Get pleasure from 10 of the perfect Georgian eating places in Brooklyn

Tbilisuri, imeruli and kalmakhi from Toné Café in Brighton Beach — Photo courtesy of Brian Cicioni

More than three-quarters of New York‘s roughly two dozen Georgian eating places and bakeries are positioned in Brooklyn. And that is no accident as the vast majority of New York’s 5,000-plus Georgian inhabitants stay in South Brooklyn neighborhoods like Brighton Beach, Bensonhurst and Sheepshead Bay.

While the Georgian eateries in Manhattan are extra upscale with increased costs and smaller parts, you’ll be able to eat effectively in Brooklyn’s Georgian eating places for underneath $30 per particular person (minus drinks). The locations in our record have one factor in widespread, in addition to serving Georgian meals: all of them cater to a primarily Georgian- and Russian-speaking buyer base.

Here are 10 of our favourite Georgian eating places in Brooklyn.

ASSAIA

Shkmeruli from Assaia in Bath Beach — Photo courtesy of Brian Cicioni

Assaia is likely one of the latest Georgian eating places in Brooklyn. Opened in December 2021, Assaia is a bigger and extra upscale model of Toné Café, which the identical homeowners opened again in 2014. The foremost eating room is adorned with work by Georgian artist Hatu Chkheidze. Her brother Nick and his spouse Eka make up two-thirds of the companions, who can now declare the biggest Georgian restaurant in Bath Beach.

As far because the meals goes, you’ll be able to anticipate the identical large khinkali and comfortable bread that Toné Café clients have come to anticipate. But Eka needs clients to attempt different Georgian dishes as effectively. When requested to elaborate, the classical pianist and former music critic suggests the shkmeruli, chanakhi and gebzhalia. The latter is made up of garlic and mint, wrapped in skinny sulguni over a pool of medium-thick Georgian ricotta. You will not see it on most different menus.

They have live entertainment in the principle eating room beginning at 8 p.m. from Friday to Sunday. The piano performs itself within the west room, which has a banquet corridor vibe.

Nearest subway station: Bay Pkwy (D)

Cheeseboat

Khinkali from Cheeseboat in Williamsburg — Photo courtesy of Brian Cicioni

While the remainder of our favourite Georgian spots are positioned in South Brooklyn and cater to a primarily Georgian- and Russian-speaking clientele, Cheeseboat is positioned in ultra-hip Williamsburg and serves a a lot youthful crowd. While the encompassing conversations usually tend to be about Tinder and roommates, the proximity to Manhattan (only one L practice cease) makes Cheeseboat a super gateway to Georgian meals in Brooklyn.

You’ll pay extra for smaller dumplings, however you may even have a scrumptious vegetarian possibility. And they serve their khinkali with a scrumptious creamy neeor’tskali garlic sauce. We additionally advocate making an attempt one in all their namesake carb-heavy canoes. The choices are as inventive as Williamsburg’s popularity. Honeycomb brie and smoked gouda might not be essentially the most Georgian choices, however they work on this case. For one thing barely much less experimental, attempt the shkmeruli rooster’boat, which mixes two of essentially the most beloved Georgian dishes.

Like most newish eating places in hipster neighborhoods, additionally they have a brunch menu.

Nearest subway station: Bedford Av (L)

Georgia

Entrance to Georgia on the nook of Bath and Bay twenty second in Bath Beach — Photo courtesy of Brian Cicioni

Run by two sisters and their mother, Georgia is a real household restaurant. The Tbilisi natives opened this intimate Bath Beach spot on the finish of 2019. Institute of Culinary Education graduate Maia Ninoshvili runs the kitchen whereas her cheerful mom runs the eating room. Everything is $15 and underneath on the time of this writing. Khinkalis are the primary vendor. And not like most different Georgian eating places, they’ve a beef-only possibility. While we extremely advocate both meat model, you must also attempt their four-cheese mix.

Before you allow, you should definitely signal the sizeable Georgian flag that hangs on the eating room wall.

Nearest subway station: 20 Av (D)

Georgian Cuisine

Georgian Cuisine alongside third Avenue in Bay Ridge — Photo courtesy of Brian Cicioni

Thanks to Tbilisi natives Cecilia and David Khubuluri, now you can add Georgian to the combo of eating places alongside third Avenue in Bay Ridge. And this place is really Georgian, from the biggest khinkali you are prone to attempt outdoors the motherland to the imported wine, brandy and vodka. The foremost eating space has eight tables, whereas the again patio is roughly equal in measurement.

Instead of making an attempt the extra widespread flat cheese bread, we advocate going for a culinary swim into one in all Georgian Cuisine‘s seven acharuli (cheese boat) choices. Ingredients vary from rooster or bacon to grilled eggplant or smoked purple bean. They even have a sizeable vegetarian menu.

Nearest subway station: 86 St (R)

Georgian House

In Brighton Beach, you may discover a handful of Georgian eating places and bakeries combined in with the Russian ones — Photo courtesy of Brian Cicioni

In April 2012, Tbilisi natives Geo and Ekaterina Kikvadze opened Berikoni Georgian Bakery a block from the Brighton Beach Boardwalk. The place turned an immediate hit with the native Georgian and predominantly Russian communities to the purpose the place they opened a full-service restaurant proper across the nook lower than one yr later.

On the within, Georgian House is dimly lit and intensely laid-back, particularly given its proximity to the noisy elevated Q practice. On nights when there isn’t a stay music, you may hear comfortable lounge music good for having fun with a glass of Georgian wine.

The menu could also be written in English and Russian, however the Kikvadze household recipes come from Tbilisi. The khinkalis and khachapuris are the perfect sellers, however you may get both to go on the close by bakery. So, we propose making an attempt these when you occur to be staying in a resort throughout a brief go to. But when you’re an area or not less than staying for some time, department out and check out the kharcho, which is a standard Georgian meat stew with cherry plum puree and chopped walnuts. They serve the (commonest) beef model.

Nearest subway station: Ocean Pkwy (Q)

Guest House

Chaqapuli, or veal cooked with white wine, tarragon and contemporary herbs — Photo courtesy of Brian Cicioni

While the identify is extra prone to invoke visions of a weekend getaway upstate than that of tennis ball-sized soup dumplings, Guest House is definitely the biggest Georgian restaurant in Brooklyn. In the wood-centric eating room, you may hear the nice sound of cool lounge music combine with the rattling of the close by Q practice as patrons converse in largely Georgian and Russian. You’ll additionally hear some slurping as khinkalis are on each different desk. While these well-known soup dumplings are a necessary a part of any Georgian meal, you may have loads of assist deciding what else to order, due to the big TV display which shows clips of different common dishes being ready.

For meat lovers, the veal stew (chaqapuli) is a superb possibility. Be positive so as to add bread. And whereas Napoleon is a fixture at almost each Georgian restaurant and bakery, we advocate making an attempt the much less filling pelamushi, which is a dessert product of flour and condensed grape juice. If you like grapes, you must also attempt churchela, which is a candle-shaped model of the latter with entire walnuts within the middle.

Nearest subway station: Brighton Beach (B-Q)

Mtskheta Café

They serve Giuaani wines at Mtskheta Cafe in Gravesend — Photo courtesy of Brian Cicioni

Named after a small historic city that was as soon as the capital of Georgia, Mtskheta seems like a heat and pleasant oasis of calm close to the noisy intersection of 86th Street and Stillwell Avenue. After the Q practice, the D presents the perfect selection in terms of exploring Georgian delicacies in Brooklyn. And this small, cozy café with purple brick partitions and a stone fire adorned with Georgian wines has essentially the most handy location. They are positioned proper underneath the elevated D line.

When Mtskheta first got here to Gravesend in 2011, there have been no different full-service Georgian eateries within the space. Unlike most Georgian eating places, Mtskheta offers diners the choice of fried khinkali versus the normal boiled model. While frying an already hearty dish is not going to be for everybody, it is value a attempt because it’s one of the simplest ways to reheat the well-known Georgian dumplings. And as is widespread in South Brooklyn, they are going to be as giant as any dumpling you’ve got seemingly tried earlier than.

We additionally advocate making an attempt the tabaka (Georgian fried rooster), mchadi (Georgian cornbread) and imeruli (Georgian gooey cheese bread). The latter comes pre-cut and stacked versus the extra widespread spherical pie presentation.

Nearest subway station: 25 Av (D)

Pirosmani

Imeruli and khinkali at Pirosmani in Sheepshead Bay — Photo courtesy of Brian Cicioni

Khinkali-shaped salt and pepper shakers, Georgian wine served in ceramic jugs and the longest forks and knives in New York City are just a few of the peculiarities that make Pirosmani one of many quirkiest Georgian eating places in Brooklyn. While the vast majority of the menu is conventional Georgian, there are just a few culinary curveballs thrown in, resembling rooster gizzards with nuts, calf tongue and pigs’ ft in vinegar.

The white tablecloth Sheepshead Bay restaurant will get its identify from the self-taught turn-of-the-Twentieth-century painter whose portrait and Tbilisi depiction adorned the final circulating one-lari be aware in his native Georgia. Large replicas of Niko Pirosmani work adorn the partitions, making them the one place you may see representations of his work in Brooklyn.

Nearest subway station: Avenue U (Q)

Toné Café

Sucking the soup out of a Georgian khinkali at Toné Café — Photo courtesy of Brian Cicioni

This cozy seven-table café will get its identify from the normal clay ovens which have been turning out tonis puri for hundreds of years. While the lengthy baguette-length loaves are extra common throughout holidays and particular events, you’ll be able to get pleasure from one at Toné Café for simply $3. For one thing a bit totally different, attempt the Royal Khachapuri or their kalmakhi. The latter is a complete roasted trout atop grape leaves in a pomegranate sauce.

As with a lot of Brooklyn’s Georgian eating places, Toné Café has a small Georgian deli subsequent door, the place you should buy imported sodas, jams and cheeses.

Nearest subway station: Brighton Beach (B-Q)

18th Ave Cafe G

18th Ave Cafe G on the border between Bath Beach and Bensonhurst — Photo courtesy of Brian Cicioni

Despite being ten subway stops from Manhattan, 18th Ave Cafe G feels extra Chelsea than Bensonhurst. No house is wasted on this cleverly designed small café on the border between Bath Beach and Bensonhurst. Owner and Imereti native Maya Tsulaia designed the small eating space together with just a few associates.

Café G (for Georgia) is her first enterprise, however you’d by no means guess that, as few different Georgian eateries in Brooklyn can match its character. The south-facing wall is lined with Georgian film posters, which hold above rigorously painted quotes from every respective movie. And then there’s the meals.

Nearly three-quarters of their clients are Georgian. You’ll see loads of (largely common) clients come and go as the vast majority of their enterprise is takeout. But we advocate ordering on the counter and eating in. The cool lounge music is right for people-watching, which you are able to do from one in all 4 excessive seats going through the busy 18th Avenue thoroughfare.

Khinkalis are the highest vendor from the 27-item menu. They promote the normal beef/pork model, however you can even request cheese and/or mushroom. And you’ll be able to’t go mistaken with the khachapuri, which comes from Maya’s dwelling area of Imereti.

Nearest subway station: 18 Av (D)