Spencer Lengsfield visits the newest addition to the fast-growing Georgian food scene in London.

Where is it?

DakaDaka is in Mayfair, between the iconic Regent street and Savile Row, and just a short walk from Piccadilly Circus station. You could easily miss it though, as Heddon street is tucked away in a hidden back alley – so keep your eyes peeled.

What’s the place like?

DakaDaka is a modern take on Georgian cuisine, featuring live-fire cooking and an extensive list of Georgian wines. While the dishes remain fairly traditional, the energy of the restaurant has been reimagined for Londoners. The painted pottery, dark wood and hand-drawn map of Georgian wine regions are a lovely nod to heritage, while the trendy silver platters and sleek glassware make the vibe more contemporary.

What did you eat and drink?

To start, we had the kidney bean houmous, aka DakaDaka’s take on Georgian lobio, piled high, swimming in crispy chilli and topped with pumpkin seeds. This was perfect with some freshly fired flatbreads. We also got a plate of the house pickles and the crispy fried mushrooms with a bright tarragon aioli. The mushrooms were perfectly fried, almost tempura style, and you can never go wrong with a plate of pickles.

Next, we moved onto the cheese-stuffed khachapuri. This was, as you would expect, absolutely delicious. Alongside that, we had the mixed mushroom khinkali (Georgian dumplings), lamb skewers, grape salad with rose radicchio and cheese, and the garlic roast chicken, also known as shkmeruli. The chicken comes with a creamy sauce, confit garlic, and a smoky red drizzle of sorts. I would order all of these again in a heartbeat – my favourite was the lamb, served over a spicy tomato sauce called satsebeli, with a sumac onion and parsley salad to finish. Although I was too full for dessert, I did try a Georgian pear lemonade, which I’ve been thinking about ever since.

DakaDaka has also just launched the ‘supra’ menu, a sharing menu for Sundays, designed for everyone to get stuck into. It’s not cheap, but there is a wine pairing option to accompany each course, which seems like the perfect way to get to know Georgian wines.

The verdict?

I left full and satisfied, already thinking about my plans to return. DakaDaka is the kind of place you could easily spend all night with a large group. Come here for a celebration or a date night, or to try their new Sunday sharing menu.