Khachapuri is the Georgian cheese bread that has, in 2026, finally arrived in Dubai in the form it deserves. Six years ago there were two places in this city doing a credible Adjaruli, and one of them was a hotel buffet station that ran out by 9pm. Today there are nine venues across town serving khachapuri made the proper way — fresh dough, salty sulguni cheese, and an egg-yolk-and-butter finish that turns the whole boat into a fondue.
This guide ranks the six worth visiting and explains which style of khachapuri you should order at each. There are three main styles you'll see on Dubai menus — Adjaruli (the boat shape with egg), Imeruli (the closed round), and Megruli (the closed round with extra cheese on top). I have eaten all three at every venue on this list, mostly on Friday lunches in 2025 and 2026.
What Makes a Real Khachapuri
Khachapuri is one of those dishes where the difference between great and forgettable is small but unforgiving. Five things determine whether the version in front of you is the real thing:
The dough. Hand-stretched, hand-folded, leavened with proper yeast, baked in a stone oven or a properly hot conventional oven. Skip anywhere that uses pizza dough as a shortcut.
The cheese. Sulguni is the canonical Georgian cheese — a brined, semi-firm cheese that melts but doesn't separate. Some Dubai venues blend it with imeruli (a younger, milder cheese) for texture. A purist's khachapuri uses both. A lazy version uses mozzarella.
The egg. For Adjaruli, the egg yolk goes on hot from the oven and is stirred through with a knob of butter at the table by the server. The yolk must be runny. If it arrives pre-cooked through, send it back.
The salt. Sulguni is naturally salty. Good khachapuri leans into that. The first bite should make you reach for water — not because it's wrong, but because it's correct.
The size. A proper Adjaruli is the size of a small canoe, eats two, and arrives in a single piece. Anything served pre-sliced into wedges is admitting it was made earlier.
The 6 Best Khachapuri in Dubai — Ranked
1. Mimino Georgian Kitchen — Jumeirah 1
Mimino is Dubai's most authentic Georgian restaurant and the only kitchen in town with a proper stone-oven setup specifically dedicated to khachapuri. The Adjaruli (AED 85) is the city's reigning benchmark — boat-shaped, hot from the oven, sulguni and imeruli blend, egg added on the pass and stirred with a knob of Georgian butter that smells of grass. Order it as a starter for two, finish with a kvevri-aged white wine from the small Georgian list.
I went on a Friday afternoon in late February. Two of us, plus an order of Megruli (AED 75) to compare. The Megruli — closed round with extra cheese baked on top — was the one I'd take home if I had to choose one to bring on a long-haul flight. Stronger cheese hit, less butter, more snackable cold.
2. The Georgian House — Al Quoz
The Georgian House is the family-run hideaway in Al Quoz that doesn't make it onto most Dubai food lists — partly because it isn't on Google Maps under its name (search "Tbilisi Café Al Quoz"), and partly because the room sits inside a converted warehouse with no signage. The Adjaruli (AED 75) is excellent. The Imeruli (AED 55) — the closed round with cheese only inside — is what the regulars order. Comes with a small dish of khmeli suneli butter on the side for dipping.
Best at lunch on a Friday or Saturday — the kitchen runs out of fresh dough by 9pm and the late-evening khachapuris are not the same. Service is direct and warm — the owner Tamuna runs the floor and will tell you what's good that day.
3. Kibrokhi — Business Bay
Kibrokhi is the more polished, restaurant-grade option — Bay Square location, contemporary interiors, a proper Georgian wine list with twelve bins. The Adjaruli (AED 95) is the most expensive on this list, and the only one I'd argue earns the premium — the dough is a 24-hour cold-ferment and the cheese is a higher ratio of imeruli to sulguni, producing a slightly milder, creamier melt.
Order the Adjaruli alongside the badrijani nigvzit (walnut-stuffed eggplant) and the chakapuli (lamb-and-tarragon stew) for a properly composed Georgian dinner. Bill lands at AED 220–300pp before wine.
4. Tarkhuna — JLT (Cluster Y)
Tarkhuna is the JLT staple for Georgian comfort food. The Adjaruli (AED 65) is solid — slightly smaller than the venues above, slightly cheaper, slightly less ambitious — but consistently honest. The Imeruli (AED 55) and the Megruli (AED 65) are both well executed. Order one Adjaruli to split as a starter for three, then a chicken chakhokhbili and a beef kuptati for the table.
This is the venue I'd recommend for a Georgian first-timer who doesn't want to over-commit. The room is bright, the menu has English translations under every dish, and a glass of Saperavi runs AED 38.
5. Khachapuri & Wine — Marina Walk
The Marina Walk concept that does khachapuri-and-Georgian-wine pairings. The Adjaruli (AED 75) is good — not as good as Mimino's, not as ambitious as Kibrokhi's, but the location and the wine list compensate. Order the small Adjaruli (AED 75) with a glass of orange amber-skin wine (AED 45) for a 6pm pre-dinner stop. The terrace overlooking the marina is the move from October to April.
6. Café Khachapuri — Karama
Café Khachapuri in Karama is the bakery-counter option — fluorescent lights, plastic seating, a counter of fresh-baked khachapuris behind glass. The Adjaruli (AED 60) is the cheapest on this list. The Imeruli (AED 45) is the steal — half the size of a Mimino round, two-thirds of the flavour, a quarter of the price. Get a takeaway dozen for a Friday brunch back home with friends. They reheat beautifully in a 200°C oven for eight minutes.
Which Style to Order First
If you've never eaten khachapuri before, start with Adjaruli — the boat with the egg. It is the most photogenic, the most theatrical at the table, and the most satisfying first encounter. Order it as a starter for two; eat it with the spoon-knife combination the server brings, stirring the egg and butter into the molten cheese the moment it lands.
If you've eaten Adjaruli before and want to go deeper, order Megruli — the closed round with cheese baked into the dough and then layered on top. The Megruli has a higher cheese-to-bread ratio and rewards a slower eating pace. It's also the version most Georgians will tell you is the canonical one.
The Imeruli — closed round with cheese inside only — is the everyday version. Cheaper, lighter, the one to order if khachapuri is a side rather than the centrepiece. Pair it with a chakapuli stew or a soft-cooked badrijani for a properly composed Georgian dinner.
Khachapuri Beyond Dubai
For context: my benchmark for the perfect Adjaruli remains Café Gabriadze in Tbilisi (the original, not the airport branch). Of the six venues above, Mimino is the closest in spirit and execution. If you've eaten the real thing in Georgia, you will find Dubai's version 80% there — and Mimino is the 90% version.
If you want to explore Georgian food more broadly, see our Persian and Caucasian cuisine guide and the Mediterranean list. Khachapuri is the gateway dish — once you're in, the rest of the menu (khinkali, lobio, kharcho, churchkhela) is just as worth exploring.
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