About Restaurant Usakhelouri
Usakhelouri is the name of the rarest wine in Georgia. A grape grown in tiny quantities in the Lechkhumi region of western Georgia, historically reserved for the tables of royalty and the Orthodox Church, its wine is almost never exported and almost never easy to find even in Tbilisi. The restaurant on Abano Street chose this name deliberately — a declaration of intent about how seriously it takes Georgian wine culture, and a promise about what you will find on the list.
The setting is in Abanotubani, the ancient sulphur bath district of Tbilisi — one of the oldest continuously inhabited neighbourhoods in the South Caucasus, built over natural hot springs that have been used for bathing since at least the 4th century AD. The restaurant occupies an atmospheric space that captures the area’s particular combination of antiquity and charm: warm lighting, exposed brick, the kind of interior that takes centuries of history and makes them liveable. Balcony tables overlook old Tbilisi and are among the finest outdoor seats in the city.
The menu is traditional Georgian executed with conviction. The Adjarian khachapuri — the boat-shaped bread from the Black Sea region, filled with molten cheese and finished tableside with a raw egg and a pat of butter stirred in by the server — is widely regarded as the best version in Abanotubani, and among the best in the city. This is a serious claim given the competition; it is earned. The badrijani nigvzit — aubergine rolls filled with garlic-walnut paste, garnished with pomegranate — arrives at the table looking like jewellery. The juicy beef khinkali require both hands and a degree of strategy; the broth that pools inside the dough should never be lost to the plate.
The wine list fulfils the promise of the name. Staff provide knowledgeable recommendations and understand the logic of pairing Georgian amber wines with the walnut-heavy dishes, lighter Rkatsiteli with the fish, and the house red with the lamb. Bottles are available for purchase to take home, and several diners do exactly this. For solo dining, the bar seating and the single-dish options make this an easy, pleasurable choice. For a first date, the candlelit balcony tables and the food that arrives sharing-style create natural intimacy.
Request a balcony table when booking. The views of old Tbilisi at night — the illuminated Metekhi Church, the bridge, the castle on the cliff — make the meal into something larger than a meal. This is Tbilisi at its most atmospheric, and Usakhelouri earns its place within it.