<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Every Tbilisi neighborhood needs its beloved corner spot, and Kutkhe, true to its name ("corner"), is just that, with a dangerous allure. This friendly shop serves up some of the city's most delectable, juicy khinkali alongside fresh draft beer in freezer-chilled pint mugs, creating a simple, perfect pairing that has locals and epicureans alike enthusiastically sharing its praises.</span></p>

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<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Venture past the Deserter’s Bazaar to an often-overlooked part of town, and you’ll find Duqani Kasumlo, a kebab joint with a semi-cult following. Owner Leonid Chkhikvishvili proudly calls it an "Azerbaijani-Georgian fusion restaurant," and a standout feature is the abundance of lamb – a relative rarity for a typical Georgian lunch spot. The lamb kebabs are the undisputed house specialty, arriving exceptionally juicy and tender, garnished with thinly sliced onions and served atop fresh lavash.</span></p>

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<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Like a musician who values tone over riffs, chef Giorgi Iosava grooves on simplicity rather than lavishness, cooking traditional Georgian fare with a twist. Shkmeruli, garlic chicken, in a creamy paste rather than a milky sauce. Ghomi with millet instead of corn meal. This must-order is served with a ladle of tender veal walnut stew, kharcho. Iosava’s wife, Natalia, works the dining room, cozily decorated with bric-a-brac antiques and oil paintings. We adore her wild herb-infused chacha brandy.</span></p>

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<p><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34)">In a cozy cellar in the heart of Tbilisi’s historic Sololaki neighborhood, seven winemakers have come together to offer an alternative convention to winemaking and consumption. They call it Vino Underground, but we call it wine heaven. They offer some 100 family-produced Georgian wines, most made the same way for thousands of years in ceramic <em>kvevris</em>. Our host walked us through a tasting with profound knowledge of the background of each bottle – and enthusiasm. We recommend the Rkatsiteli, Georgia’s most-popular white, as well as a straw-colored, citrusy Kisi.</span></p><p><br><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34)">Vino Underground isn’t the kind of place you visit if you’re hungry, which is unheard of in this Black Sea nation where wine and supper are as inseparable as salt is from the sea. But they do offer savory treats well suited to partnering with their wide selection of wines, which also includes European and Kiwi vintages. We skipped the platter of local cheeses, preferring to try that evening’s specials of fried Sulguni cheese with sorrel and Ekala with walnuts.</span></p><p><br></p>

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<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">This lovely botanical patio serves some of the lightest, freshest fare in town. Homemade sulguni cheese is made on site, served solo or stuffed in chivishtari, the fluffiest of cornbreads. Most of the menu is west Georgian Megrelian cuisine, like elargi, melt in your mouth cheesy grits. Or kupati, a piquant paprika and garlic pork entrail sausage. Alubali is owned by four women. One, Monica, likens it to a “a village where you’re sitting outside, and everything is tasty.”</span></p>

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<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">A Sololaki institution, Dukani Racha is a Georgian greasy spoon gloriously impervious to change. For decades, this chummy, brick-walled cellar has drawn loyalists with its cold display of classic appetizers – beef tongue, salads, cheeses, and badrijani (walnut-stuffed eggplant). Presided over by Manana, the famously surly director, the service is unapologetically old-school Georgian – part of its enduring charm.</span></p>

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<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Just a 15-minute drive from the capital's summer swelter, Armazis Kheoba offers a refreshing escape tucked in a steep gorge along the Mtkvari River. Unleash the kids and savor lungfuls of fresh air, all while indulging in specialties from the Kakhetian chef. Don't miss the remarkable beef liver mtsvadi, roasted in natural sausage casing, or the mtsvadi asorti (assorted barbecued meats). As evening approaches, a folk band often performs, turning a leisurely afternoon into a veritable holiday.</span></p><p><br></p>

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<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">In a city where breakfast culture has been traditionally understated, Kikliko emerged as a game-changer. Opened by three friends in a refurbished ground-floor apartment, this warm spot offers a menu developed by chef Elene Kakabadze that subtly blends Western and Georgian influences. No thin blini here, pancakes are fluffier and dollar-sized. Must-tries include the creamy rich cottage cheese stuffed cakes and the eponymous "kikliko," a delightful Georgian take on French toast.</span></p>

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<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Chacha is distilled from the fermented grape skins, stems and seeds left over from the winemaking process. To avoid a nasty hangover, best to know who makes it. That’s why we turn to Vato Botsvadze, owner of Tbilisi’s first exclusive chacha shop. “I consider this a chacha museum,” he says, pointing to the wall of bottles. The lusty spirit comes in many forms, from mulberry-aged versions to cognac-style sips made from distilled wine. Belly up to the shop’s tiny bar to taste them.</span></p>

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