LALIKO — Restaurant in New York

Tucked away on the West Side, Laliko isn’t just a Georgian restaurant—it’s a full-sensory experience where culinary tradition meets theatrical presentation, all set against a backdrop of gorgeous design and hospitality so warm it practically pulls out your chair for you.

The space itself is stunning. Thoughtfully designed tables, beautiful textures, and a sense of elegance that feels more curated than decorated. It’s the kind of place where you immediately want to linger—preferably with a glass of wine and something bubbling in cheese.

We ordered the Adjaruli and the legendary Mother Khinkali, which, to be perfectly honest, could have had their own agents. The Adjaruli, a traditional cheese boat topped with a golden egg yolk, arrived looking like it was born to be on a cover shoot. The moment the yolk was stirred into the melted cheese, it became an edible lava flow of pure comfort—rich, creamy, and unapologetically indulgent.

Then came the Mother Khinkali—a dish that managed to be both a meal and a spectacle. Imagine a giant dumpling, filled with smaller dumplings. Yes, dumpling inception. And yes, it’s as outrageous and wonderful as it sounds. It’s not a dainty dish (none of this was), but the servers guided us through it with grace and humor, offering tips, demonstrating the best way to eat it, and even preparing it for us right at the table. It was dinner and a history lesson, told with pride and care.

The service was exceptional—knowledgeable, warm, and deeply invested in making sure we not only ate well, but understood the stories behind each dish. It’s rare to feel this cared for in a restaurant without the slightest bit of pretense.

In short: Laliko is a celebration of Georgian culture, cuisine, and hospitality, wrapped in cheese, dumplings, and undeniable charm. It’s the kind of place you leave already plotting your return—messy fingers, full...

★★★★☆

Okay, this is going to be a long one—because so was our debate on which Georgian spot in NYC to try. We landed on Laliko, partly because of its Michelin recognition, partly because it's my aunt's name (hi, Lali!).

First impressions: when guests stumble in from the seventh circle of NYC summer heat, maybe greet them with something resembling cold water? We nearly got up to beg for hydration, only to be intercepted mid-desperation by a server... with a **pitcher of warm water. Bold move.

Onto the food—ups and downs, surprisingly so! We kicked off with the classic nigvziani badrijani and pkhali. The pkhali? Lovely, vibrant, hit the mark. But the eggplant with walnut paste was a miss for me—blended into oblivion, under-seasoned, and generally shy on spice.

Next up: the pork mtsvadi—solid. The Megruli khachapuri? Really well-executed, golden, cheesy, satisfying. Would’ve loved it in six slices instead of four, but hey, maybe I’m just carb-greedy.

Now, the khinkali—a must, obviously. And here’s where Laliko redeems itself: juicy, doughy, peppery perfection. So many Georgian places butcher khinkali into sad dumplings. These? Chef's kiss.

Last but not least, we dared to order chakhapuli (the true litmus test of a Georgian kitchen). I actually loved the unexpected celery mash around it—clever twist, and genuinely delicious. But oh dear—the portion was tiny, and the meat, though beautifully marinated, was saltier than the Black Sea in peak August. Like, I felt seasoned spiritually.

Bottom line: I'd have happily given five stars... if it weren’t for the Michelin hype. With that kind of clout comes a whole new level of expectation—refinement, finesse, and ideally, cold water. Still, a memorable and tasty experience that just needs a few tweaks to...

well… was thinking 3 ⭐️ or 4 and im giving 4 just because of the bartender Tazo who made us really good cocktails. As a georgian it would be really hard for me to honestly recommend this place anyone who wants to try georgian food. even my husband who is italian and has been almost all georgian restaurants here and of course he has tried in tbilisi food he also said that the food wasn’t very good and didn’t taste authentic. we had georgian salad with walnuts which was really good but the portion was waay too smaalll. khinkali- dough was perfect but the meat i don’t get it what kind of spices they use it didn’t taste like khinkali. khinkali soup was okay just too much garlic and salty. adjaruli khachapuri- well again the dough was really tasty but the cheese whatever you guys use u have to change it if u want to have one of the best adjaruli in the town because the dough was so good it deserves better quality cheese. pork shish kebab- was cold and was on rare side chicken shish kebab was okay. plum sauce please please stop adding too much sugar it was waayy too much sweet tasted im sorry but really bad. if the owner and management will pay more attention and spend more money on the quality of the food than in the marketing and social media well the place can be one of the best Georgian restaurant in the town it really has a potential to be the one with its interior, branding and the story. and besides georgian salad i really liked korkoti dessert was...