Restaurant

One of eastern Georgia’s best restaurants is on the Gombori Pass road between the magnificent Shuamta Forest and Telavi (look for wild mushroom and berry sellers); Nikala is on the right just before Château Mere. The restaurant, a series of self-contained rooms and covered outdoor tables, is positioned on a hillside, with a rooftop terrace facing the Caucasus. Chef Niko Kobiashvili is a wonderful character. In his chef’s whites and short-order hat he runs the show. He began building the restaurant in 2000, when the road through the pass was closed.