If you’re hunting for scrumptious Georgian fare and the best places to eat in Tbilisi, you’ve come to the right place. Freshly updated for this year, my bumper guide shows you exactly where to eat and what to order.
I’ve been eating my way around Georgia for a while now. Food is one of the things that keeps bringing me back to the Caucasus, and one of the big reasons I decided to move to Tbilisi.
What’s so good about Georgian cuisine? Traditional Georgian food is full of delicious contrasts and contradictions. While red meat, dairy and carbs do feature heavily on the menu, it is always offset by a liberal use of spices, aromatics and fresh herbs.
Georgian cooking is a product of the country’s diverse climate, varied topography and incredible ethnic and regional diversity (every corner of the country has its own specialties), with centuries of Middle Eastern, Asian and European influences baked in.
There’s something about Georgian hospitality and culture that gives every bite of food that much more oomph.
The first time I visited Tbilisi, I was stunned to see pomegranates for sale at the Dezerter Bazaar alongside rounds of fresh cheese and small mountains of turmeric and sumac. Walnuts, garlic, aubergine, blue fenugreek and honey – this is what Georgia tastes like.
On top of that, Georgian cuisine is very inclusive: Everyone is welcome to eat at this table. A great many national dishes are vegetarian or vegan by nature.
Tbilisi is Georgia’s culinary capital is the perfect place to traverse the depth and breadth of regional cuisine and indulge in some of the country’s best contemporary eateries.
If there’s one question I get asked all the time, it’s ‘What is the best restaurant in Tbilisi?’ In this Tbilisi restaurant guide, I’ll show you exactly where to eat in Tbilisi, and run through the traditional Georgian food you should eat.
I’ll also cover food tours, where to find the best Khinkali in Tbilisi – and much more.
A few things to note about this restaurant guide…
I first wrote this guide way back in 2017 after my first visit to Georgia. Since then, I have been progressively adding new venues and refining the list to ensure it remains up to date.
There are hundreds if not thousands of restaurants in Tbilisi. I am pretty fussy about which ones I choose to include and which ones I leave out. If you notice something missing, it is probably a deliberate omission rather than an oversight.
Having said that, I am always open to trying new places and would love to hear your recommendations. If you have an old favourite or you know of a new place I should try, please leave me a note in the comments!
The list only features Georgian restaurants (including contemporary Georgian and ‘fusion’ Georgian). I firmly believe that when visiting Georgia, your first priority should be national cuisine. You can find a handful of international recommendations at the end.
Price key (note that this is approximate and designed to give you an idea of prices only):
* $ – 12-20 GEL for a main meal
* $$ – 20-35 GEL for a main meal
* $$$ – 35 GEL+ for a main meal
Top 10 restaurants in Tbilisi for 2023
1. Restaurant Archive or Unfound Door Gastrobar – the best new restaurants in Tbilisi for 2023
2. Cafe Daphna or Asi Khinkali – tie for the best khinkali in Tbilisi
3. Salobie Bia – best classic Georgian food
4. OtsY – best fine-dining restaurant
5. Amra – best regional cuisine (Megrelian-Abkhazian)
6. Mapshalia – best budget restaurant
7. Ninia’s Garden – best outdoor dining
8. ATI – best restaurant in Tbilisi with a view
9. Barbatus – best seafood in Tbilisi
10. Kikliko – best breakfast in Tbilisi
Best new restaurants in Tbilisi
It seems that 2022 and 2023 are the years of new specialty coffee cafes, cocktail bars and breakfast joints in Tbilisi. A few restaurants have burst onto the scene, but not nearly as many as we saw in 2021.
Here are three stand-out additions.
UNFOUND DOOR GASTROBAR
It’s hard to top this restaurant’s aesthetic and ambiance: Unfound Door Gastrobar, an expansion of the popular Unfound Door design hotel, is simply one of the loveliest settings in all of Tbilisi.
Flaking frescoes on the stairwell as you enter the building set the scene. The historic 19th-century apartment once belonged to a wealthy merchant who decorated his foyer with fine paintings in shades of olive and blush.
The restaurant and bar occupies two light-filled rooms on the first floor, both of which feature yet more delicate ceiling paintings and original parquetry. Elegant furniture and leafy plants compliment the bones of the building beautifully.
As the name suggests, this is a bar first and foremost, serving high-end cocktails and gourmet snacks. The addition of a lunch and dinner menu late last year makes it perfect for a sit-down meal.
Food is modern Georgian with a European slant: Chvishtari cornbread with creme des echalotes and pears in Mtsvane wine, chicken salad with Tushetian guda cheese, and pate with local plums.
Address: 111 Aghmashenebeli Avenue (Chugureti)
Price range: $$$
RESTAURANT ARCHIVE
Restaurant Archive offers a completely unique dining experience in Tbilisi. It is located in the vaulted basement of an old caravanserai which – until very recently – was completely underwater!
The rooms and passages were drained and restored a few years ago to make way first for the Tbilisi Wine Museum, and later for this fine-dining restaurant, which officially opened in spring 2023. It is dimly lit, very intimate (there is no phone reception down here!), and a tiny bit humid because of the water that still oozes from the brick walls.
A grand entrance through a candle-lit tunnel sets the scene for an unforgettable evening. You even get to peek at some of the museum exhibits on your way in.
Befitting such a special setting, the service is fine-dining-level. Waiters are very knowledgeable in my experience and suggest wine pairings, with bottles drawn from a vast underground cellar.
Food by chef Levan Kobiashvili is beautifully plated (portions are still big, though – I left feeling very full!), with local ingredients deployed in fantastically imaginative ways. Many dishes are inspired by historical and regional recipes. I particularly like the chicken pate in a cherry shell with fig and dry adjika, and the beetroot with tkemali sour plum sorbet and goat’s cheese mousse.
For my main course, I had the trout with Adjarian sinori (a ‘pie’ made from lavash layered with soft cheese) and lemon sauce. They also serve duck with khatvisi (the Tushetian version of fondu) and sweet bakmazi.
Address: 8 Sioni Street (enter via the Wine Museum or after hours, from the second door on the riverside)
Price range: $$$
ELENE DARIANI
Having opened last October, Elene Dariani is a new restaurant in Sololaki that pays tribute to a 20th-century Georgian poet, Elene Bakradze, whose identity and very existence was shrouded in mystery up until the 1990s. For most of history, the pen name was considered to be a pseudonym of Paoli Iashvili – the restaurant’s location on Iashvili Street explains the connection. Elene’s erotic poetry raised eyebrows back in the day, and she is still considered to be a bit of a renegade.
A-la Iasamani (find it later on this list), the owners of Elene Dariani have fully embraced the tumbledown feel of the Sololaki house they inherited, with neon lights and a bar installed in the living room.
They do something I wish more chefs would do: Mash up different regional cuisines. For example, the specialty of the house is Meskhetian tartarberaki (referred to as ‘Georgian pasta’ on the menu without a hint of shame!). The thick ribbons of dough are served with Racha ham, pumpkin and spinach in a super salty, creamy sauce.
The chicken shkmeruli accompanied by warm bread (that’s another thing I wish more Georgian restaurants would embrace!) has a full-throated garlic twang and a nice hit of spice. I have heard good things about the pork belly, too.
Address: 16 Paolo Iashvili Street (Sololaki)
Price range: $$
Best khinkali in Tbilisi
Love Georgian dumplings? Here are just a couple of my top picks for eating khinkali in Tbilisi. For a full list, download my free guide to the top 10 khinkali restaurants in Tbilisi:
CAFE DAPHNA (STILL MY TOP PICK FOR THE BEST KHINKALI IN TBILISI)
Possibly Tbilisi’s best-looking restaurant, the food at Cafe Daphna is as good as the interior design. Casual in atmosphere and well-priced, this is a great option for a quick lunch if you’re at the Dry Bridge Market or sightseeing around Rustaveli Avenue.
Be sure to call/message ahead and book a table – Daphna is so popular, they are almost always full.
Their khinkali are my favourite in Tbilisi right now: Plump, juicy and pimped out with all kinds of herbs and spices. The potato version is very good as well.
Address: 29 Atoneli Street (near the Dry Bridge Market)
Price range: $
If you’ve come to Tbilisi in search of the best khinkali, you don’t want to miss the khinkali kalakuri (‘city dumplings’) here. Order as many as you can handle – they’re big! – and pair them with a classic Georgian salad, supercharged with herbs and pomegranate, or a creative tklapi salad made with shredded fruit leather.
Asi Khinkali (the name means ‘One-hundred Khinkali’) has a couple of tables in a small courtyard out front plus a cellar-style dining room.
Address: 19 Chkheidze Street (Chugureti)
Price range: $
In Georgian, the word shemomechama means something along the lines of ‘I accidentally ate the whole thing’. It’s not hard to overindulge (accidentally or on purpose) with so much delicious food going around.
All three Shemomechama restaurants feature an open kitchen, so you can watch your food being prepared. More importantly, the chefs can see the look of ecstasy on your face as you slurp down some of Tbilisi’s best khinkali.
Dumplings are hand-made (as you can see) and boiled to order – totally worth the wait. The grilled meat and classic tomato and cucumber salad are also top notch, and they serve Orbeliani’s candy, a delicious walnut candy, for dessert.
I love the quirky names for the dishes (‘Uneducated Khinkali’, for instance).Restaurants are done up Soviet-style and look a bit like the milk bar from A Clockwork Orange.
Address: 9 Samghebro Street (Old Tbilisi, near the sulfur baths), 8 Mtskheta Street (Vera) & 16 Vazha-Pshavela Avenue (Saburtalo)
Price range: $
AMO RAME BANI
The original Amo Rame Art Cafe is located behind Liberty Square and has long been a fixture on Tbilisi’s restaurant scene. Their new branch, Amo Rame Bani, opened on Aghmashenebeli Avenue in summer 2022 and is one of my favourite places to eat on this side of the river.
The vibe here is fresh, healthy Georgian food, including an incredibly tasty rendition of cheesy mushrooms cooked in a clay pot. Most importantly, the new restaurant serves Amo Rame’s signature handmade khinkali. Their nadugi cheese and potato versions are the best in Tbilisi in my opinion –best enjoyed with a side of melted butter and a draught beer.
Address: 68 Aghmashenebeli Avenue (Chugureti)
Price range: $
PICTOGRAMA
Pictograma is Tbilisi’s first restaurant to specialise in regional cuisine from Khevsureti, a historical region in the Greater Caucasus. Everything here is an ode to the mountains and the unique Khevsurian culture.
Quite naturally, the thing to order is khinkali. Prepared ‘mountain-style’ with juicy beef meat and no herbs, there’s nowhere to hide in this recipe. The hero is the soft, slightly chewy dough. You can add white vinegar or melted butter for extra flavour.
There are other dishes on the menu that you won’t find anywhere else in Tbilisi, including kuserbo, a cheesy potato gratin served with uber-fatty beef ribs cooked in Saperavi.
The subterranean restaurant is hidden underneath the old Hotel London (enter from the river, beneath the Dry Bridge). Somehow the owners have managed to make a windowless space feel light and airy. Portals on the back wall look onto the hotel’s rocky foundations, with water perpetually trickling down.
Hand-painted wall tiles and little engravings on the corner of each table are of motifs found in traditional Khevsuretian garments called Perangi. The restaurant takes its name from these symbols.
Address: 31 Atoneli Street (enter from Zviad Gamsakhurdia Named Right Bank)
Price range: $$
THE KING & THE BIRD
This restaurant launched at the end of 2021 and has become known for its unique take on khinkali – miniature dumplings served in a deep clay dish with unique toppings. Pictured here is the cheese and curd khinkali with pesto and barberries.
They also make a mean beef chakondrili in chunky cherry sauce with tashmijabi (whipped potato with sulguni cheese). Natural wines and jugs of homemade fruit compote are available to accompany.
The name ‘The King & The Bird’ is a nod to the city’s founder, King Vakhtang Gorgasali, and his falcon. The homely decor and the location inside an old corner house is classic Tbilisi.
Address: 29 Revaz Tabukashvili Street (behind the Opera Theatre)
Price range: $$
Best restaurants in Tbilisi for traditional Georgian food
These restaurants take home-style cooking and traditional Georgian recipes to the next level.
KAKHELEBI
Kakhelebi specialises in dishes from Georgia’s eastern Kakheti region, where the owners hail from. Much of the fresh organic produce (and meat) comes from their farm, while house wine is made from grapes grown on their 1955-established vineyard. Traditional puri bread is baked on-site.
The menu focuses on three things: Plentiful salads (try the sorrel salad with dehydrated strawberries and pomegranate), traditional soups, and mouthwatering meat (mtsvadi on the spit, slow roasted pork, boiled chicken and kebab). This is the best mtsvadi barbecue in Tbilisi, hands down!
Kakheti is the ‘home’ of many Georgian desserts made from stone fruit and grapes, so you’ll also find a nice selection of sweets on the menu (quite a rarity in Tbilisi). Their homemade compote is divine.
Not many tourists venture this far north (the restaurant is past Didube Station – take bus 306 from Liberty Square), or if they do, they go to nearby Ethno Tsiskvili instead. I definitely prefer the food at Kakhelebi. Upstairs, there’s sit-down dining and a balcony. Downstairs, you’ll find a cafeteria-style eatery and take-away bakery, which is always packed to the rafters at lunchtime.
There is a second Kakhlelebi on the Kakheti Highway, on the way from Tbilisi to Sighnaghi.
Address: Beliashvili Street (Dighomi Massive)
Price range: $$
SALOBIE BIA (ONE OF THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN TBILISI FOR CLASSIC GEORGIAN FARE)
Conveniently located in the middle of bustling Rustaveli Avenue under the theatre, Salobie Bia is one of the best restaurants in Tbilisi centre, run by one of the city’s most acclaimed restaurateurs, Giorgi Iosava. The dining room is plastered with paintings and retro posters. This is definitely one of my favourite places for an easy lunch. If you’re coming for dinner, arrive early because it gets very busy after 7pm.
The tagline, ‘Simple Georgian Food’, says it all. A curated, hand-written menu highlights traditional recipes, sometimes with a modern twist (this is one of the only restaurants in Tbilisi where the salad tomatoes are peeled – a revelation!). I love the decadent lobio set with pickles and cornbread, the shkmeruli (garlic chicken) and the kharcho. Whatever you do, don’t miss the house dessert: Tkemali sour plum sorbet with white chocolate mousse.
Address: 17 Rustaveli Avenue
Price range: $$
SHUSHABANDI
Wine Factory No. 1, a wine production plant built at the end of the 19th century and relaunched in 2017, is one of Tbilisi’s premier dining precincts. There are a dozen or so eateries to choose from – my pick is Shushabandi, which occupies the loveliest dining area plus a covered outdoor area, and channels old-world opulence perfectly.
The menu here puts a fine-dining spin on all the classics: Chicken with bazhe walnut sauce and elarji, Veal tashmijabi, apkhazura (meatballs with barberry), creative salads (Imeretian cheese with green adjika sauce) and yummy corn breads (I love the mchadi with mint).
Mains start from a very reasonable 20 GEL.
Address: Inside Wine Factory N1, 1 Petriashvili Street (Vera)
Price range: $$
SAGHIGHINO
Anyone less enterprising might have set this space aside as a parking area. Located in a small courtyard (and with a larger indoor dining room and bar adjoining), Saghighino is the latest in a score of venues to magically sprout up from a crack between ancient brick buildings in historic Plekhanovi.
This place is cool, calm and collected, and the one-page menu is simple and refined: Pkhali, grilled corn, a selection of Georgian salads, plus kupati sausage, chicken in blackberry, and rabbit in walnut sauce for mains.
I’m giving a special shout-out to the desserts section, specifically the Tvishi wine custard with seasonal berries. There are some very creative cocktails available too, flavoured with chestnut honey and other local ingredients.
Address: 4 Constitution Street (Chugureti)
Price range: $$
AMRA
Tbilisi’s first Abkhazian restaurant, Amra originally opened in 1956 in Sokhumi, the seaside capital of far-western Abkhazia. Like many other families, the owners of Amra were forced to leave after the war in the 1990s. They later relaunched their popular restaurant in Tbilisi, first opening in Saburtalo, and later moving to the edge of Lisi Lake.
If you want food that’s packed with flavour, look no further. The specialty here is fiery, chunky, fragrant Abkhazian adjika – and you can try it a variety of different ways. I love the oven-baked chicken with adjika crust, which has a mellow heat.
The adjika burger with yogurt sauce and pickles is one of the best burgers in Tbilisi. Another must-try is the ‘Scotch egg’, a boiled egg sliced open and stuffed with walnut paste then smothered in fresh adjika.
Cool down afterwards with a scoop of Sokhumi-style ice cream, served with citrus marmalade and crushed nuts.
Address: Lisi Lake
Price range: $$
RIGI
Located underneath Puri Guliani (and run by the same team), Rigi takes its inspiration from the traditional ‘douqani’ restaurants of Old Tbilisi. Different stations and open kitchens are arranged around the immaculately designed dining room to mirror the old taverns and market stores that were popular in Tbilisi back in the Silk Road days.
There are a few dishes on the menu here that you won’t find anywhere else in the city, including many traditional Tbilisi specialties plus a good range of regional meals. I especially love the khoncha sharing plate, a generous platter with different pkhali and Gurian-style leeks.
Address: Saarbrucken Square (Chugureti)
Price range: $$$
SHEEN-AURA
This family owned restaurant and gallery is an eclectic celebration of local music, art and wine. In the evenings, the courtyard hosts literary events, poetry readings and acoustic performances.
By day, Sheen-Aura serves a scrumptious set lunch menu. There’s a strong focus on Western Georgian – my favourite regional cuisine. I love their gebjalia, kharcho (beef walnut stew) and fried elarji (cheesy cornmeal) sticks.
Portions are huge and prices are very reasonable. The staff here are lovely, too.
Address: 189 Nutsubidze Street (Saburtalo)
Price range: $
MAKASHVILEBTAN
This restaurant is located a bit further out and is off the main tourist trail as a result. Located inside a historic house that once belonged to the noble Makashvilis, it matches old-timely Tbilisi vibes with vibrant, fun food.
The multi-room dining area is moody and atmospheric (you definitely feel as though you’ve stepped into a private house), while the hidden back garden and terrace are perfect for summer dining.
Georgian recipes are at the heart of the menu, and you’ll find most of the favourites represented. My recommendations are the bozbashi, a dish of spiced meatballs in brothy soup served with fresh bread on the side, and the medley of colourful dips (pumpkin, beet, sweet pepper) for an appetiser.
Address: 19 Simon Kandelaki Street (Saburtalo)
Price range: $$
BARBATUS (BEST SEAFOOD IN TBILISI)
Fish is an important part of Georgian cuisine (especially in the coastal regions) – but Tbilisi is a long way from the Black Sea, which is why most restaurants are limited to serving river trout. Barbatus (Latin for ‘red mullet’) gets its catch of the day fresh every morning from Poti.
Horse mackerel, sea bass and Black Sea salmon are butterflied and fried or grilled a la Plancha in the open kitchen, then dressed with salt and fresh lemon. Calamari, mussels and tiger shrimp are also available, and there is a generous Seafood Platter for sharing.
On my last visit, I tried the deboned mullet which was cooked perfectly and served with grilled vegetables soaked in salty soy sauce. My only complaint is that my side of fries was ready 20 minutes before the fish was – next time I will let them know to bring everything out together.
One of the more unique dishes is the mini khinkali dumplings filled with fish and served in a Thai-style tom yum broth. They also do a Finnish salmon soup. Alkhanaidze craft beer is available on tap. Sit in the courtyard or in the azulejo-tiled basement.
Address: 70 Merab Kostava Street (Saburtalo)
Price range: $$
VAKHTANGURI’S CHEBUREKI
To reach this refreshingly unpretentious neighbourhood restaurant, you have to crest Elia Hill behind Sameba Cathedral. It’s a brutal walk, but it’s worth it.
A fixture of Avlabari since 1995, the owners of Vakhtanguri’s recently reopened a new space in the family home. The dining area is very swish, with cute graphic posters and booth seating, or you can sit out in the garden.
As the name indicates, Vakhtanguri’s forte is the humble chebureki turnover. Their recipe reminds me of a giant, deep-fried khinkali. Choose from sauteed mushroom, cheese or meat (essentially a kalakuri blend of pork and beef).
Khachapuri, BBQ and khinkali are also served, and there is Black Lion beer on tap for 5 GEL.
Address: 28 Zhoneti Street (Avlabari)
Price range: $$
CHASHNAGIRI
If you want a local food experience, Chashnagiri is a great option. The English pub meets sports bar aesthetic is a little strange, but the atmosphere here is always electric.
Affordable and with a wide-ranging menu and consistently tasty food, this is simply one of the best places to eat in Tbilisi. I love the punchy shkmeruli and the khinklukas (mini khinkali). They also do some of the best pork mtsvadi in Tbilisi (we took some Georgian friends here once and they said it was the closest to homemade they’ve tasted).
The chicken BBQ, lightly charcoaled outside and moist inside, served with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses on top, is the stuff of food dreams.
Address: 25 Kote Afkhazi Street (Old Town) & Vazha-Pshavela Avenue (Saburtalo)
Price range: $
MASPINDZELO & MASPINDZELO EXPRESS
Maspindzelo (‘The Host’) is another Tbilisi mainstay. The food here isn’t necessarily the best quality, but the menu is huge and its very affordable – plus the location near the Abanotubani sulfur baths is very convenient. The outdoor terrace is a really nice place to dine in summer or spring.
Almost every Georgian dish is represented on the menu. One thing I always order here is chebureki, a deep-fried flat pastry filled with either cheese or sautéed mushrooms.
Newly launched in 2022, Maspindzelo Express is an offshoot of the popular flagship restaurant and is located in Vera, walking distance from the Rustaveli Metro.
Address: 11 Mirza Fatali Akhudovi Street (Abanotubani) & 20 Giorgi Akhvlediani Street (Vera)
Price range: $
RACHIS UBANI
If you’re planning to visit Turtle Lake or the Open Air Museum of Ethnography, Rachis Ubani is the perfect place to stop off for lunch. The sweeping city view from the veranda cannot be beat.
Food is home-style and tasty; this is my favourite eggplant with walnut in Tbilisi. Much of the menu is dedicated to specialty cuisine from Racha region, so shkmeruli and lobio with ham are both must-trys. The BBQ mtsvadi is also very good.
Sitting on the balcony of the wooden cottage surrounded by trees, you feel totally immersed in nature. Even if you’re not visiting the nearby museum, it’s worth taking the cable car up just to try the food and escape from the city for a few hours.
Address: Kustba Road (near Turtle Lake)
Price range: $$
Best restaurants in Tbilisi for contemporary Georgian food
These restaurants push the boundaries of traditional Georgian flavours and cooking techniques to put a new spin on old classics. Many promote organic produce and sustainable, seasonal eating, while a couple fuse Georgian with European or Asian flavours.
HOLY
The latest restaurant to open at Wine Factory N1, Holy is nestled inside its own building (the big pink one) at the side of the complex. The three separate dining areas are all immaculate, with minimal wall finishes, clay pottery and contemporary art offset by some of the building’s original features, including a typical Georgian-style ceramic fireplace.
The menu is modern Georgian, with plenty of meat-free options and a few creative meals that put a spin on typical Georgian flavour combinations.
I loved the tempura eggplant with creamy walnut bazhe sauce, chilli and herb oils – it has all the flavours of that classic appetiser, nigvziani badrijani, but with different textures and a rather unique presentation. (In this soft, feminine restaurant I of course managed to order the most phallic dish imaginable!)
The chvishtari corn bread with tarragon and cheese is also very good.
Address: Inside Wine Factory N1, 1 Petriashvili Street (Vera)
Price range: $$
SALT RESTAURANT AT SATBURI
If I ever open a restaurant I will surely blow the entire decorating budget on indoor plants. Here, the abundance of leafy greens is totally acceptable – expected, even.
Salt is one of several restaurants located inside the new Satburi (‘Greenhouse’) complex, a heritage orangery in Mushtahid Park that’s been reclaimed and transformed into a dining precinct. The cavernous steel A-frame dining room with polished concrete floors has a tropicana feel, but with pink orchids instead of flamingos in the mural behind the bar.
With a name like Salt, it could only be Georgian food on the menu. Dishes lean towards Western Georgian cuisine with a few interesting choices thrown in. My pick is the kvari, Megrelian dumplings stuffed with either cheese or potato and smothered in a rich cheese and black truffle sauce. I’ve not seen it served anywhere else in Tbilisi.
Another highlight is the tomato and sulguni salad. Some restaurants try to pass this cheese-on-cheese assemblage off as ‘Georgian burrata’, but Salt owns it for what it is. It’s fresh and zingy, with a lovely hint of sesame oil.
Address: 182 Nikoloz Baratashvili Named Left Bank (inside Satburi complex, enter from inside the park or near Tavaduri)
Price range: $$
IASAMANI
Iasamani (‘lilac’ in Georgian) is set in a historic house in Tbilisi’s oldest neighbourhood, Sololaki. The combination of crisp white table linens and peeling paint on the walls is so utterly ‘Tbilisi’, I can’t think of a dining experience that better sums up the local food scene.
The curated menu highlights seasonal produce and changes regularly. When I visited in early summer, the berry salad was a standout. The gebjalia (a regional cheese dish from Western Georgia) is delicious. The bar here serves some of the best classic cocktails in Tbilisi.
Address: 33 Asatiani Street (Sololaki)
Price range: $$
NINIA’S GARDEN
Located in my favourite Tbilisi neighbourhood of Plekhanovi, Ninia’s Garden is located inside a heritage brick building with a breezy, vine-clad atrium in the centre and a charming garden out back. This restaurant is pure elegance, pairing a refined menu with excellent service and a laid-back Sunday-brunch ambiance.
The menu highlights classic Georgian recipes with a fine-dining edge and for some dishes, Middle Eastern flavours. The pate with beetroot confit, the rabbit with walnut sauce and fried polenta, and the veal shank with cheesy mash are all standouts. The extra salty Svanetian meat pie (kubdari) is perfect for sharing with a bottle of wine or a classic cocktail.
Address: 97 Dimitri Uznadze Street (Chugureti)
Price range: $$
HONORE
One for the carnivores, Honore specialises in simple, super tasty Georgian meat dishes: Barbecued pork, charcoal chicken, luscious kebabs. Sides of red onion sprinkled with sumac and char-grilled vegetables are very tasty.
The shady courtyard here is the perfect setting for a long lazy lunch. The entrance is marked with a wonderful street mural by Georgian artist, Masholand.
Address: 59 Egnate Ninoshvili Street (Chugureti)
Price range: $
CULINARIUM KHASHERIA
Tekuna Gachechiladze, the New-York trained chef behind Culinarium Khasheria, has been labelled ‘the rebel of Georgian cuisine’ for her unorthodox treatment of classic recipes (think kharcho with shrimp instead of beef).
Every one of her dishes is inventive and original. If you’re a foodie, you can’t miss her flagship restaurant, Culinarium, one of Tbilisi’s premier contemporary dining experiences.
The name is a clue to the specialty dish here: Khashi, a heady broth used to cure hangovers, is the soup of choice. Culinarium’s version is spiced with adjika and fresh ginger. Also worth trying, Culinarium’s khinkali soup is a delicious Asian-style broth with shiitake mushrooms and miniature dumplings.
Culinarium used to be located adjacent to the sulfur baths but has relocated. In summer 2023, it will re-open in a new space on Gudiashvili Square. There is a second branch on the ground floor of Bazari Orbeliani.
Address: Gudiashvili Square (Old Town) & inside Bazari Orbeliani
Price range: $$$
SHAVI LOMI
Shavi Lomi or ‘Black Lion’ is one of Tbilisi’s most talked-about eateries. It’s not necessarily my favourite restaurant – I prefer the team’s new venue, Ninia’s Garden – but it’s still very popular.
Managed by a group of friends (including a chef, an interior designer and a film director), Shavi Lomi is more than just a restaurant. Much like nearby Fabrika, it’s a vibrant cultural space and a wonderful place to while away the afternoon over a bottle of wine.
Chef Meriko Gubeladze takes her inspiration from Georgian staples then elevates them to a new level of yum. Choose between the garden-facing main room, intimate dining spaces (super cosy in winter), and a wonderful summer/spring terrace shaded by a giant plum tree.
One of the most popular things to order here is gobi, a large wooden bowl of pkhali, eggplant and other appetisers that’s designed to be shared. They also do a great ploughman’s lunch-style platter with pickled jonjoli, fresh cheese and a hunk of bread. I love the gnarly kupati sausage served on a bed of compact rice, and the cheese balls with yogurt sauce and green grits (Shavi Lomi’s take on traditional cornbread).
The winter menu is all comfort food: Beef with pomegranate sauce and mash, and trout with fresh orange and spiced pilaf.
Address: 28 Zurab Kvlividze Street (Chugureti)
Price range: $$
CHVENI
The renovated and pedestrianised part of Aghmashenebeli Avenue boasts some of Tbilisi’s most handsome facades. But the cafes and restaurants on this street are far too touristy for my taste. If you find yourself in this part of the city (or at the nearby Dry Bridge Market), I suggest ducking down the side street to Chveni.
Chveni is a boutique hostel with a restaurant on the bottom level. It’s petite but lovely, with sun-drenched tables, an open bar and an outdoor wood-fire oven. The award-winning chef interprets traditional Georgian flavours in a totally unique way – case in point, ‘Georgian croquettes’. Choose from chicken balls with shkmeruli sauce, ghomi balls with bazhe sauce, lobio balls with jonjoli sauce, or elarji and kuchmachi balls with satsivi. I only wish there was a sweet version!
The menu here is overwhelmingly long, with a dedicated sushi section and a range of Asian dishes. The chef is Meskhetian so these days I usually opt for one of the regional dishes: escargot Georgian-style, or Meskhetian khachapuri with pulled tenili cheese.
Address: Tchorokhi Street (Chugureti)
Price range: $$$
ALUBALI
Located down the lane opposite Rustaveli Avenue, the open-air courtyard dining on offer at Alubali is a welcome contrast to the shadowy pubs and bars this area is known for. This restaurant presents a modern take on Megrelian cuisine and highlights organic and seasonal produce.
The menu changes regularly as a result, but there are some mainstays, including a nice rendition of kharcho and staple sides ghomi and elargi. The village-style kupati sausage, house-made sulguni cheese and simple-but-delicious kebab rolled in lavash and sprinkled with sumac are also worth trying. In springtime, try the chakapuli (lamb, green plum and tarragon stew).
Address: 6 Giorgi Akhvlediani Street (behind Rustaveli Ave)
Price range: $$
ZALA
Zala is a family-style restaurant that seeks to modernise classic flavours and cooking methods while staying true to its roots. They serve one of my favourite burgers in Tbilisi – a succulent beef burger with a Georgian kick courtesy of Saperavi grape sauce. It’s absolutely finger-licking.
Oyster mushrooms cooked in Saperavi, Georgian salmon with citrus sauce, chikhirtma soup and kharcho with ghomi are also on the menu. I hear the local pork fried in honey and cinnamon is also very good.
There’s a beautiful dining room with exposed brick walls and plenty of leafy plants, and a small courtyard out the back. At lunch, Zala offers relaxed dining, but the vibe is a bit more up-scale after dark. They serve some fantastic Georgian-inspired desserts (one of them is pictured above), too!
Address: 2 Belinski Street (Vera)
Price range: $$
SOFIA MELNIKOVA’S FANTASTIC DOUQAN
Named in honour of a prominent opera singer, Sophia Melnikova’s Fantastic Douqan is another Tbilisi institution, especially for summer dining. The ‘secret’ location in an Italian yard behind Rustaveli Theatre makes this place feel like a bit of a hidden gem. In reality, it’s very popular.
The menu is diverse – Thai noodles, a blue cheese burger with Georgian pickles, pasta dishes – but it’s the contemporary Georgian food that I like best. Their ajapsandali cold eggplant ragout is out of this world, and their khinkali are also very tasty.
Friendly staff and good music give this place a great ambiance. If you want an outdoor table for lunch under the grape trellises, you’ll need to make a reservation.
Address: Stamba Dead End (off Rustaveli Ave)
Price range: $$
REPUBLIC 24
Republic 24 offers a unique dining experience. Set inside an ultra-modern glass box building near Rustaveli Metro Station, diners eat while looking out onto the bustling street, with the iconic Radisson Blu (formerly the Hotel Iveria) in the background.
The decor and service here are is up-scale. Prices are a bit more expensive than some of the other restaurants on this list, but I think it’s still good value for money.
I especially love the stuffed pkhlovani here. Republic 24’s khinkali are known for being some of the best in town (there are lots of varieties to choose from, including one version that’s flavoured with Asian spices and served in a bamboo steamer basket).
Address: First Republic Square (near Rustaveli Metro)
Price range: $$$
Best fine-dining restaurants in Tbilisi
If you’re marking a special occasion or looking for somewhere to spend a romantic night out, these Tbilisi fine dining restaurants all offer incredible food and service in elegant surrounds.
OTSY
After almost two decades abroad cooking for ambassadors in France and Europe, Tbilisi-born chef Giorgi Ninua moved home to open his own restaurant. He specialises in what he calls ‘Tbilisi cuisine’ – not fusion food exactly, but rather classic Georgian recipes done with European techniques.
In an area of Tbilisi where venues come and go, OtsY (the name means ‘twenty’ – as in the street number) already feels well-established and as if it’s here to stay.
Giorgi and his team spent months rehabilitating their old house. Downstairs, a casual dining room and courtyard terrace directly face onto the Rezo Gabriadze Theatre (if your timing is right, you can watch the clock tower strike right from your table). Upstairs, they installed an impressive galley and a gorgeous formal dining room, with big windows overlooking the square.
Everything on the menu is designed to share, Georgian-style: Classic cucumber and tomato salad with coriander hazelnut adjika, chacha cured salmon, khachapuri with matsoni yogurt dough. Mains are definitely more on the European side but with a Georgian edge and local produce: Chicken ala shkmeruli with a garlic caramel sauce, Borjomi trout with grilled asparagus, beef cheeks braised in Saperavi wine.
Address: 20 Ioane Shavteli Street (Old Town)
Price range: $$$
TAMARA
It’s not easy to find terrific food in the touristic centre of Tbilisi. Having opened in 2022, Tamara is a welcome addition to the Old Meidan area and a top choice for traditional Georgian in a fine-dining setting.
Tamara is owned by Gastronome, a premium grocer, so you can bet the produce is all of the highest quality. Everything is true to traditional flavours but with a little spin in the minimalist presentation. I loved the nadugi cottage cheese cones with truffle and pomegranate, and the mxlovana (flat pie) loaded with fresh herbs and aged cheese.
The highlight for me is definitely their take on kharcho – served deconstructed style with tender pulled beef, fried ghomi (cornbread), and one of the most luxurious walnut sauces I’ve ever tasted.
Address: 6 Samghebro Street (Old Town)
Price range: $$$
CAFE LITTERA
Housed in the courtyard belonging to the historic Writer’s House of Georgia in Sololaki, Cafe Littera is without a doubt one of Tbilisi’s most beautiful restaurants. Tables dotted around a sculpture garden are especially nice in summer (cocktails under a plum tree, anyone?), while the Old Tbilisi-style dining room is dripping with history, retro wallpaper and all.
Cafe Littera is run by Tekuna Gachechiladze, the same chef behind Culinarium. The menu is light, fresh Georgian-European cooking with a little extra finesse, think zucchini flowers with mint and nadugi cottage cheese. Save room for one of the decadent desserts, preferably the mille feuille with fresh berries.
Reservations are mandatory – Littera sometimes gets booked out months in advance.
Address: 13 Ivane Machabeli Street (Sololaki)
Price range: $$$
ATI (BEST RESTAURANT IN TBILISI WITH A VIEW)
Located on the 10th floor of the Sheraton Hotel, ATI enjoys the best panoramic views of any restaurant in Tbilisi. The all-glass dining room looks directly over the Kura River down to Narikala Castle, and there are two open-air terraces for uninterrupted views.
ATI is my top choice for a romantic dinner in Tbilisi. The restaurant is dimly lit and very intimate, with gorgeous decorations inspired by the Silk Road and live music some nights of the week. As you would expect of a Sheraton-branded restaurant, the service is first-class.
Food is firmly in the modern-Georgian-European-fusion camp: local lamb with demi-glace, beef cheeks with Saperavi jus (my pick), suckling pig with adjika and Kakhetian black truffle. They often welcome guest chefs and hold special holiday meals (including for Christmas and Easter), so you can always find something new and interesting on the menu.
Address: Inside the Sheraton Hotel, 10th floor, 20 Telavi Street (Avlabari)
Price range: $$$
KETO AND KOTE
It takes some detective work to find the entrance to Keto and Kote. From Rustaveli Metro Station, you need to head north then duck through a specific archway, go down an alleyway, and finally climb up a flight of stone stairs. (If the gate is locked, head around the back way, up past the McDonalds.) Before you go inside, pause to drink in the panoramic views.
Keto and Kote takes its title from a popular Georgian opera, and the setting (a classic Tbilisi-style house with carved balconies) harks back to the country’s Golden Age. As you enter, you’ll see a table spread with the day’s fresh cakes and tarts, a sign of good things to come.
Hardwood floors, chandeliers, and tables dressed in lurji supra blue tablecloths, Keto and Kote is all class. At night, it’s fine dining to a T – but I’ve also eaten lunch here a couple of times and found the vibe during daylight hours is quite laid-back.
Western Georgian dishes such as gebjalia and elarji are among the Megrelian-born chef’s specialties. Keto and Kote do an exquisite rendition of a classic Georgian salad, served with walnut paste, a slab of cheese and a piece of house-baked bread on the side.
Address: Mikheil Zandukeli Dead End (behind Rustaveli Metro)
Price range: $$$
BINA N37
Another totally unique dining experience in Tbilisi, Bina N37 is set inside an apartment on the 8th floor of a residential building in the city’s north. To get inside, you have to take the lift up and knock on the door, as if you were a guest of the family.
The rooftop terrace holds a few dining tables plus the family’s cellar. Very cleverly, they have emptied out their pool and filled it with sand, nesting 43 clay Qvevri full of Saperavi and amber wine inside!
For food, there’s sea bream dressed simply and fried to perfection, plus a handful of Megrelian dishes, including kharcho and elargi.
Address: 8th floor, 5a Sofrom Mgaloblishvili Street (Saburtalo)
Price range: $$$
SIRAJKHANA
The name of this restaurant is a tribute to a Tbilisi phrase with ancient Persian origins, siraj being the name for traders who carted barrels of wine on their backs in Tbilisi’s old Silk Road days. It’s no surprise, then, that the concept revolves around the wine, led by sommelier Magda Surguladze and complemented with recipes by renowned chef Keti Bakradze.
Eating here is a true feast for the senses, especially if you can snag a table by the glass-walled wine cellar that sits in the centre of the restaurant. Dishes match traditional Georgian recipes with Middle Eastern influences for some truly unique flavour combinations. I love the salad of fresh grapes. Needless to say the wine list is very well-rounded!
Address: Inside Museum Hotel, 8/10 Vakhtang Orbeliani Street (Garetubani)
Price range: $$$
SOFIKO
Set in a beautiful apartment on the sloping streets of Old Tbilisi, high above the sulfur baths and old Meidan market, Sofiko (formerly known as Ah, Turpav-Turpav and before that, Meama) offers incredible views from its twin terraces, which are perfectly aligned with Sameba Cathedral just over the river. It’s a steep walk to get up to this restaurant, but it’s worth the climb.
This restaurant takes inspiration from the bohemian ‘Old Tiflis’ of the 19th century. The menu is true to classic Georgian flavours with some European-style techniques thrown in. Everything from the table settings to the porcelain bowls and the creative presentation is on-point.
Classics such as kuchmachi, ojakhuri and tolma with matsoni sauce (a personal favourite) fall under the ‘Ethno’ menu. Mains include trout with lemon, short ribs with adjika, pork in white wine sauce, and duck with mulberry. I particularly like the dessert selection, which includes pelamushi (a sweet made with wine jelly, similar to churchkhela) and korkoti, a traditional treat made from wheat, raisins, honey, nuts and cognac.
I highly recommend reserving a table on the veranda.
Address: 8 Dzmebi Zdanevichebi Street (Old Town)
Price range: $$$
BARBARESTAN
When I first arrived in Tbilisi, Barbarestan was considered one of the best restaurants in Georgia and was named among the top 50 best restaurants in the world. Tbilisi’s dining scene has really stepped up in the past few years and Barbarestan has lost a bit of its edge. But it’s still a solid choice: Everything about this place is pure elegance and refinement, from the silverware to the tablecloths and the coiffed waiters.
The concept is very interesting: Chefs here take their flavour cues from Barbare Eristavi-Jorjadze, a Georgian duchess, poet and feminist who in 1914 published a seminal Georgian recipe book titled Complete Cooking. Fast-forward a century, and Barbarestan recreates her best-loved recipes using fresh, seasonal ingredients.
The dining room is set inside an old butcher’s shop (you can still see the old meat hooks on the walls). Choose from intimate basement dining or an airy upstairs room made to look like Mrs Jorjadze’s home office (natural light, indoor plants and Caucasian carpets aplenty).
Address: 132 Aghmashenebeli Avenue (Chugureti)
Price range: $$$
Best budget-friendly restaurants in Tbilisi
Some of the best food in Tbilisi is served at simple, no-frills cafes and restaurants. A generous meal for two should cost no more than 30 GEL at any of these venues.
Apart from being affordable, each of these restaurants offers a special local atmosphere that you don’t always get at the restaurants mentioned previously.
Here are my favourite places to grab a quick bite or sit down for an affordable lunch or dinner in Tbilisi.
MAPSHALIA
Mapshalia is one of my go-tos. I’m yet to find a place that serves such delicious, home-style meals for such low prices. Located underneath the old Apollo Theatre on David Aghmashenebeli Avenue, this restaurant is about as local as they come. There’s a cool Soviet-style bas relief on the back wall, and some private dining nooks at the front. The English picture menu is short but sweet.
Megrelian food is the specialty here: Rich kharcho (5.50 GEL), extra stringy elarji (5 GEL) and crisp chvishtari (2 GEL) are my picks. The pork BBQ (6.50 GEL) is also good.
Another reason I love Mapshalia: It’s one of the first restaurants to open at 9am. I eat here all the time and usually spend 6-10 GEL per person.
Address: 137 Aghmashenebeli Avenue (Chugureti)
Price range: $
GHEBI
Another of my budget staples, Ghebi is just up the road from Mapshalia and also has a very local feel. It opens at 9am, so it’s another great option for early morning eats. Staff here are really friendly, and the underground cellar-style dining room is nice and cool in summer.
Ghebi is named after a village in Racha so the kitchen naturally specialises in Rachan fare. I’ve tried a good number of dishes on the far-ranging menu and have never had a bad meal. I especially love the lobio beans with racha ham.
Ghebi is a touch more expensive that Mapshalia but still very good value for money. If you’re staying at Fabrika Hostel, this restaurant is just a short walk away.
Address: 115 Aghmashenebeli Avenue (Chugureti)
Price range: $
COCA-COLA BOTTLERS PLANT
Officially Sasadilo Coca-Cola, this Soviet-style cafeteria opened in the mid-1990s to cater to workers from the nearby Coca-Cola bottling plant. Now the lunchtime clientele is mostly workers from the garages and railroads in Didube district.
I first came here on the recommendation of some local friends and it didn’t disappoint. The retro dining hall, the din of the lunchtime rush – this place has a very unique atmosphere, helped by the fact that many tables order a bottle of vodka or cognac to accompany their meal. Staff don’t speak much English and the menu hanging above the glass-top counter is all in Georgian. But if you’re brave, you can piece a feast together based on recommendations from the friendly waitresses.
The family who own Coca-Cola come from Khevsureti, but their food spans all the Georgian favourites. Their mtsvadi and kharcho are bang-on, and I hear their kebab served with lavash is also good. There’s also small plates of pickles, salted fish, cheese, fresh veg and other goodies in the cold cabinet where you order.
Most meals are priced at 8-12 GEL.
Address: 114 Akaki Tsereteli Avenue (Didube)
Price range: $
RETRO
There’s only one reason you come to Retro, and that’s to tuck into a dinner-plate-sized Adjaruli Khachapuri. The cafe’s original branch is in Batumi (capital of Adjara region, where the dish originated), so you know the recipe is authentic.
There are a few different sizes and varieties to choose from, including the original or a version with ham. If it’s too intense, they have Imeretian Khachapuri, lobiani and pelmeni dumplings as well. I’ve found that the ‘Big Adjaruli’ (which goes for around 15 GEL) is perfect to share between two people.
Gooey cheese, a soft egg yolk and a visible chunk of butter – the Khachapuri here is velvety, glossy and indulgent. One of these and you’ll be packed with enough calories to keep you going for a full day!
Address: 1 Davit Gamrekeli Street (Saburtalo)
Price range: $
There’s only one reason you come to Retro, and that’s to tuck into a dinner-plate-sized Adjaruli Khachapuri. The cafe’s original branch is in Batumi (capital of Adjara region, where the dish originated), so you know the recipe is authentic.
There are a few different sizes and varieties to choose from, including the original or a version with ham. If it’s too intense, they have Imeretian Khachapuri, lobiani and pelmeni dumplings as well. I’ve found that the ‘Big Adjaruli’ (which goes for around 15 GEL) is perfect to share between two people.
Gooey cheese, a soft egg yolk and a visible chunk of butter – the Khachapuri here is velvety, glossy and indulgent. One of these and you’ll be packed with enough calories to keep you going for a full day!
Address: 1 Davit Gamrekeli Street (Saburtalo)
Price range: $
HONOURABLE BUDGET-FRIENDLY MENTIONS…
Keria: Keria’s lobiani with smoked beans is unrivalled in Tbilisi – the beans are soft and rich, and the pastry isn’t oily at all. Keria has a couple of different branches in Tbilisi. My favourite is Keria Kekelidze in Vera, which has a spacious dining room and a small outdoor terrace at the front.
Sakhachapure №1: Sakhachapure №1 is a popular chain of modern cafeteria-style eateries in Tbilisi. Like Retro, they specialise in Khachapuri – only this time they serve a huge range of different pies. If you’re big on your bread products and want to try a selection of different kinds, you’ll find almost every region represented on the menu. It’s like the United Nations of bread in here. Prices range from 7-15 GEL per pie (portions are predictably huge).
Samikitno-Machakhela: Samikitno is absolutely everywhere in Tbilisi, including right on Liberty Square and on the main street in the Old Town. Think of it as the Georgian equivalent to Applebee’s: fast, affordable, family friendly sit-down dining. What it lacks in taste, it makes up for in consistency and convenience. Samikitno may look like a tourist restaurant but it’s equally popular with locals. The picture menu offers an absolutely mammoth selection of meals – just about every Georgian classic is accounted for, plus pasta, pizza, and lots more. Stick to the hot dishes such as ojakhuri and Gori-style cutleti (I’m not a big fan of their salads or pkhali).
Pasanauri: Pasanauri is similar to Samikitno but a tad more up-market (and a smidge more expensive). The branch near Liberty Square is open 24-hours and is very popular at night. Khinkali are the specialty here. The chain is named after Pasanauri, a village known as the ‘home of khinkali’, located off the highway between Tbilisi and Kazbegi. The kupati sausage is also good, and Pasanauri is one of few restaurants in Tbilisi that serves tatarakhi, an alternative hangover remedy that’s made with beef broth and garlic.
Lagidze Water: Lagidze Water is a popular brand of Georgian soft drink made from blending natural mineral water with flavoured syrup (pear, tarragon, vanilla). The company was founded in 1900 by a pharmacist’s apprentice from Kutaisi and is still beloved. Lagidze Water is the brand’s flagship cafe where the drink is served from an old-school soda fountain. They also dish out cheap snacks (their lobiani is heavenly) and in summer, ice cream. There are a few Lagidze restaurants in Tbilisi but the largest and most popular is adjacent to Sameba Cathedral.
Source: wander-lush.org
