Little Georgia | All Day Georgian Dining in a Homely Vintage Café
Let’s talk about Georgia.
Of course, you’re already familiar with the country’s rich metallurgical history dating back to the 6th millennium BC, its flourishing nut export industry, and biodiverse array of over 500 different species of spider… but chances are you haven’t much encountered Georgian cuisine.
And there’s no better place to remedy this fact than at Bethnal Green’s resident Georgian restaurant, Little Georgia.
Behind the unassuming, mossy green shop front is a hyper-authentic, family-run nook of a restaurant, where the chef serves up traditional recipes cooked with ingredients from Russian & Turkish suppliers. Being on the smaller side, there isn’t much interior here, but what there is is very tasteful – neutral walls dotted with eclectic collectables, from vintage curios to portrait photographs depicting grimacing ancestors, all laced with an enthusiastic drape of fairy lights – all of which is bolstered by (admittedly, even busier) additional seating on the pavement outside.
On the menu, there’s a trove of vegetarian-friendly options, from Russian salads to the hearty borscht soup, while meaty offerings come in the form of lamb kofte, blinis filled with minced beef, and richly-spiced pork. There’s also a wholesome swathe of goulash and stews, both of which are best mopped up with the khachapuri – a classic Georgian dish comprising bread stuffed with Turkish feta and/or mozzarella – while indecisive types are catered for by a petite mezze plate topped with walnut-stuffed aubergines and fleshy spiced spinach. Their renowned signature dish, however is the chizi bizhi, a sort of full Georgian breakfast made with herby scrambled eggs and exciting beans. Be prepared to queue though, because it’s the er, bizhi-est time of day for them.
A brief word of caution – the service has been known to be a little unpredictable, so this is a spot for leisurely dining and watching the world go by. They might bring you the wrong meal. But it’ll be awesome.
NOTE: Little Georgia is Tuesday-Sunday. You can book a table by calling 0207 739 8154, or via their website HERE.
ALSO NOTE: Little Georgia have a place in North London too – Little Georgia, Islington
Little Georgia | 87 Goldsmith’s Row, Bethnal Green, E2 8QR
Like your goulash a little more glitzy? Go all-out at Bob Bob Ricard