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Chicago Diplomat Cafe

4.3 (220 reviews)
Open 12:00 pm - 10:30 PM

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CHICAGO DIPLOMAT CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Classy
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Chicago Diplomat Cafe

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Sarah P.

We ordered a LOT of food. The service was great. This was our first time trying Georgian food. The dumplings were my favorite and the fried rolls were good too. Everything was very thick and flavorful. The ambiance was very authentic and cozy.

From top-to-bottom: Julliene, Ajaruli, & Meat Crêpes
Jay G.

The Adjaruli is the most from any Georgian restaurant but The Diplomat is a must for anyone visiting Chicago! Great food, great atmosphere and even better service. Come with an appetite, but even if you need a to-go box, they'll give you instructions for reheating at home!

Indoor
Mariya G.

Food-delicious!! Definitely try the khinkali (similar to soup dumplings) so flavorful! Ajaruli was also good the mix of hot cheese and egg combined with bread-cannot go wrong! Unexpectedly the Lobio was a big hit with our group even the skeptics tried it and were pleasantly surprised. I wish our service was more attentive I'm not sure if they were understaffed but our waiter would disappear for a while and we weren't sure if he did note our order or not.

Authentic decor
Phil G.

We stopped at the Diplomat for a late lunch on our way back to Milwaukee from a visitation near Joliet. Last month, we dined at a wonderful Georgian restaurant in NYC, and we wanted a repeat performance. Unfortunately, while the Diplomat was very good, the kitchen's technique wasn't as polished as the place in NYC. Thus, the four stars. Luka was our effervescent server, and he was a highlight of our lunch at the Chicago Diplomat Cafe. At Luke's urging, we ordered the Khachapuri, which has cheese and egg sunk into a pastry bowl. We didn't enjoy this as much as the Imeruli Khachapuri we had in NYC, which is more like a pizza. The fried khinkali were six enormous dumplings, but they were greasier and not as crisp as the ones at Chama Mamma. But, these were good. Please don't take my review the wrong way. I'm just comparing. Our Ojakhuri was very good, the lamb reminiscent of what is placed in a Greek gyro. We enjoyed our meal in the expansive space of the Chicago Diplomat Cafe, and we will return with friends. This is a fun place.

Mtsvadi Mtsvadi
Aljona K.

This was absolutely terrible. The meat was burnt, extremely dry, and completely overcooked. It was hard to chew and had no flavor at all. The potatoes were also dry and stale, clearly not fresh. The salad tasted old and spoiled, with an unpleasant smell and texture. The food was inedible. I couldn't eat it and ended up throwing everything away. This was a complete waste of money. I do not recommend this place.

Cold Appetizers Mix
Tabitha W.

We stopped in for a weekend lunch after having spotted this restaurant in a Google search and never having tried Georgian food before. We were waiting for a while before we were brought menus. Since we weren't familiar with the cuisine, my husband blindly ordered the Megruli ($28), a double-layered Samegrelo region Khachapuri stuffed with a mix of cheeses and topped off with smoked Sulguni. We were not expecting such a large, rich dish very reminiscent of a sauceless pizza! It tasted good, but it was very heavy. I went with the Cold Appetizers Mix ($25), a vegan mix of nigvziani badrijani (eggplant with walnut garlic paste) and chef's choice of Pkhali (variety of vegetable pate with herbs and walnuts). This was okay, but the selection felt very repetitive. We were offered bread to go with this, but it turns out that they didn't actually have any ready. We left here with a lot of leftovers. It's a very interesting cuisine that is worth trying, but it may be best if you have a larger group to share these sizable dishes with.

Cornish hen
Amy M.

We had an incredible experience here! It was a Friday night and it wasn't busy at all so we were seated immediately. Our server made excellent recommendations. We started with the cheese filled mushrooms and the diplomat salad. The portions were huge and the four of us had multiple helpings of these. I loved the herby-ness of the salad and the fresh, simple lemon dressing. I had the beef kebabs, my husband had the dumplings, and our friends shared the Cornish hen plate. You can order anywhere from 2-10 dumplings so my husband ordered 6. The server explained that you should take a bite and drink the broth first so that you can then eat the filling. She also suggested not to eat the stem portion of the dumpling. This was an excellent tip. My kebabs were incredible! I didn't end up eating them in the wrap they were served in but I did eat all of the herbs, onions, and sumac. I will dream about the seasoning on these. They were so delicious! The Cornish hen was served on potatoes. The skin had a delicious spice to it but wasn't hot at all. The potatoes were lemony and herby and oh so good! Herbs were definitely a theme with this meal and we all loved it! Our server left to make some deliveries and the young man that took over talked our friends into trying a Georgian cognac which they ended up loving and ordering instead of Jack. He also talked us into Grandmas Honey cake for dessert, which was also very good. It wasn't overly sweet which we all appreciate. This was an excellent experience and I'd highly recommend it!

Ajapsandali,  Ajaruli, Chkmeruli
Insia Z.

One of my favorite places in Chicago so far. Perfect comfort food. My favorite things were vegetarian and that is very not on brand for me. I LOVED the ajapsandali, I couldn't stop eating it (eggplant and potato stew, so flavorful). The garlic chicken in cream sauce and bread boat with cheese and egg yolk were classics, also delicious. I also really liked the cold eggplant roll appetizers with walnut filling, so literally everything that I ate. So much cilantro on everything which was the cherry on top. I can't wait to come back and try more of the meat dishes and literally everything else on the menu. Came for weekend lunch and there was plenty of room, but I've heard it's busy for dinner. Service was attentive, vibes were cozy and warm even though it's pretty spacious. Can't wait to eat my leftovers and go back.

Ajaruli
Marissa P.

This food is second to none! Unique flavors, high quality ingredients, and layers and layers of delicious seasoning. This spot is a hidden gem. The interior is cute and well decorated and the times that I've been it has been easy to get a nice table without a reservation. Great way to step out of the routine and try a new c

Interior
Bob S.

Took out the family to Chicago Diplomat for some Georgian food. It was a quiet night so we had great service and everything came out extremely fast. Everybody enjoyed the meal as we ate family style. Everybody got to try a lot of different things. We started with some Kisi Amber wine. We also had some of the Georgian lemonade. Both were exceptionally good. We started out with the stuffed eggplant Pkhali and combination cold appetizer plate. The stuffed eggplant was by far the best on the appetizer side. we also had the Ajaruli stuffed with cheese. Which was our grandson's favorite! While we had several other main entrées, the best one by far IMO is the lamb stew! It was incredibly flavorful and robust, full of great herbs and cooked to perfection. We also had a combination of all the different soup dumplings, The cheese was the favorite, and the mushroom the least favorite. We love the high usage of garlic and walnuts, as well as a lot of herbs and all the different foods Yumm!

Cindy L.

This spot is such a hidden gem! The meat and potato dish was delicious. The egg-in-the-middle bread, which is kind of like an Ajaruli-style pizza, was amazing--cheesy, doughy, and the runny egg in the middle just makes it perfect. Also tried the Pkhali, and it's a nice little side to balance everything out. The place has a cozy, no-frills vibe, and the food definitely speaks for itself. Worth checking out if you're in the area!

Ajapsandali

I love this restaurant so much!! The food was great and so were the vibes and the service

Ajaruli khachapuri

Absolutely incredible experience visiting here for the first time. Generous and friendly waiter walked us through the menu, made a bunch of recommendations, and kept an eye on us during the entire dinner. Food was incredible, will definitely be back and be on my list of places to bring people from out of town.

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This was fantastic! We ordered the chicken stew and the apsandali and both were great.

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Ask the Community - Chicago Diplomat Cafe

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Came here to pick up some frozen Kinkhali and adjar khachapuri... well worth the price. It's worth…read morea stop after going to Stumara next door, so you can have some Georgian food at home. Great service and shopping experience. Highly recommend!

I went to a Georgian restaurant while on vacation in Seattle and wanted to see where I can find one…read moreback home . A few popped up but many were closed on Mondays . Decided to try Pirosmani and SO glad we did . It's located in a strip mall in Wheeling . There are a few bar stools to eat your food there but if you have a big crowd, plan on taking your food to go. The girl in front was very helpful telling us what things are and what they are made of . If things are served hot or cold . We picked out a few things to try and not one of them were bad ! The cheese pie, the two rolled up eggplants , the chicken kabab, corn cakes, the chicken sandwich, and even the fun pops were all delicious . Today is my birthday so I wanted to try something different and new and so happy I did . Another girl came out from the back and chatted with us. Both girls were so sweet and helpful. They informed us the place next door is owned by the same person s, which is another Georgian restaurant, so we will be visiting them next . They gave me this dried fruit and nut log for my birthday for free too. Only thing was they didn't have the cheese and egg "bowl" or the dumplings to eat there they were ready to bring home frozen though . But that wasn't enough to take away a start .

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Dining room

Oda Mediterranean Cuisine - Pita and hummus - excellent

Pita and hummus - excellent

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Jibek Jolu

Jibek Jolu

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Jibek Jolu - Interior

Interior

Jibek Jolu
Jibek Jolu - Honey cake

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Honey cake

Ararat - Khorovats (Armenian Grilled Eggplant, served as a cold appetizer)

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Ararat - Inside the Khinkali

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Ararat - There are 8 tables in the dining room and 4 more out on front patio.

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There are 8 tables in the dining room and 4 more out on front patio.

Russian Tea Time - 6pcs Genuine Beef Pelmeni

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Russian Tea Time - Beautiful tea service

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Kitchen House Cafe - Honey Cake

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4.6(37 reviews)
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My wife and I dined at Kitchen House Cafe tonight, and thoroughly enjoyed our dinner. We ordered…read morethe Megrulian Khachapuri and Lamb Kebab. The Megrulian Khachapuri is traditional Georgian flat bread, made from a yeast dough and baked with a savory cheese filling, and a second layer of cheese baked on top. It was served right from the oven cut into wedge shaped slices and was delicious. Our shared lamb Kebab was a very generous portion of large chunks of grilled lamb. Served in a bowl with its natural juices topped with thin sliced onions, it was perfectly seasoned, tender, and cooked to a perfect medium rare as we had requested. A side of the Georgian version of ketchup was an excellent accompaniment, tart, tasting of garlic and herbs with just a bit of heat. Service was very good, prices are reasonable, and the dining room spacious and attractively decorated. I recommend Kitchen House Cafe, and we look forward to coming back to try more of the Georgian dishes listed on their menu.

Kitchen House Cafe had the vibe of a place that could be a hidden gem, but tonight felt more like I…read moreaccidentally wandered into someone else's family reunion. There appeared to be a private party going on, and to be fair, they seemed to be having a fantastic time. I, meanwhile, mostly felt like an NPC in the background of their celebration. Service was a little off-putting -- not outright bad, just the kind that makes you wonder if you somehow interrupted something important by ordering food. I tried the Chkmeruli (garlic chicken) and khachapuri. Both were decent enough, but at around $45 total, I kept waiting for the "wow, this is worth it" moment that never really arrived. The khachapuri was fine, the chicken was fine... everything was just aggressively okay. To be fair, your mileage may vary. I may have caught them on an off night, and clearly other people there were enjoying themselves. But based on this visit, it felt less like a cozy culinary discovery and more like paying cover charge to awkwardly attend a party I wasn't invited to.

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Kitchen House Cafe - Dining Room

Dining Room

Kitchen House Cafe - Khinkali

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Bar area

Chicago Diplomat Cafe - modern_european - Updated May 2026

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