Grantsvale has opened in Cardiff, bringing Georgian cuisine to Wales for the first time
The restaurant has opened on St Mary Street in Cardiff
Good food, good drinks, good company? What more do you want from a Saturday evening? I had all this more when I tried Wales’ first Georgian restaurant. Genatsvale has opened on St Mary Street in Cardiff, serving traditional Georgian food which includes blinis, pkhali, dolma, ojakhuri, kupati, lamb kababi, khinkali, and more.
We went along on their first Saturday of opening, and it is totally stunning inside. There is a grand piano, exposed brick walls, a lemon-lined ceiling, wicker lights, and artwork showing Georgia hanging on the walls.
It feels fancy and sophisticated, instantly somewhere you would book for a special occasion. The restaurant was fairly busy, which was great to see the people of Cardiff embracing Georgian food and culture, as we perused the extensive menu.
I opted for a mojito, for £8, which was very refreshing. It was strong, with a good taste of rum, zesty, tangy, and light enough to go well with the meal.
We had the four starter plates, for £21.95, which included pkhali, blini, aubergine, and dolma. Blinis are thin crepes filled with seasoned beef and pork. The crepe was light and fluffy, left in the pan long enough to have a crisp outside, and well packed with the beef and pork.
There was definitely more of a strong beefy taste which was rich, hearty, and worked very well with the softer texture of the crepe. The aubergine was pan-fried aubergine rolls with a walnut paste, which had a curried taste and texture. It was musty and very nutty, with a slight spicy kick and overall smooth to eat.
Dolma is seasoned beef and rice wrapped in grape leaves, which has a strong, fragrant, and fruity taste. This also comes accompanied with yoghurt, which at first I was unsure why it was needed, but the dish very cleverly built up the spice bit by bit, so by the last bites, you were reaching for the yogurt, which was smooth, silky, and delightfully cold to complement the spice.
This was a brilliant starter platter(Image: Steph Colderick)
The highlight of the starter platter for me was the pkhali, which is four vegetable pates; spinach, carrot, beetroot, and green bean, with mjadhi, Georgian corn bread.
These pates were delicious and really lightened the starter platter. The spinach pate was rich, deep, and earthy, the green bean pate was light and fresh, the carrot pate was packed with flavour, crisp with a clean sweetness, and the beetroot pate was rooty, earthy, and firm.
The bread was served golden brown and had a soft and chewy texture. It was simple and sophisticated in taste, highlighting the flavours of the pate.
Onto the mains. We had beef and pork khinkali for £15.90 and lamb kababi for £20.50. Beef and pork khinkali are dumplings, and you are served a very generous portion of five huge dumplings.
The dumplings(Image: Steph Colderick)
As my eyes were bigger than my stomach, I also ordered the akhali kartopili, which was butter-roasted baby potatoes dressed with dill for £6.95.
A massive portion of these arrived too, it felt like an entire Georgian field of potatoes had been dug up, and I had to take some home with me, along with two leftover dumplings.
I did not need the potatoes as well(Image: Steph Colderick)
The dumplings were smooth, herby, meaty, and chewy. The savoury, juicy filling, which was very flavoured with a good herby hit, complemented the silky texture of the dumplings well. The pork and beef work well together to create a hearty core, creating a very comforting and warming dish.
The lamb kababi was also a standout and arguably the best choice of the two main dishes. Succulent, soft lamb was paired with onions, pomegranate seeds, a side salad, and two sauces: tkemali sauce, which is a sweet-sour plum sauce and a tomato sauce and bread.
Well-cooked this lamb was not raw and not overdone, it was juicy and well seasoned making it incredibly moreish. The plum sauce was sweet and tangy, and the tomato sauce had a rich and deep flavour, reminding us of a relish. Served with warm light bread, which again there was plenty of, this dish did not disappoint, and I would happily return to try again.
Georgian food has come to Wales(Image: Steph Colderick)
For dessert, despite feeling totally full, we just had room to squeeze in a slice of cake. We opted for the honey cake, £5.50, and the chitisrdze, £5.80, which was a chocolate sponge cake.
The chitisrdze was chocolatey, light, and sweet. It wasn’t heavy at all and stacked with fine, thin layers that created a lovely, sweet treat.
The honey cake was crumbly and had a good amount of honey, so it wasn’t too sweet and overpowering, but instead a delightful dessert.
The perfect sweet treat to finish the meal(Image: Steph Colderick)
We had a fantastic time at Genatsvale, and although the service was a smidge slow and they did forget the bread originally for the pate, once we asked for the bread we were offered complimentary drinks, the staff were kind, friendly, and attentive, and clearly just getting used to the new restaurant.
It is so great to see Cardiff offering a massive range of cuisines and now proudly able to offer Georgian on the list. I would thoroughly recommend a trip to Genatsvale for a delicious, well-cooked meal and something a bit different.