Verteli

The Georgian bistro "Verteli" is a project by Tatiana Melnikova ("Maria Santa," "Santa Baziliya," "Svinya i Roza," "Sineglazka") and a Voronezh-based burger group. Tatiana Melnikova, the driving force behind the project, explains her decision to open a Georgian restaurant simply: "Twelve years ago, I created 'Khachapuri,' and those cafes are still popular. And recently, the brilliant Liya Tabatadze brought me a jar of homemade adjika from Zugdidi. I inhaled the spicy aroma and realized that I was ready to open another Georgian restaurant."

The menu features traditional Georgian dishes: satsivi, chakhokhbili, and chikhirtma. However, Chef Liya Tabatadze elevates these classics, making them less heavy, lighter, and fresher. It's easy to see why: try the khinkali with salmon (390 rubles), the Adjarian khachapuri with a crust from a wood-fired oven (470 rubles), the signature khachapuri-verteli with spinach (420 rubles), chicken in Imeretian saffron with Guria cabbage (860 rubles), and gebzhaliya in mint-infused matsoni (480 rubles), made with fresh sulguni cheese from "Berezkovskaya Syrovarnya." Furthermore, the charming Liya promises cooking classes on making khinkali and churchkhela, grilled quail and pork, and a giant homemade Napoleon every Saturday.

The name "Verteli" is very similar to a Georgian word and immediately tells guests that the concept revolves around a grill. Here, you can order traditional kebabs (400-800 rubles), liver with fat, sausages, lule kebab, mushrooms, and quail.

The restaurant offers a Georgian breakfast to start the day. The morning menu includes cottage cheese casserole (390 rubles), a fluffy omelet with sulguni – borano (390 rubles), matsoni with hazelnuts (270 rubles), and delicate syrniki (cheese pancakes) made with naduga and apricot jam (460 rubles). There's also a comprehensive and lavish Georgian breakfast with ten dishes (1490 rubles), served with cosmopolitan prosecco. The prosecco is offered as a complimentary addition to any breakfast. This is very much in the Georgian spirit! It's worth paying special attention to the three types of coffee brewed in sand (320 rubles) – not only can you energize yourself, but you can also see your fortune in the coffee grounds.

The extensive and interesting wine list was curated by bar manager Evgeny Vanyakin, formerly of "Maria Santa," with the help of academic Natalia Bespalova. He created a prosecco tarhuni (380 rubles) for "Verteli" – a bright green alternative to the legendary basil prosecco from his Italian projects. It's delicious, visually appealing, and beneficial, especially for your mood. The cocktail menu features Caucasian flavors: pomegranate, adjika, reagan, and Abkhazian lemon.