Laliko – a Tbilisi supra reborn on a West Village corner

On a corner of Carmine Street, where floor-to-ceiling windows catch the afternoon light over 7th Avenue South, Laliko opened on 16 March 2025 as the first American restaurant from Gurami Oniani, the Tbilisi- and Moscow-based restaurateur behind more than thirty Georgian addresses under his Guliani Group. Named for his grandmother, the 42-seat room is built around a long communal table that nods to the supra, Georgia's ritual of feasting and toasting, and the menu gives equal billing to the country's two most-loved exports: khachapuri, the cheese-filled bread, and khinkali, the hand-pleated broth dumpling. Three cooks share the open kitchen, each devoted to a single craft, from the dumpling's pleat to the bread's crust. It holds one MICHELIN Bib Gourmand, the guide's distinction for cooking of real quality at a fair price, a nod that turned a new West Village restaurant into one of the more discussed Georgian tables in New York.

01The room and the setting

The interior, designed by Zviadi Surguladze of Surgula Studio, sets modern restraint against Georgian craft. A 200-year-old pardagi carpet lies beneath the central communal table, and a green column is clad in handmade Tbilisi tiles. A mural painted by Georgian artists runs across the walls, referencing Svan defensive towers, qvevri winemaking vessels and imagery drawn from The Knight in the Panther's Skin, Georgia's medieval literary epic.

Smaller details reward a second look: the tables are etched with illustrations of backgammon, in homage to nardi, Georgia's national pastime. Diners near the open kitchen can watch dough stretched for khachapuri and dumplings pleated by hand, while the room's floor-to-ceiling windows onto 7th Avenue South keep the 42-seat space bright even when every seat is taken.

02The chefs

Laliko's kitchen is organised around specialists rather than a single toque. Executive chef Manuchar Tsikolia, who brings 18 years of experience to the role, oversees the overall menu, while two chefs are dedicated exclusively to signature dishes. Jimi Kurtanidze, the khachapuri chef, trained under Gia Agirba, credited as the creator of the doughless adjaruli cheese boat, and is capable of baking an impressive 650 adjaruli in a single day.

Insider tip

Open Sun–Wed 12:00–22:00, Thu–Sat 12:00–22:30; brunch served alongside dinner.

Khinkali chef Ruslan 'Ucha' Giorgberidze was first recruited by Oniani in 2011, together with his son, to work at the restaurateur's very first restaurant, and has spent the years since perfecting the pleating and broth of Georgia's most famous dumpling.

03The cooking

The menu draws on centuries-old Georgian recipes while allowing room for newer ideas, from vegetable-forward pkhali spreads and the smoky chilli pastes of the adjika trio to hearty stews such as chashushuli and chaqapuli, a veal dish simmered with Georgian wine and tarragon. Chicken appears two ways that reward the walnut-heavy Georgian pantry: crisped and set over cheesy elarji cornmeal with walnut sauce, or pan-seared shkmeruli in a creamy garlic sauce.

The kitchen's showpiece is the Mother Khinkali, a single giant dumpling concealing six smaller ones inside, a dish that has become enough of a draw to earn its own television moment on Access Hollywood, according to the restaurant's own account of its press coverage. Grilled mtsvadi skewers of pork, chicken or salmon round out the savoury side, each served with a green plum or blackberry sauce.

04What to order

From the dinner menu, the acharuli khachapuri is the one to start with: a boat-shaped bread filled with cheese, topped with an egg yolk and butter that gets stirred in at the table. The imeruli, a rounder loaf filled with cheese and mint, is the lighter alternative. Order khinkali in the classic beef-and-pork filling, or go for the Mother Khinkali to share across the table.

For mains, the chicken with elarji and its rich walnut sauce, or the megruli kharcho, veal simmered in walnut and red adjika tomato sauce, both show the kitchen's command of sauce-work. At brunch, the chvishtari with poached egg and salmon, a Svanetian cornmeal flatbread, and the chicken lali pie are worth seeking out.

05Wine and drinks

Laliko's wine list is built entirely around Georgia, including bottles aged in qvevri, the clay vessels at the heart of the country's ancient winemaking tradition. Chacha, Georgian grape brandy, gets its own menu, from a classic pour to an oak-barrel-aged expression and a three-way flight for comparison.

The cocktail list leans on chacha too: the Laliko Sour mixes it with lemon, peach, passion fruit and mandarin, clarified with milk, while the Last Word of Georgia reworks the Prohibition-era classic with chacha in place of gin. Non-alcoholic versions, including a Phony Negroni, are also offered.

06When to go and booking

Laliko serves lunch through dinner Sunday to Wednesday from 12pm to 10pm, and Thursday to Saturday from 12pm to 10.30pm, with a dedicated brunch menu alongside the regular dinner offering. With only 42 seats around a communal table and open kitchen, booking ahead is sensible, particularly since the MICHELIN recognition in 2025.

For a weekend. For a lifetime.