Restaurant Reviews
Top eateries in Georgia and London
[ LONDON ]
Canal cuisine
ALL TOO OFTEN POP-UP RESTAURANTS IN LONDON rely on their novelty factor to distract from the actual food on offer. And there are certainly plenty of distractions at the Summerhouse. It’s by the side of a Little Venice canal and people passing by on barges can’t resist waving.
But don’t take your eye off the ‘best-ever’ popcorn shrimp (£7) which comes in cute mini-buckets. Fish pie (£13) is properly filled with salmon, cod and smoked haddock rather than mashed potato, but the fish and chips (£16) are what the kitchen is rightly proud of; cod in beer batter has not a hint of grease.
The restaurant’s location means it’s dominated by the well-heeled locals, but it’s certainly worth a detour. Catch it before October. Robina Dam The Summerhouse, opposite 60 Blomfield Road W9, +44 (0)20 7286 6752, www.summerhousebythewaterway.co.uk
[ TBILISI ]
Gorgeous Georgian
A MEAL IN GEORGIA is incomplete without khachapuri, a cheese pie that’s as delicious and deeply calorific as it is ubiquitous. Every region of the country does its own version, which results in constant bickering about whose rules the roost. At Kopala, if you have the stomach, you can stage your own cheese pie wars from the comfort of a candlelit table overlooking Tbilisi’s beautiful old city.
Line your Adjarian (made with egg), Ossetian (with potato) and Imeritian (just cheese) pies up alongside lobiani (bread with beans), badrijani (aubergines stuffed with walnuts) and pkali (spinach and walnut pate). Follow with lamb stew, grilled chicken and a wonderful fried trout with pomegranates; throw in a bottle or two of Georgia’s stirring dry red wine, and you’ve got yourself a veritable supra (feast). It’s unlikely you’ll have room for Kopala’s signature dish, a dauntingly huge platter of dried fruit and nut confections.
It is one of the few eateries in the city offering Georgian food in a fine-dining environment, and is perfect for business meetings or special occasions. There’s a jazz pianist, friendly and efficient service, a terrace boasting the best view in the city, and a perfect introduction to one of the world’s most under-rated cuisines. Matthew Lee Kopala, 8-10 Chekhov Street, +995 32 775 520, www.kopala.ge
