Where To Eat in Tbilisi: Best Restaurants For All Budgets

Wondering where to eat in Tbilisi? Read on to discover some of the best restaurants in Tbilisi – tried and approved. All these restaurants have their own take on Georgian food and are worth trying.

Updated in October 2023

After several trips to Tbilisi over the years, I can say I know the city’s food scene pretty well.

The city has several good restaurants to suit all tastes and pockets. Here we are going to focus only on Georgian restaurants.

So, just to help you find the best places, I’ll share with you some of the best places, or where to eat in Tbilisi, Georgia.

One thing to bear in mind is that, despite Georgia’s famous hospitality as well as the fact that there are many good restaurants in Tbilisi, service usually varies between slow and painfully slow. So, be patient!

Having said that, food quality and flavour vary between very good and amazing – that also goes for the vegetarian restaurants in Tbilisi that I’ve been to so far.

Where To Eat in Tbilisi, Georgia

The Kitchen Restaurants – Rooms Hotel

The coolest hotel in Tbilisi, “where Georgian hospitality meets industrial chic”, also has one of the best restaurants in Tbilisi.

Resembling an old country house kitchen, the restaurant is tastefully decorated and serves international cuisine, with an emphasis on Italian.

Even though this is the top hotel in Tbilisi by many standards, prices at The Kitchen are very decent. I had a two-course dinner with a glass of red wine for around 25USD. Not bad at all, for what you get.

Puri Guliani

This restaurant has the concept of a Georgian bakery, bringing the best Georgian dishes made with natural products in a modern, casual, and very well-decorated interior.

It’s a great place to eat in Tbilisi, located by Saarbrucken Bridge (next to the Dry Bridge) and you can also sit outside, enjoying great river views.

The menu has different types of bread, khachapuri, salads, and great desserts.

Samikitno-Machakhela

In the heart of Old Tbilisi and overlooking Metekhi church, Samikitno is one of the best cheap restaurants in Tbilisi, serving delicious food at very low prices.

This restaurant is always packed with locals and tourists alike, so sometimes it’s hard to get a table.

This is a great place to try some khinkali, a traditional Georgian dumpling. Service is often slow, but any wait is worth the price AND the food.

This is THE place to try some khachapuri adjaruli, one of the most traditional Georgian dishes, and a beer for as low as 8USD.

See Also: The Top Places to Visit in Georgia

G-Vino

This restaurant is situated on Erekle II Street, one of the most beautiful in Old Tbilisi. It has outside seating (highly recommended) but the interior is also very nice.

Another restaurant serving good Georgian food and wine that is a bit more expensive overall.

Here I tried some delicious mchadi with a glass of local red wine for around 14USD.

Tifliso

Tifliso is a Georgian restaurant right on Shardeni Street. The restaurant itself has a mix of traditional Georgian decoration with some modern touches.

It’s a big place and good if you’re travelling with a group. The food quality is fantastic and the prices are very friendly.

Dinehall – An Elegant Restaurant on Rustaveli Ave.

Dinehall hit the Tbilisi restaurant scene in 2019. As you come in, you will be greeted by a smartly dressed host/ess, asking if you want the restaurant (to the right) or the cafe (to the left).

It’s a luxury restaurant serving international and Georgian cuisine. It has good service, a beautiful modern design, and serves great coffee.

It is one of the pricier places in town, but I highly recommend it. It’s located on Rustaveli Avenue (the main avenue), near the theatre and some of the main museums in Tbilisi.

Café Canapé

This restaurant is located right in the baths district, overlooking the brick domes. The menu has pizzas, meat, and a few Georgian dishes.

I recommend sitting upstairs by the window, to enjoy the views over Abano Square, with the picturesque domes of the bathhouses.

Here I had a small pizza with a beer for 9USD and it was totally worth it!

Batoni Restaurant

Another restaurant on the popular Erekle II street. With a lot of outside tables and modern decoration, service was better than the city average.

We had the most traditional Georgian food here and, although the khinkali wasn’t as seasoned as I am used to, the food overall was really good and the prices were not inflated.

The cafe itself is quiet, and offers very good coffee and some killer cakes. The place, like many others I’ve recommended so far, is decorated like an old artsy house and combines colours, textures, and old furniture.

Sakhachapure #1

Unlike most Georgian restaurants in Tbilisi, Sakhachapure #1 is situated at the Galleria Mall, close to Liberty Square, in a modern space with some large and small tables.

The menu consists mostly of Georgian dishes and the quality is really good. Price-wise it’s fairly inexpensive, but drinks are a bit pricier than other places.

144 Stairs Café – Where to Eat in Tbilisi with the Best Views

The name of this restaurant/cafe says it all: it’s located at the foot of Narikhala hill, just below the fortress, and offers gorgeous views over Tbilisi.

So even though you’ll have to climb 144 steps, it will be totally worth it – this is one of my favourite places to eat in Tbilisi!

They offer winter garden/conservatory seating as well as internal seating. The restaurant interior is beautiful, colourful, and very artsy.

They serve a variety of Georgian and modern international dishes, with a good selection of salads and desserts.

Tsangarala Wine Shop & Bar

Tsangarala is a great place to drink in Tbilisi. Another cool place to drink and that’s why it’s included on this list of the best restaurants in Tbilisi.

This is actually a wine shop with a twist, as you can sit at one of the outside tables and enjoy your wine there and then, while the owner explains to you everything about your drink.

In summer there’s even live music on the street, with a piano and cello making for a very bohemian and classy atmosphere.

Entrée – For Light Meals, Snacks and Pastries

This is one of Georgia’s best cafe chains. The coffee shop is located on Leselidze Street (aka Kote Apkhazi), next to the Great Synagogue, and is the very best in my opinion.

The place has lots of natural light, smaller and communal tables, outside seating, and a very good atmosphere.

I recommend it for breakfast when they serve amazing cakes and pastries and excellent coffee.

They also offer proper restaurant meals and have a good selection of French wine. It’s a very clean place and most of the staff speak good English and Russian.

Marrakech Bar – Drinks & Shisha

This is one of the oldest shisha bars in Tbilisi and the very first bar I visited in the city. It’s located on Shardeni Street and has many lounge sofas, giving it a relaxing atmosphere.

Despite being known as a shisha bar, it’s also a restaurant serving the most popular Georgian dishes.

So if you want to have a good meal and stay for drinks and shisha, this is a great option.

Culinarium-Khasheria

This place used to be located in the sulphur baths area, popular with tourists. Now, it’s in the new Bazari Orbeliani, a large food hall with several cafes and restaurants in central Tbilisi.

I’ve been here at least three times and I find the food variety really good, with some creative dishes.

They have a large seating area with many communal tables and a great ambiance.

I repeatedly have some meat soup here, as I find it wonderful with lots of interesting flavours.

It’s a fairly expensive place for Tbilisi standards and the service can be slow sometimes. But the food itself is really worthwhile.

Cafe Daphna

Cafe Daphna is a trendy restaurant located very close to the famous Dry Bridge. The restaurant is fairly new but already has a reputation for serving the best khinkali in Tbilisi.

The menu is not limited to khinkali, though. They serve a variety of Georgian dishes that you can wash up with some local wine or the cocktail of your choice.

If you come here on a weekend to try their khinkali, be prepared to wait for a while since everyone seems to order the same dish. Having said that if order other items on the menu, the wait will be much shorter.

All and all, it’s a great place to eat and one of the best restaurants in Tbilisi.

Grafika

Grakika is a fairly new place to eat in Tbilisi. This restaurant is located close to Lado Guliashvili Square.

The menu offers mostly international cuisine, including salmon steak with baked vegetables, risotto, and beef steak, as well as classic Georgian dishes like khachapuri and lobiani.

I ordered veal with pomegranate and saperavi (wine) sauce and loved it.

This Old Tbilisi restaurant has a modern and trendy decor and the service is very casual and friendly.

Barbarestan: Best Restaurants in Tbilisi

Located in the Chugureti area, on the famous Aghmashenebeli Avenue, Barbarestan is one of the more upmarket restaurants in Tbilisi.

It was once selected as the best restaurant in Tbilisi by TheWorlds50Best.com. Regardless of the accolade, it’s surely worth visiting.

This family-owned restaurant brings recipes from the 19th-century Georgian classic dishes from chef Barbare Jorjadze’s cookbook.

As you arrive, you’ll be greeted by a smartly dressed waiter who will take you to your table. If you want to dress up to eat in Tbilisi, this is the place.

Service here is impeccable and flawless, and more formal. The decor resembles a 19th-century Georgian home.

Prices can be around 60USD per person without wine.

Shavi Lomi: Top Restaurants in Tbilisi

Shavi Lomi is nowadays one of the best Georgian restaurants in Tbilisi. Located in a large house near Chugureti district, this place is not easy to find if you’re not familiar with the area.

As you come in, there’s a large garden with plants and large trees, where you’ll find plenty of tables.

If the weather is good, I recommend you sit outside, whether you’re there for lunch or dinner.

Otherwise, the interior is very welcoming, with an old-style decoration that makes it feel very homely.

What makes Shavi Lomi such a great place to eat in Tbilisi is its menu. The classic Georgian dishes are all made with the freshest ingredients in a simple manner, but the taste is absolutely incredible.

The restaurant is comparable to Barbarestan, only that this is a very casual place.

They have quite a few vegetarian dishes on the menu and I tried their ajapsandali, a vegetable stew that includes aubergine (eggplant), onions, tomatoes, and other vegetables with an amazing seasoning. Needless to say, it was delicious!

Prices are on the higher side, with an average 3-course meal costing 50USD without drinks.

Vegetarian Restaurants in Tbilisi

Living Vino

Located right in Sololaki, one of the nicest parts of the Old Town, Living Vino is a vegetarian restaurant in Tbilisi serving great food.

The restaurant is small but nicely decorated and with very good service – something that’s not very common in Tbilisi, as I mentioned before.

They also serve lesser-known, organic wine, and the menu, although not huge, has many great options. As a non-vegetarian, I loved it and will definitely be back!

Café Leila – Vegan Restaurant in Old Tbilisi

In a place where most dishes include meat and/or cheese, Cafe Leila stands out for being among Tbilisi best restaurants for vegetarians and vegans.

The restaurant itself is absolutely beautiful, with a very artsy decoration at is colourful, and bucolic farmhouse decor.

It’s located on Shavteli Street, close to Gabriadze Theatre, and also offers outside seating. Prices are on the higher side, but appropriate for the place itself and the food.

Falafel Box

This is a small vegetarian restaurant located 3 minutes from Liberty Square. As the name says, their specialty is falafel, but they also have dishes such as shakshuka and tabbouleh.

It’s the perfect place if you want to have tasty no-frills vegetarian food. They don’t serve alcohol, but they have several natural fruit juice options on the menu.

Most dishes cost around 10USD.

Places To Eat and Drink in Tbilisi: The Map

Have you been to Georgia? What are the best places to eat in Tbilisi, in your opinion?