Saperavi Restaurant — Restaurant in Winnipeg

The service was wonderful, In fact it's partly why we decided to try this place. Walking by, everyone working looked upbeat and inviting, we decided to roll the dice.

Unfortunately we left a bit.... underwhelmed. The restaurant attempts to present itself as an upscale authentic Georgian culinary experience, but what you get is a cheap rip off of anything close to that.

First we tried the imeruli (cheese bread), which is essentially overpriced fried dough and cheese with a marina dipping sauce. It felt similar to something one could experience at any run of the mill pizza restaurant. I was hoping they would fry a few authentic spices into the dough or really any type of unique treatment to the dish, but it ended up being pretty plain and forgettable.

Next we tried the Lamb Shashlik (Lamb Chops grilled in Georgian spices paired with new potatoes). This was the dish I was hoping was going to be a home run. Unfortunately it was anything but. The dish is plated with raw cut up cucumber, tomato, red bell pepper, parsley and red onion which feels like a cheap salad thrown on top of a few cuts of meat. Its "new" potatoes, must refer to the fact that they were perhaps newly purchased that day? Because all they did was toss those bad boys in the oven til they were soft and plate them beside the lamb. Honestly, potatoes with a basic cream sauce would have done it for me, but this just felt lazy. The lamb itself does not appear to be brined as the inside had little to no flavor and the outside had only a hint of spice and sparkle. It was a flavor profile one could accomplish with a trip to the local grocery store and a BBQ. The plate was underwhelming, overcooked and failed to live up to its lofty price point of $30, not including gratuity.

Lastly the restaurant blasted Virgin 103 above the patio, which really impacted the enjoyment of the meal as we were constantly interrupted by annoying commercials and radio DJ exchange. I would highly recommend they instead play a curated Spotify playlist (or something to the equivalent) to allow customers to forget the world outside, relax into a soothing sonic atmosphere all while being transported to an authentic Georgian staycation.

Overall the experience was underwhelming and over priced for what it is. I believe this restaurant either needs to put more than the bare minimum amount of effort into creating a genuine Georgian culinary experience or lower their prices and come to terms with what they truly are for the moment.

The staff was incredibly helpful and accomodating. The issue remains with the food and it's attempt at a goal it fails to...

Went with a small group (7 people with reservation). The location and the restaurant decor were quite nice. The staff were quite pleasant and the restaurant was very a very comfortable space. The table we were given was excellent. The restaurant was mostly empty, and only 2 other tables were occupied.

Our drink orders were taken quickly, but there was some confusion with the delivery. The wine was good and the pours were excellent.

There was a special menu for the week, but there were a number of items that weren't available. Unfortunately, all of the missing items were the ones that had brought many of us to the restaurant.

It was over 1/2 Hr before our orders were taken, and only after one of our party asked. (Oddly, they took her order and were about to leave until told we were all wanting to order)

There were only 2 desserts on the menu, one was unavailable. Most of us weren't told there was a replacement for it until after desserts had arrived!

The food took over an hour to arrive, and there were a number of issues: most meals were luke warm, or in one case cold. Some of the meals had quite a small portion size. Those that ordered the Veal, all found it to cool/cold and very tough. The dessert was a Napoleon square, which was so tough that it had to be pulled apart to eat with a fork.

The consensus around the table was 2 stars, and no one expressed an interest in returning.

Update: Thanks very much for the reply. Other than the comment about the last person in our party being late, which wasn't the case, I appreciated all of your comments and hope that your business...

If you decide to visit this place with a group, you will encounter poor service! Instead of the staff being happy that the restaurant is fully booked, you will be blamed for creating an overload on the establishment. Dirty plates will not be cleared, and you’ll have to sit with them.

Waiter Nazar has a great sense of humor but is bad at remembering your requests. If you change your order during the process, they’ll bring you both dishes/drinks! If you urgently need the bill, you’ll be passed twice with a “just a few minutes” comment. If you’ve ever tasted authentic Georgian cuisine, this place will disappoint. The food is tasty, but it’s not impressive or authentically Georgian.

If something doesn’t meet your expectations, the administration doesn’t believe that “the customer is always right.” They clearly make money off customers, but don’t value them.

If you happen to find a hair in your food, the management’s response will likely be: “It’s your own fault for inspecting your dish too closely,” or, “You overloaded our establishment, and our chef was so tired that he didn’t wear a hairnet, so it’s your fault.” And no, this is not a joke!

I do not recommend this place!

P.S. This review is for potential customers. To the management: Don’t waste your time replying or throwing dirt at me—better spend your energy improving...