Askaneli Restaurant & Steakhouse — Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale

OK, so I recently had the pleasure of dining at the so-called luxury establishment Askaneli Premium Georgian. Oh, what a dis*ster it was! First things first, the restaurant has the audacity to charge a 20 percent forced tip on the bill. So, be prepared to fork over even more money for the subpar experience you're about to have.

But, honestly, who cares about that extra cash when the atmosphere is so reminiscent of a Soviet Union canteen? I mean, really, what's more, luxurious than that? It's the experience you're paying for, after all.

And, Oh, the entertainment! Cheap Russian pop music from the 90 and 2000s. It's like a time machine to the days of questionable fashion choices and even more questionable hairstyles. The staff, of course, were the epitome of class and professionalism. Rude, unprofessional, and smoking outside the entrance, acting like they were doing you a favor by even acknowledging your existence.

But, the true cherry on top? One of the servers had the nerve to question my ability to pay for my meal. I mean, honestly, who needs privacy or basic etiquette when you're dining at Askaneli Premium Georgian?

And the food! Don't even get me started on the food. Despite the exorbitant prices, the dishes were not premium nor delicious and failed to impress.

In short, I would not recommend this establishment to my worst enemy. The attitude of the staff, the poor atmosphere, and the subpar food make for a dining experience that is not worth the time or money. Unless you're looking for a cheap trip down memory lane to the days of the Soviet Union canteen full of people avoiding the draft, in that case, this place is perfect.

If you're searching for an authentic Georgian dining experience, keep looking. Or, better yet, book a ticket to Georgia and experience traditional hospitality that makes the guest feel...

You'd expect a Georgian restaurant to offer some resemblance to Georgian culture, right? Wrong. Instead, it feels like you've stepped into another Russian provincial joint, where the motto is "You can take the girl out of the village, but you can't take the village out of the girl."

My personal impression was that the owners took a quick trip to Georgia, brought back a few bottles of wine, and decided to slap on a Georgian name to call it a day. There's no Georgian ambiance, no Georgian music, no general vibe, nothing that screams "Georgian culture." It's a shame, really.

And I understand that South Florida is known for being pricey, but the $41 charge for five measly Khinkali is absurd! For your reference, in Georgia, you could get the same 5 Khinkali for just $3. I mean, come on, it's just a dumpling, not caviar. However! They charge you 3$ for every extra spoon of sour cream. Seriously you can only joke about this whole experience. Imagine paying for a Rolls-Royce and realizing you just got a Soviet LADA.

The meals are so tiny that they wouldn't even feed a bird. And to add insult to injury, they dare to include a 20% forced tip on the bill. It's one thing to leave a bonus based on the quality of service, but forcing it upon your customers is pathetic.

And Speaking of pathetic, at one point, a waiter even offered me a free shot in exchange for a five-star review. How desperate can you be? This place is a joke. They appropriate Georgian culture without delivering the traditional hospitality or generosity the country...

My friends and I decided to go to Askaneli after seeing an Instagram ad saying they would be showing the Usyk vs. Dubois fight on a big screen. However, it turned out they were just streaming the judges during the fight from one angle. I think that was very misleading. There is no parking at the restaurant – you have to find street parking or pay $15 for valet parking. The tables are really low, like coffee tables. Almost immediately, some of the food fell down and nearly stained my clothes. I was the last to join our group, and when I arrived, no one offered me a menu or asked what I wanted to drink. Later I found out that the menu was by QR code. I chose what I wanted to order, but I had to call the waitress three times before she actually took my order. She was constantly busy with something else, even though there were only two tables occupied in the entire place. Then she asked me, “Are you going to order any drinks or are you just going to drink water?” – which I found quite rude. I asked what juices they had, and she just nodded towards my friends’ juice and said, “That one.” Which one? I hadn’t tried their drinks and wasn’t there when they ordered. So I asked again, “What juice is that?” She said “pineapple,” but it looked thick and orange. I was surprised but said okay. When the juice arrived, it turned out to be peach – or maybe a fruit mix. I didn’t mind the juice itself; it just felt like the waitress was talking to me in a way that made it clear she wanted me to stop asking questions and...