🗺️ What to order in Georgia: a guide to ten main dishes

A first visit to Georgia almost always turns into a culinary journey. Khinkali, khachapuri, soups, and stews are served on every corner here. At one table, you can easily try a dozen dishes at once.

We've put together ten dishes worth ordering on your first trip. For each one, you'll find a short description, a tip on how to eat it, and who it's for.

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Georgian cuisine: a quick overview of ten dishes

💡 In short:

Start with khinkali and khachapuri: without them, your introduction to the cuisine will be incomplete.
Add one soup, chikhirtma or kharcho. Both options are hearty.
Save room for pelamushi: it's a light dessert to go with tea.
Dishes and table traditions: 09/2026, verified on the official website of the Georgian tourism office.

Dish	Main flavor	Who it's for
Khinkali	meat and broth	everyone
Khachapuri	cheese and dough	vegetarians and meat eaters
Chikhirtma	chicken and herbs	fans of mild soups
Lobio	beans	vegetarians
Kharcho	beef and spice	fans of rich flavors
Puri	flatbread	everyone
Chakhokhbili	chicken and vegetables	those who don't like spicy food
Shkmeruli	chicken in a milk sauce	fans of creamy flavors
Ojakhuri	meat and potatoes	those who want a filling lunch
Pelamushi	grape juice	those who don't like overly sweet desserts

1. Khinkali

Khinkali are made from dough and ground meat. They're shaped like little pouches with a pinched top and are about the size of a tennis ball. They're eaten only with your hands: a fork will pierce the dough and all the broth will spill onto the plate.

The classic filling is made from beef, pork, and lamb. According to the tourism portal of Georgia, in the mountains khinkali are pleated with 28 folds. The folds symbolize the solar cycle, and the dish is considered to originate from Pshavi and Tusheti.

Modern khinkali bars add fruit and berry fillings, and sometimes serve fried khinkali. In cities, "kalakuri" is more common, an urban version with beef and pork.

How to eat: hold the khinkali by the pinched top, take a bite, and drink the broth.
Who it's for: anyone who eats meat.
The catch: the little tail of undercooked dough is usually left on the plate.

2. Khachapuri

Khachapuri is made from dough with cheese. Menus feature Imeretian, Megrelian, and Adjarian versions, and sometimes khachapuri on a skewer. Order a few kinds and pick your favorite.

Three Adjarian khachapuri on a wooden table in a bakery

Who it's for: vegetarians will be happy with the Imeretian and Megrelian versions.

3. Chikhirtma

Chikhirtma is made from chicken, herbs, egg, flour, and vinegar. It has a barely sour taste and is often served with a whole piece of white meat. The portion turns out hearty.

It's a good choice for those who don't like spicy soups and want to warm up.

Who it's for: those who prefer mild soups.
The catch: you can taste the vinegar if you don't like a slight sourness.

4. Lobio

Lobio is made from beans, and the result is a thick, hearty stew. At restaurants, it's most often served in clay pots. Portions are generous, so one plate may be enough for two.

For vegetarians, it's one of the best options on a Georgian menu.

Who it's for: vegetarians and anyone who loves legumes.

5. Kharcho

Kharcho is made with beef, with tkemali plums and ground walnuts added. The soup has a slightly spicy taste and a thick consistency. The rule that "soup is half liquid" doesn't apply here.

Who it's for: fans of rich meat soups.
The catch: the soup is spicy, so ask for it milder if you don't like spices.

6. Puri

Puri is baked in a traditional clay oven called a tone. The dough is slapped directly onto the oven wall and left until the bread rises. Puri has a distinctive shape: a boat with ends rolled into little tubes.

Puri tastes like lightly salted white bread. It keeps for a long time, so it's often taken on the road. Traditionally, baking puri in Georgia is considered women's work.

On many tours, visitors get to bake their own puri. Such a masterclass costs a symbolic amount.

Long Georgian shoti bread on a wooden table

Who it's for: anyone who wants to try fresh bread from the oven.
Tip: get puri hot, straight from the tone.

7. Chakhokhbili

Chakhokhbili is made from poultry and vegetables. Originally, pheasants were used for the dish, but today chicken is more common. Versions with other meats also appear from time to time.

It's a stew with a rich flavor, but without strong spiciness.

Plate of chakhokhbili with herbs and bread

Who it's for: those who don't like spicy food and want a hearty hot dish.

8. Shkmeruli/chkmeruli

Shkmeruli is made from fried chicken in a tender milk sauce. A legend is tied to the dish: it was invented by a cook from the village of Shkmeri who cooked with whatever was on hand. Be sure to get flatbread with the sauce, it's dipped into the milk gravy.

Chicken in creamy garlic sauce with herbs

Who it's for: fans of creamy sauces.
Tip: if the sauce is served separately, ask for flatbread to go with it.

9. Ojakhuri

Ojakhuri is made from meat, potatoes, peppers, and onions. The dish is served on a ketsi, a small flat cast-iron pan. It comes straight from the oven, so it's easy to burn yourself on the hot cookware.

The portion is filling, and some restaurants also offer a vegetarian version.

Ojakhuri with meat, potatoes, and onions

Who it's for: those who want a filling lunch.
Caution: don't touch the ketsi with your hands, the pan stays hot.

10. Pelamushi

Pelamushi closes out the list and remains the only dessert in the selection. The dessert is made from flour and grape juice: the ingredients are mixed and boiled for a long time, then poured into glasses and left to cool.

Pelamushi tastes like thick jam. At restaurants, it's served in portions with tea, often as part of a sweets set along with churchkhela and gozinaki.

Purple pelamushi with walnuts in a small bowl

Who it's for: those who don't like overly sweet desserts.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

Which dish should I start with when exploring Georgian cuisine?

Khinkali and khachapuri are considered the most recognizable dishes. They immediately give you a sense of the cuisine's character. Then get one soup, such as chikhirtma or kharcho. Finish the meal with pelamushi.

What should a vegetarian order in Georgia?

Lobio, Imeretian or Megrelian khachapuri are good choices. Some restaurants also have vegetarian ojakhuri. For dessert, get pelamushi.

Is Georgian cuisine spicy?

Not all of it. Kharcho is made somewhat spicy, while chikhirtma, lobio, and khachapuri are barely spicy. If you don't like spices, ask for the dish to be made milder.

How is khachapuri different from puri?

Khachapuri is made with cheese and is often served as a dish on its own. Puri is baked without filling and served at the table instead of bread. Both are available at any bakery.

In short: what's worth booking

Choose based on your situation.

If you're a vegetarian: get lobio and Imeretian khachapuri.
If you like spicy food: try kharcho.
If you want to warm up: order chikhirtma or chakhokhbili.

Many dishes are easier to try on a food tour or cooking masterclass. Georgian cuisine tours and masterclasses on GetYourGuide.

Georgian cuisine: 10 dishes worth ordering