Meaning “River”, Aragvi refers to a river in Georgia that is popular for kayaking and rafting. It is also a Georgian restaurant located Midtown East, where Chef Mikheil brings authentic recipes to our plates. Of course, when going to Aragvi, you have to try their khachapuri, Georgian cheese bread made famous on instagram, especially the Adjaruli that is an open-faced khachapuri from the Adjara region topped with a cheese blend that will be mixed with butter and egg yolk in a photogenic twirl. But they have others like the Royal Khachapuri that is topped with three huge dumplings filled with lots of cheese, or the Imeruli that is an old Georgian recipe from the Imereti region and that is dough stuffed cheese blend, like a Georgian calzone.

We also tried their large dumplings as an appetizer, filled with mushrooms, but I admit that it was a bit disappointing as the shell was too thick. Continuing with cheese appetizers, we got their Aragvi salad that was quite good, topped with a cheese ball, or their Soko Kecze that is baked mushrooms filled with cheese, seasoned with dry mint, and finished with a hint of butter. Good, I would have preferred the mushrooms in smaller pieces. If you do not like cheese, you can get their mushrooms and potatoes that are cooked with garlic and dill, or the Ajapsandali that are oven baked vegetables with greens and tomato sauce.

They have lots of meat, but lamb being my favorite, I could not not try their drunk lamb that is lamb boiled in beer, cooked with tomato, bell peppers, greens and onion. The dish is cooked in a pot covered with dough that I used to dip in the succulent juice. Their lamb Lula kebab was also really good, a must have if you love this meat.

With our meals (we went quite few times), we had some of their drinks. They have homemade lemonade and Jodi tried their lime and mint, as well as their strawberry lemonade that was a bit sweet. On my side, I tried their chacha that is a Georgian brandy; I had it straight, but I admit that I preferred it in a cocktail, like the Vovik that was composed of chacha, gin, watermelon and lemon. This was quite refreshing, as was the Qvevruli that was made with Georgian red wine, blackcurrant puree, lime juice and mint.

Of course, we had to have desserts. They have baklava or chocolate lava cake, but we wanted to try something a bit different. The first time, we had their honey cake, but I admit that I found it a bit dry. I liked the matsoni that is Georgian yogurt topped with honey and nuts, but my favorite was the Eklerki that are cream-puffs filled with cream and served with ice cream, similar to profiteroles. I also noticed that they serve Turkish coffee, that I love. So, when I asked for it, they brought me some ice cream as well. Apparently, this is the only way they serve it…

We had great meals at Aragvi. I prefer this place over Chama Mama because they have a lot more choice of dishes. If you go there, you must try their khachapuri: it is superb!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Aragvi - 230 E 44th St, New York, NY 10017

Aragvi, Georgian restaurant in NYC, NY

I Just Want To Eat!