Colchis

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39 Chepstow Place

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Thu Dec 22 2011

The name of this new Notting Hill restaurant is ripe with classical reference. Colchis is the ancient name for the Black Sea coast that is now western Georgia. It was the destination of Jason and the Argonauts when they were seeking the Golden Fleece, and the place where Prometheus was said to have given mankind fire.

And, according to the Georgian legend, God took a supper break while creating the world, but tripped over the high peaks of the Caucasus mountains and spilled a full tray of foodstuffs. These celestial scraps gave rise to Georgian cuisine.

Georgians are known for their love of food and their hospitality, and the welcome and service at Colchis is every bit as warm as the cosseting surroundings (the ground floor below the first-floor Assaggi restaurant).

The food, too, largely lives up to the evocative name. Georgian classics, such as lobio (kidney bean stew, served with corn cakes), mtsvadi (skewered meats), khinkali (meat-stuffed dumplings) and khachapuri (cheese-stuffed bread) abound on the menu. The warm, soft, flaky flatbread that is khachapuri enclosing salty white cheeses – an excellent starter.

We couldn’t resist a main course of pheasant, Georgia being this bird’s native land (its zoological name is Phasianus colchicus). We weren’t disappointed with the deep flavours of this slow-cooked, tomato-based braise, the game meat long-simmered and livened with handfuls of herbs. On the side were some moreish ‘chips’ made with the Georgian version of polenta, gomi.

Colchis’s sophisticated version of the homely, slow-cooked meat dish chakhapuli, was made with shin of veal (it’s often made with lamb or kid) and had been cooked in white wine and thyme then sprinkled with garlic and herbs, and served with a small bowl of pickled beetroot. Dessert, a disappointingly zingless lemon tart, was the only let-down dish.

European bottles dominate the wine list, but the few Georgian wines are worth a try (reds tend to be better than whites) and there are a few digestifs from the country too, should you feel the sudden urge to raise a toast or two to your dining companions, in the Georgian tradition. We can’t think of a better place to celebrate Georgian food.

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Address:
Colchis 39 Chepstow Place
London
W2 4TS

Phone:
020 7221 7620
Website:
www.colchisrestaurant.co.uk
Opening hours:
Bar Open/meals served noon-midnight Tue-Sun. Main courses £3.50-£8. Restaurant Lunch served noon-3pm, dinner served 6-11pm Tue-Sun
Transport:
Tube: Bayswater or Notting Hill Gate tube
Price:
Main courses £10-£22.50. Meal for two with wine and service: around £85.
Map
1. Colchis
  - 39 Chepstow Place
    London
    W2 4TS
  - 020 7221 7620
  - www.colchisrestaurant.co.uk
  - 51.512790,-0.194055

Categories:
Food and drink
Facilities:
Eating and drinking facilities. Restaurant. Restaurant and bar facilities. Reservations required. General facilities. Available for hire. Outdoor facilities. Tables outdoors
Occasions:
Meal times. Best for supper
Type of event:
Parties

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Comments & ratings

(6 ratings)

Been there twice in one month, ordered different things on the menu each time, were so impressed I am already planning my third visit this week. A small menu in which everything is a highlight. Sophisticated food, impeccable service, great lively lovely but relaxed atmosphere on our second visit on a Friday when it was a full house.

Sky Tue Aug 14 2012
Rated as: 5/5
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Beautiful place, unique food but absolutely delicious! Recommend to visit it, I know we will come back again!

Maria Tue Jan 17 2012
Rated as: 5/5
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Went for dinner on 30 December - table for four. Absolutely deserted (only one Georgian family apart from us), but that was to be expected between Christmas and the New Year. Music a bit loud and dynamic but nice interior, smiling and friendly staff, excellent service and delicious food (this from someone who has been living in Georgia for several years and is married to an excellent cook). Reasonably good selection of Georgian wine - two or three whites and five reds (a selection of Saperavi reds from 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 etc.). The choice of Georgian wine will apparently increase in 2012. Delicious /pkhali/, excellent /khachapuri/, very good /ajapsandali/ for starters, followed by a wonderful pheasant /chakhokhbili/ with /ghomi/ "chips" (the star of the show), a good steak 'cooked slowly in Saperavi wine' with a small but tasty "hat" of cooked spinach with garlic, a couple of nice pork and veal /mtsvadi/ with /tkhemali/ and chips, and an un-Georgian but delicious sea bass in a salt crust. Dessert quite good too but nothing Georgian (the chef is Italian - only one Georgian waitress): cooked apple and pear with /matsoni/ (actually yoghurt mixed with sour cream), panna cotta with melted dark chocolate and hazelnuts (another winner). The place had, alas!, run out of /chacha/ and Georgian cognac... Roughly £30 per person without wine (or Borjomi, which they have!) and all in all a really excellent dinner! A good Georgian in London, at last!, even if it is aiming for the top end of the range.

Alex Bainbridge Sat Dec 31 2011
Rated as: 4/5
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