Top Georgian Restaurants to Try in Tbilisi

Discover the Culinary Delights of Tbilisi

Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, is a city rich in culture and history. One of the best ways to experience its charm is through its food. The

 local cuisine offers a blend of flavors that reflects the country's diverse influences. Here are some top Georgian restaurants in Tbilisi that you should try.

10 restaurants in Tbilisi for 2024

10 best restaurants in Tbilisi across all categories.

Sasadilo Zeche-სასადილო ცეხში 

Harking back to the Soviet era, Sasadilo Zeche opened in early 2024 and is the first restaurant in Tbilisi to outwardly reference this period of Georgian history. In the past, canteens called ‘sasadilos’ could be found all over Tbilisi (later on this list, I have included one of the real-deal sasadilo diners that is still working today). Zeche puts a fun spin on the concept of a factory workers’ cafe, with retro decorations including Soviet-era relief sculptures and PSA posters. The paper pick-and-tick menu includes classic, hearty dishes such as kebabi, kofte, and Georgian stews. For something different, try the Ajarian chirbuli, which is similar to a shakshuka but made with walnuts. The dining hall has an industrial vibe, with a separate cafe, a bar, and a branch of the Tamtaki street food restaurant nestled inside. At night, it transforms into a music venue.

Best for: Lunch & Dinner - Ostri & kofte
Website: Sasadilo Zeche
Address: Tamar mepe Ave. 18, Tbilisi, Georgia

AMO RAME BANI

An offshoot of the popular khinkali bar in Sololaki, this ‘district’ kitchen specialises in Amo Rame‘s signature hand-pinched khinkali dumplings. Both vegetarian versions – the plaited nadughi soft cheese dumplings and the creamy, deftly seasoned potato version – are the best in Tbilisi in my opinion. Happily there is no minimum order, so you can try both! Amo Rame is conveniently located close to Marjanishvili Metro Station and the pedestrianised part of Aghmashenebeli Avenue. There are two cosy dining areas (one with cute painted ceilings) plus a summer terrace.

Best for: Lunch & Dinner -  Khinkali with nadughi cheese
Website: ამო რამე • ბანი - Amo Rame • Bani
Address: 68 D. Aghmashenebeli Ave

CAFE DAPHNA

Also specialising in khinkali, coral-coloured Daphna is quite possibly Tbilisi’s prettiest restaurant (I’m sure Wes Anderson would agree). The new branch in Batumi also turns on the pink. Daphna’s dumplings are so soft and tasty, they will leave you speechless. Their kalakuri is probably my all-time favourite: Plump, juicy, and pimped out with all kinds of secret herbs and spices. The cheesy potato version drizzled with melted butter is also worth trying. With seven different flavours and no minimum order, you can treat yourself to a dumpling degustation. And if you need a midnight fix, the kitchen stays open all night on weekends. Reservations are highly recommended.

Best for: All the khinkali
Website: Cafe Daphna
Address: 29 Atoneli St

Shemomechama

The word shemomechama means something along the lines of ‘I accidentally ate the whole thing’. It is easy to overindulge (unwittingly or on purpose) at this restaurant, which turns out some of the best Georgian food in Tbilisi. Shemomechama could just as easily have slotted into the next category because it is a terrific all-rounder for classic Georgian fare. All three branches have an open kitchen so you can watch your food being prepared. More importantly, the chefs can see the look of ecstasy on your face as you dive into a platter of khinkali dumplings, always hand-pinched and boiled to order. Some of the dishes have quirky names (‘Uneducated Khinkali’), and the decor is somehow reminiscent of the milk bar in A Clockwork Orange. Shemomechama’s flagship location on Samghebro Street, near the sulfur baths, is a convenient lunch stop when exploring the Old Town.

Best for: Uneducated Khinkali & chvishtari
Website: შემომეჭამა - Shemomechama
Address: 9 Samghebro St / 8 Mtskheta St / 16 Vazha-Pshavela Ave

OtsY • ოცი 

After forging a successful career as a private chef in Europe, Tbilisi-born Giorgi Ninua moved back home to open a restaurant during the pandemic. His forte is what he refers to as ‘Tbilisi cuisine’ – not fusion food exactly, but rather classic Georgian recipes executed with European techniques. In a part of Tbilisi where venues come and go, OtsY (the name means ‘twenty’, as in the street number) already feels well-established. Giorgi and his team spent months rehabilitating the old house they now call home. Everything on the menu is designed to share, Georgian-style: classic cucumber and tomato salad with coriander hazelnut ajika, chacha-cured salmon, khachapuri with matsoni yogurt dough. Mains are definitely more on the European side but with a Georgian edge: chicken ala shkmeruli with a garlic caramel sauce; Borjomi trout with grilled asparagus; beef cheeks braised in Saperavi wine.

Best for: Saperavi braised beef cheeks & mandarin cream brulee
Website: OtsY • ოცი
Address: 20 I. Shavteli St

Craft Wine Restaurant

A neighbour to the Communal Plekhanovi boutique hotel, Craft underwent several iterations before settling on its current form: a natural wine bar first and foremost, with Georgian cuisine to complement the card. Both veg and 28-day entrecote are grilled on a makali. There are Georgian-style charcuterie boards, a killer version of shkmeruli, and my pick, chef’s Gori katleti (meat cutlet with mash and tomato sauce). Bring a friend, because most wines are only available by the bottle. The private courtyard and moody dining rooms are all impeccably designed.

Best for: Shkmeruli, Gori katleti & Craft bread
Website: Craft Wine Restaurant
Address: 54 E. Ninoshvili St

AMRA (ABKHAZIAN-MEGRELIAN CUISINE)

Amra first opened in 1956 in Sokhumi, the seaside capital of Abkhazia. After the owners were forced to flee during the 1992-3 civil war, they decided to reopen their popular restaurant in Tbilisi. If you’re craving something spicy, Amra isn’t afraid of turning up the heat. Fiery, fragrant ajika is a regional specialty – and here, you can try the spice mix in a variety of different ways. I love the oven-baked chicken with ajika crust, which has a mellow heat, and the ajika burger with yogurt sauce and pickles. The akutaghchapa, a hard-boiled egg stuffed with adjika-walnut paste (perhaps Georgia’s answer to the devilled egg?) is an Amra exclusive and a must-try. Cool off with a Sokhumi-style sundae for dessert: scoops of soothing vanilla ice cream with bitter-sweet tangerine marmalade and crushed nuts. The restaurant is located in Saburtalo, a short walk from the State University Metro Station.

Best for: Akutaghchapa, adjika burger & Sokhumi ice cream
Website: AMRA
Address: G. Danelia St

Ninia’s Garden

The first in a new crop of sophisticated restaurants taking over historic Plekhanovi district, Ninia’s Garden is situated inside a heritage brick building with an open kitchen, a breezy covered atrium-courtyard draped with vines, and a charming backyard with a cherub fountain and cool wall mural. Co-founded by Meriko Gubeladze (the same chef behind Shavi Lomi and Kaklebi), the restaurant is named after the 20th-century Tbilisi merchant, Ninia Zaridze, who famously opened up her private garden to aid and abet young lovers’ trysts. The menu highlights classic Georgian recipes with a fine-dining edge, and for some dishes, Middle Eastern flavours. The pâté with beetroot confit, the rabbit with walnut sauce and fried polenta, and the veal shank with cheesy mash are all swoon-worthy.

Best for: Pate with confit beetroot & kubdari
Website: ნინიას ბაღი • Ninia’s Garden
Address: 97 D. Uznadze St

SHUSHABANDI

A shushabandi (glazed balcony or foyer) is a delightful flourish of traditional Georgian architecture. This restaurant pays homage to old-world Tbilisi opulence and is my clear favourite for a sit-down meal at the Wine Factory N1 dining precinct. Shushabandi’s chef puts a subtle fine-dining spin on Georgian classics: Saperavi-soaked beef cheeks with tashmijabi, apkhazura with polenta and guda cheese, and djurdjani (a spicy Megrelian offal dish) with Laz-style ghomi cornmeal. I love the delicate corn breads (especially the mchadi infused with mint), and the menu has an abundance of vegan-friendly options, including a meat-free take on kharcho prepared with mushrooms.

Best for: chikhirma,Apkhazura, pkhali & minty mchadi
Website: Shushabandi • შუშაბანდი
Address: 1 V. Petriashvili St (inside Wine Factory N1)

BARBATUS (BLACK SEA SEAFOOD)

Tbilisi is a long way from the Black Sea, which is why most restaurants are limited to serving river trout. Barbatus (the Latin name for red mullet) gets its catch of the day fresh every morning from Poti. Horse mackerel, sea bass and Black Sea salmon are all butterflied and fried or grilled a-la-Plancha in the open kitchen, then dressed with salt and fresh lemon. Calamari, mussels and tiger shrimp are also available, and there is a generous Seafood Platter for sharing. One of the more unique dishes is the mini khinkali dumplings filled with fish and served in a Thai-style tom yum sauce. They also do a Finnish salmon soup.

Best for: Black Sea salmon & tom yum khinkali
Website: ბარბატუსი • Barbatus
Address: 70 M. Kostava St