Georgian food is one of the most underrated and rewarding culinary traditions on earth. Flavours run deep — walnut, pomegranate, fresh herbs, and local wine with 8,000 years behind it. Borjomi is a small town where most restaurants still cook the traditional way, none of the tourist-inflated versions you find in Tbilisi. Come here and sit down for a Supra — a full Georgian family spread — at least once.
#1 Khachapuri
Georgia's national dish, present at every meal without exception. The dough is soft and baked, filled with Sulguni cheese — mildly salty and stretchy. Styles vary by region; the most celebrated is Adjarian khachapuri, shaped like an open boat with molten cheese, a raw egg dropped in the centre, and a generous knob of fresh butter on top. You eat it by tearing off the bread rim and folding it into the hot cheese-egg-butter pool. In Borjomi every restaurant makes khachapuri, and the recipe differs from kitchen to kitchen, passed down through families.
- Eat it the moment it arrives — the cheese and butter congeal quickly and the magic is all in the heat
- Imeruli-style khachapuri (round, closed top) costs less and travels well, making it a practical snack while walking
- Ask for extra cheese without hesitation — Georgians consider generous cheese a mark of quality, and a good kitchen won't scrimp
#2 Khinkali
Large dumplings that are a hallmark of the Georgian mountains. The filling is pork and beef mixed with fresh herbs, coriander, and onion, sealed inside soft dough with a distinctive pleated knot at the top. The eating technique matters: grip the knot, bite a small hole, slurp the hot broth inside first, then eat the rest of the dumpling whole. Spilling the broth or cutting the dough before drinking it marks you as someone who doesn't know Georgian eating — and the pleated knot is left on the plate by tradition.
- The Georgian method: hold the knot, bite a small opening, drink the hot broth first, then eat the whole dumpling — no fork on the filling
- Order 5 to 8 per person; khinkali fills you fast, and paired with khachapuri it becomes a complete meal
- Kalakuri (minced meat) and mushroom (vegetarian) are two distinct styles — try both if you can, the difference is clear
#3 Mtsvadi
Georgian charcoal skewers with a character unlike any other barbecue tradition. Pork or lamb is marinated with onion, coarse salt, and sometimes a splash of grape oil, then grilled over wood charcoal until the outside catches colour while the inside stays moist. Served with pickled-vinegar onions and local flatbread. The riverside stretch of Borjomi is particularly good for mtsvadi — the charcoal smoke hangs over the whole area, and following your nose works better than any map.
- Neck or shoulder pork stays the juiciest — if the kitchen asks your preference, say 'Karoshi' (shoulder)
- Pair it with a light Georgian red or a cold bottle of Borjomi mineral water straight from the source — the combination is standard for a reason
- Restaurants along the Borjomula river set their grills outside; the smoke leads you there more reliably than Google Maps
#4 Churchkhela
An ancient Georgian sweet that soldiers once carried into battle for quick energy — and it still holds up as a trail snack. Walnuts or sunflower seeds are threaded on a string, then dipped repeatedly into thick grape-must cooked with a little wheat flour until a substantial coating builds up, then left to dry in the sun until firm. The result is chewy-sweet with a slight tartness from the grapes, crunchy from the nuts, and contains no added sugar. The colour depends on the grape variety: deep purple from red grapes, golden from white. Churchkhela is the best food souvenir out of Borjomi — and all of Georgia.
- Fresh market churchkhela is softer and far better than the vacuum-packed versions sold at airports — buy from a vendor who makes their own daily
- Keeps for several weeks at room temperature; wrap in wax paper or muslin so the pieces don't stick together
- Start with the walnut version, then compare with sunflower seed and hazelnut varieties — the flavour differences are real and worth exploring
#5 Lobiani
The bean-filled twin of khachapuri. Lobiani uses the same style of Georgian flatbread but the filling is mashed red beans seasoned with herbs, coriander, cumin, and in some recipes smoked bacon. It is baked in a traditional clay Tone oven until the outside is golden-crisp and the inside is soft and hot. Lobiani is everyday food in Georgia — affordable, filling, and available at every restaurant in Borjomi. A strong choice if you are vegetarian (skip the bacon version).
- Eat it within 10 minutes of coming out of the oven — at its peak immediately off the heat
- Lobiani costs roughly 30–40% less than khachapuri and makes a practical breakfast or mid-afternoon snack
- A restaurant with a real clay Tone oven on site produces noticeably better lobiani than one using electric ovens — look for the dome-shaped oven near the kitchen
#6 Qvevri Natural Wine
Georgia has the oldest winemaking tradition on earth — over 8,000 years. Qvevri wine is fermented in clay vessels buried underground, unfiltered and without additives, producing a heavy, complex flavour and the distinctive amber-orange colour that sets it apart from standard white wine. The local red grape variety Saperavi, grown in vineyards near Borjomi, is particularly good: firm tannins, full body, excellent with grilled meat and cheese. Many families in the valley make their own wine and sell bottles at friendly prices.
- Homemade wine from valley families in the Borjomi area costs 10–20 lari per bottle and is fresher than anything in a supermarket
- Amber (or 'orange') wine is white wine fermented with grape skins — the traditional method — and is richer than standard white wine; a strong first choice if you're new to Georgian wine
- Wine beginners should start with Rkatsiteli white or Kindzmarauli (a semi-sweet red) before moving to the fuller, more tannic styles
Where to stay in Borjomi for this trip
A well-located hotel means less commuting and more sightseeing. Here are real, top-rated stays in Borjomi — compare Agoda · Booking · Trip.com in one click.
Rivendell
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Crowne Plaza Borjomi by IHG
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Borjomi UnderWood
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Erik's Guest House
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Tours, tickets & activities in Borjomi
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Before You Pack
The best Georgian food is served in homes and tiny restaurants where the owner cooks every dish personally. If you see a place where someone is folding khinkali by hand at the front of the restaurant, walk straight in — that is the clearest signal of quality there is.