Tamari Authentic Georgian Cuisine

Great little spot near downtown! My fiancee and I have passed by this place for a while and finally decided to go here for date night. 10/10! The food was great, we got the beets, cheese bread, Cornish hen, and the soup dumplings. The owner was wonderful, he gave recommendations and explained the menu to us "first timers."

The most beautiful bread I've ever seen! My favorite from this meal was definitely the chicken and potato clay pot, though. It was so delicious and flavorful, and the onion and bell peppers that were added in gave it such a nice fragrance. Service was very good, they were so kind to let us order near closing time. Lovely music playing as well.

Came here for Valentines Day brunch with another couple. Had this bookmarked for years and came across it when my friend called, and we decided to meet half way. It was quiet when we walked in a 1230. One other couple arrived for lunch. Perhaps it is more of a dinner place. We had the two quails, combo appetizer (they made everything in heart shape), traditional cheese, both beef and lamb dumplings. Everything was delicious ! I would definitely come back.

Georgian Food. Not something you think to crave or that most take interest in. It just hasn't gained its popularity yet, but I assure you it will! At this place, every dish was fresh and tasty. So very well seasoned and perfect temperature. Ambiance was authentically Georgian and clean. Service was pleasant and quick. A must try!

If you really want to try authentic Georgian cuisine try to place. Very delicious food. We had Khingali, Shkmeruli, assorted pickles and Georgian lemonades. Service was wonderful. Indoor and outdoor sitting available. Street parking available close by.

The ambiance is cozy and upscale. Very comfortable and warm. The pictures were interesting and the bar was full and pretty cool looking with some large bottles of interesting wine.For the food we ordered, ojakhuri with mushrooms which was my least favorite dish but the kids ate it as it was close to fries. We ordered ajapsndli which was very flavorful and delicious.For the entree we ordered the acharauli khachapuri which was really the star of the show. For the dessert we ordered the Tamari's favorite. it was great but next time I might order a different one as it was not my flavor palete.Coming to the service, I think the owner was around he seemed like he wanted to help but wasn't sure how. He was slightly terse and wasn't very helpful with recommendations as it was our first time.He however did recommend a drink- the strawberry muraba tea which was one of the most unique and delicious drinks I have had.The food took a while to come out but 5/5 on the taste of the food. the 4 is only with service which can be improved.

So I picked this place to celebrate my bday with my GFs as none of us had every had Georgian food and I wanted to try something different. We were there at 1pm on a Sunday - so parking was a little challenging as the farmers market was also going on but if you had patience you could find the parking. Wasn't sure if we could park at the Caldwell lot next door as they were closed so I didn't want to risk it...First let me say the food was a mixed bag but I would of given 4 stars for the food - wasn't "Great" but "Good". Where they fell short was on the service. I do understand they are small and we only saw one waitress - and we "think" the owner who came out to talk to someone outside but that was pretty much it.We got a table - had no napkins or water. Mind you it took us a while to decide what we wanted but was surprised we didn't at least get a pitcher of water. It was a hot day and water would have been GREAT! FINALLY the waitress came out - dropped off a dish outside and proceeded to head back to the kitchen. We had to flag her down and tell her we wanted to order and can we get some water and napkins. She politely left and finally came back with water - and we had to remind her about the napkins... And we finally were able to give our order...Once the order went in - the food came out pretty quickly so that was a positive and she was very nice to explain what everything was...We first got the Chakapuli (Traditional Georgian Lamb Stew with green plums, tarragon and herbs) - we think it also had spinach? The dish it self was flavorful and meat was tender - BUT we had to ask if there was rice or bread to eat it with as you could see the juice/sauce? And the waitress said - no you just eat the stew. Hhhmmm ok I get that but it seemed like a shame we didn't have anything to soak up the juice/sauce with? And it was SO STRONG in tarragon that it was a bit overwhelming - especially since you didn't have anything else to eat with it?We got the Ajapsandali (Vegetarian stew with eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers and potatoes). I wish on the menu it would mention it was a bit spicy - as we had someone who can't handle spice and honestly there were no potatoes. It basically was chunks of carrots, celery, zucchini and bell peppers in a tomato sauce, so I guess it wasn't for us. Again - because there was nothing to eat it with. I guess we just needed some rice or bread with it.The next dish they brought out was the Ojakhuri with mushrooms. This was interesting - it was basically flavored fries (that were soggy) with really flavorful mushrooms that were crispy. It was a good dish - lots of flavor - so much flavor on the fries but it was soggy.They then brought out the dish that I really wanted - the Acharuli Khachapuri - which is the boat shaped bread with cheese and an egg. OMG YES that was the HIT for me. The bread is so unusual - very light and "flaky" with the delicious cheese which was even more creamy when you mix in the egg yolk. This is the ONE dish I definitely would order - in fact - would want my own! :)And then they brought out the Khinkali - beef. Loved that we were able to just get 5 pieces given there was 5 of us. it's the Georgian dumplings so of course we compared to the Chinese dumplings. Very different flavor profile, the dough was thicker but silker. But the flavor of the meat was definitely unique, I kinda wish we tried the lamb.Overall the food was good - not my flavor profile but I'm glad we tried it. I definitely wouldn't mind going back for the cheese boat... and may may try their quail. We saw another table eating it and it looked delicious. Also I do feel bad - I think we missed out on their drinks which is what they're also known for.The service - while pleasant and nice - was pretty non-existent. We had to chase her down when she dropped off a plate for more water. Again - glad we tried it - always great to try different foods. I'm wondering if I got too excited to try it and oversold it in my head...

Amazingly delicious meal! We loved everything that we ordered. The lamb dumplings were so juicy and tasty, the appetizer sampler had an incredible mix of flavors and textures, which paired perfectly with the traditional cheese bread. Kind, down to earth service. We will definitely be returning!We also enjoyed the Georgian wines and also the non alcoholic cherry drink...

Tamari boasts unique, well-executed dishes and a thoughtful selection of beverages to go along with the food. The standout food items we have tried so far are the lamb stew, ohjakuri, kupati, acharuli khachapuri, and churchkela. Apart from Georgian wine, they also have interesting nonalcoholic drinks like house made fruit compote and bread kvass. The owner was very kind and funny. He took the time to provide interesting explanations of some of the dishes. This place never seems to be full when we come, but it should be. We look forward to coming back to try everything else on the menu.

While I picked up food from Tamari a couple years ago, this was the first time dining in the restaurant. Five stars all the way. Marvelous food. From the vegetable stew to dolmas, the smoked cheese bread (yeah, smoked cheese bread that is even better than you are imagining) to chicken and lamb. Might be the best cheesecake ever. Everything was incredible. Don't be afraid if you haven't tried Georgian food before. Wonderful host, great wine (apparently Georgia is the birthplace of wine), cute spot for date night or a big outing with friends. Only sad thing was that the restaurant wasn't full, which is honestly shocking. San Carlos residents should be packing this restaurant nightly - you have something unique and special.