In this article, I have compiled for you the restaurants and cafes to eat in Tbilisi, which I enjoy visiting every time I visit.
If you say you don’t know anything about Georgian food, you can take a look at my article Georgian Food, Desserts and Drinks 🙂
BARBARESTAN
A traditional family restaurant based on the recipes in legendary chef Barbare Jorjadze’s original cookbook of 19th-century Georgian classics:) With its timeless decoration, it is a great place to discover forgotten but delicious Georgian dishes. Soft yellow light radiating from under the lampshades, lace tablecloths and vintage pottery, stylish and polite waiters… Whichever of the dishes you choose, all made from local ingredients, you will have a unique experience.
While I was enjoying the spicy, crispy bread, lightly salted lemon butter, and qvevri (traditional Georgian wine) that came before the meal, I couldn’t help but look around 🙂
During the meal, the head waiter comes and explains that the restaurant owner found Barbare Jorjadze’s book by chance while wandering around the flea market and that the dishes were prepared according to these recipes.
Definitely one of the most elite restaurants to eat in Tbilisi. Portions are small and the price is a little expensive. If you go to the restaurant without a reservation, which is full even at noon, you may wait in line.
KETO & KOTE
It is one of the restaurants that best describes Georgian cuisine, thanks to its dishes prepared with quality products obtained from local producers. The inside of the place is quite large and the tables are far from each other. Vintage sideboards, large live plants, and chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling added a calm and warm texture to the environment.
They use creative and innovative culinary techniques to inspire guests and they don’t hesitate to explain it when you ask 🙂 The employees are very friendly and fun. The restaurant is one of the rare places that uses decanters for wine 🙂
Şehir manzaralı bahçede şarabınızı yudumlarken Tiflis manzarasının keyfini çıkarabilirsiniz.
Yılbaşını kutlamaya gittik. Sanki birçok ülkeden konukların katıldığı uluslararası bir toplantıya katılmış gibiydik. Yemek lezzetli; Canlı müzik harikaydı 🙂 Garip dans yarışmalarını izlerken güldük. Yeni yıla girerken hepimiz geniş balkonda toplanıp havai fişek dansını izledik.
Keto and Kote is also an old Georgian comic strip. While the film was being shot by Georgian composer Victor Dolidze, the front garden of the restaurant was used for a few scenes. That’s why the restaurant used this name. The story revolves around the love of Keto, the daughter of a rich merchant, and Kote, the nephew of poor Prince Levan Palavandishvili. It is staged at the Georgian National Opera Theater at certain times of the year 🙂
G.VINO
A family-run business, G.Vino (gvino means wine in Georgian), opened in 2015. The bar, which has been serving its guests for years, offers delicious meals prepared with high-quality local organic products.
The interior of the place consists of interlocking sections. The decoration is simple and stylish. The food is delicious, and the employees are friendly and knowledgeable about the menu 🙂 It is in the top 10 on my list of places to eat in Tbilisi 🙂
Each bottle on the extensive wine list is carefully selected by Lida & Mamuka, the wine-loving couple behind the brand 🙂
Interior details make people smile 🙂
SHAVI LOMI
One of the best restaurants in Tifls, Shavi Lomi (Black Lion), is located in the upper neighborhoods of Old Tbilisi. They used different types of old tables, lamps, and chairs to make the interior, which blends traditional and modern, attractive. Thanks to its fireplace during the winter months, and thanks to its garden, it is very popular in the summer months.
They don’t have a very extensive menu, but everything they offer is prepared with taste and care. That’s why everything is extremely delicious and unique.
I recommend trying their beers, especially the first Georgian beer, Shavi Lomi. It is produced using traditional methods and is not available in every place.
LINVILLE
There are many vintage restaurants in Tbilisi, but Linville is one of the most popular thanks to its central location, affordable prices and pleasant atmosphere.
A good option to enjoy a nice dinner accompanied by the piano, an elegant interior, and, of course, good wine or coffee.
It is also enjoyable to sit on the old balcony and watch the people passing below 🙂
LEILA
The place that makes the best hummus in Tbilisi:) A beautifully decorated small cafe in a century-old building, with small Persian-style paintings painted on the walls.
They serve dishes prepared with seasonal products grown in the villages of Tbilisi. You won’t find fried foods on the menu; There are either grilled or steamed options. It is very popular due to its vegan options.
It works by reservation in the evening hours. If a Swiss woman hadn’t shared her table with me, I would have returned without tasting the food 🙂
FABRIKA TBILISI
It is one of the top places to eat and socialize in Tbilisi. A building that served as a Soviet-era sewing factory has been transformed into a wonderful complex by Georgia’s famous hotel chain, Rooms. Factory has shops selling boutique products, artist studios, co-working spaces, Georgia’s largest hostel, pubs, and cafes.
Continuous events are held in the courtyard of the place, which is very popular among Georgians. I can say that Bomontiada is a hostel added version. Since it is a little far from the city center, while choosing a place to stay, you have to choose between the center and the factory 🙂
CAFE GABRIADZE
All the details of the cafe, which is a magnificent example of the versatile expression of talents, were designed by the famous Georgian screenwriter, painter, sculptor, and puppeteer Rezo Gabriadze.
The food is not perfect and the price is high, but it is worth it to drink coffee and relax. Because it’s really worth seeing for the cafe 🙂
Gabriadze opened the cafe to fill the theater with the smell of roasting coffee all day long and to enjoy a cup of coffee before or after the puppet performance 🙂
ENTRÈE
A wonderful day starts with a wonderful breakfast! With a fast, fresh, and delicious breakfast, Entrée comes to the rescue with its artisan cuisine in this regard. It is a chain cafe; you may find many Entrées in Tbilisi.
If you want, you can have a snack in the small but spaciously furnished cafe, or you can order a takeaway. The ingredients used in traditional recipes are obtained from local sources and shaped by the hands of master chefs.
I discovered it in Baku first time, but the ones in Tbilisi are at least as good as Baku 🙂 You can use it for your breakfast one morning.
This is all the restaurants and cafes I have tried for now 🙂 If I discover new places, I will update the article 🙂