Last month, I visited Armenia and slapped the hell out of some flat, raw dough to make it stick to the wall of a tonir (a traditional oven built in the ground). A few minutes later, my lovely teacher grabbed a long hook to remove my crusty masterpiece off the wall. She waited for it to cool and tore a big piece off for me to try with some local cheeses. It was my first time experiencing lavash bread and it was divine.
When I got back to London, I had a hunger for more, but learned that Armenian restaurants are still few and far between. However, a new Georgian restaurant recently opened in Mayfair, and Georgia is Armenia’s northern neighbour, so this was the sign to book.
DakaDaka opened on Heddon Street in the same location where now-famous restaurants like Manteca and Fallow once served before exploding into the names they are today. It’s tucked away enough to avoid the annoying sea of shoppers on Oxford Street, but close enough to catch up to them and burn off the calories you’re inevitably about to consume (a hint to do your shopping before your booking).
Georgian cuisine is one of oldest cuisines in the world, and at DakaDaka we’re witnessing its renaissance
The first thing you notice is the deep red canopy with “DakaDaka” embroidered on the side in English and Georgian. The name translates to ‘big mood’, and a big mood this place is! The shaded front terrace is alluring – both for people watching and enjoying a summer day – and inside the dining room is decorated with off-white walls, dark wooden shelves and panelling, red-painted columns, wooden tables and seats with Armenian-patterned upholstery that bring a little bit of life to the place. There’s also a red marble-patterned kitchen counter for those who dare sit near the open-fire grill, and the basement for more seating or private events.
While quite a few food writers claimed this place to be loud and overstimulating, that wasn’t the case on this sunny Sunday lunch – likely because it was the first heatwave of the year and most Londoners were spread out half-naked at a park. And while everyone gets sunburnt, I’m getting excellent service: water refills before my cup runs dry, knowledgeable menu and dish explanations, refreshing tarragon palomas made with chacha (a Georgian brandy) and Quiquiriqui mezcal. Stunning in flavour, but it looks like more time was spent on making giant, crystal-clear, branded ice cubes that took up 80% of the glass, than pouring in the cocktail itself.
Then came the pkhali – a savoury small bite where slivers of grilled aubergine are wrapped around a walnut and garlic paste, topped with dill and pomegranate seeds for a bit of crunch. There was sweetness from the pomegranate and walnut, texture from the seeds, paste and silky aubergine and satisfaction in my soul. I paired it with an adjarulo – a choux-pastry cheese puff with smoked sulguni from Georgia’s Samegrelo region, mixed with Ogleshield cheese from sweet Jersey cows, and cured egg yolk on top. Sharp, decent, but for me a bit overbaked.
Iberico Pork Khinkali
Pkhali
Karcho
Redemption was made with kindzmari, a popular Georgian sauce used for cooking fish that loosely translates to “coriander and vinegar,” its main ingredients. At DakaDaka, the sauce is almost like a marinade, poured on a sea bream crudo that creates a beautiful Georgian-style ceviche with red onions, fennel, cucumber and tonnes of finger lime juice. A light, yet punchy dish for summer, accompanied by my second paloma. There’s also the lobio starter, a kidney bean hummus set at the centre of the plate, surrounded by a spiced chilli oil and topped with salted pumpkin seeds, served with a buttery piece of Georgian lavash. Glorious! But unlike the crispy Armenian bread, this one was soft and puffy, similar to North India’s soft kulcha bread, or soft, and puffed-up pita – an excellent dipping companion.
When I told my server that I’ve never properly had Georgian food (unless you count the khachapuri from Entree bakery), a smile beamed on her face. “Well then the two things you have to try are our khinkali and our khachapuri”, she said.
Khinkali, or Georgian soup dumplings, are a little thicker and sturdier than Asian-style dumplings, and at DakaDaka, they’re stuffed with either mushrooms, cheese and truffle, or the most popular, Iberico pork pluma and aged beef. They come in pairs, and with specific instructions: hold the khinkali by the top knot, take a small bite from the edge to open a hole and let the broth cool, slurp the savoury broth, then go to town on the rest.
I’m about as graceful as Shrek, and accidentally pinched the dumpling after my bite, resulting in broth squirting all over the plate and my shirt. But it was so flavourful that if I weren’t in public, I would’ve slurped it up like a cereal bowl. Instead, I stabbed the peppery dumpling dough with my fork, followed by pieces of seasoned pork, bit by bit. As long as the dumplings and their juicy contents made it into my mouth, I don’t care how they got there. Next time, I’ll bring a straw.
The khachapuri, a savoury, cheese-stuffed bread is a much simpler task. Coming in round and hot, with burnt, crispy bubbles and edges, DakaDaka’s take on Georgia’s national dish is a glutinous delight. They’re a bit small for the price, but the hot cheese bread is worth it, and the smaller portion allows you to tuck into the karcho – a rich, spiced, stew with pureed plum and walnuts, served with a generous portion of halibut, but astoundingly stingy bits of lobster. However, when you do manage to stumble on some bits, it’s great.
If you want to leave the restaurant with dignity, this is where you tap out. I lost the last shred when my dumplings leaked, so I ordered the Saperavi soft-serve – a mauve-coloured ice cream served in a fun swirl, and made from Georgia’s Saperavi red grapes and wine. Next to it, two round, fluffy and warm ponchiki – sugar-coated Georgian donuts that melt in your mouth as effortlessly as the ice cream itself.
If you’re expecting one of those over-boozed and over-sweetened gimmicks, this ain’t it. This is subtle. Sweet flavours of grape and red wine mixed with vanilla. Neither really overpowers the other. It’s just a light, cold, refreshing-on-the-hottest-week-ever-recorded-in-May delight.
There are many pricey or fine dining experiences where the bill feels justified by the experience and meal received. When I got mine at DakaDaka, I couldn’t help but wince. For sampling a new culinary awakening in London, this is a hefty price to pay. That being said, it’s great to see a different cuisine get some well-deserved hype. Georgian cuisine is one of oldest cuisines in the world, and at DakaDaka we’re witnessing its renaissance.
10 Heddon Street
London
W1B 4BX
June 2026
