TBILISI RESTAURANTS - A NEW ERA

By Amy Jones

Dingy taverns with animal skins hanging on the wall and restaurants with dilapidated interiors are firmly becoming a thing of the past in Tbilisi. Over the past years, a new string of restaurants has opened with style and design at their forefront, some of which have even gone on to win international design competitions. Although traditional restaurants and food remain popular, the fresh generation of restaurants is challenging the status quo and creating unique dining experiences in Tbilisi.


STAMBA

With giant lush green trees flanking its doors and impeccable spacious design, Stamba has become one of the most prestigious restaurants on the Tbilisi eating scene. This playful restaurant adds a refreshing twist to Georgian traditional dishes such as chicken with plum sauce and khachapuri. If you are looking for more invention, they even serve a beetroot
cappuccino.

14 Merab Kostava Str., Tbilisi
(+995) 32 202 11 99
8am - Late


KETO & KOTE

Overlooking the city in Vera, Keto and Kote oozes class. Their menu is classic and tasty, with dishes such as lobiani, BBQ meats, and mini khinkali with pesto dressing. Popular with internationals living and visiting Tbilisi, you pay for what you get in Keto and Kote. The interior of the restaurant is upmarket; however, it is the beautiful outside area that makes this
restaurant really stand out.


3 Mikheil Zandukeli Dead End, Tbilisi 

(+995) 32 293 02 00
11am - 1am


SHAVI LOMI

Shavi Lomi is often credited with modernizing Georgian cuisine. The brainchild of chef Meriko Gubeladze, Shavi Lomi serves delicious dishes as you have not experienced them before in Georgia. Guests tuck into wooden sharing bowls filled with soft cheeses, phkali walnut and spinach paste, fresh cornbread, beans, and pickles, whilst another table devours apple pie. Designed like a quirky living room with a huge garden area, Shavi Lomi is the perfect setting for a cozy evening of great food.


28 Zurab Kvlividze Str., Tbilisi
(+995) 32 296 09 56
12pm - 12am


LOLITA

Chefs jig to disco music as they prepare dishes behind the open kitchen. Instagrammers pose in front of the bar, standing on the white and black tiles, beneath a disco ball. Lolita is one of the hippest places in Tbilisi and it doesn’t hide that fact. The staff are cool, the customers well-dressed, and most importantly the Italian and Georgian fusion food is good. Belonging to the same hospitality group as Stamba, Lolita has also garnered a reputation for its excellent service and amazing style.


7 Tamar Chovelidze Str., Tbilisi
(+995) 32 202 02 99
11am - 1am


THE FLOWER FACTORY

In a hidden corner of Vera, concealed behind a green urban forest of plants of various shapes and sizes, the Flower Factory is the most living place in Tbilisi to grab a coffee or a light lunch. The flower and plant shop-cum-cafe is an oasis of calm from the concrete jungle of the city. Opening at 9 am, it’s also one of the few places where you can find a good cup of
coffee in Tbilisi before 11. 

1 Vasil Petriashvili Str., Tbilisi
(+995) 593 47 47 47
9am - 1am