Cafe Leila

Cafe Leila is a vegetarian-friendly cafe at 18 Ioane Shavteli Street in Old Tbilisi, Georgia, opposite the Anchiskhati Basilica and near the Gabriadze Theatre. The kitchen serves Georgian cooking built around vegetables and fish rather than meat, which makes it a reliable choice for vegetarians in a country where meat dominates most menus. Signature dishes include pkhali, the herb-and-walnut vegetable pastes shaped into small rounds, badrijani nigvzit, aubergine rolls filled with walnut paste, and vegetable khachapuri. Fish dishes also appear on the menu, and the style stays close to home cooking. Vegan items are not marked on the menu, so diners with strict requirements should ask the server which dishes are free of dairy and egg. The dining room is small and cosy, set on a quiet street in the old quarter with a bohemian, artistic feel that fits its neighbourhood near the puppet theatre with its leaning clock tower. Noise is low to moderate, dress is casual and the pace is relaxed, so it suits lunch, coffee or an early dinner. Prices are moderate, around 40-80 GEL per person (about USD 15-31). Listings give hours of 11AM to 11PM daily, with a second listing stating noon to 11PM, so visitors should expect noon as a safe opening time. No reservation line is listed and the cafe operates as a walk-in venue. Small tables can fill at peak lunch and dinner times, so arriving slightly outside those windows helps. Georgian wines and soft drinks are available alongside the food. The location puts it within a few minutes' walk of the Sioni Cathedral and the Meidan area, so it combines easily with a walking tour of the old town. It is particularly useful for visitors travelling with mixed diets who want local flavours without meat.