Tbilisi: A First-Timer's Guide to Georgia's Sulphur-Bath Capital

Three picks across the spectrum of how Tbilisians actually eat in one of the world's most distinctive food cultures (Georgian cuisine is recognised by UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage protections for its supra feast tradition).

For the iconic Georgian institution: Shavi Lomi (Black Lion), at Khvichia Street 23, Tbilisi 0102. The most-cited modern Georgian restaurant — properly serious traditional Georgian cuisine in a beautifully restored 19th-century Tbilisi townhouse setting.

The iconic khinkali (Georgian soup dumplings — held by the small twisted top, the broth-rich body bitten open carefully), khachapuri (the iconic cheese-filled bread, with the Adjarian khachapuri shaped like a boat with a raw egg on top), and the famous Georgian wine pairings.

For the modern, contemporary pick: Barbarestan, at Aghmashenebeli Avenue 132, Tbilisi 0102. Chef Levan Kobiashvili's restaurant inspired by Barbare Jorjadze (the 19th-century Georgian princess whose 1874 Georgian Cookbook is considered the foundational text of modern Georgian cuisine).

Properly serious heritage-driven Georgian cooking. Among Georgia's most internationally recognised restaurants.

For the affordable, locals' standard: Dezerter Bazaar, at Tsinamdzghvrishvili Street, Tbilisi 0102.

The iconic Tbilisi covered market — proper Georgian street food and groceries (the iconic Georgian churchkhela candle-shaped walnut-and-grape-juice candy, fresh cheese, the famous Imeretian sulguni cheese, the proper Georgian breads). Walk-in friendly.

For the iconic Georgian fast food, the Pasanauri chain across the city has the most-cited inexpensive khinkali and khachapuri.

Georgia is one of the world's oldest wine-producing countries (with the iconic qvevri amphora-buried winemaking tradition dating to 6,000 BCE — UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage).

For Tbilisi seafood with serious Georgian sparkling and Champagne, the destination is Cafe Littera, at Machabeli Street 13, Tbilisi 0105.

Chef Tekuna Gachechiladze's restaurant in the courtyard of the Writers' House of Georgia (the iconic 1903 Art Nouveau mansion donated to the Georgian Writers' Union) — modern Georgian cuisine with a serious raw bar and a properly curated wine list featuring Georgian traditional-method sparkling wines (the iconic Bagrationi-style sparkling Saperavi rosé, traditional-method qvevri-amphora sparkling) alongside Champagne.

Georgia is inland (closest sea is the Black Sea at Batumi, 5 hours west), so fresh seafood is more limited; the Cafe Littera and the Funicular Restaurant Complex on Mtatsminda Mountain (the iconic Tbilisi viewpoint) are the main fine-dining alternatives with serious wine programmes.

For a contemporary heritage-meets-design stay in Tbilisi, the reference is Stamba Hotel, at Merab Kostava Street 14, Tbilisi 0108.

A 1970s former Soviet publishing house brutally converted to a contemporary luxury boutique in 2018 — the original concrete-and-steel infrastructure is preserved with the iconic open-shelving lobby (using the publishing house's original archive of Soviet-era Georgian books), the indoor garden, and the rooftop pool.

Among Tbilisi's most architecturally distinctive 21st-century projects and a regular feature in Wallpaper, Monocle, and design publications. The iconic Stamba Cafe and the rooftop Pool Restaurant are Tbilisi destination meals.

Pricing from around €300/night. Bookings via the official site.

For a more traditional heritage alternative, Rooms Hotel Tbilisi at Merab Kostava Street 14 (sister property to Stamba, in a converted 1930s Stalin-era building with proper Tbilisi heritage interiors) is the comparable heritage-boutique choice.

For a smaller contemporary alternative, Vinotel Boutique Hotel at Eristavi Street 4 (a 12-room boutique with serious Georgian wine focus) is the smaller wine-themed choice.

Georgia decriminalised homosexuality in 2000 (a Soviet-era law).

However, the country has become increasingly restrictive for LGBTQ+ people in recent years: in 2024 the Georgian parliament passed a constitutional amendment defining marriage strictly as between a man and a woman, plus additional legislation restricting LGBTQ+ visibility, public assembly, and media.

The 2021 attempted Tbilisi Pride was violently disrupted by far-right groups; subsequent Prides have been cancelled or held privately. The legal and social environment for LGBTQ+ people has become significantly more hostile.

The neighborhood: There is no defined gay quarter in Tbilisi. The Vake middle-class neighborhood and the iconic Old Town's Sololaki creative district have the most LGBTQ+-friendly venues mixed in with the general scene, but venues are largely unmarked and locally-known.

The venues: Bassiani at Akaki Tsereteli Avenue 2, Tbilisi 0119 — Georgia's iconic underground techno nightclub in the basement of the Dinamo Tbilisi football stadium — is the most-cited LGBTQ+-friendly nightlife venue in the country (the club organises the iconic Horoom Nights LGBTQ+-themed evenings several times monthly).

The club was raided by Georgian police in 2018 in a flashpoint moment for LGBTQ+ rights in Georgia. The dedicated dedicated LGBTQ+ bars operate discreetly and change frequently due to safety concerns.

Travellers visiting Tbilisi should be aware of the political climate and exercise discretion in public.

Safety notes: Public displays of affection between same-sex couples may attract harassment in Tbilisi. The Georgian LGBTQ+ NGO Tbilisi Pride and Equality Movement provide current resources for visitors.

The political climate has been deteriorating; travellers should consult current government advisories.

The famous-person small museum: Joseph Stalin Museum in nearby Gori (1 hour west of Tbilisi by car) at Stalin Avenue 32, Gori 1400.

The Soviet-era museum dedicated to Joseph Stalin (born in Gori in 1878) — properly atmospheric, with Stalin's preserved childhood home protected by an iconic Greco-Roman pavilion, Stalin's personal armoured train carriage, and the iconic death mask.

The museum has not been substantially updated since Soviet times and remains controversial as a result. For a Tbilisi-located alternative, the Tbilisi Museum of Soviet Occupation at Rustaveli Avenue 3 documents the 70 years of Soviet rule in Georgia from a properly critical perspective.

The recent landmark: Bridge of Peace (Mšvidobis Khidi) crossing the Mtkvari river in central Tbilisi — the 2010-opened Michele De Lucchi-designed pedestrian bridge with the iconic curving glass-and-steel canopy that lights up nightly. Among Georgia's most-photographed contemporary landmarks.

Pair with the iconic Rike Park on the other side of the bridge — the contemporary urban park with the iconic unfinished Massimiliano Fuksas-designed concert hall and exhibition centre (started 2009, paused, partially reactivated 2024 — the iconic stainless-steel "tubes" remain a Tbilisi landmark).

1-3 day itinerary: Day 1 — Old Town (Narikala Fortress walk-up for the iconic panorama, the Sulfur Baths in Abanotubani district — Pushkin famously bathed here in 1829 — Mother of Georgia statue, dinner at Shavi Lomi).

Day 2 — Modern Tbilisi (Rustaveli Avenue walking, National Museum of Georgia with the iconic Bronze Age gold treasures, Bridge of Peace evening).

Day 3 — Day trip to Mtskheta (20km north — UNESCO World Heritage, the iconic 6th-century Jvari Monastery and 11th-century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral) and Kakheti wine region (1-2 hours east — the iconic Georgian qvevri winemaking experience at Pheasant's Tears, Schuchmann, or the underground Khareba wine tunnels).