MEAMA Georgian Kitchen | Wine Bar

Fantastic experience. When I saw a Georgian grandma working her magic back in the kitchen I knew something special was about to take place. I have been to every Georgian restaurant in the city (and Georgia itself) and this was as close to the source as I could find. The chkmeruli adjaruli chachapuri wines, Konkani, and service was impeccable. Our server Ana was fantastic, attentive, warm, and welcoming. Great ambiance , really the perfect date spot. Go here you won’t regret it!

Our visit was an absolute blast! The place had this warm and inviting atmosphere that made us feel right at home. The food was absolutely delicious - we couldn’t stop talking about how tasty it was. This place is a hidden gem! It’s unique and super good. I’ve never had modern Georgian food as flavorful and interesting as this. We had the Georgian salad, which was a mix of traditional and new flavors. The meat, mushroom, and spinach dumplings were all great, and the khachapuri dish with pear, honey, and blue cheese was the star of the show. And for dessert, we had the bask cheese cake brûlée, which was absolutely incredible! We’re definitely coming back to try the rest of the menu. A special shoutout to Saba, our server, who made our evening truly memorable!

I’m usually not a big fan of Georgian cuisine—but MEAMA completely changed my mind! The food was absolutely delicious and full of flavor. I ordered the peach salad and it was a total game-changer—so fresh, so flavorful, just wow. My husband got the khinkali and said they were insanely good as well. We also shared the Adjaruli khachapuri and oh my god… pure bliss. Warm, cheesy, buttery perfection. We paired everything with sangria, which was also really tasty and refreshing. The service was excellent—our server was super friendly and the food came out surprisingly fast. Highly recommend this place, even if Georgian food isn’t normally your thing. You might just fall in love with it here!

Side notes/mini review. I'd heavily recommend the kubdari with the khinkali also being pricey but excellent. I went to this new Georgian restaurant/wine bar earlier in the evening with a pretty large group. In terms of prices, I would compare this place more to Chito Gvrito than some other places or as noted in the side notes, a classier take on Chama Mama. The staff was friendly here, whether it was the waiters or the woman whom I believe was the owner. They have a larger selection of Georgian wines, as well as other mostly European wines, including the traditional amber/qveri, along with red, sparkling, and white, with the prices ranging from around $15 to $25. There are also also as small flights from $20 to $29 (with the latter one having 4 2 oz pours.) They otherwise have cocktails, a Georgian beer, and some soft drinks. Not in the mood for alcohol, I went with a Tarragon Soda, which was the usual Natakhtari brand, for $7. We were going to order the Eggplant Rolls with Walnut (or Nigvziani Badrijani,) which was $21, but they were unfortunately out of them and making more, so instead, they recommended the Pkhali Trio, which was $25. Said dish came with spinach, beans, and red beets seasoned with walnut paste and garnished with cilantro oil and pomegranate reduction. The pkhali was nicely flavored, though a bit less garlicky than some other spots before, with a good texture. The portion was adequate for the price point, even with splitting it in four. We also got some of their Khinkali, a Georgian type of dumpling more akin to a soup dumpling where you bite off a small part of it and drink the hot soup before eating the rest. The prices are a bit high for this, with it being $17 for three dumplings of one type or $18 for a trio where you can pick, but at least the skin in general was a bit thinner. We went with two plates of the Lamb khinkali and one plate of the Mushroom one. I first tried the mushroom khinkali, which was nice and earthy with a good texture, as noted. The lamb version, which I had half of, was even better with plenty of soup and a nice tender meaty inside. Even with the price point, these are much better than some other spots I have been to so I would probably still recommend them. The best main dish was unexpected for me, which was the Kubdari, for $23 or so, listed as organic chopped beef pie seasoned with onions and fresh herbs and baked on an open fire. The dish came topped with some lightly pickled carrots and cabbage along with a pickled piece of cauliflower. I usually find this meat pie in most Georgia spots to be rather boring, but this was outstanding, with a very nice inside with plenty of tender meat. It was a bit more flavored than most, almost being more similar to the inside of a samsa or similar. The crust was also nice and thin We, of course, also got a khachapuri but went with a unique one instead of the more traditional Megruli or Adjaruli. In this case, it was the Khachapuri With Pear and Roquefort Cheese for $29 listed as Meama signature Khachapuri, baked on an open fire, and topped with conference pear slices and Roquefort cheese. This was a very tasty spin, being a bit less salty than the usual versions with the cheese adding a unique funk compared to the usual sulguni and imeruli. The only thing I was not a fan of here was their odd take on Shkmeruli, for $32, listed as golden roasted Cornish hen in garlic cream sauce and served with house baked bread. I usually find this dish to be very garlicky and quite delicious, but this was different, with the sauce being thicker with a nuttier consistency, almost reminding me of satsivi (which is a dish I like less.) The chicken was also unfortunately undersalted and not super tender either. Outside of the miss with the shkmeruli, this is a tasty Georgian spot. It's a bit pricier than most but in terms of pricier Georgian spots, this is one of the better ones. Leaving a high rating as I hope they do well, but I might bump this down to a 4 eventually.

A great gem in the neighborhood! My boyfriend and I randomly stumbled into this restaurant looking for some wine and a bite to eat and this place definitely deserves more traffic. The mushroom entree was AMAZINGGG and so flavorful! The people who work here are so sweet and really put love and care into their food and service. Will definitely be coming back.

My new favorite spot in NYC! The atmosphere was so lovely, the staff were very friendly and the food was delicious! I visited with my family and we had Eggplant rolls with walnut, Pkhali Trio, Adjaruli Khachapuri and Chikhirtma. Everything was delicious but eggplant rolls and Chikhirtma were my favorite! I highly recommend their cocktails too, I had Pelamushi (a wine cocktail) and I’m definitely coming back for this one. Also their Basque cheesecake tasted as good as one I had in San Sebastian! 10/10

One of the best beet salads I’ve ever eaten . The freshness of the greens, the sweetness of the roasted beets, and the creaminess of the cheese all came together perfectly. The textures were spot-on — crunchy, soft, and smooth in every bite. It’s a beautifully prepared vegetarian dish that feels both light and satisfying. Absolutely delicious, and I highly recommend trying it!!! 🤩🤩🤤

Stopped by to try Georgian food for the first time. Saba, the bartender was incredibly helpful and patient on explaining the food and wine. And the experience was just fantastic. I had the beef and pork dumplings with Georgian beer which really hit the spot. Then I got the red Georgian wine with cheese boat with great taste and texture.

Great food, casual yet elevated interior, the sort of place that's family friendly and also good for date night. I've eaten at many a Georgian restaurant and, of course in addition to the staples, there were items here that I hadn't seen before. Or maybe I wasn't paying attention. We kept it light- ordered the Eggplant rolls with walnut paste, Pkhali Trio, and Lobio. The eggplant rolls I thought expressed a lot of their Turkic heritage/ influence, with the focus on walnuts and raspberry. Light and perfect to pair with Theo house white wine. (BTW, they have happy hour on Saturdays until 6pm. And since Georgia invented wine, you can't NOT have wine here!) The Pkhali trio, view it like a Georgian mezze, was also light and the perfect thing to have with wine. Of the three pastes-- Spinach, beans and beet-- I liked the beans the best. They were all yummy, though. Something about these dishes tasted very different from flavor profiles I've had at other GA restaurants- perhaps the use of earthier herbs, more warmth, more of a parsley taste rather than dill-heavy. Then came the lobio, the star of the show! I didn't realize that GA cuisine uses fenugreek but they got down like that! Was so satisfying, yummy, cozy, just so so perfect! And the fermented veggies were outta sight! The lobio is served with bread so the flavors all together are a perfect medley in your mouth We sat at the bar so of course got all the benefits of the attentive staff. Service was quick too. This was something. We literally stumbled upon as one after the other plans were not working out but I think plans totally worked out in our favor!! I loves me some Georgian food and this may have been the best spot yet!

Very homey, and actually very well-priced (for once in New York). I made a reservation last-minute for a Monday night and had no issues. It was mostly full but it wasn't busy. Service was good and fast for my group of 6. The signature khachapuri was more like a pizza than the traditional cheesy gondola bread situation, so it was visually disappointing but still tasted delicious. The chikhirtma chicken soup was very "clean" tasting and felt healthy. The chicken skewer was pretty disappointing with the small portion. All salad and a few cubes of meat.

Side notes/mini review. Pricey but tasty Georgian spot. You can kind of think of it as a more high-end better version of Chama Mama with a better wine selection and much better food but you pay a few bucks more per dish. Also, prices are around $2 more per dish online compared to the actual menu. For dishes, I'd heavily recommend the kubdari with the khinkali also being pricey but excellent. I went to this new Georgian restaurant/wine bar earlier in the evening with a pretty large group. In terms of prices, I would compare this place more to Chito Gvrito than some other places or as noted in the side notes, a classier take on Chama Mama. The staff was friendly here, whether it was the waiters or the woman whom I believe was the owner. They have a larger selection of Georgian wines, as well as other mostly European wines, including the traditional amber/qveri, along with red, sparkling, and white, with the prices ranging from around $15 to $25. There are also also as small flights from $20 to $29 (with the latter one having 4 2 oz pours.) They otherwise have cocktails, a Georgian beer, and some soft drinks. Not in the mood for alcohol, I went with a Tarragon Soda, which was the usual Natakhtari brand, for $7. We were going to order the Eggplant Rolls with Walnut (or Nigvziani Badrijani,) which was $21, but they were unfortunately out of them and making more, so instead, they recommended the Pkhali Trio, which was $25. Said dish came with spinach, beans, and red beets seasoned with walnut paste and garnished with cilantro oil and pomegranate reduction. The pkhali was nicely flavored, though a bit less garlicky than some other spots before, with a good texture. The portion was adequate for the price point, even with splitting it in four. We also got some of their Khinkali, a Georgian type of dumpling more akin to a soup dumpling where you bite off a small part of it and drink the hot soup before eating the rest. The prices are a bit high for this, with it being $17 for three dumplings of one type or $18 for a trio where you can pick, but at least the skin in general was a bit thinner. We went with two plates of the Lamb khinkali and one plate of the Mushroom one. I first tried the mushroom khinkali, which was nice and earthy with a good texture, as noted. The lamb version, which I had half of, was even better with plenty of soup and a nice tender meaty inside. Even with the price point, these are much better than some other spots I have been to so I would probably still recommend them. The best main dish was unexpected for me, which was the Kubdari, for $23 or so, listed as organic chopped beef pie seasoned with onions and fresh herbs and baked on an open fire. The dish came topped with some lightly pickled carrots and cabbage along with a pickled piece of cauliflower. I usually find this meat pie in most Georgia spots to be rather boring, but this was outstanding, with a very nice inside with plenty of tender meat. It was a bit more flavored than most, almost being more similar to the inside of a samsa or similar. The crust was also nice and thin. This was excellent, and I would highly recommend it here. We, of course, also got a khachapuri but went with a unique one instead of the more traditional Megruli or Adjaruli. In this case, it was the Khachapuri With Pear and Roquefort Cheese for $29 listed as Meama signature Khachapuri, baked on an open fire, and topped with conference pear slices and Roquefort cheese. This was a very tasty spin, being a bit less salty than the usual versions with the cheese adding a unique funk compared to the usual sulguni and imeruli. The texture of the bread, just like with the kubdari was excellent. The only thing I was not a fan of here was their odd take on Shkmeruli, for $32, listed as golden roasted Cornish hen in garlic cream sauce and served with house baked bread. I usually find this dish to be very garlicky and quite delicious, but this was different, with the sauce being thicker with a nuttier consistency, almost reminding me of satsivi (which is a dish I like less.) The chicken was also unfortunately undersalted and not super tender either. Combine this with the price being higher than most other spots, and I wouldn't recommend this much at all. Outside of the miss with the shkmeruli, this is a tasty Georgian spot. It's a bit pricier than most but in terms of pricier Georgian spots, this is one of the better ones. Leaving a high rating as I hope they do well, but I might bump this down to a 4 eventually.