Restaurants in Georgia

Aragvi is one of Georgia's most historically significant restaurants, operating in Tbilisi since the Soviet era when it was one of the few restaurants permitted to serve authentic regional Georgian cuisine. Named after the Aragvi river, the restaurant serves a classic Georgian menu spanning all major regions. Aragvi was a gathering place for Tbilisi's intelligentsia for decades and continues to attract locals and visitors seeking an authentic, time-tested Georgian dining experience.

Azarpesha — the Georgian word for a drinking vessel — is a wine-centric tavern in historic Abanotubani. The wine list focuses on amber (skin-contact) wines made in the ancient qvevri clay vessel tradition, sourced exclusively from small Georgian producers. The food programme centres on Georgian mezze: jonjoli (pickled bladdernut), badrijani nigvzit (aubergine with walnut paste), and aged cheeses. Interiors feature exposed brick, clay qvevri vessels, and candlelight.

Barbarestan is a Tbilisi restaurant that recreates recipes from the 1874 Georgian cookbook written by Barbare Jorjadze, one of the first Georgian female public figures. The menu features historically researched dishes that are no longer commonly found in modern Georgian restaurants, presented with period-appropriate techniques and ingredients. The restaurant occupies a restored 19th-century building on Aghmashenebeli Avenue and has been recognized internationally for its unique approach to culinary heritage preservation.

Cafe Gabriadze sits adjacent to the legendary Rezo Gabriadze Marionette Theatre on Shavteli Street in Tbilisi's Old Town, inheriting the theatre's whimsical art-filled atmosphere. Created by artist and playwright Rezo Gabriadze, the cafe is decorated with his distinctive naive-art murals and sculptures. The menu blends Georgian home cooking with European cafe staples — khinkali, grilled trout, soups, and seasonal salads. The outdoor terrace and the eccentric clock tower beside the theatre are iconic.

Cafe Littera is set in the garden of the historic Writers' House on Machabeli Street. Chef Tekuna Gachechiladze — widely called the mother of modern Georgian cuisine — reimagines classic Georgian recipes using seasonal local produce. The vine-draped courtyard is one of the most photographed dining spaces in the Caucasus.

Cafe Stamba occupies the stunning lobby of Stamba Hotel, a converted Soviet publishing house. The industrial-chic space serves contemporary international cuisine with Georgian touches, artisan coffee, and craft cocktails.

Café Voilà is a bright, contemporary bistro in central Tbilisi blending French café culture with Georgian hospitality, serving freshly prepared dishes, specialty coffee, and a curated selection of Georgian wines in a relaxed setting.

Chardin 14 is a fine-dining Georgian restaurant on Shardeni Street, Tbilisi's most fashionable Old Town pedestrian strip. The restaurant occupies a historic 19th-century townhouse and serves a refined Georgian menu drawing on Kartlian, Kakhetian and Megrelian traditions. Signature dishes include wild mushroom khinkali with truffle, duck breast with Kakhetian pomegranate sauce, and a dessert menu built around Georgian fruit preserves. The wine programme features vertical tastings of Georgian natural wines.

Culinarium Khasheria is Tbilisi's most acclaimed destination for khashi — the traditional Georgian tripe and trotters soup eaten as a morning restorative after late nights. Set on Shardeni Street, it pairs the dish with chacha and fresh lavash. Beyond khashi, the menu features fermented Georgian foods: Kakhetian lobiani, dried meats, and churchkhela.

A dukani is a small Georgian roadside or neighbourhood tavern — the equivalent of a village pub — and Dukani in Tbilisi's Old Town faithfully embodies the concept. Rough-plastered walls hung with dried herbs, clay jugs, and Georgian weavings set the scene. The menu is handwritten daily based on market produce: typically a bean stew, grilled meat, seasonal vegetables, a cheese plate, and freshly baked cornbread. House wine comes by the clay jug.

The Funicular Restaurant sits at the top of Mtatsminda (Holy Mountain) at 770 metres above Tbilisi, reached by the historic 1905 funicular railway. It offers panoramic views across the entire Tbilisi valley and serves classic Georgian dishes including chanakhi, mtsvadi, and khinkali. The funicular journey and mountain setting make it one of the most distinctive dining experiences in the capital.

Kopala is one of Tbilisi's best-positioned restaurants, with a multi-level terrace directly facing the illuminated Narikala fortress walls. Named after a historic Tbilisi neighbourhood, the restaurant serves a comprehensive menu spanning all Georgian regions — Adjarian khachapuri, Megrelian chicken in walnut sauce (satsivi) — alongside an extensive Georgian wine list. The building is a restored Georgian house with 19th-century Tbilisi townhouse interiors.