Georgian Food and Wine: What to Eat, Drink, and What It Costs
Georgian food is criminally underrated and cheap: a full restaurant meal runs $6–15 per person. Don't miss khinkali (soup dumplings eaten by hand, never with a fork), khachapuri (cheese-filled bread — several regional versions, the Adjarian boat-shaped one with a raw egg on top is the showstopper), and qvevri wine, made using an 8,000-year-old method UNESCO recognizes as intangible cultural heritage — Georgia is widely credited as the actual birthplace of winemaking.
Georgian food doesn't get talked about nearly enough outside the region, which is honestly good news for you — it means restaurant prices haven't caught up to how good the food actually is. This is what to order, what to drink, and roughly what it costs.
Must-try dishes
| Dish | What it is | Approx. price |
|---|---|---|
| Khinkali | Soup dumplings filled with spiced meat or mushroom and cheese — eat by the twisted top handle, no fork | $0.50–1 per piece |
| Khachapuri (Imeretian) | Flatbread filled with tangy Imeretian cheese, the everyday version | $4–8 |
| Khachapuri Adjaruli | Boat-shaped, open-topped, filled with cheese, butter, and a raw egg you stir in tableside | $6–10 |
| Mtsvadi | Grilled skewered pork or beef, Georgia's answer to the barbecue | $5–10 |
| Lobio | Slow-cooked kidney bean stew, often served in a clay pot with cornbread | $3–6 |
| Churchkhela | Walnuts strung on a thread, dipped repeatedly in thickened grape juice — a chewy, candy-like street snack | $1–2 |
Georgian wine — the actual birthplace
Archaeological evidence of winemaking in Georgia dates back roughly 6,000 BCE, making a strong case that this is where wine, as a practice, actually began. The signature method — qvevri, large egg-shaped clay vessels buried underground for fermentation and aging — produces distinctive amber wines (whites fermented with the skins on, giving them a deeper color and tannic structure closer to a red) that taste unlike anything made in oak or steel. Kakheti, in eastern Georgia, is the country's main wine region and worth a dedicated day trip or tasting tour from Tbilisi.
The supra — Georgia's feast tradition
A supra is a traditional Georgian feast, run by a toastmaster (tamada) who leads a structured sequence of toasts — to peace, to family, to guests, to the departed — often with wine drunk from a horn. If you're invited to one, it's a genuine honor and a real window into Georgian hospitality; don't be surprised if it runs for hours and the table never seems to run out of food.
Dietary needs
- Vegetarian: genuinely easy — lobio (beans), pkhali (walnut-vegetable pâtés), badrijani nigvzit (eggplant rolled with walnut paste), and Imeretian khachapuri are all naturally vegetarian and widely available.
- Vegan: check for sour cream, butter, and clarified butter (used in some khachapuri and khinkali fillings) — ask directly, since menus don't always specify. Pkhali and most bean and vegetable dishes are usually vegan-friendly with a quick check.
- Halal: less established than in some other regions — pork (mtsvadi, some sausages) appears frequently on menus, so specify beef or chicken versions and ask about shared cooking surfaces if that matters to you.
- Nut allergies: walnuts are used constantly (sauces, pâtés, churchkhela) — always ask, since they show up in dishes that don't obviously look nut-based.
What it costs, all in
| Meal type | Price per person |
|---|---|
| Street snack (khinkali or khachapuri slice) | $1–4 |
| Casual restaurant meal | $6–12 |
| Mid-range restaurant with wine | $12–25 |
| Wine tasting tour in Kakheti (half-day) | $40–80 |