Georgia: Your glass will be kept full of the best wine (indeed, Georgia has an 8000-year-old winemaking history!) and your plate loaded with a West-meets-East blend of cheeses, spices, herbs, meat and delicious organic vegetables and fruit. Check out our favorites below, and be aware there are plenty more out there!
SHAVI LOMI
Restaurants tucked into unexpected places are one of Tbilisi’s signature features. You might have never thought about walking along this small street, but the appeal of fantastic local cuisine is irresistible. “Shavi Lomi” (Black Lion) is easier to find if you look for the painting of a woman on the wall.
As you finally enter, the cozy garden embraces you. Inside, the restaurant looks like a boho-Georgian living room of the early XX century, so order a glass of house wine and make yourself at home. The most popular dish in Shavi Lomi is gobi, an assortment of appetizers- perfect to share with friends. If there is some more space in your stomach, grab the tender chicken in bazhe sauce or trout in pomegranate sauce.
The price range is very moderate as for such a rare choice of dishes. For Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings it is better to book a table in advance.
30 Zurab Kvlividze Str., Tbilisi
(+995) 322 96 09 56
12 PM – 2 AM
BARBARESTAN
The story behind this cozy restaurant sounds incredible. “Barbarestan” means “At Barbare’s” in Georgian, but it’s not the owner’s name. Back in 1847, noble lady Barbare Jorjadze, a truly progressive mind of the 19th century, speaker for women’s rights and dedicated housekeeper, published a book of recipes and practical household tips. Mid-2010s, one of the copies was discovered at the Tbilisi flea market by one of the restaurant’s founders, who decided to make a restaurant based on the recipes within.
The interior design also remembers 19th century Georgia, when nobles gathered for beautiful dinners: brick walls, traditional tablecloths, wooden furniture, wonderfully painted plates… The staff is extremely attentive and polite, and if you happen to meet one of founders, a member of that big Qurasbediani family, you will be enchanted by the manner in which they will treat you.
The food is prepared according to old Georgian recipes, so some names and ingredients might surprise you. The waiters can advise you well, plus they are trained to pair wines with dishes, too. Quince soup, cucumber and nadughi salad, assortments of dips, a glass of Qvevri wine and a piece of pelamushi cake are a great option for a light dinner. Hot tea with a variety of homemade jams (white cherry, fig, walnut, feijoa and even aubergine!) is also a great option for a cool autumn evening with family or friends.
132 Aghmashenebeli Ave., Tbilisi
(+995) 322 94 37 79
8 AM – 11 PM
KETO AND KOTE
Whether it's an elegant wine or classy cocktail you fancy of an evening, or a cheeky piece of cake with your tea or coffee- Keto and Kote, a hidden gem on the hill above Rustaveli Metro, is the ideal place for you. Take your friends, family or loved one(s) and be welcomed by a homely, rustic atmosphere and fresh, leafy green garden.
This is a top favorite of many a local and expat and is equally wonderful in summer and winter.
Davit Toradze Str., Tbilisi
(+995) 555 53 01 26
11 AM – 1 AM
CAFE LITTERA
Café Littera is one of the brightest stars in the constellation of Tbilisi’s best restaurants. A small, shining cluster of innovative chefs, creative concept designers, and food enthusiasts that appreciate fresh, locally sourced ingredients and slow food sustain these eateries.
Littera is led by brilliant Chef Tekuna Gachechiladze who fuses Georgian and European ideas into wholly unique dishes – tuna tartare with adjika, mussels chakapuli, stuffed zucchini flowers with mint and nadughi.
The restaurant is tucked in the courtyard of Georgia’s Writers’ House, in the old Sololaki Neighborhood. If you have the chance to go (and can afford it), it will be a meal long-savored, fondly remembered. It’s best to call ahead for reservations, especially on weekends.
13 Machabeli Str., Tbilisi
(+995) 595 75 13 13
6 PM - 11.30 PM
G.VINO
A cozy terrace with forged furniture outside, carpets, stained-glass lamps and endless shelves full of artisan wines inside pull you into take a seat and sample a glass or two. G.Vino is that kind of wine bar that is not cheap according to local standards, but serves its guests at the highest level with genuine sincerity.
Artisan wines are paired with bread and pates, with fantastic cheeses from all around the country, as well as honey and fruits. There are more main dishes on the menu, but the majority of guests go to g.Vino to sample rare wines and enjoy the atmosphere of the little pedestrian street. Locals, expats, travelers… everyone is there rushing along or strolling in search of something interesting and special.
And if you watch them from one of the tables, be sure that you have found that interesting and special thing - in your glass!
6 Erekle II Str., Tbilisi
(+995) 322 93 21 21
1 PM – 1 AM