Tiflis, Gruzijska kuhinja — Restaurant in Upravna Enota Ljubljana

Tbilisi

Let me begin by sharing my 2019 trip to Georgia, which I can describe as one of the most exhilarating destinations I've ever visited. I particularly recall the delicious and budget-friendly food, as well as the heartwarming hospitality of the locals.

Now, when it comes to Tiflis, the restaurant in Ljubljana is quite the opposite. I understand that learning Slovenian overnight isn't possible, but if you can't communicate in English either, it's challenging to work as a waiter in a country where Georgian, Russian, or Ukrainian isn't commonly spoken.

THE LANGUAGE BARRIER

The language barrier was our initial problem. The staff couldn't comprehend us and didn't make an effort to explain things. In our group of four, two were vegetarians, yet most of the vegetarian options on the menu were unavailable. Surprisingly, dishes with mushrooms and khinkali were also unavailable, with explanation: “It is a Sunday”?!

THE MENU

The menu was a complete mess and didn't match what was advertised online. Main courses are mixed with starters, and some mains arrived cold without any indication.

THE ORDER OF THE FOOD

Our food orders were a disaster. We requested a mixed plate starter, two different gravies, barbecue pork, potatoes, and a traditional pastry dish. The starter came first, and while the pomegranate seeds this time were fine (the last time I ate there they were spoilled), the spinach-walnut ball seemed far from fresh.

The other dishes were served with a 10-minute gap. We asked for gravy with the pastry and spinach khinkali, to which the response was simply "Ok." When they brought the traditional fried chicken, we asked for gravy and potatoes. Again, we received a nonchalant "Ok."

Then, they brought us a garlic gravy with what appeared to be pieces of chicken, which was not what the vegetarians had ordered. We inquired about this and requested the correct gravies we had ordered. Their response? "With barbecue, you get gravy." We tried explaining that we ordered two different gravies: cheese and garlic cream with Georgian spices. The response was equally baffling.

Later, the barbecue arrived, but still no gravy and no potatoes. Hungry and not wanting to eat cold food, we had the meat without the side dishes, while the vegetarians had to make do without gravy and potatoes.

Finally, the potatoes arrived, and we had already finished half of them when the gravy showed up. It was a mix of sour cream with garlic and herbs, served cold. They should have brought it earlier, not last. Fortunately, we had some potatoes left just to try the gravy.

HACCP DISASTER

We had a clear view of the grill master as we were seated, which became an issue after we encountered the gravy incident. Raw meat was brought from the kitchen on a plate and transported through the restaurant without any cover, exposing it to everyone. But the most shocking part was that the SAME PLATE used for raw meat was also used for cooked meat, which is not only revolting but a significant health risk.

THE CONCLUSION

When the waiter brought the bill, they had made two invoices, forgetting to charge us for the "special vegetarian gravy" that we hadn't ordered. The gravy we wanted cost about 1.5€, but the gravy we paid for but never received cost a whopping 15€. I didn't bother explaining their mistake because it seemed futile. However, I did express my concern about the HACCP violation regarding the handling of raw and cooked meat on the same plate. Now you must already know what was the answer.

In conclusion, my suggestion and opinion: If you want to savor Georgian food and experience warm hospitality, head to Tiflis (Tbilisi) in Georgia, not the one in Ljubljana. But if you enjoy living on the edge, by all means, try out Ljubljana's Tiflis, where you never know when the meat might be your undoing.

The total was some 120€. Not worth it.

Aiming for sophistication, high in cost, but lacking in delivering what...

The first time I visited this restaurant, we were very disappointed with the service, but we decided to repeat the trip in six months with the hope of improvement. But we got bad service again. No, not bad, but terrible. Everyone left the restaurant feeling cheated and uncomfortable. The order was executed for a long time, we asked to bring wine, there is no wine on the menu. We were silently brought and put on the table a bottle of wine, which turned out to be tasteless and expensive. No one thought to warn us that the wine costs 30 euros. All silently and without trying to give at least some kind of service. The kebab was tough and burnt. Khinkali and khachapuri were delicious, but! we never waited for dessert to be offered, or even for a decent clearing of the dishes from the table. Account for 6 people 180+ euros, when we asked to bring a check, we were refused. Turns out the printer is out of paper. For what we paid in the end, we were shown on the computer screen, there we saw the price of wine. What a pity that a good idea and the kitchen is spoiled by disgusting service. It is not possible to find parking at the restaurant after lunch...

We were looking for a lovely restaurant to celebrate my mother's birthday, and we found this charming Georgian restaurant. To our delight, it exceeded our expectations! We delighted in a scrumptious array of dishes, including Ačaruli hačapuri, Tiflis salad, hinkali with minced meat, čašušuli, chkmeruli, fried chicken in hazelnut sauce, and pork odžahuri. Each bite was a delightful explosion of flavors, leaving us in a pleasant quandary as to which one we enjoyed the most. Well i still think Hatčapuri is the big winner. We also had the pleasure of trying two delightful red wines that perfectly complemented our meal.

On a slightly less enthusiastic note, I must admit that the dessert - grape pudding didn't win us over. Nevertheless, overall, it was still a wonderful dining experience. It's worth noting that finding parking near the restaurant could be tricky if the restaurant is full, but we were lucky.

We left the restaurant with contented hearts, already planning our return to sample the other culinary delights it...