Khachapuri Lovers Hail Supra’s ‘Spot-on’ Cooking

D.C.’s inaugural Georgian restaurant, Supra starting giving Shaw a taste of Eurasian cuisine earlier this month.

Co-owners Jonathan and Laura Nelms’ spacious 4,000-square-foot restaurant at 1205 11th Street NW boasts a floor-to-ceiling glass wall upon entrance, filled with a couple hundred bottles imported from Georgia.

Meanwhile, its Mediterranean-influenced menu from Malkhaz Maisashvili, the former chef of the Embassy of Georgia in Washington, is designed for sharing. There’s vegetarian small plates, soup dumplings, lots of kebabs, and larger portions like whole grilled branzino with pomegranate sauce, and chanakhi lamb with seasonal vegetables.

Interior accents across the 136-seat restaurant, designed by 2scale Interiors, include nods to traditional culture, like wooly Georgian “papakhi” hats and “supra” tablecloths alongside modern art.

Read on to hear what the public is saying, just a few weeks into opening:

The Authentic News: Facebooker Ivane Koridze, a self-proclaimed native Georgian, writes that he “was surprised with quality of the food. Good service and very nice design! Food was fantastic! Great wine selection and the most of all price for good food is just right.” And Sue Miller says, “Incredible food — authentic for those of us know know and love Georgian food, and incredibly unique and delicious for those new to the cuisine.” TripAdvisor’s KlingonLoveGod says, “This will be on my regular DC dining rotation and it does more than just scratch the Georgian itch ... It was soul satisfying.” [Facebook, TripAdvisor]

The Price Point News: Yelper Haolan H. warns that things can get “a bit expensive if you drink their Georgian wine. Highly recommend khachapuli and khinkali dishes. Tried three kebabs and they are pricey for merely four chunks of meat.” But Molly C. counters that “We were all surprised by how reasonable our check was — $200 for 6 people with two bottles of wine!” [Yelp]

The Khachapuri Connection: Yelper John P. calls the iconic dish “fantastic and exactly how I know it from Georgia — spot on, and worth the reasonable price. Maybe the best I've ever had stateside — kudos!” Instagram user @feed_dc says, “There's a new khachapuri in town: @supradc offers 7 different kinds including ajaruli, this buttery, yolk-filled cheese bread!” [Yelp, Instagram]

The Welcome Bites News: Yelper Matt S. says the “vegetable pate (pkhali) and eggplant with walnuts was spot on — with a warm and complex mix of spices that infuse Georgian cooking ... We also very much enjoyed the baked mushrooms with sulguni, kupati (YUM!)” Facebook user Tom Darrow says, “The beef kebab, cornmeal and cheese fritters and eggplant wrapped cheese/walnut mix were all excellent.” [Yelp, Facebook]

The Overall News: Yelper Travis C. says, “The wine list is fantastic. Lots of Georgian options to choose from. The venue was much larger than I expected and it's decorated with all things Georgia.” TripAdvisor’s Lisa R. says, “The quality of the food and the advice was exceptional. I've never had Georgian food before and was pleasantly surprised by the unique spices and flavors.” [Yelp, TripAdvisor]

The Downer News: Yelper Andrew G. writes that the “only real disappointment was the khingali — the pork and beef ones we got were over-cooked.” And Arin S. says, “The worst dish was dumplings, which were NOT soupy and instead actually a bit dry.” [Yelp]