Five stars in every way. The two of us arrived on a Saturday evening without reservations. We were told that the place was fully reserved for the evening. We were crushed and at a loss for what to do. We waited on the couch, deliberating our options. After about 20 minutes, the restaurant was able to work us in! (Note that we were really lucky. A number of people came in after us but were turned away.) Service was fantastic, too. We ordered right away and didn't have a long wait for food and drinks. My friend and I had different glasses of Georgian wine; I had Alazani Valley, which was luscious. We shared megruli khachapuri and soko ketze (mushroom caps filled with cheese). Incredible. This was really one of those meals to never forget. read more

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Really fun to try Georgian cuisine for the first time. Got Delivery, and I would imagine it would be much better in person. Ajapsandali: 4/5. Eggplant lovers rejoice. Lovely spices. Definitely get again (not for my wife though, who doesn't like eggplant). Ajaruli: 4/5. Make sure to reheat thoroughly if you get delivery. Nice bread with heaps and heaps of cheese. I can see this being a lot more fun fresh. Honey Cake: 4/5. Sweet and caramel. My toddler and I gobbled this up quickly (not for my wife though, who doesn't like caramel). Julliene: 3/5. Cheese, chicken, and mushroom, solid but wouldn't be my priority to get again Soko Ketze: 2.5/5. Cheese and mushroom, but really that was it, so I got bored quickly. Not great value for $20. read more

Take a detour from normal fare and go get a taste of Georgian food, the country, not the state, at Chicagos Diplomat Cafe. The restaurant was decorated with eclectic art and a nod to European olden days. We were greeted warmly by a young man who was very happy to share his knowledge of the cuisine and the wines that come from the region. We had a cold app with finely chopped walnuts, parsley, garlic and spinach, or beets. served with freshly baked breads. Very good. Then we had the soup dumplings! Cheese flavored, mushroom flavored, and our favorite beef. They were huge. We ordered 10 and took 3 home with us. The waiter was knowledgeable and food came out hot. We will Go back to try more delicious options soon. read more

Great service and excellent quality food. Georgian lamb chops, borscht, chicken stew with white sauce were all delicious. Dry red Georgian win complimented our meals perfectly. read more

Food was very delicious and our waitress was really kind. We got seated right away which I appreciate. read more

Chicago Diplomat Cafe - Lamb Chops - Modern European Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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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. read more

Chicago Diplomat Cafe - Modern European Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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. read more

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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. read more

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My wife and I have a friends dinning club group and we had about 12 people in our group. They had a great table setup for us and we were able to preorder some appetizers. We were able to do everything family style which was awesome. We also had individuals in our group that had dietary restrictions and they were more than accommodating with our requests. They did forget to bring a wine bottle, but they did bring it afterwards. Overall we had a great night with some amazing food. read more

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. read more

Chicago Diplomat Cafe - Cold Appetizers Mix - Modern European Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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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. read more

Chicago Diplomat Cafe - Mtsvadi Mtsvadi - Modern European Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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! read more

Chicago Diplomat Cafe - From top-to-bottom: Julliene, Ajaruli, & Meat Crêpes - Modern European Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food was sooo good, kinda make me feel like I'm home again, the guy with curly hair (server) was so sweet, thank u guys for good service read more

Chicago Diplomat Cafe - Ajaruli - Modern European Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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! read more

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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. read more

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I'd really like to keep the Chicago Diplomat Cafe a secret and not let it get out that this place is a hidden gem, but it is too special to keep to myself. The exterior of this Georgian restaurant is fairly unassuming on Lincoln avenue but the minute you walk in the door you are greeted with aromas of home cooked garlicky Mediterranean European goodness. The menu is solid. Lots of options for clean eating. You can order an entree or get several to share. The dumplings and lamb stew are essential. The Megruli is akin to the lightest pizza type pastry you've ever had and great for sharing. If you opt for dessert, get a slice of honey cake with tea or Turkish coffee. The wine is reasonable and worth checking out. Winemaking started in Georgia thousands of years ago and they take pride in this heritage. Servers are lovely and sincere. This is not a rushed meal but not too long a service either. Reservations are important on weekends. read more

Our server was lovely and very informative, and the setting was inexpensively elegant. (We had a 6 p.m. reservation on a Tuesday and there weren't a lot of people, so I got a table for two in the window.) I enjoyed the absence of noise (good traditional music, but not at concert volume) and the setting and decor very much. The cheese with egg served in a boat-shaped piece of bread, which has coastal origins, was good, and the leftovers have held up well a few days later. The mushrooms in the other vegetarian starter seemed overly salted and the pomegranate element in the sauce wasn't as prominent as I learned to love at Reza's. (I know, different regions.) As other reviewers have noted, the portions are huge. The streetscape outside the window is pretty mundane, except for some weird and wonderful lizards in the terracotta facade across the street. Does anyone know what that's about? read more

A good overall experience, but issues. Original in that is was Georgian. Great wine list. Our waiter was completely unplugged and seemed to only care in that he had to. We had to track him down. I was promised bread twice and asked once and then it came. The food, especially the lamb oriented stuff was really good. The Ghoum (sp?) was just a big bowl of grits. read more

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 read more

Chicago Diplomat Cafe - Ajaruli - Modern European Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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! read more

Chicago Diplomat Cafe - Interior - Modern European Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food-good, Service-good, Wine- good. Man sleeping on back couch- curious, Went there with friends to try Georgian food, I think most of it was a hit, some misses though. Food not arriving at same time, and food not arriving at all. However, I would try again. The flavors and menu are something out of the oridinary for Chicago. read more

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! read more

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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. read more

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Overall Thoughts: This is the only Georgian restaurant in Chicago and my first time trying Georgian food-- it didn't disappoint and made for an extremely hearty, filling meal (albeit on the saltier side). Extra shout out to our super kind and awesome server!! The ambience inside is beautiful--both stately and homey. We came with a dinner reservation on Friday, but it wasn't too crowded inside so walk-ins are probably fine too. Prices were a bit high, but reasonable for the portions (~$42 pp with tax/tip). Food I tried: - Pkhali: Kind of looked and tasted like colorful, non-fried falafel without the chickpeas. These are made with various vegetables and walnuts for a robust umami flavor. They were very soft and creamy, and were quite hearty and delicious. - Imeruli Khachapuri: Khachapuri is the national dish of Georgia; our server recommended this particular one as his favorite. It was essentially a bread stuffed with various cheeses, and tasted quite good and was very filling. It was really salty though, so I was pretty thirsty after this one. - Mushroom Ojakhhuri: This is a vegetarian dish that our server recommended. The mushrooms were soft and flavorful, though the potatoes were a little too mushy for my liking. Was delicious overall though, with buttery and creamy textures. - Khinkali: For reference, these soup-filled dumplings are kind of like Chinese xiao long baos but with MUCH thicker skin and an all-meat filling, so they're a lot heavier and more filling. They were delicious-- I really liked how doughy and chewy the skin was, and the soup and filling were flavorful. You can choose how many you want (they're $4 each). - Stewed Feijoa Kompot drink: We also tried a bottle of stewed feijoa kompot drink, which our server told us is very popular and commonly drunk in Georgia. The flavor was pretty interesting--mildly sweet, flowery, and tart. -- Price (relative to peers): 4.2/5 Food: 4.3/5 Ambience: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Overall Value: 4.5/5 read more

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This place has a lot of cool Georgian dishes I've never had before, the servers are very nice, and the interior is pretty neat. I had the eggplant appetizer, which I really enjoyed, but for my entree, I have to say, I didn't like the lamb stew that much, and the amount was rather small, but I enjoyed what I tasted of my friends' entrees. They got the garlic chicken, lamb chops, and the fried whole chicken. I'll probably come back someday to try some of their other stuff out. read more

Chicago Diplomat Cafe - Modern European Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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

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Loved our experience at Chicago Diplomat Cafe! Our server was very friendly and helped walked us through the menu given we weren't as familiar with the dishes, and gave some good recommendations on what to order. Ambiance was casual and welcoming, all in all a great time. We ended up getting: - Nigvziani Badrijiani: Cold appetizer of eggplants stuffed with walnut paste, super light and refreshing and full of flavor - Ajaruli Khachapuri: This came out piping hot and was rich and cheesy - Chakapuli: Really enjoyed this lamb stew; meat was tender and it was surprisingly light with a generous amount of herbs in the dish. Came with side of bread to mop all of the juices up! - Honey cake: Came with three big slices and was a great way to cap off the meal; we were told it was a secret recipe made by the owners mom herself! read more

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Just exotic and different in an authentically wonderful way. Georgian food (without the peaches and the pecan pie). Lovely dining room and friendly peeps usher you in to a world of tasty and worthwhile treats. So much excellence to be had here. The cold appetizer plate is a must, as is the bread and cheese dough creation. Your correspondent obviously doesn't know a lot about food from the country of Georgia, but enjoyed his introductory studies a great deal. You will, too. read more

Fantastic Georgian food and wine that honestly made me miss home. Everything we tried was delicious, but I especially recommend the Kindzmarauli wine and the manti. Service was a little on the slow side, though we were a large group, and it was absolutely worth the wait. I'd come back in a heartbeat. read more

This place was recommended by a friend. Simple country food, nothing fancy. The vegetable stew was good but IMO super-overcooked. The cheese bread, OK. The kebabs wrapped in lavash, dry. The lamb, chewy. Their red wine, really good, which I didn't expect! Our waiter was not particularly helpful. Interesting to check out since Georgian food is kind of having a moment. read more

Slow service. Very slow. Could've hire more server or move more efficiently. I asked for one item, server had to go other table to take their order, and forgets my order. And come back later. Most inefficient server i ever seen read more

It was an interesting experience to dine in a restaurant serving Georgian food. The food is tasty albeit on the salty side, which made us order plain rice that we didn't intend to have originally. We had Ajabsandali and Mstvadi Chicken. The plate of rice was shockingly expensive, $12 for a plate, about 2-3 cups in volume. We couldn't see why plain rice would be so expensive even with a fancy name: Persian Rice or something like that. As we were leaving, we saw a couple of other tables were all ordering puff-pies or stuffed bread. I think maybe that's the dishes we should have ordered. read more

Chicago Diplomat Cafe - Modern European Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We enjoyed the dining experience but the food wasn't special enough for a return visit. Seemed fun for a group outing. The potatoes under the over-cooked but tasty chicken were the best. Pickled asparagus was nice but other items less interesting. The bread in the Khachapuri was great but the dish was too cheesy for us. read more

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We were searching for a BYOB place in the area and this restaurant populated on Google Maps. We double-checked with the staff that it was okay to open a bottle of wine when we sat down and were informed there is a $6.50 corking fee per person. Do with that information what you will. THE CHAIRS ARE LIFE - I have never felt more supported by a chair in a restaurant. They were these leather, stocky, chairs with arms and everyone at the table was sitting like kings and queens on our leather thrones. This place is best when you share a plethora of dishes for diversity. We laughed that the dishes we got were pizza ingredients without the crust. The main stable flavors were melted cheese and fresh herbs and the service was very welcoming and informative to newcomers. Honestly, if more Americans knew about this cuisine they would be flabbergasted we don't eat this on a regular basis. Everything is cheese, meat, and bread so if those aren't your jam this place is not for you. What a dream! read more

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Don't think twice , just go. Great food experience, great atmosphere, great staff, and great wine. I'm not really sure what more you could ask for . Everything we ordered was amazing. I highly recommend you save space for the honey cake, it was by far the best dessert I've ever had read more

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The food and service exceeded expectations, will return with family and for group dinners. I was not very familiar with Georgian food, had only had khachapuri prior, and I was surprised at how flavorful the food was. Savory, delicious, fulfilling, but not in a heavy way. Absolute musts- the cold appetizers were fresh and a good counterpoint to the warming entrees. The beet mixture was an unanticipated favorite. The chkmeruli is also a must try for those who love garlic. It is an incredibly tender chicken soaked in a punch you in your face garlic broth. The beet appetizer and garlic broth are flavors that you will store in your memory. Service was great- there was only one other lunch diner, so the staff talked us through the menu. He also offered a half portion of the ajapsandali so that we could try another thing on the menu. The restaurant is a nice treat to eat in- white table cloths, water glasses, food served in the clay pots they were cooked in. Kid tip- this is a nice place, not sure the dinner vibe, but I would only take a kid who can be pretty chill at restaurants here. No kid menu, but lots of great dishes that kids would love like cheesy khachapuri. Food is seasoned, not spicy, with lots of flavor and options to dip in bread. read more

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A friend and I recently visited Chicago from Denver (and loved every minute in the city). We'd heard from a friend that we HAD to go to the Diplomat Cafe as the food would blow our minds, so on our first full day in town we made our way there around mid-afternoon. And wow! Not only was the service amazing (very friendly) but the food was really just great. We had some crisp Georgian white wine, the Nigvziani Badrijani for starters (this dish, which has a walnut garlic paste wrapped in roasted eggplant, was the stand-out), a mushroom dish, and a Pkhlovana, which is a flat but puffy bread stuffed with spinach and cheese (think sort of like a spanokopita but pizza-sized. All of the foods were excellent. The place itself has a sort of cozy, old-school city restaurant feel to it. We decided that now we have to find every Georgian or Georgian-adjacent restaurant in Denver, and now we have a plan to visit at least three new places back home. Whether you are a Chicago local or a visitor, go to the Diplomat! read more

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First time trying Georgian food and it was delicious!! My friend and I went on a Friday without a reservation and didn't have a problem getting seated. The restaurant had a very cozy atmosphere. We shared the Khinkali (2) and Ojakhuri. Our server was very attentive and allowed us to order the Khinkali in a smaller amount vs what was on the menu. He also brought us bread with the Ojakhuri. Prices were more than I was expecting, but I still want to come back in a larger group to try more items as family-style! read more

Chicago Diplomat Cafe - Ojakhuri - Modern European Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Diplomat Cafe is absolutely delightful, and I'm kicking myself for not trying them sooner. I went last night with my my parents and brother for my birthday. None of us were familiar with Georgian cuisine, but we all have pretty experienced/diverse palates and we love trying cuisines that are new to us. Based on recs from dad's Georgian acquaintance, recs from reddit, and our own hungry perusal of the menu, we ordered: khinkali (huge soup dumplings), pkhlovana khachapuri (thin pastry filled with cheese, spinach, and fresh tarragon), ojakhuri salad (tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, herbs, walnut sauce), pork mtsvadi (grilled pork chunks), and lobio acquaintance (bean stew with bacon and herbs, comes with pickled veggies). I could not pick a favorite if you paid me. They were all incredible. The walnut sauce/dressing on the salad was addictive. The grilled pork (with onions and a sour plum sauce) was absolutely delicious. I want that sauce on everything. The lobio was so incredibly hearty and comforting. The khachapuri was rich and salty, but the spinach gave it good vegetal flavor and the fresh tarragon sent it to the next level. The khinkali came to the table last, and despite all the food we'd already eaten and the fact that khinkali are BIG...we had no problem fitting those into our full bellies, because they were SO GOOD. Each dish came out with good staggered timing, fresh from the oven. Also tried Georgian wine, which was fantastic. Service was great, too. Our lovely waitress was attentive, friendly, and helped us navigate the menu with descriptions of each dish, as well as traditions surrounding how they're eaten and fun stories about them. She really represented a love of sharing her culture. Ambiance is warm and unpretentious. I look forward to coming here many more times, and trying more of the menu. Really a gem. read more

Chicago's only Georgian restaurant that opens only 4 days a week? Raw egg on pizza'? I went to this intriguing Chicago Diplomat Cafe and learned about their cuisine from their warm and welcoming stuff Khachapuri: looks like pizza with an egg! They can even server the egg raw and so much cheese and the bread is sooo soft! 10/10 Ojakuri: hot sizzling lamb kabob with potatoes and onions. Amazing blend of flavors! 9/10 Khinkali: huge (I mean it, bigger than my hand) dumpling with mushrooms or meat. Lots of juice inside. 9/10 read more

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