We went to this Georgian restaurant to celebrate my dear friend’s birthday. The hidden old central Moscow location, the combination of class and cosy authentic charm impressed me almost instantly. As well as the food, of course. Georgian classics like khachapuri of different kinds and satisivi (even though I’m not a fan of chicken) were impeccable.
One of the guests, a beautiful lady who’d spent months, or maybe even years, travelling around Georgia, said that their pkhali are the best she’s ever tried. She also ordered a dish called aubergine Martveli. It’s a town in west Georgia which features a canyon and a monastery. A curious coincidence was that she’s been there three times, which genuinely impressed our waiters, local Georgians, who said that it’s not a typical tourist destination at all and they haven’t been there themselves despite living in Georgia all their life.
Two other guests, a married couple who are wine connoisseurs and who’ve been to German and Crimean vineyards, appreciated the range of qvevri wines. I first heard the word ‘qvevri’ when I tried the so-called amber wine last winter on the trip to Kaliningrad with my colleague. Then we’d learnt that qvevri is an earthenware vessel used in traditional Georgian winemaking.
Back to the restaurant, there was also a quartet singing live songs in Russian and Georgian. I was enchanted by their interpretation of a folk song called Chanamgeri. And we spotted a wedding party at the beautifully decorated entrance as we were leaving to watch the city day fireworks on the Moskva…
Thank you for sharing this restaurant with us, now I know what place I should visit to remember the taste of Georgia. :))
You’re welcome! Let me know your impression if you do :)) And thank you for sharing your beautiful picture of Mtskheta.