20 Best Places to Eat in Georgia: The Ultimate Culinary & Dining Guide

Georgian cuisine (Kartuli Samzareulo) is renowned worldwide for its bold, hearty flavors, fragrant herbs, crushed walnuts, and rich cheeses. From famous cheese breads (Khachapuri) and spiced dumpling pillows (Khinkali) to charcoal-grilled skewers (Mtsvadi) and natural clay-pot wines, dining in Georgia is a joyful celebration of life and hospitality.

Must-Try Traditional Dishes

Adjaruli Khachapuri: A boat-shaped bread filled with melted cheese, butter, and a raw egg yolk cooked in a stone oven.
Khinkali: Juicy, twisted soup dumplings stuffed with spiced minced meat (or mushrooms/cheese) and flavorful broth.
Mtsvadi: Tender pork or calf meat skewered and charcoal-roasted over grapevine embers.
Badrijani Nigvzit: Pan-fried eggplant slices rolled with a savory garlic-walnut paste and topped with fresh pomegranate seeds.
Shkmeruli: Crispy pan-roasted chicken served swimming in a rich, bubbling garlic and cream sauce.

20 Best Places to Eat in Georgia

1. Shavi Lomi (Black Lion)

Cuisine: Modern & Traditional Georgian Fusion
Location: Sololaki / Avlabari, Tbilisi
Must-Try Dish: "Gobi" communal sharing platter with pkhali, cheeses, and corn bread
About the Place: Set inside a Bohemian courtyard apartment, Shavi Lomi pioneered modern comfort-food twists on traditional Georgian recipes.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Shavi Lomi

2. Barbarestan

Cuisine: Historic Authentic Georgian Gastronomy
Location: Agmashenebeli Avenue, Tbilisi
Must-Try Dish: Duck in pomegranate sauce and traditional heritage soups
About the Place: A family-run fine dining institution whose entire menu is recreated from an authentic 19th-century cookbook by Duchess Barbare Jorjadze.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Barbarestan

3. Pasanauri Restaurant

Cuisine: Mountain Georgian & Dumplings
Location: Multiple Locations, Tbilisi & Pasanauri
Must-Try Dish: Authentic Pasanauri-style hand-twisted Khinkali dumplings
About the Place: Named after the mountain village considered the birthplace of Khinkali, serving some of Georgia's finest dumplings and drafts.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Pasanauri Restaurant

4. Cafe Lagidze Waters

Cuisine: Traditional Pastry & Soda Fountain
Location: Near Kutaisi / Tbilisi
Must-Try Dish: Imeruli Khachapuri accompanied by natural chocolate and tarragon soda
About the Place: An iconic Georgian culinary heritage brand operating since 1887, famous for natural syrup sodas paired with hot flaky cheese pies.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Cafe Lagidze Waters

5. Porto Franco

Cuisine: Adjarian Regional Specialties
Location: Batumi, Adjara
Must-Try Dish: Titanic Adjaruli Khachapuri with extra butter and double egg
About the Place: Considered by locals as Batumi's ultimate shrine for boat-shaped Adjaruli Khachapuri baked fresh in brick ovens.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Porto Franco

6. Salobie Bia

Cuisine: Western Georgian Comfort Food
Location: Rustaveli Avenue, Tbilisi
Must-Try Dish: Clay-pot stewed Lobio beans served with Mchadi cornbread and pickles
About the Place: An artistic bistro beneath the Rustaveli Theatre specializing in rich bean stews, pkhali spreads, and natural Qvevri wines.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Salobie Bia

7. Pheasant's Tears Winery & Restaurant

Cuisine: Farm-to-Table Organic Georgian
Location: Sighnaghi, Kakheti
Must-Try Dish: Seasonal farm menu paired with natural amber Qvevri wine flights
About the Place: A world-famous artisan winery and restaurant serving organic regional dishes made from locally foraged ingredients and natural wines.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Pheasant's Tears

8. Restaurant Kakhelebi

Cuisine: Traditional Kakhetian Feast
Location: Kakheti Highway, Outskirts of Tbilisi
Must-Try Dish: Grapevine-charcoal Mtsvadi skewers and farm-fresh bread
About the Place: Celebrated for sourcing every ingredient from its own eco-farms in Kakheti, serving authentic roasted meats and pastries.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Restaurant Kakhelebi

9. Lilestan

Cuisine: Svaneti Regional Cuisine
Location: Mestia, Svaneti
Must-Try Dish: Kubdari (spiced meat-stuffed bread) seasoned with Svan salt
About the Place: A cozy mountain venue in Mestia serving authentic Svaneti regional pies, Tashmijabi (cheesy mashed potatoes), and local lagers.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Lilestan

10. Mapshalia

Cuisine: Megrelian Budget Home Cooking
Location: Agmashenebeli Avenue, Tbilisi
Must-Try Dish: Elarji (cheesy cornmeal porridge) served with spicy Satsivi chicken
About the Place: An unassuming, underground local canteen serving incredible Megrelian comfort food at exceptionally budget-friendly prices.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Mapshalia

11. Bina 37

Cuisine: Rooftop Qvevri Winery & Dining
Location: Varkeleti, Tbilisi
Must-Try Dish: Shkmeruli garlic chicken paired with rooftop-fermented Rkatsiteli wine
About the Place: A unique urban winery set on the 8th-floor rooftop of a residential building, complete with 37 active subterranean clay Qvevri tanks.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Bina 37

12. Cafe Cheri (Château Mukhrani)

Cuisine: Aristocratic Georgian & European
Location: Mukhrani, Mtskheta Region
Must-Try Dish: Slow-braised beef cheeks with truffled polenta and royal reserve wines
About the Place: Set within the restored 19th-century royal estate of Prince Ivane Mukhranbatoni, offering fine dining surrounded by vineyards.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Cafe Cheri

13. Cafe Litera

Cuisine: Fine Dining Contemporary Georgian
Location: Writers' House, Sololaki, Tbilisi
Must-Try Dish: Mussels in chakafuli tarragon broth and trout with pomegranate
About the Place: Helmed by celebrated chef Tekuna Gachechiladze, set in the fairytale garden of the historic 1911 Writers' House mansion.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Cafe Litera

14. Restaurant Palaty

Cuisine: Imeretian Family Dining
Location: Kutaisi Old Town
Must-Try Dish: Imeruli Khachapuri baked in clay pots and seasonal salads
About the Place: A warm, multi-level family restaurant in central Kutaisi, renowned for home-style baking, live piano music, and local hospitality.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Restaurant Palaty

15. Rooms Hotel Dining Room

Cuisine: Alpine Fusion & American-Georgian Grill
Location: Kazbegi (Stepantsminda)
Must-Try Dish: Pan-roasted mountain trout and gourmet burgers
About the Place: Offers stylish high-altitude dining with floor-to-ceiling glass windows directly framing panoramic views of Mount Kazbek.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Rooms Hotel Dining Room

16. Restaurant Old Mill (Dzveli Qutaisi)

Cuisine: Traditional Imeretian Feast
Location: Rioni Riverbank, Kutaisi
Must-Try Dish: Crispy fried chicken in blackberry sauce (Isrim-Tkmali)
About the Place: Set right along the rushing white waters of the Rioni River, offering outdoor river balconies and live Georgian polyphonic singing.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Restaurant Old Mill

17. Shoti Bread Bakery at Meidan Square

Cuisine: Traditional Bakery
Location: Old Town, Tbilisi
Must-Try Dish: Freshly baked, canoe-shaped Shoti bread hot from a Tone clay oven
About the Place: A small underground bakery where travelers can watch bakers slap fresh dough onto the inner walls of red-hot subterranean clay ovens.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Shoti Bread Bakery

18. Clouds Bar & Restaurant

Cuisine: International Seafood & Cocktails
Location: Radisson Blu, Batumi
Must-Try Dish: Seared Black Sea salmon fillet and signature cocktails
About the Place: Positioned high on the 19th floor overlooking Batumi Boulevard, offering fine dining, DJ lounge beats, and Black Sea views.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Clouds Bar & Restaurant

19. Tsiskvili (The Windmill) Complex

Cuisine: Traditional Georgian Folk Dining
Location: Beliashvili Street, Tbilisi
Must-Try Dish: Roast suckling pig, Khachapuri, and house wine
About the Place: A sprawling museum-like restaurant complex set around natural waterfalls and watermills, featuring nightly professional national dance shows.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Tsiskvili

20. Chacha Time

Cuisine: Gastro-Pub & Chacha Bar
Location: Tbilisi Old Town & Batumi
Must-Try Dish: Gourmet craft burgers paired with artisan Georgian Chacha (grape brandy) tasting flights
About the Place: A trendy bar dedicated to educating visitors about Georgia's potent national pomace brandy (Chacha) alongside delicious burgers.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Chacha Time