Rustic-yet-Spiffy and Always up to the Task: Shemoikhede Genatsvale

5 Marjanishvili Street – Tel: 91 00 05
25 Leselidze Street – Tel: 43 96 46

Shemoikhede Genatsvale (“Drop In, Love”) has tasty, reasonably priced Georgian food in a refined yet un-stuffy setting. The restaurant has two Tbilisi locations, one on Leselidze Street in Old Tbilisi, and one on Marjanishvili Street on the left bank of the Mtkvari.

Shemoikhede Genatsvale, which is owned by the GMC Group, manages to both provide a pleasantly rustic-yet-spiffy environment featuring exposed brick walls, Pirosmani reproductions, murals of men at supra and a powerful ventilation system to diffuse the accumulation of indoor cigarette smoke.

Both restaurants have the same menu – printed in Georgian on a rough piece of paper meant to resemble a 1920s newspaper. The Marjanishvili location is larger, with high vaulted ceilings and lots of solid, elaborately carved wooden furniture. The atmosphere here does more to evoke ‘ye olde sakhinkle,’ while the Leselidze Street location is a bit more mainstream in its tastefully appointed decor. The only major difference in the quality of the food between the two locations is that the Marjanishvili location has consistently better mtsvadi than the Old Town incarnation—Marjanishvili’s mtsvadi is a toothsome platter of juicy, succulent, piping hot grilled meat, while Leselidze’s tend to be somewhat tough and dry.

Many khinkali aficionados frequent Shemoikhede Genatsvale, and after eating there it is easy to see why. While the restaurant offers only four types of khinkali (two kinds with meat – kalakuri (meat with chopped herbs) and khevsuruli (slightly spicier meat without chopped herbs) – as well as mushroom or potato varieties), there are few other establishments whose dumplings are as light and wolfable. The khinkali are formed from dough as thin and smooth as silk, and the meat is well seasoned and of even texture (no nubbly bits). For those inclined to abuse khinkali, the lightness of the dough makes it possible to bolt quite a few. (If, however, you have any leftover, ask to have them fried. This will buy you some time to digest, and the fried dumpling is delicious. If your Georgian isn’t up to the task, pointing at the remaining dumplings and saying “shemtsvari” will do the trick. If you really want to hurt yourself, request some sour cream (arajani) on the side – though probably not traditional, this goes very well with a fried khinkali.)

Shemoikhede Genatsvale’s menu is fairly wide-ranging and inexpensive. Chebureki – large fried pastries stuffed with cheese or meat – seem to be very popular with many of the younger people who dine here. Also extremely good is the chkmeruli—chicken fried in a garlic sauce. While a bit pricey – at GEL 19, it’s one of the restaurant’s more expensive entrees – it is extremely tasty (the chicken arrives – still sizzling – in a ceramic dish, and drenched in a rich buttery garlic sauce) and comes in a very generous shareable portion – more than enough for four people, if you are ordering other dishes as well. Also excellent are the lobio nigvsit (this is a cold bean salad with walnuts, herbs, and spices), and the kababi (one restaurant connoisseur swears that the Marjanishvili location has the best kababi in town).

Nakhtaktari and Kazbegi beer is usually on tap for around GEL 2 per glass, and several varieties of wine, vodka, and cha cha are available as well.

The wait staff is brisk and friendly. While a few waiters and waitresses speak English, the menu is in Georgian only.

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Published in Georgia Today, 8 Jun 07