What to Eat in Mestia? Where to Eat?

The largest city of the Svaneti region, I can say the place where the heart beats. Mixed raceis the main stop for those who come to this region. It is possible to make day trips to many places in the Svaneti region by staying in Mestia. While staying here What to eat and where to eat in Mestia I also wanted to give information about it.

An important note; The service is very slow in general, not in Mestia, but in all of Georgia. If you are going to a place to eat, you will probably have your meal within an hour, so be sure to go to dinner before you get very hungry.

Covered pita with red beans - Lobiani — *Covered pita with red beans – Lobiani*

I would also like to state that the food prices in Mestia are quite economical compared to the touristic regions of Georgia. It is possible to eat the main meal between 6-8 Lari. Meals are also hearty. A 10% service fee is definitely added to the account, it is useful to pay attention to it when ordering.

All restaurants have wifi. But in general, wifi speed/performance is very poor in Mestia. My advice is to buy a gsm line and solve your internet needs that way. You can get geocell or beecell.

What to Eat in Mestia? What to Drink

Before the information about where to eat, let me share the information about what to eat in Mestia 🙂 The Svaneti region has a cuisine that is very, very close to the Georgian cuisine. Thanks to the climatic conditions, fruits and vegetables are quite abundant and organic. Therefore, whatever you eat is usually delicious. Although there are plenty of fruits and vegetables, their main dishes are usually pastries.

In Mestia or in any region of Georgia, coriander is used extensively in dishes. If you don't like coriander, you may have a hard time with meat and vegetable dishes. It's good for you to get used to it.

I tried to briefly explain the most popular and favorite types of food below.

Svan Salt

The spice of the Svaneti Region that distinguishes it from the rest of Georgia is Svan Salt. You can think of it as a kind of curry prepared with a mixture of salt and some spices. It is in most dishes. It is also possible to buy it as a gift, it is sold in packages of 50-100 gr at tourist souvenir shops by kilo in the markets.

Khachapuri

Khachapuri, which is very similar to our pita, is a dish that is eaten in the morning and in the evening. The one that is open as in the photo is called Adjara style Khachapuri. The pita filled with cheese and broken egg on top is served with a slice of butter on it. It rips off the corners and beats the egg inward towards me. I have eaten khachapuri in many places, in general, they were all very well cooked. The bottom of the pastry 🙂

There are different types of Khachapuri like pita. In the menu below, the varieties are shown with their photos, so I put it. Lobiani made with beans/pink beans. It has both closed and open.

khingali

One of my favorites is these huge ravioli. Maybe you've seen it in Turkey as Uzbek ravioli or Georgian ravioli. There is minced meat in the huge ravioli, and if you want, the ones with cheese, mushrooms or potatoes are made in some restaurants. You will see the price of the grain on the menus, the prices usually vary between 0,50 lari and 1 lari.

Yogurt Soup and Vegetable Soup

Georgian soups generally got full marks from me. Of course, when the ingredients are organic, the food is also delicious. Vegetable soup is served with or without meat, it is useful to specify when ordering.

Sucuk

The same walnut or pistachio sausages we have are available everywhere, both in Georgia and Armenia. When the fruit was plentiful, they evaluated it like this.

Georgian Bread

In Georgia, which gets full marks from me in its pastries, traditional bread is made in the shape of a boat and in tandoor ovens as follows. It is usually 1 Lari each. It tastes good when it comes out of the oven with butter and cheese on the side.

Beverages

You have pretty good options for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks throughout Mestia and Georgia.

Georgian Wines

Georgia is the homeland of wine, so they have very good wines. Saperavi Georgians own grape varieties, you can try wines containing this grape. You don't have to buy bottled wine, home-made wines are sold in 1,2,5-liter bottles in the markets, you can think of it like table wine. It is very light to drink, ideal for drinking with meals. Prices are pretty cheap too.

sprat

Sprat is a drink known as Georgian tequila. A type of distilled liquor with a high alcohol content. The shot is drinkable in glasses and it's pretty tough. There are both regular bottles and plastic bottles that you can buy in liters like wines in the market. It hits bad, you need to drink carefully 🙂

Bira

Alcohol is consumed in large quantities in Georgia. Beers are available in 1,2 and 2.5 liter bottles. A 2,5 liter bottle costs 6 Lari, that is, around 12-13 TL. These delicious beers make you belly up, you have to be careful 🙂

Fizzy Juices

There are Georgian sodas made from various fruits that you can see as lemonade on the menus. My favorite is the pear soda. Do not be surprised to see sodas in different colors (like green) in the markets 🙂

In addition, it is possible to find dishes such as Elaji, which is muhlama made with potatoes and cheese, and the version of kidney beans made in a casserole, in almost every restaurant. Also, if you ordered a salad in Georgia, you will receive chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and onions, just don't have high expectations from the salad 🙂

Where to Eat in Mestia

Although Mestia is a small city, the number of hostels, restaurants and cafes is quite high with the increase in the number of tourists coming to the Svaneti region. During my trip to the Caucasus, I had the opportunity to stay and spend time in Mestia for quite a long time. I haven't tried many cafes and restaurants in the city either. I do not give the restaurants and cafes that I will list below in any order of priority/importance.

bridge house

You have to cross a bridge on the road going from Mestia center to Svaneti Museum. There is a restaurant at the foot of that bridge, its name used to be Malat, now it is Bridge House. Located on the very bank of the Mestiachala River flowing through Mestia, the restaurant has a small balcony overlooking the river if you go downstairs. The dishes you will find in the classical Svaneti cuisine are available here, they have very good yogurt soups.

panorama

Again, don't go to this place, which is on the way from the center to the museum, during the day, it gets very hot. They have made a big terrace so that it can be a panorama, but it does not blow 🙂 The dishes are still classic. I don't think there is an extra number. I can't say that I love the view from the terrace.

Laila

This is Mestia's oldest and most popular bar/restaurant. It gets very crowded at all hours of the day because it is at the top of the places recommended in the Lonely Planet guidebook. There is also live local music in the evenings, it is difficult to find a place without a reservation. I stopped by here just to have a beer, as I generally have the prejudice that popular and crowded places would not be good.

Koskhi

When you arrive in Mestia by minibus (masrutka), the square where they drop you off is the center of Mestia. The first restaurant you see is Koskhi. This is one of the popular places. There is also live music here. The price is slightly higher than other restaurants, but the food performance is not better. I usually like to sit in a cafe in the square in the cities I go to and watch the people around. This is exactly such a place, sit outside and watch the movement in the square.

Sunset

Again, this is one of the restaurants in the square. Although it looks like a small place from the outside, it is quite spacious inside. Apart from the traditional dishes, they also make pizza or something.

shiola

Here is my favorite place 🙂 You can reach this restaurant by the river by walking a little from the square. The balcony on the river side can be full after 18:00 if the weather is nice. If you go early, you will find a place more easily. There are several reasons why it is my favorite place: its prices are more affordable than the city center, its balcony overlooks the river, it is spacious and pleasant, it is a family business, so its food is more delicious.

Bon Appetit.