Georgian carbs and booze are about to land on a quiet Upper West Side corner. Ghemo, a Georgian restaurant and bakery, is scheduled to open this spring at 201 West 106th Street, bringing khachapuri, khinkali and plenty of Georgian wine to the neighborhood.
The small, wine-forward spot is designed to pair bakery items with classic Georgian dishes, backed by a bar that will spotlight Georgian bottles and chacha, a grape-based brandy. The project appears in a liquor-license filing submitted to Manhattan Community Board Seven and lists owner Guram Kharshiladze, who launched Ghemo as a catering business in 2024, according to What Now. That outlet reports the restaurant is planned as a roughly 40-seat neighborhood bakery and wine bar, with the team aiming for an April opening.
Local tipsters started paying attention in January, when signage went up at the corner space. I Love the Upper West Side noted the new storefront and Ghemo's Instagram presence, which showcases catering and events tied to the name, while West Side Rag likewise flagged the address and social media trail.
Menu and wine focus
Ghemo is leaning into the hits: cheese-filled breads and soup dumplings, plus a serious pour list. At the community board meeting, Kharshiladze framed the concept around Georgia's deep wine roots, telling members, "The first wine was invented in Georgia." What Now reports that the selection will feature Georgian wines alongside Middle Eastern bottles and chacha.
The wine-heavy approach lines up neatly with a broader New York fascination with Georgian food and wine that has been documented by Eater NY. In other words, Ghemo is not just betting on gooey cheese pulls; it is banking on the city's growing appetite for qvevri-aged wines too.
Where Ghemo fits on the block
With about 40 seats split between a bakery counter and a small dining room, Ghemo is clearly built for neighborhood traffic as much as for curious diners trekking across town. Local coverage that included it among January storefront sightings suggested it will feel like a modest neighborhood addition rather than a splashy destination dining room, according to West Side Rag.
Both reporting and the liquor-license filing indicate that Kharshiladze told community board members the build-out is largely complete and that the team is targeting an April opening. We will update this story once Ghemo announces official hours, a full menu and a confirmed opening date.
