We all find fictional characters and their authors relatable to different extents. “I drink to make other people more interesting.” Can’t you kind of see where Ernest Hemingway was coming from when he said that? If you found the quote too phony or snobbish – I would not judge you. Instead, I’d offer you another quote by the iconic Carrie Bradshaw: “The truth was, vodka was my only ally.” I believe that despite your uniqueness, you either have a little Hemingway or Carrie Bradshaw living inside of you, or in my case – both. That is why, I think, I’m best positioned to give you the perfect locations for letting your drunken alter ego out in the open.
First stop here is Makulatura Bar.
Located in the basement at Shalva Dadiani str. #15, Makulatura Bar is a dark and cozy place to enjoy drinks with your friends and meet new ones. The theme of the bar is strongly inspired by Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction – the very name of the bar, Makulatura, is the Georgian translation of Pulp Fiction. The small TV by the bar always plays reruns of Tom & Jerry. Miss the videogames of the early ‘90’s? Miss them no more – Makulatura Bar has provided small space for the nostalgic gamers where you can rock the old games. If you like to play cards while having a beer or two, that’s not a problem either – they have got a few decks of cards. The only issue here is your vision – Makulatura is located underground and has dim, mostly red lights. The lightning adds to the comfort of your side that wants to get drunk and talk relentlessly, but once you’re playing cards it can get hard to tell if that’s a 3 or an 8 of Hearts.
I advise you to go to Makulatura Bar, drink a few shots of their famous tarragon chacha, then ask for a draught beer, play cards & video games and enjoy the cool music playing in the background, which by the way never gets so loud that you can’t have a conversation with the person next to you.
Makulatura Bar is open from 6 PM to 3 AM. (557 14 77 89)
Sakhelosno Bar is our next stop. Located not too far from Makulatura Bar, 5-7 minute walk from Liberty Square, Sakhelosno is a social miracle, giving its guests the experience that’s unlikely to be gained somewhere else in Tbilisi. The underground bar is known to be crowded with the friendliest people. It is always tight in Sakhelosno – you need to follow lines to get a drink at the bar, you need to stand in line for the bathroom and in those lines you meet the best people. I never knew the strong bond people waiting for their turn in the queue can form before Sakhelosno. I’ve learned that’s the people you should dance the night away with, and you will – it just won’t work out otherwise. What’s more, the drinks are relatively cheap and get to your system rather quickly. The music is loud and has you on your feet to dance. They usually play great music – with a special focus on Queen – karaoke is also organized although I don’t really see the point of it; the whole bar is singing anyway. The bar manager, Iva, always hangs around there, having fun on his own and talking to everybody on his way. All the stuff members are super nice. That fact I guess adds to the familiarity of the place; it doesn’t matter if it’s your first time in Sakhelosno or your 30th, you just feel like you belong. I’d say Sakhelosno is the best place with Irish roots on Georgian land.
The controversial issue here, would be that from 1 AM Sakhelosno Bar allows indoor smoking. If you’re a smoker, that’s a good thing presumably and if not, Freddie Mercury will sing it away.
Kote Afkhazi street (Leselidze) 28 Tbilisi, Georgia.
(+995) 592 18 66 48
OPEN: 7 PM – 4 AM. However, they welcome guests as long as they’re willing to stay. The “funning” in Sakhelosno usually goes on until 6 in the morning.
For the best case scenario, start your alcohol route from Makulatura and move along to Sakhelosno Bar once you get ready to dance it all off. Man, even Odysseus would have loved that odyssey!
Blog by Nini Dakhundaridze