Top food picks in Batumi, Georgia

This traditional Georgian dish of cheese-filled bread is the one most associated with the country and its cuisine among the neighbours. In fact, khachapuri is so popular and common that the price of making it is sometimes used as a measure of inflation in different Georgian cities by the "khachapuri index". Moreover,  the 27th of February has been announced as the National Khachapuri Day, and the national dish is being celebrated at home and abroad in a manner as simple as the proper way to eat it.

The romantically named Porto Franco offers great khachapuri.

Georgian cuisine is famous for the inventive ways they deal with meat combinations and spices. For example, local cuisine has kharcho, a traditional soup containing different kinds of meat, cherry plum purée made from tklapi or tkemali, rice, chopped walnuts, and a spice mix that varies between different regions of the country. Beef is the traditional basis for the soup, and its nutritional value is always very high. It's quite a quest to find the best kharcho around since variations and modifications are numerous.

Restaurant Bravo offers wonderful kharcho.

Nowadays, almost every county has its own type of dumplings. This is natural, because dumplings are universal in the way dough is handled and combined with different ingredients. Georgians have khinkali - dumplings consisting of twisted knobs of dough, stuffed with meat and spices. The fillings of khinkali vary by area with the original variation called khevsuruli comprising minced meat like lamb or beef and pork, onions, chilli pepper, salt, and cumin. This makes up quite an unusual combination.

Kiziki is a good choice for khinkali.

We started the list very strongly with national dishes of the country, and that's natural, them being so Georgian and so interesting. But now is the time for a short break, and what's better for a light stop than salad. One of the more simplistic combinations surprisingly popular in a fancy city like Batumi is the cucumber and tomato salad. Thanks to the prolific manner in which local chefs deal with vegetables and spices, even this rather basic dish can be made at least a little bit special.

Old Boulevard will take care of your salad needs.

While we're at it, a different kind of salad is worth mentioning. In Batumi, Ceasar salad is the go-to dish if you want something relatively complex. The classic formula of romaine lettuce and croutons dressed with lemon juice works like a charm, and the imagination of Georgian chefs can add something new to the formula aside from cheese, pepper, and sauces. Unlike some neighbouring countries, Georgia treats Ceasar salad with refreshingly casual simplicity.

BERICONI has some very nice Ceasar salad.

Looks like we'll have a wonderfully balanced trio of salads on our list this time. The famous Greek salad, also known as "horiatiki", is made with pieces of tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, feta cheese, and various kinds of olives. Common additions include green bell pepper slices or caper berries, which gives this salad its distinct feel, look, and taste. In Georgia, and especially in Batumi, you can find some very interesting takes on the classic Greek salad formula.

Heart of Batumi is a restaurant with a beautiful name and great salads.

While we're moving away from salads, it's only natural to talk about another green option that's popular among the restaurant-goers in Batumi. Grilled vegetables can easily be made in Georgian style by actually grilling them in traditional ways. Roasting and grilling is something that Georgian chefs do exceptionally well, and the inventive approach to mixing veggies make local cuisine into something of a dream for vegans and those who appreciate a good meat-free dish.

RADIO Kitchen & Bar is a very decent place for grilled vegetables.

Moving away from vegetables dominating the middle part of our list, we should draw our attention towards the one thing Georgian cuisine is famous for more than most of the national dishes – skewered meat. A lighter sort of food like that is the chicken skewers. There are several Georgian variations of the dish combining elements characteristic of Iranian and Asian options, with vegetable mixes and other additions to chicken meat depending on the preferences and skills of the chefs.

Sachashnike is a decent choice here.

Now we're getting into something heavier than veggies and white meat. Everyone loves shish kebab, or shashlik, as it's called in the region. The skewered and grilled cubes of meat are both compact and substantial, they go well with sauces, additions, potatoes, and other elements comprising a serious meal. Lamb, pork, veal – almost any meat can be turned into kebabs In Georgia, the main focus is actually finding the right wine to go with the meat. Not to mention the company.

Khinkali House N1, ironically, has some of the best kebabs in Batumi.

To finish off the list, we should probably go for something sweet. Only in the Eurasian part of the world do spoon sweets serve as the universal replacement for any kind of candy or dessert. These traditional sweet preserves are made from seedless grapes, mulberries and other berries, bergamot, apricots, apples, pears, sour and sweet cherries, oranges, kumquats, lemons, grapefruit, tangerines, etc. Spoon sweets can be served with all kinds of food and drink, especially at the end of a meal.

Chocolatte Coffee-Room has all kinds of sweets, including the preserved fruit essences.

Batumi is obviously a place where good food and good times go hand in hand. Good luck with a potentially great experience of exploring the restaurants of this tourist jewel.