Tbilisi is the capital and largest city of Georgia, a 1,500-year-old city strung along the Mtkvari River between steep hills in the South Caucasus. Its crooked Old Town of carved wooden balconies, sulfur bathhouses, Orthodox churches and hillside fortress sits beside Art Nouveau boulevards, Soviet-era landmarks and a fast-growing café, wine-bar and club scene. Visitors come for Georgian food and natural wine, easy day trips to monasteries and mountains, and some of the lowest prices of any European capital.
Georgian cuisine is shaped by the Black Sea, the Caucasus and the Silk Road. Tbilisi tables fill with khachapuri (cheese bread) in regional shapes, khinkali dumplings eaten by hand, mtsvadi grilled over vine-wood, walnut-laden pkhali and badrijani, and soups such as kharcho. Wine is central: Georgia's qvevri tradition, buried clay vessels, has produced amber and red wine for roughly 8,000 years and is on UNESCO's intangible heritage list. A supra feast, led by a toastmaster (tamada), pairs the food with toasts, and chacha, a grape spirit, closes many evenings. Prices are modest: a casual meal costs around 30-60 GEL and fine dining 150-250 GEL (1 USD is about 2.62 GEL).
Must-try dishes
Iconic dishes that define Tbilisi.
Khachapuri Imeruli
Round cheese-filled bread from Imereti, baked with fresh Imeretian cheese inside
Khachapuri Adjaruli
Boat-shaped bread with molten sulguni and imeruli cheese, topped with an egg yolk and butter
Khinkali
Twisted dumplings filled with spiced meat, mushrooms or cheese, with a hot broth inside; eaten by hand
Mtsvadi
Georgian skewered pork, lamb or beef grilled over vine-wood coals, served with onion, tkemali and bread
Pkhali
Minced spinach, beet or aubergine mixed with walnut paste, garlic and herbs, formed into small patties
Badrijani Nigvzit
Fried aubergine rolls filled with walnut paste and topped with pomegranate seeds
Lobiani
Flatbread filled with spiced mashed red beans
Satsivi
Cold turkey or chicken in a spiced walnut sauce, a New Year classic
Chakhokhbili
Chicken stewed with tomato, onion and fresh herbs
Kharcho
Beef soup with rice, ground walnuts, garlic and tkemali plum
Ojakhuri
Pan-fried pork and potatoes with onion, 'family-style' home dish
Elarji
Megrelian cornmeal mashed with melted sulguni cheese
Mchadi and Lobio
Pan-fried cornbread with a clay pot of spiced kidney beans
Ajapsandali
Aubergine, tomato, pepper and herb stew, a vegetarian summer staple
Churchkhela
Walnut strings dipped in thickened grape must, sold at Dezerter Bazaar and Old Town stalls
Top restaurants
Handpicked picks for the best dining experiences.
Restaurants by cuisine
Browse picks grouped by cuisine type.
Georgian
European
Georgian Bread And Baked Goods
Natural Georgian Wine With Cheese Plates
Traditional Georgian
Food tours & tastings in Tbilisi
Eat your way through Tbilisi with a guide.
Browse food experiences in TbilisiWe may earn a commission from bookings made through these links.
Street food
Local flavours at affordable prices.
Lobiani and khachapuri from the tone oven
Hot clay-oven bread, bean pies and cheese breads sold by the piece
Find it at: Karavanserai Tone, 13/40 Sioni St
Shotis puri
Long boat-shaped clay-oven bread, best eaten warm
Find it at: Karavanserai Tone and neighbourhood bakeries
Churchkhela and tklapi
Walnut-grape-must candles and plum fruit leather
Find it at: Dezerter Bazaar and Old Town stalls
Pickles (tursha) and tkemali
Fermented vegetables and sour plum sauce sold loose
Find it at: Dezerter Bazaar
Food markets
Where locals shop and graze.
Dezerter Bazaar
Tbilisi's main fresh produce market near the railway station with cheese, spices, churchkhela, pickles, meat and bread; named after deserting soldiers who sold goods here in the 1920s
Hours: Daily 7AM-5PM (busiest before 1PM)
Karavanserai Tone
Underground clay-oven bakery for shotis puri, khachapuri and lobiani
Hours: Daily 8AM-8PM
Chacha Corner
Specialist chacha shop with craft grape spirit bottles; about 35 GEL for half a litre of craft chacha in 2018 listings (approx USD 13)
Hours: Daily 11AM-11PM
Dining etiquette & tips
Navigate the local food scene confidently.
A 10% service charge is often added to the bill; if it is not, leave about 10% in cash
Eat khinkali by hand: hold the top knob (kudi), bite a small hole, sip the broth, then eat the dumpling and leave the knob on the plate
Dishes arrive as they are cooked and are meant to be shared; order a few at a time
Dinner starts around 7PM and many restaurants stay open until midnight or later
Georgian wine is poured in rounds of toasts; to drink beer or water instead during a toast is considered impolite at a supra
Cash in Georgian lari is accepted everywhere and cards in most restaurants, but small khinkali houses and bakeries may be cash only
- Vegetarian
- Excellent options: pkhali, badrijani nigvzit, lobio, ajapsandali, mushroom dishes, cheese khachapuri and lobiani are on most menus
- Vegan
- Possible; during Orthodox Lent many restaurants offer fasting (mtsnobi) dishes, and at Cafe Leila vegan items must be requested
- Halal
- Limited; some Middle Eastern and Turkish restaurants in central Tbilisi serve halal meat, but most Georgian places serve pork
- Gluten free
- Difficult; bread and dumpling dishes dominate, but mchadi cornbread, lobio, pkhali, mtsvadi and grilled meats are naturally gluten-free
- Kosher
- Very limited; the Jewish community of Tbilisi can advise on kosher meals
Food budget guide
What to expect at different price points.
| Level | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | 15-30 GEL (approx USD 5.7-11) per meal | Khinkali houses, bakeries, market snacks and Megrelian cafes |
| Mid-range | 50-110 GEL (approx USD 19-42) per meal | Modern Georgian restaurants such as Shavi Lomi, Cafe Stamba and Keto & Kote, with wine |
| Upscale | 150-260 GEL (approx USD 57-99) per meal | Barbarestan, Funicular and tasting-menu dining with qvevri wine pairing |