My mother and I ate at the Diplomat Cafe tonight. We were impressed by both the attention we got and by the excellent food. We shared a Khinkali dumpling plate and I ate the lamb Mtsvadi entree. It was tasty and flavorful. But the best part was that the manager took the time to teach us about the cuisine as we ate. The personal attention was delightful. There might be times when two people eat together and they just want to be left alone. But my mother and I were in the exact opposite mood; we wanted to be engaged by the restaurant and tonight, we were. read more

I have been in Diplomat cafe with my friends. I ordered Khachapuri, khinkali, kebabs. I loved every dish that we ordered. I think it's the only Georgian restaurant in Chicago and it's really good. Everyone should check out this place. read more

Really enjoyed the fresh, ethnic and delicious food here! Definitely get the hinkali (meat dumplings) and hachipuri (puff pastry filled with cheese). The owner is super friendly and a wealth of knowledge on Georgian cuisine. Highly recommend this place and it's a welcome addition to the neighborhood! read more

First time coming, a must try! Great food and the owners are super nice! The beef kebab was excellent, and the chicken as well! Lunch special included soup, the cabbage soup I had was really tasty. Lentil soup my wife had was also really good. I will continue to come here since they are very close to my office. I wish this place all the best. Nothing like a good food served by the owner! read more

I had never had Georgian food before so I have no basis for comparison, but I thought everything was delicious here. The menu is a mix of Georgian, Persian, and various Mediterranean-type cuisines, but we tried to stick with mostly Georgian dishes. I went with my husband and 2 friends and we ordered a bunch of things to share. The ordered pkhali, which was a little appetizer assortment. My favorites were the 2 eggplant items, one a mashed dish and the other was eggplant stuffed with some kind of tasty mixture. I would definitely order those again individually. The freshly made house bread was delicious, just wish it had come out with the pkhali--we all waited a few minutes just so that we'd have the bread to dip into the food. We also tried khachapuri that was filled with cheese and egg. The cheese that they use is so flavorful. It had the tang that I associate with good buffalo mozzarella. Just delicious. The Georgian salad sounded plain (tomatoes, cucumbers, onions), but was dressed and seasoned so well. As for main dishes, we ordered beans with pickles, a pork dish (mtsvadi, I believe), and a salmon kebab (not really Georgian, I know, but whatever). All were terrific. The meat eaters really liked the pork. The salmon was a bit on the cooked side for me, but it had a really nice grill taste. And the beans were very flavorful. All in all, everything was a win for us. The meat eaters were a little disappointed that the chicken Kiev was not listed on the menu, but that's ok--there were lots of other choices. The service was slow, but we were ok with it. It's European-style. The booths at the front of the restaurant are so cozy, but be forewarned that the front door slams really hard, so it's a little jarring. Hopefully they'll get that adjusted. Anyway, I would really recommend this cafe for something a little different. Bring some good wine and good friends and be prepared for a leisurely, homestyle dinner. read more

Unique cuisine. Very original flavors. Definitely try the eggplant appetizer, with garlic and walnut paste. Khinkali, the Georgian dumplings were outstanding. Very friendly and attentive staff. Don't miss it if you are visiting Chicago. read more

I had a delicious vegetarian mushroom stew here, a delicious Turkish coffee, and really yummy flake pastry filled with cheese. Service was friendly and warm, and the atmosphere was cool Eastern European tea house. I hope it sticks around!! read more

So happy this place opened up! My mother and I stopped in for lunch and shared the falafel, tabouleh, and salmon kabob. All 3 dishes tasted fresh and delicious. The freshness is key to me. I loved it. The service was great. Our waiter was excellent and the owner was very welcoming and sweet. The decor was unique in a great way - I loved the vibe. We also really enjoyed the music selection. I'm thrilled that a delicious place with an eclectic, international menu opened up nearby. Will definitely be back and potentially try take out/delivery soon! Update 3/2/2017: I went back with my parents for my mother's birthday lunch. The owner remembered us and suggested that we try some of the Georgian menu items this time. We did and they were amazing! The Georgian salad is a must have! At the end of our meal, the owner brought out a piece of Georgian pastry cake for each of us, with a candle in my mother's piece. She also remembered that my mother enjoyed their Turkish coffee and brought one out for each of us. They sang happy birthday and played happy birthday songs in different languages over the sound system. My family speaks Arabic, so when the recording got to that language, it was particularly touching. It was so kind of them to do this for us and really made my mother's birthday! Amazing food and beyond great service... I absolutely love this place! Thank you! read more

Fantastic! Two of us ordered khachapuri and (5) khinkali and a) it was enough for 3-4 people and b) it was delicious! Just as good as you'd find in Georgia. It's BYOB so you can bring your own a Georgian wine. I can't wait to go back with a bigger group so I can try more things. Note to the owners: think about changing the name. People are finally getting hip to Georgian food so embrace it! I would've never known it was Georgian food by just the name. read more

Best Georgian food in Chicago, by far. Friendly owners, authentic Georgian music playing quietly in the background. Four of us tried lamb kebab, lobio, Ajaruli khachapuri and chkhakbili, which were all fresh and flavorful. The place is also BYOB. read more

If you have never had Georgian food, worry not as Oksana, owner extraordinaire, will guide you through the menu. Let her know what you like to eat and she'll bring dishes that will impress. Not to be missed: Georgian Kababi (pork), Satsivi and the Chkmeruli. Best way to describe it: the best food from Turkey and Greece had a wild child. Prices are extremely agreeable and the fact that it's a BYOB only helps making this place one of the best deals in Chicago. read more

Poor service and inattentive staff. Pricey for the quality and the portions. Thank goodness it was BYOB so I can wash the food down. I would not return. read more

My wife, son, nephew and I stopped in on a Saturday night. The restaurant was roughly 3/4 empty with only 3-4 tables of diners besides us. Despite the modest crowd, service was very slow. The server was polite, but he was the host, order taker, server and bus boy. As for the food, the flavor was pretty good but the pork from different dishes tasted the same. Pretty much the pork came from one big pot despite the dish ordered. We also had an eggplant appetizer that was tasty but expensive. $9 for 4 small pieces of eggplant. Portion size was small, but prices were not very high so that is a wash. Overall, I was hoping for more as it is a half mile from home and is BYOB. Might come back but it will not be in the normal rotation. read more

Very excited the Diplomat just opened close by. If you (like me) enjoyed 2016's much-acclaimed cookbook, "Taste of Persia: A Cook's Travels Through Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, and Kurdistan," by Naomi Duguid, then this restaurant is a must-try. Unique menu for Chicago, great vegetarian / vegan options and a very friendly staff. I'll definitely be back. read more

Came here for my birthday lunch with my parents & boyfriend. It was FANTASTIC! I hardly ever write reviews but felt this place deserved a really great one! All the food was amazing, super flavorful and delicious! I've never had Georgian food before and was so surprised how much I enjoyed everything served as we tried a variety of meats, sides and apps to share. The service was awesome too, everyone was so kind and friendly and they even brought out a little cake with candles for me at the end and played Happy Birthday. We live in the neighborhood and already can't wait to go back! read more

Had a lunch here few days ago and it was delicious. I ordered traditional Georgian soup Kharcho, which is made of lamb, rice and walnuts, I liked it a lot. And than I had Crepes filled with meat, which I shared with my daughter, she is 3 years old picky eater, but she liked the food. read more

Short version: Great food with quite mediocre service. Details: I was in this place twice with the different group of people. In in both cases the problem seems to be the same. Even though all food was pre-ordered for the second time, everything was served soooo slowly. The intervals between the dishes were quite long. I am not sure if this was a kitchen limited capacity or not enough waiters. It definitely seemed like they are preparing each dish one after another but not simultaneously. For example, you order 3 kebabs and 3 chickens all to share. They will cook kebabs and serve it. Then you have to wait until they will cook chicken. On top of it, some of the waiters seems to be friendlier then others and pay more attentions to the clients. I strongly believe that the lack of training and insufficient experience is the cause of that. Personally, I think my family is done with this place. There are other options where we were treated better and the food is as good if not better. read more

Was really looking forward to this restaurant. Couldn't be more disappointed. Actually I am mad. One of worst experiences I have had. Came in at 8:45 on a Saturday night. They were not that busy and only had a few tables. Ordered a fee items from the menu including the Khinkali. They they had to check to see if they could still make them since it took a while to make. They came back and said no problem. The other items came out and were just ok. Not bad just not a lot of flavor. We waited another 30 min and 2 different servers (not our original one) came but and asked if we wanted anything else. We told both we were waiting on our dumplings. We saw another table that cane in after us get dumplings. We knew they must have just given ours to them. A few minutes later a server said the other server forgot to put the order in and asked if we wanted to wait another 20 minutes. We said no and asked for the check. The check was wrong as it had a $3 soft drink on it that we did not get because they were out. They went to remove it and charge my credit card but then came back and said sorry we forgot to add the live music fee. $3 a person for live music. I was furious. No one mentioned this. There was no sign and the "live music" consisted of 2 songs and them singing Happy Birthday". Not only did we not get the main item we wanted we got charged for things they do not tell you about. I never don't tip but this time i was furious that they had the audacity of messing up our order then adding $6 for music. Will never be back and will make sure I tell everyone I know mot to go. Sad too I really wanted to like this place. read more

This is a great cafe. Service at the highest level. Cozy and pleasant atmosphere. And very tasty food. I celebrated the birthday. My guests and I are very satisfied. I recommend!!! read more

The food here is PHENOMENAL. I was particularly impressed by the eggplant apps because eggplant is exceptionally hard to prepare properly, especially if it's not fried and drenched in oil. Here, it's tender, flavorful and beautifully seasoned. In general, all of the dishes are simple but unusual which makes this place particularly great. The cheese-filled puff pastry is amazing - a must-order. read more

Best Georgian cuisine in town for sure. Food there is really amazing , especially khachapuri. Also they have tasty cheese and Georgian sweets. Staff is always nice, friendly and helpful. read more

We went in for lunch today, not knowing what to expect. But my husband and I are always ready to try something new. We were happy to discover a lovely little restaurant with delicious Persian and Georgian food. We took the waiter's recommendations and we were happy with everything we ordered. The Khinkali dumplings were especially good. Thanks-we'll be back. read more

Great food, unlike anything you've ever had. Very funky interior, which is nice - I'm getting tired of the very generic way that some Chicago restaurants are trying to look. Spent a great night here with my wife talking to the staff - best Georgian food we've had since we left Russia! read more

Attentive service, quality food, BYOB. Go try The Diplomat Cafe, you won't be disappointed. Chkmeruli, Mtsvadi, Lobiani, Turkish Coffee...highly recommended. read more

Unique flavors. Grilled eggplant with walnut garlic paste is not something I would dream up on my own, but it is a delicious surprise. Always fun and a bit disorienting to visit an authentic restaurant from a culture that is unfamiliar, but the menu helped us out. The food seems to lean a little middle eastern, but solidly eastern European. As mentioned in other reviews, lots of veg / vegan options. I had the ajapsandali (vegetable stew), which was quite hearty and well-seasoned. Sadly, our imeruli khachapuri arrived after we had finished our entrees and I was quite stuffed. My friend happily ate my portion though read more

Just ate a wonderful meal with a large group of people. The mushroom dumplings, lamb stew, and cheese mushroom caps were my favorites. Everything else was good, too. For dessert, try the honey cake... the perfect balance of moist and sweet. read more

Delicious food, lovely staff, unique cuisine, BYOB. This was a great dinner out for our family, and very affordable. Our waiter gave us a ton of recommendations and every one of them was unusual and delicious! We loved the Georgian salad, the cheese-stuffed bread, the mushrooms, the salmon kabobs, and the vegetarian stew. And we all really enjoyed the Georgian layer cake they recommended for dessert. Super friendly staff and low key environment, we look forward to going back and trying more things from the menu. read more

Our server was great and recommended some delicious wine to have with our dinner. The main dish are amazing, I highly recommended some delicious wine to have with our dinner. But an overall wonderful experience. read more

Mediocre service at best. Quality of food varies widely by what you ordered. I've been here twice. The first time was just ok, we had the eggplant appetizer and split two entrees. Beware that their bread, if they bring it to your table at all, is stale and quite unappetizing. Falafels are decent, probably up too in the list of things in their menu. The olive plate is a joke... cheap canned/bottled olives selling for $3.50... The ground meat kabob they sell for $11 is really worth $2 or less of fried ground meat. None of the waiters act professional and take the longest time to check on you (make sure you ask for your order the first time they stop by to take your drink order). read more

Love the Mom and Pop feeling to this place. Staff is polite and tries their best. The food was new to me and we tried a few things as a group. Will definitely go back soon. read more

Fabulous assortment of Georgian Food. Lambchops, khinkali dumplings, Georgian salad were all great. A unique cuisine.

I used to live in Russia and Georgian cuisine was one of my favorites. The food here was great and tasted exactly like what I remember. My only wish is that they had Georgian wine!! read more

Was just at the restaurant and I have a few remarks. The server was great to begin with. The Georgian salad was delicious so was the lamb soup and lentil soup. The entree s in the other hand were not very tasty at all. There were pricy for what you got and the food had no flavor. It was undercooked and greasy. I would not recommend to any of my friends. Not worth the money for the food you get. read more

The staff was very friendly and the food was delicious. We also got complementary tea and dessert! We tried the Georgian Kebabi, special chicken, and the lamb chops and all of the entrees were very impressive. The restaurant is BYOB. read more

This is the only good Georgian food I've been able to find anywhere in the Midwest - and I've been looking for years since coming back from Russia. The Adjaruli Khachapuri and Chakapuli were the highlights :) read more

We love Georgian food but I was hesitant to try this given one very negative review. We were so pleasantly surprised. We were there on a Sun night and the place was busy - mostly Russian patrons - a couple of large parties and several small tables. We had Lobio Rachuli and Chicken Tabaka and both were excellent. Lavash ( Georgian bread) was hot and yummy. The Soko Kindzmarshj (mushrooms) were awesome. And the Ajar khachapuri (cheese bread with egg) was seriously to die for. The Megruli Khachapuri was good too. We will be back for sure. So happy have a great Georgian restaurant in Chicago! read more

Totally empty for lunch when we arrived and no one showed up while we were there except one takeout order. The cold eggplant appetizer dish we had was amazing - delightfully flavorful yet simple with garlic and walnut paste. The space seems very nice with some elegance and a lot of Georgian-related artwork and photos I assume. The entrees were hearty and fairly generous though not memorable. The potatoes in the clay pot dish were better than the somewhat tough hunks of pork. We plan to return but do worry about how long they can survive on that stretch of Lincoln. Some additional night time restaurants could perhaps spark more foot traffic. read more

I absolutely love this place. I've eaten in twice (2 days in a row!) and have ordered from them at least 5 times in the last month and a half. I can't stop referring Diplomat Cafe to friends, family and clients. The service is great, everyone is so kind and friendly. They also have a lunch special that includes the best lentil soup I've ever had. Can't wait to order again! read more

Strange experience. Just arrived and there was no waiter or manager or bartender or anything. 5 minutes later a young man finally came up to us looking confused. He said, "Sorry, there are no tables," and stood staring at us. We asked if there was a wait, and he said "Um, maybe an hour?" So we left. There were several large families there but there was no sign for a private party or anything. If you want to try this place, I guess call ahead and ask if there are any tables. Personally, I'm not too eager to return. read more

I was pretty well impressed with this new place. My friend used to live in Georgia and was eager to try the food and introduce the cuisine with friends. She ordered for the table and I was pleasantly surprised. The food was amazing, fresh, piping hot, and full of flavor. Oksana the owner talked with us for a while. She is a lovely host with a warm personality. I would be very happy to return quite soon. read more