Colchis

If you have been anywhere near Georgia and love the real Georgian experience, I am afraid Colchis will disappoint. If you are looking for a decent restaurant in the Notting Hill (NH) area with good service and reasonable food, then this place will suffice. However authentic Georgian it is not; it is quasi Georgian dressed up for the Western (NH) diner.

The staff were all super friendly, the pre-dinner cocktails were very well made and presented (the pomegranate mojito being particularly well received by our group) and the ambience in both the bar and restaurant was warm and welcoming.

In fairness, the starters were mostly delicious, well cooked and presented but almost a travesty of the real thing. For instance, a Georgian restaurant without the staple Georgian starter Chicken Satsivi, at its best a sumptuous blend of chicken in a creamy walnut and garlic sauce, is unthinkable. The Colchis pretender to this dish “Chicken Bazhe” is a bland uninspiring affair – when we asked why no Satsivi, the answer came that Satsivi takes 8 hours to cook properly whilst their Bazhe takes only 30 minutes: I am afraid it tasted like it. As a positive, the Khinkali dumplings were delectable. Next up the Kahachapuri – usually one of the absolute delights of a Georgian meal, made with the local suluguni cheese. The Colchis version was made with a mix of feta and mozzarella and whilst perfectly edible (indeed very tasty!) was not how real Khachapuri should taste. Furthermore, a Georgian restaurant without Mzhave, Chicken Tabaka and Tolma?

The head man navigated us admirably through the Georgian wines and made 2 very drinkable suggestions: a dry white Marani Tsirandali (eminently drinkable and good value at £23.00) followed by a Orovela Red Cuvee Chadredi (a mix of a local Georgian grape Saperavi, bolstered with a bit of Cab Sauvignon, at the same price) and which would have complemented the Mtsavi (grilled meat or shahslyk) very well. Unfortunately the grilled meats (we chose the mix of three: pork, lamb and veal) were disappointing, being oversalted and lacking in true grilled flavour. The group left more than we ate.

All in all, Colchis tries hard and partially succeeds in its warmth of welcome, atmosphere and decor. But it wasn't what we had anticipated it to be. If, like we were, you are looking for a real Georgian dinner experience, better to head for Mimino in Kensington High Street, where your diing neighbours will lilely be Georgians or Russians. Cheaper and done better.

Now this is refreshing. Colchis balances slick decor and menu with a very unpretentious, relaxed attitude. We also found Georgian food the perfect comfort food for a freezing London night. However comfort in this case doesn't mean thick, grubby stodge. The food is quiet refined and well thought through. We started off with ham and figs and despite the figs being a bit out of season the ham was outstanding. The beans with bacon and cheese bread were a good starting point: full of flavour but not so overwhelming that you wouldn't taste the nuttiness of the beans. We had lamb stew and kebabs for mains and they were also very well executed. The lamb cooked with aubergine and thyme was tender and sweet. The kebabs were accompanied by two excellent spicy sauces that arrived in two separate pots. Great care is taken in the presentation of the dishes and this is a plus. The portions are very generous. We washed it all down with a caraffe of Georgian red and a bottle of Georgian sparklin water that we are told comes from Stalin's favorite spa (some achievement!). The service was good, friendly and competent. We had drinks at the bar and the Italian bartender does mix a mean Negroni. The dinidng room is very relaxing and being a jazz fan I appreciated the not obvious choices of background music. The only fault we could find was a slightly too long wait between apetizers and main courses but you can excuse that as the restaurant has been opened only three weeks and it is inevitable that they might have some teething problems. However we had a very pleasant night out, the food was new, the wine good and we really enjoyed ourselves. Colchis is relatively new and we think will become a destination for foodies looking for something different. We certainly go back and bring friends with us.

Went to Colchis for my wife's birthday (on a Tuesday) and was not disappointed!

Absolutely impeccable starters: the aubergine really stood out for flavour and texture amongst the assorted pkhali; the khinkali (dumplings) were cooked well, sumptuous and fragrant; the khachapuri, however, was slightly idiosyncratic (more like pizza dough than what we are used to, but nonetheless tasty).

The mains of chankhi lamb stew and baby chicken in Georgian spices were cooked to perfection; full of flavours but surprisingly not too heavy. The side of ghomi with cheese was rich and wholesome, perfect for the winter months.

The meal didn't really need a dessert, but we did treat ourselves to a delicious pear and apple concoction that was delectable and very kindly illuminated by a pair of celebratory birthday candles (thanks!).

In terms of drinks, the Saperavi 2004 Georgian red was a welcome change from the usual French, italian, Spanish etc wines and I can only recommend it! Likewise commendable is the Georgian Borjomi water, which, with its rather ‘salty’ mineral-rich flavour, is somewhat of an acquired taste, but definitely worth a try. The whole meal was rounded off by a chacha (Georgian grappa).

Overall very good and charming restaurant. Definitely a place for repeat visits with or without the wife!