Literally a few hundred steps from Freedom Square, in an inconspicuous place, in the basement there is a very good cafe for locals. Yes, it's not bad, it's good. It looks like a small room, with obvious flavors of the kitchen, but we went so far that we were there twice a week.
The order and payment are made at the checkout. There is a waiter, but he only brings the order and clears the tables. Local men were sitting at the next table from us and drinking white wine. They were talking long, beautiful, but incomprehensible toasts. It was loud, but very interesting.
What we ordered:
1. Kharcho. I really love this spicy, rich Caucasian soup. Well… I have never tasted such a delicious meal.
2. Chikhirtma. Oh my god You can sell your soul for this soup. Maybe it tastes better somewhere – but this is my TOP.
3. Kuchmachi. The offal wasn't bad. But I compared it with the Khinkali House. So there they were fried, but here they were probably closer to stewed. Delicious, but no more.
4. Eggplant rolls. Good. We ordered it twice.
5. Khinkali. With a thin dough and juicy filling. There's nothing more to say. Delicious!!!
6. Shkmeruli. Because of this chicken, we returned for the second time. Well-fried chicken in a delicious sour cream and garlic sauce, in which it is very good to dip magnificent, fresh tortillas.
7. Homemade wine (white). To be honest, it was the best homemade wine on our trip.
Well, what can I say – this place is a must-visit.
Delicious and inexpensive, good khinkali with cheese and mushrooms, cooked especially for us, brought hot. The only thing they missed was, they ordered pork legs with garlic, they thought there would be something like a shank, but they brought pork almost hooves (the lowest part of the leg, where there is no meat, only cartilage and skin), also for 12 lari. it would be better to take a barbecue for 15. But there are also advantages: they did not have to wait for them, they are brought immediately and cold :)
We read a lot of laudatory reviews and on the first day of our trip to Tbilisi we went to have lunch at this cafe. I was immediately surprised that we were the only visitors. Everyone wrote that there were no places, you couldn't get in, but everything was empty here. We thought it was Monday, November, okay, since we came, we'll try. We took chicken chikhirtma soup, I don't know what it should be, we liked it, eggplant with nuts are ordinary, but they didn't eat khinkali, the minced meat is sour, strongly peppered and, as it seemed to me, not fresh. The prices are yes, budget, khinkali 1.5 per piece, eggplant 10 lari, soup 15 lari. I hope my feedback will be useful.