Tbilisi Travel Guide
Shavi Lomi
On 28 Qvlividze St street you may notice some mysterious "graffiti" of a woman serving food on what seems to be just a normal Tbilisi house in another old Tbilisi neighborhood. What you may not know is that inside is a restaurant owned by one of Georgia's most famous chefs that simply goes by Queti. The restaurant, Shavi Lomi, or "Black Lion", features traditional Georgian food that goes past the common khinkhali and khachapuri. The interior has a homey feel, and the backyard is a beautiful relaxing place. While you're there, light house music plays amongst the chatter of the people inside, creating a laid-back atmosphere. One thing to look for throughout the restaurant is the little black lion details throughout the restaurant.
It's like playing Wheres Waldo, except in a restaurant with black lions.
When it comes to the actual food part of the restaurant, you will not be disappointed. A great thing to order as an appetizer to start your meal is gobi, which is a bowl of veggies, Georgian cheeses, pxali (a walnut and spinach spread), pickled jonjoli (in English it's called Bladdernut, it's common here but not so much in America), some traditional Georgian tonis bread, chadi, and nadugi (which I can best describe as Georgian cottage cheese mixed with pitna, a a Georgian species of mint closer to spearmint). While some (or most likely most) of those items might seem odd or even unappealing, trust me, it's all delicious. You can also order other dishes like Mtsvadi, which is kind of like Georgian barbecue, a version of khachapuri with spinach (you can have it with cheese or without if
you want a vegan option), or even a simple salad
because no matter what you order it will definitely be delicious. Also, from what I've heard from the adults around me that drank it, the Georgian house wine of Saperavi is also really good. It's served in soviet style bottles, and
it's guaranteed organic because the restaurant grows the grapes and
looks over each phase of production. If you're like me and not old
enough to drink, however, the house lemonade is a really good
substitute, and honestly probably even better.
One thing to keep in mind when going to Shavi Lomi is that it's a pricey restaurant, at least for Georgian standards. That being said, if you're looking for a place to splurge during your stay in Tbilisi, this is a great place to do it. Now, if you're aching to see what the rest of the restaurant is like and are possibly even confused by the glimpses of it in the pictures you've seen so far, here are some more pictures to help you get a better feel for the place.
Khachapuri and tomato and cucumber salad
The gobi bowl
Georgian barbeque, mtsvadi
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