décor within, all are in unmistakable Georgian styles, from the initial entrance and main restaurant to the event hall used to host parties and supras.
The menu in Tiflis is not dissimilar to many other Georgian restaurants, but its fair prices render it easily affordable while the quality of food easily surpasses that of Georgia's many restaurant chains.
Address: 2 Vazha-Pshavela Avenue
AMO RAME ART CAFE
A cafe-restaurant which serves as living proof of Tbilisi's 21st century Bohemian culture, the colorful interior, classical European furniture and popularity with Georgia's liberal youth hardly suggest that Khinkali is even served here. Amo Rame, however, like Tbilisi itself, is full of surprises.
Though the menu mostly consists of European dishes, Amo Rame produces its own Khinkali with a distinctive style. Unlike most other Khinkali, Amo Rame's dumplings lack the usual prominent stump, and instead have a shorter, squatter appearance with a thin-to-thick exterior which leaves the meat within clearly visible; this is due to Amo Rame using more traditional methods, which today are mostly found in Georgia's mountainous and rural regions rather than city restaurants.
While the quiet conversation of young Georgian people or foreign expatriates is markedly different to what one would normally associate with a khinkali meal. Yet as with everything else about Amo Rame, its different nature only makes it more appealing.
Address: 4 Pavla Ingorokva Street