Tone-Cafe

I live across the street so have tried it twice, food is just OK. what grossed me out is that the employees are always smoking outside. Worse, my girlfriend went and told me that the guy who served her had just walked in from smoking and did not even washed his hands before he took her bread and bagged it. She told him to never mind and left. I mentioned this to someone in the building and told me DNA News also wrote about that. Guess if you are a smoker that maybe ok. Lost my business!

I only go there for grab-​and-​go baked goods, and it excels. $ 4.50 for bread stuffed with spiced Georgian sausage is my breakfast of champions.
This is a hidden gem in a neighborhood without enough interesting food.

Cute restaurant, friendly staff, and excellent adjaruli khachapuri! The tarragon soda should also be ordered to accompany your dish.

This is my first time trying Georgian food. We had a cheese bread and a spinach bread. Both were good. The only critique I have is that the restaurant was filled with smoke. It was hurting my eyes. Overall, it was good especially for breakfast.

Clearly dining in and getting something else is the way to go, because the Bazhe $ 7.50 (Diced chicken breast in walnut sauce seasoned with herbs and a touch of garlic.) came with no utensils and no flavor. But at least the Georgian Soda $ 2.50 was spectacular, the sole reason for an additional star.
NYT hungry city ⁸⁄₁₅ Recommended Dishes Adjaruli khachapuri; chabostnili (eggplant salad); bazhe (chicken in walnut sauce); chakapuli (veal with tarragon and sour plums); lamb khinkali (dumplings). Prices $ 3.50 to $ 7.80.

Tone Café is awesome! Several kinds of fresh-​baked scrumptious cheese breads. Really tasty eggplant salad! And make sure you try the Tarragon soda (really! it’s great!). And see if you can convince them to open a site in San Francisco!

it is just mostly bread folks, with some stuffing of the most fattening type (see khachapuri nutritional value in
), not particularly tasty. Also very very salty. Interesting as a novelty (Georgian stuff) but not extraordinary –nor inenxpensive, given the size and quality– under any account.

Went here today for xachapuri and hinkali. Xachapuri was good but hinkali was weird and not like any I’ve had before — it was fried which made it lose its juiciness. I would advise the place to tell customers hinkali is fried because I was super disappointed. Also they were out of salad (huh?) and very authentic in that they didn’t have change :-). I’m sure these are growing pains as the place is new. Definitely the most affordable Georgian place in Manhattan if you don’t want to schlep out to Brighton and they do the basics well (at least the xachapuri :-)). Place is also clean, new, well maintained and pleasant.

Laid back take out spot which is such a great addition to the area. finally something simple delicious and different.
I’ve only tried their fresh breads and cheese breads, all of which are amazing. Perfect for breakfast or lunch to stroll and have a fresh cheese bread. The tarragon variety is delicious as well.
I hope they stay open! such great prices for fresh baked Georgian goodies are rare in an area filled with the same redundant (yet great) varieties of chipotle, bars, and sit down 30 dollars a plate restaurants.

This was my first time trying Georgian food and the new flavors and diverse selection was very exciting. I was especially impressed with the lamb khinkali (dumplings that look like pan fried buns rather than your traditional dumplings). A handful of seats are available, but otherwise plan for carry-​out or eat on the go while your food is still hot.
Be mindful of the limited supply — they deliver the hot dishes over from their Brooklyn location in the mornings which makes the store feel more like a bakery than a restaurant. I’ll be coming back earlier in the day next time to try the adjaruli khachapuri (NYT recommended), chabostnili (eggplant salad) and chakapuli (veal).

The owner is a thief with your change and loves to pick his nose when no one is looking. I don’t go back

A rude waiter with bad manners was too inquisitive about his guests’ ethnic origin. He also bizarrely noted that they had some three day old kebab «for the Americans, cause they can’t tell anyway». Food was ok.

Ordered: Traditional salad, Mtsvadi (chicken and lamb), and Ajaruli hachapuri
Pros – The meat was flavorful. The bread dish was incredible. The waitress told us to mix the cheese and egg together so the egg cooks, which made the dish even better.
Cons – When we arrived we had to go behind a wall divider to get the attention of the hostess in order to be seated. One of the tables was dirty and wasn’t fully cleaned until the end of our meal. Several of the menu items weren’t available. There was a clear language barrier with the waitress. At the end of the meal the waitress informed us that the computer wasn’t working so they couldn’t take credit cards. This information should have been presented at the beginning of the meal.

The food was delicious! I’ve never had Georgian food before and it was a great introduction.

This laid back little counter spot opened a couple months ago as the Manhattan outpost of the Brighton Beach Toné Café. They have a ways to go before hitting their stride but I see potential.
Along the sidewalk window you’ll be drawn in by a compelling selection of savory breads and pastries. Inside there are pre-​packed cooked vegetable salads and meat stews these are meant to be heated up at home to eat with the breads.
I’m no expert in Georgian cuisine so the guy at the counter helpfully suggested hachapuri, chabostnily eggplant salad, and chaquapúly veal stew. The inside is very warm even at dinner when the oven is probably off for the evening so I would suggest taking food home or asking them to heat it for eating outdoors.
Chabostnily $ 4.90 is a nice eggplant salad with good olive oil and similar in flavor to the eggplant/​red pepper/​onion/​garlic salads usually served as a cold mezze in Turkish and similar cuisines. I spread this over chunks of the hachapuri.
Chaqapúly $ 4.90 was a more unusual option with tasty chunks of veal, white wine, tarragon, onions, cilantro, spices and green plums. There was a pleasant subtle sour flavor here that compelled me to figure out those green plums. The plum sauce sounds like tkemali (explained here
) and I guarantee no one else on 17^th St has that for you off the shelf.
The hachapuri $ 2.50 is probably best straight from the oven vs. microwaved at 7pm as I tried it. Though oily it was satisfying and stuffed with a lovely white farmer’s cheese.
I’ll be back again to try the egg hachapuri when the oven is running and probably a couple of the pkaly.
When I tried calling their phone was out of order, the credit card machine wasn’t working so I paid cash, and they’ll take delivery orders within 10 blocks over the phone until they are set up for seamless web. I’ll put up with their growing pains for this food, hope they do well in this new spot.

Tone @Gramercy is a welcomed addition to the neighbourhood that brings something a little different to your standard issue lunch/​dinner options. In fact, it’s the only Georgian place I know of outside of Brighton Beach.
So many tasty options but the real standout is the Adjaruli khachapuri! They make them fresh to order. For those who have not experienced this slice of carb-​nirvana, it’s a soft boat-​shaped bread that is stuffed with farmer’s cheese and then baked with an egg on top and brushed with melted butter.
It. Is. DELICIOUS.
Did I mention it was delicious?
They have other pre-​baked stuffed breads as well with fillings consisting of pork, cheese, or red bean, that are ready to eat. I’ve also tried these and they’re good but the adjaruli khachapuri is next-​level.
The staff here are a stark contrast to the horrible experience I had at the Tone in Brighton Beach. In Gramercy, the staff was amazingly friendly. The girl at the counter is a total sweetheart and happily answered all our questions and provided recommendations. The man in the back that does the baking is a man of few words, but when he does speak he’s usually smiling.
Pro-​tip #1: Wash down your khachapuri with a tarragon soda. I’d never had one before but apparently its very Georgian. Almost tastes a bit like licorice but before it becomes that gross licorice flavour. I am not a fan of licorice but I was a fan of this soda. For those watching their waists, it’s only 45 calories (but radioactive green in colour). There are other flavours other than tarragon which I intend to try next time I’m there.
Pro-​tip #2: It’s quite a small location so if you want to try the made-​to-​order khachapuri maybe go a little later in the day. I arrived once right at noon and the oven was still in use for baking their other breads. There is a small counter with a few stools but it’s bloody hot in there so I can see why those seats are never taken.
Pro-​tip #3: A great pairing for any of the breads is a container of the eggplant phkali. I think it’s roasted eggplant that’s mixed with ground walnut paste, cilantro, and Georgian herbs and spices. The afternoon I was there and couldn’t get the adjaruli, I ended up getting a pre-​made large khachapuri (about the size of a small personal pizza) stuffed with cheese (no baked egg) and used it like naan bread to make little mini eggplant phkali sandwiches. Was enough food for 2 big eaters. And all of it only cost just over $ 15, including 2 tarragon sodas!

Super delicious food, super friendly people, and super affordable prices. The bread is delicious, as is the eggplant spread. The cheese and meat stuffed breads were also great, and the cream cake was fantastic. Seriously — I am so happy they’ve opened in this neighborhood. There’s nothing like it anywhere nearby, or anywhere for that matter!

I love Georgian food (and if you try it you will too). Tone might be small but has enough selection to keep me satisfied and happy. With very limited seating and affordable prices, it is the definition of fast food. Staff is nice and helpful.

Affordably, friendly, and delicious. I have no complaints about this place!

This place just opened this week, and what a nice surprise! Lots of Georgian breads, and what’s even nicer, they have a window onto the street, as well as tables indoors.
I’ve only had the takeout so far, but it looks promising. Bread is sold either plain, or stuffed with pork, cheese, or red bean. There are salads with green beans, eggplant, or spinach, each mixed with walnuts. I got some breads and some salads, and two people had a nice meal for $ 10 total. I hope to go back to eat in. It’s quite small, so take-​out is probably the best bet.
A welcome addition to the neighborhood.