Overall 5/6
Service 5/6
Atmosphere 4/6
Food 5/6
Price $$$
($ up to 12 leva a person for three courses; $$ 12 to 20 leva pp; $$$ 20 to 35 pp; $$$$ 35 and over pp)

Address: Re-opening in November at the Varna beach alley, next to the Ribarski Plazh
Tel: 052/ 632 622
Open: noon to 23.00
Credit cards: no

As we strolled about the maze of shops and establishments in Zlatni Pyasutsi (Golden Sands), stomachs growling, a sign suddenly leapt at me - the Грузински Ресторант. A small billboard in front of the restaurant gave passersby a glimpse as to what traditional Georgian cuisine looked like.
Curious as to what lay behind the international text, my friend and I climbed the stairs to the second floor of the medium-sized, largely Bulgarian-styled building.

The first dining room had on its wall a white flag with a large red cross, and four smaller ones, similar to that of another country, which likewise honours Saint George as its patron saint. Surrounding the flag were antiques symbolising Georgian culture: wine jugs, swords and a mythical ceramic creature. Paintings hung on the opposite wall, along with a stuffed hawk. We then arrived at an open-air courtyard with several tables under a grapevine canopy, laden with purple grapes.

The courtyard also acted as a kind of a traffic roundabout, leading to a larger dining area that overlooked the beach. On one wall hung varnished ibex horns, used as wine goblets during festivals. Between this and the first room stood a traditional wood-burning oven for special dishes or occasions.

The menu was in four languages, with colour photographs of the dishes. At first, I though they were mostly local cuisine, but the Bulgarian waitress assured us they were all traditional Georgian. Their resemblance to traditional Bulgarian food is not surprising; both countries occupy the same latitude on opposite ends of the Black Sea. They also contain significant mountainous terrain and share the same religion.

Starting off with salads, I had the ikra made with aubergine (6.90 leva). This contained cubed tomatoes, peppers, and sliced romaine lettuce and parsley. The semi-gelatinous aubergines also acted as a kind of dressing. My friend had a salad of sliced beetroot, boiled potatoes, vinegary red beans, also costing 6.80 leva.

For the main course we ordered earthenware specialties. Adjapsendally (8.80 leva) is a dish of chopped aubergine, bell peppers, green beans, potatoes and tomatoes baked in a dark brown sauce. It had a thick, stew-like consistency. The other was baked tomatoes with mushroom and kashkaval (aged mild, hard cheese) (8.80 leva). As its name implies, it featured sliced soft, button mushrooms in a creamy white, yogurt-based sauce covered with sliced tomatoes and a chewy, melted cheese topping.

As a side dish we ordered chinkali (6.90 leva). These are boiled minced-pork-filled dumplings, not unlike Chinese wonton. When you bite into them, the meat juices inside comes oozing out, a nice complement to the meat and dough. We also tried their hachapury, Mingrel style (6.90 leva). It looked part pizza, part flat bread, part pastry. Straight out of the oven, it was steaming hot and had a soft, sponge-like texture with melted kashkaval in the middle.

The waitress told us the most popular meat dish was the sliced chicken and mushroom stew, and harcho, or stewed veal with walnuts. Both come in boat-shaped plates at 17.80 leva apiece.

My Bulgarian companion described the food here as resembling Bulgarian in terms of the basic ingredients, yet differing from it by way of sauces, flavours, textures and preparation, for example the way the aubergines are cooked.

The main specialties of the Georgian Restaurant must be ordered in advance. These include roasted piglet (21.90 leva), stuffed chicken (45 leva), stuffed rabbit (68 leva), and leg of lamb (68 leva). All these are just a tiny sample of the wide array of Georgian salads, soups, stews, meat and seafood dishes offered here.

The restaurant also carried a large selection of drinks. Besides rakiya, mastika, vodka, cognac and rum, they served Bulgarian and imported Georgian red and white wines with names like Teluri, Alazani Valley, Mukuzani, Khvanchkara, and Kindzmarauli. One 150ml serving of Georgian wine costs nine leva.

Archaeological evidence suggests that wine may have been "invented" in Georgia; the word for wine in the Georgian language, which has no known counterpart outside of the Caucasus, with the possible exception of Basque region, is gvino.

We found the service prompt and courteous, though the waitress knew hardly any English. The only negative thing was end of our meal when a small sea storm broke out, and blew strong winds in through the open terrace.

The Georgian Restaurant in Zlatni Pyasutsi normally operates from June to September only, then relocates to Varna. When we were there, we were told that "most probably, it will close for good, or change owners".

Since visiting, it turns that the restaurant has plans to re-open on the Varna beach alley. So when you see its doors open again, be sure to stop by.