Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, fascinates with its unique atmosphere. Over a million people live here, but unlike in anonymous metropolises, you can feel the special charm in Tbilisi. The city lies on the river Mtkvari(Kura) and is surrounded by the Caucasus Mountains. Neighbourhoods such as Sololaki, Abanotubani and Chugureti are best explored on foot. Historically, Tbilisi was an important crossroads on the Silk Road, where Orient and Occident met. This cultural diversity is also reflected in Georgian cuisine.
Georgian food is varied and flavourful. Local herbs, walnuts and spices dominate. Typical dishes include dumplings(chinkali), bread filled with cheese(khachapuri), shish kebabs(mtsvadi) and spicy stews with meat and vegetables. Dishes are often flavoured with fresh coriander, dill, mint and garlic. Walnut sauces, yoghurt side dishes and regional cheeses such as sulguni are also added. Pkhali are vegetable pastes in beetroot, spinach or aubergine varieties, which are usually served as thick balls to share.
Grape juice, nuts and honey are typical desserts – churtchela, walnuts coated in grape juice, are particularly well-known. The colourful snacks hang in many shops and are a real eye-catcher. Wine plays a major role at festive dinners(supra) and hospitality is particularly important to the people of Georgia.
Georgian cuisine in Tbilisi
Georgian cuisine is one of the most underrated cuisines in the world. It is stunningly fresh, always full of flavour, very regional and also makes vegetarians happy. However, there is no breakfast culture in Georgia. Hotel breakfasts can therefore be correspondingly sober and bland.
Lunch and dinner are the most important meals in Georgia. Many restaurants are open all day from midday. Georgian cuisine is made for sharing. Different plates are placed in the centre of the table. Bread(puri) is ordered separately – it is never free. Menus are almost always bilingual, in Georgian and English. You can easily pay by credit card in restaurants, but you should always have cash with you when shopping at market stalls or in small shops.
Dezerter market
The Dezerter market is an institution: spice pyramids, churtchela, pickles, fresh fruit and vegetables and even vintage clothing now fill an entire neighbourhood. Its name, Dezerter (market of the deserters), recalls a conflict in 1921 which – as so often in Georgia’s history – is linked to Russia. On an area of around 2,000 square metres, the small stalls of the outdoor traders offer their wares. A real shopping experience! Tsinamdzgvrishvili Street 135, Station Square metro station
Restaurant Nikolozi
Dodo and Beso make you feel like you’re in the living room of a Georgian family. The handwritten menu and family photos on the walls create a cosy atmosphere. You only pay in cash, and the ivy-covered entrance door without a sign immerses you in Georgian culture. Anton Katalikosi St. 34
Sofia Melnikova’s Fantastic Douqan
The garden restaurant with the somewhat unwieldy name Sofia Melnikova’s Fantastic Douqan is hidden in an inner courtyard near the Literature Museum. What looks like a backyard workshop from the rusty entrance gate turns out to be a casual cultural venue with excellent Georgian cuisine. The homemade walnut ice cream is particularly delicious! Tabukashvili Street 9
Café Stamba
Industrial design at its best! Once the printing and publishing house of Georgia’s first communist newspaper, it now serves as a trendy restaurant and hotel. Old printing presses adorn the rooms in Café Stamba and massive concrete beams harmonise with vertical plant gardens. 14 Merab Kostava Street, Tbilisi
Writers’ House of Georgia and Café Littera
The magnificent Art Nouveau villa became an early meeting place for writers. Today it houses temporary exhibitions and the restaurant of the famous chef Tekuna Gachechiladze. There are also some stylish guest rooms and a café in the beautiful garden. Machabeli Street 13
Kikodze Coffee & Cocktail Bar
The Kikodze Coffee & Cocktail Bar does indeed offer an extensive breakfast menu ranging from Egg Benedict to pancakes. But creative Georgian dishes are only available for dinner with changing weekly menus and seasonal ingredients. The cocktail menu is long and the bartender provides friendly information. The covered outdoor veranda is a great place to sit at the end of a hot summer’s day. Vardisubani, Tbilisi
5 dishes you should try
The abundance of restaurants, cafés, bars and markets that tempt you with Georgian specialities makes it easy to experience Georgian cuisine. These five specialities should definitely be part of a food tour through Tbilisi: Khachapuri, a yeast dough with sulguni cheese, which is prepared in variations such as atcharuli (with egg) or imeruli (classic). Khinkali, stuffed dumplings traditionally filled with minced meat or vegetables, famous for their juicy texture. Satsivi, cold chicken or turkey meat in a spicy walnut sauce with herbs and spices such as coriander and cinnamon, and churtchkhela, a sweet made from nuts dipped in thickened grape juice, also known as Georgian Snickers, are the perfect hiking snack.
More stories from Georgia
In Georgia, we entrusted ourselves to Giorgi Chachua, who infected us with his enthusiasm for his home country on the trekking tour with packhorses through Tusheti. He is a qualified tour guide and co-owner of the Georgian travel agency Enjoy Georgia. Contrary to what the name suggests, many customers from German-speaking countries book here. The staff are flexible and communication is uncomplicated. As we didn’t have to organise our own luggage transport, catering and itinerary, we were able to fully immerse ourselves in the interesting information provided by the hiking guide. Bonus point: our Georgian guide had studied history. Georgia’s eventful history, the political street art or the parliaments under the open sky are just as much highlights of a trip to Georgia as the architecture of the sky bridges and the fantastic Dezerter food market in the capital Tbilisi. One of the most curious monuments can be found just outside the capital. The Chronicle of Georgia is visible from afar in its brute gigantomania. The fantastic Georgian cuisine and the hospitality of the people are also part of the travelling experience in Georgia.
