Chicago Diplomat Cafe

Just exotic and different in an authentically wonderful way. Georgian food (without the peaches and the pecan pie). Lovely dining room and friendly peeps usher you in to a world of tasty and worthwhile treats. So much excellence to be had here. The cold appetizer plate is a must, as is the bread and cheese dough creation. Your correspondent obviously doesn't know a lot about food from the country of Georgia, but enjoyed his introductory studies a great deal. You will, too.

It was an interesting experience to dine in a restaurant serving Georgian food. The food is tasty albeit on the salty side, which made us order plain rice that we didn't intend to have originally. We had Ajabsandali and Mstvadi Chicken.The plate of rice was shockingly expensive, $12 for a plate, about 2-3 cups in volume. We couldn't see why plain rice would be so expensive even with a fancy name: Persian Rice or something like that.As we were leaving, we saw a couple of other tables were all ordering puff-pies or stuffed bread. I think maybe that's the dishes we should have ordered.

I was lucky enough to come with four people and have a feast. Unluckily, I was traveling alone when I was in Georgia back in 2018, and was never really able to eat in my favorite manner, which is to graze from a tableful of dishes at once. Chicago Diplomat gave me back what could have been. Because really, since I left Georgia, I haven't found that many restaurants that do it justice. This did.First and foremost, you gotta have the big, crazy-rich, unfinishable bread boat (adjeruli khachapuri). I would say that this one landed on a cheesier (rather than butterier) side and the cheese was stretchy like a pizza, not crumbly like a feta.I could have taken or left the beet salad - it seemed like it was just beets out of a can covered in a metric ton of cilantro - but their version of eggplant/walnut salad (also covered in a metric ton of cilantro but I think it worked better here) was really good, not dry like it can easily be.The real stars of the show were the two stews: lobio and chakapuli. The chakapuli was impossibly rich, stuffed with lamb meat, overgrown with tarragon, and this strange part-meat-part-fat-part-oil-part-soup texture that would have been perfect with dipping bread had a) it come with it and b) we been able to fit any more food in our stomachs. The lobio was bacon-heavy and tasted like it, but it was herby enough to not weigh you down. This I ate leftover with a roll of paratha, which worked very well.We finished the meal with honey cake and another pastry I can't remember the name of, neither of which I initially had any interest in because I'm not much of a bread heavy dessert person, and also, see above re: not being able to fit any more bread in. But some of us ordered it anyway and I ended up eating three slices of the honey cake because of the grainy, sprout-y heartiness and the sweetness of the layers of honey.

The food and service exceeded expectations, will return with family and for group dinners. I was not very familiar with Georgian food, had only had khachapuri prior, and I was surprised at how flavorful the food was. Savory, delicious, fulfilling, but not in a heavy way.Absolute musts- the cold appetizers were fresh and a good counterpoint to the warming entrees. The beet mixture was an unanticipated favorite. The chkmeruli is also a must try for those who love garlic. It is an incredibly tender chicken soaked in a punch you in your face garlic broth. The beet appetizer and garlic broth are flavors that you will store in your memory.Service was great- there was only one other lunch diner, so the staff talked us through the menu. He also offered a half portion of the ajapsandali so that we could try another thing on the menu. The restaurant is a nice treat to eat in- white table cloths, water glasses, food served in the clay pots they were cooked in.Kid tip- this is a nice place, not sure the dinner vibe, but I would only take a kid who can be pretty chill at restaurants here. No kid menu, but lots of great dishes that kids would love like cheesy khachapuri. Food is seasoned, not spicy, with lots of flavor and options to dip in bread.

This is one of the best and unique meals I've had in my life. We tried a bunch of their foods through a work dinner. The hummus with added pomegranate tastes very good and refreshing. The lamb kabobs were so moist and delicious. The imeruli is probably the best of their cheese breads with a super crusty layer on top that was really yummy to eat. Lastly their honey cake was amazing. I am a chocolate dessert lover but I could not get enough of this cake. Can't wait to go back and try more of their dishes. And also it is worth noting that we placed a rather large delivery order and everything was delivered so nicely and promptly.

Overall Thoughts: This is the only Georgian restaurant in Chicago and my first time trying Georgian food-- it didn't disappoint and made for an extremely hearty, filling meal (albeit on the saltier side). Extra shout out to our super kind and awesome server!! The ambience inside is beautiful--both stately and homey. We came with a dinner reservation on Friday, but it wasn't too crowded inside so walk-ins are probably fine too. Prices were a bit high, but reasonable for the portions (~$42 pp with tax/tip). Food I tried:- Pkhali: Kind of looked and tasted like colorful, non-fried falafel without the chickpeas. These are made with various vegetables and walnuts for a robust umami flavor. They were very soft and creamy, and were quite hearty and delicious. - Imeruli Khachapuri: Khachapuri is the national dish of Georgia; our server recommended this particular one as his favorite. It was essentially a bread stuffed with various cheeses, and tasted quite good and was very filling. It was really salty though, so I was pretty thirsty after this one. - Mushroom Ojakhhuri: This is a vegetarian dish that our server recommended. The mushrooms were soft and flavorful, though the potatoes were a little too mushy for my liking. Was delicious overall though, with buttery and creamy textures. - Khinkali: For reference, these soup-filled dumplings are kind of like Chinese xiao long baos but with MUCH thicker skin and an all-meat filling, so they're a lot heavier and more filling. They were delicious-- I really liked how doughy and chewy the skin was, and the soup and filling were flavorful. You can choose how many you want (they're $4 each). - Stewed Feijoa Kompot drink: We also tried a bottle of stewed feijoa kompot drink, which our server told us is very popular and commonly drunk in Georgia. The flavor was pretty interesting--mildly sweet, flowery, and tart.-- Price (relative to peers): 4.2/5Food: 4.3/5Ambience: 5/5Service: 5/5Overall Value: 4.5/5

We were searching for a BYOB place in the area and this restaurant populated on Google Maps. We double-checked with the staff that it was okay to open a bottle of wine when we sat down and were informed there is a $6.50 corking fee per person. Do with that information what you will.THE CHAIRS ARE LIFE - I have never felt more supported by a chair in a restaurant. They were these leather, stocky, chairs with arms and everyone at the table was sitting like kings and queens on our leather thrones.This place is best when you share a plethora of dishes for diversity. We laughed that the dishes we got were pizza ingredients without the crust. The main stable flavors were melted cheese and fresh herbs and the service was very welcoming and informative to newcomers. Honestly, if more Americans knew about this cuisine they would be flabbergasted we don't eat this on a regular basis. Everything is cheese, meat, and bread so if those aren't your jam this place is not for you. What a dream!

First time trying Georgian food and it was delicious!! My friend and I went on a Friday without a reservation and didn't have a problem getting seated. The restaurant had a very cozy atmosphere. We shared the Khinkali (2) and Ojakhuri. Our server was very attentive and allowed us to order the Khinkali in a smaller amount vs what was on the menu. He also brought us bread with the Ojakhuri. Prices were more than I was expecting, but I still want to come back in a larger group to try more items as family-style!

We enjoyed the dining experience but the food wasn't special enough for a return visit. Seemed fun for a group outing. The potatoes under the over-cooked but tasty chicken were the best. Pickled asparagus was nice but other items less interesting. The bread in the Khachapuri was great but the dish was too cheesy for us.

Chicago's only Georgian restaurant that opens only 4 days a week? Raw egg on pizza'? I went to this intriguing Chicago Diplomat Cafe and learned about their cuisine from their warm and welcoming stuffKhachapuri: looks like pizza with an egg! They can even server the egg raw and so much cheese and the bread is sooo soft! 10/10Ojakuri: hot sizzling lamb kabob with potatoes and onions. Amazing blend of flavors! 9/10 Khinkali: huge (I mean it, bigger than my hand) dumpling with mushrooms or meat. Lots of juice inside. 9/10