Perhaps how “diverse” and indeed wanky Bali is can be epitomized by the fact that right in the boonies of the south of the island there is a pretentious Georgian restaurant next to a very pretentious beach.
Why though is Tarragon Georgian Restaurant here, is it any good and should you visit? Here’s my extremely opinionated take on things.
Click to see my take on Indonesian cuisine.
Table of Contents
What the Tarragon Georgian Restaurant?
Tarragon Georgian Restaurant is a relatively new addition to the Padang Padang area, an area already overflowing with surf bros, yoga refugees and people who say things like “conscious dining” without irony. The place is owned by Georgians and Eastern Europeans and clearly aimed at the expat and tourist crowd rather than locals. I
t sits just off the road near Padang Padang Beach, surrounded by villas, cafes and surf shops. This is not some hidden local joint, this is very much a destination restaurant. The whole setup screams Bali nonsense, but at least they picked a cuisine that actually deserves attention.
The Menu at Tarragon Georgian Restaurant
What drew me here was the fact that I am a resident of Georgia, have a house there and generally love the fucking food of the country. I was not though expecting very much from Tarragon. Initially this was to prove right as it came across as very pretentious.
The menu though was not just surprisingly authentic, but also had the woke hippy masterpiece of “fusion” dishes, of which I will get to later.
Sample dishes include:
- Khinkali (Georgian dumplings, pork and beef): IDR 95,000 (USD 6)
- Khachapuri Imeruli (cheese filled bread): IDR 135,000 (USD 8.50)
- Khachapuri Four Cheese: IDR 155,000 (USD 10)
- Grilled meat platter: IDR 210,000 (USD 13.50)
The Food and Drinks at Tarragon
OK, so lets start with drinks. It was 10 freaking dollars a cocktail, of which there were classics as well as a bound of fusion shit. I have said it before and I will say it again, I do not mind paying New York prices, but only when I am in freaking New York. Fuck, a Bintang was $6. Instead I got a very pretentious jug of strawberry and watermelon soda, which was pretty boss.
Food wise I have to temporarily suspend my negative attitude, because it was actually bloody epic. I went for the four cheese khachapuri (bread filled with cheese) and it was insanely good. If you have not tried khachapuri it’s basically a weird shaped Caucasian pizza that is highly underrated.
I also went for some khinkali which are a Georgian take on dumplings, not dissimilar to pierogi. These were large, almost meaty at the roof of the dumpling, with you needing to bite off the top and drink the juice before laying into it. Absolutely fabulous and before you ask barely even related to a Chinese dumpling.
They also had fusion dishes such as dumplings filled with shrimp and tom yum, but I was not here for that kind of sorcery.
Overall…..
Almost all of Tarragon Georgian Restaurant screams Balinese tourist shit served to nouveau-riche and female digital-gonads coming to discover themselves. This though is just how things are here and despite the pretentiousness the Georgian cuisine was spot on.
Why Georgian? I honestly think it is probably here for the Russian market, as in the guys and gals fleeing conscription. Alas it’s not exactly cool to say Russian restaurant these days…
Address and Contact
Address
Jl. Labuansait No.73
Pecatu, South Kuta
Badung Regency, Bali 80361
Indonesia Phone / Contact
+62 821-4553-7323 Website / Reservation Links: https://linktr.ee/tarragonbali
Social Media
Instagram: @tarragonbali
Click to see my Indonesia Tours, many of which pass through Bali!