Shemomechama old Tbilisi — Restaurant in Tbilisi

The sign mentioning a free glass of wine or chacha is false advertising; it was never offered or mentioned to us at any point. It was what got my attention in the first place, which seems like a cheap trick.

The food was pretty good, but the service was the worst I've had in a long time. We ordered three dishes, two of which came nearly half an hour apart so that I was done long after my partner started. The third dish (khachapuri) never arrived until we finally gave up and asked for the bill over an HOUR after we ordered...

When we saw it was on the bill, we told them it never came - I expressly indicated that I no longer wanted it, as I had finished eating over half an hour before and was no longer hungry; to make it clear in case of any language barrier, I made an X with my hands and shook my head. There was some arguing behind the kitchen area, and after five minutes they brought out the khachapuri - we sat down at 8pm and this was past 9pm. I shook my head but she put it on the table anyway. We were STILL charged for it despite telling them we didn't want it anymore!

The food was quite good - except that I nearly chipped my tooth on a pebble inside the lobio soup. I'm guessing the bag of pinto beans had debris in it and it might not have been fully rinsed before cooking? Other than the debris, the lobio was quite good, and the beef barbecue was nice and tender.

The one redeeming thing about this place is that you can see the chefs/bakers through the window panes, which was quite neat. You can see one of the chefs making khinkhali fresh by hand, pinching the dough at the top, etc. The baker upstairs makes the khachapuri. I have no complaints about the quality of the food, but the service was awful. I'm guessing the manager was the short-haired woman, who was surly and unwelcoming from the start. The younger woman was fine, but I don't think they communicated well...

A Khinkali Heaven in Old Tbilisi!

Review: I had the pleasure of visiting Shemomechama Old Tbilisi during my first trip to this beautiful city, and it was an experience to remember! The highlight of my visit was definitely their Potato Khinkali and Cheese Khinkali. The flavors were out of this world, and the dough was cooked to perfection, creating a delightful combination of textures.

The cozy ambiance of the place added to the overall charm. The staff were friendly and attentive, making sure our dining experience was enjoyable.

If you're in Tbilisi, Shemomechama Old Tbilisi is a must-visit for any food lover. Don't miss out on their incredible khinkali!

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A perfect example of what can go wrong when a good restaurant opens a second location. Where to even start? The portion sizes are different, the food is served tepid by serving staff that only speak Georgian. I wouldn't normally find fault at that fact except it's in the heart of old town, a stone's throw away from the bathhouses. After an hour of waiting for bbq pork ribs we asked them to cancel them if they hadn't started yet (we could see the bbq and they weren't being cooked yet). We were told that they were being cooked (a lie) and that they would be 3 minutes. 25 minutes later they still weren't on our table and we had to cancel the order and get our cheque. This is nitpicking at this point, but they also tried to charge for two items when we ordered one, which we had to request to be changed.

If you're after amazing khinkali, head to Shemomechama in Vake, not...