Colchide in Paris: a tasty plunge into Georgian cuisine

While there are so many Italian and Japanese restaurants in Paris that it's hard to count them all, the number of Georgian restaurants can be counted on the fingers of one hand. A discreet country located on the eastern coast of the Black Sea in the Caucasus, Georgia is nonetheless overflowing with incredible natural and architectural treasures. Cuisine also plays an important role. To discover some of Georgia's specialties, we've come to Colchis.

Following the opening of a first establishment in 2013 on rue des Poissonniers, a second address was opened in Paris in 2019, still in the capital's 18th arrondissement, but this time in the buzzing Pigalle district. It's precisely this restaurant - located not far from Chez Madame Arthur and just opposite Chez Michou - that we decided to visit on our first gourmet trip to Georgia, eager to sample the mouth-watering specialties and wines of Colchis.

What's on the menu? Meat-based dishes (beef, lamb...), to share or not.) such as"Tchakapouli" (lamb stewed in a white wine, tarragon and spring onion broth) or"Tchkmerouli" (cockerel cooked in a creamy garlic sauce), as well as vegetarian dishes such as"Sokos Tchachouchouli" (mushrooms simmered with tomato and Georgian spices) and"Lobio Kotanshi" (red bean stew simmered in a clay pot), not forgetting a few desserts (baked pear topped with caramelized walnuts, or plain yoghurt with honey and roasted hazelnuts) and"Khatchapouri", the Georgian national dish that can be eaten in a variety of ways, including with cheese.

For our part, we start our tasting with"Nigvziani Badrijani", meltingly succulent eggplants rolled in walnuts and garnished with pomegranate seeds. We also fall for the famous"Pkhali", small dumplings served as an appetizer, made with beet caviar and spinach, again with walnuts, and topped with pomegranate seeds. A real delight, as fresh and gourmet as we like it!

The tasting continued with the tasty"Kababi", a specialty made from beef minced with spices and herbs, then grilled a la plancha and served with mashed potatoes, and the"Soko Ketze", a plate of mushrooms stuffed with cheese and cooked in butter in a clay pan. A wonderful discovery, both generous and gourmet.

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Simple yet tasty, homemade and cooked with love, these various specialties quickly take us on a journey to the Caucasus! And let's not forget the fine wine list to accompany these dishes. Few people know it, but Georgian wine is renowned. Archaeologists estimate that wine has been produced in Georgia for 8,000 years! We highly recommend the wine of Qvevri, which features an ancestral winemaking method listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The concept is atypical, since the grapes are vinified in buried terracotta jars, where they macerate for a long time with their skins.

And because Colchide likes to multiply its pleasures, note that the menu differs between the two Parisian addresses. On Friday evenings on rue des Poissonniers, customers can enjoy"Khinkali", the famous Georgian ravioli stuffed with veal. Also on the menu?Kharcho", a free-range chicken simmered in a walnut sauce with Georgian spices, or"Mtsvane Lobio", green beans simmered with tomato, egg yolk and Svaneti salt. Whether you opt for Colchide on Rue des Martyrs or Rue des Poissonniers, your culinary journey is sure to be a success!