Salobie Bia

Lobio and bread below the Rustaveli Theatre

Salobie is a place where lobio is eaten, but plain food is not the whole story: this is the restaurant of chef Giorgi Iosava, listed by the Georgian Gault&Millau as signature cuisine with 14.5 out of 20. Beans are the foundation, and beside them stand forgotten dishes brought back to the menu, such as the millet tsulspira eaten before beans became ordinary in Georgia. The entrance is off Rustaveli Avenue, down the steps beside the theatre.

Order the lobio in its clay pot, the lobiani, the shkmeruli and the chikhirtma. Take the salad of peeled tomatoes as well, it is superb here, and do try the tarragon chacha. For dessert Gault&Millau points to the white plum sorbet with white chocolate. An easy stop in the middle of the day, between a museum and the avenue.