10 ways to immerse yourself in Tbilisi, Georgia
Sprouting up from the banks of the Mtkvari River and into the hills that cradle it, Tbilisi is part charm, part chaos, and wholly original. Wander its quiet, hilly streets where spires of steam bloom from traditional tone bakeries and garments dance on laundry lines amid shimmering shushabandi balconies. Adventure through impossibly clustered markets where jewel-coloured churchkhela treats dangle like wind chimes and stacked wheels of sulguni, imeruli, and shebolili cheese, serve as petite ramparts. Epitomise the expression shemomechama – an untranslatable phrase for when you’re filled-to-the-gills, but continue eating anyway – at bustling eateries with peppered khinkali and ambrosian, neon-hued Georgian lemonade. Either way, Tbilisi is sure to leave its mark on you – here are ten reasons how...
Enjoy traditional Georgian hospitality
An old Georgian proverb goes, “Every guest is a gift from God,” and with the countless tales of visitors who’ve been spontaneously whisked away to family supras – traditional feasts filled with elaborate toasts and a cornucopia of Georgian delights – it certainly speaks to one of Georgia’s most beloved characteristics – its hospitality.
Situated high on a lush ridge that overlooks the city is Kartlis Deda (the Mother of Georgia), an enormous silver statue of a woman with a sword in one hand, and a bowl of wine in the other. The former is for enemies, symbolising the nation’s strength, while the latter represents the nation's warm hospitality and welcoming spirit.
Georgian hospitality is something of a cultural phenomenon, it’s not something you can plan or pencil into an itinerary, but it is something that’s always felt – even in the hustle and bustle of Tbilisi.
Take a walk through its Old Town
Crowned by the 4th-century Narikala Fortress and Kartlis Deda on one side of the Mtkvari River, and Queen Darejan Palace and the mighty Sameba Church on the other, the UNESCO-contending Old Town is the heart and soul of the city.
Strung together by a tangle of streets with hidden ezos (traditional courtyards), crumbling churches, charming merchant mansions, enduring lattice balconies and cute little bookstands piled high with colourful spines of literary classics, Old Town is the perfect place to amble away an afternoon.
While Tbilisi is certainly a city of churches, Old Town is a prime example of Georgia’s religious diversity through the ages. A climb to the top of Betlemi Stairs will reveal a gorgeous sea of sharp, gilded domes topped with ornate crosses, but just a stone’s throw away is Ateshgah, a fifth-century Zoroastrian fire temple that echoes the city’s Persian influence. Down the hill in Abanotubani lies Jumah Mosque – one of the world’s only mosques where both Shia and Sunni Muslims pray – and just up the street is The Great Synagogue facing due Jerusalem, not far from Tbilisi’s oldest church, the sixth-century Anchiskhati Basilica.
Taste its authentic food
First rule of visiting Tbilisi – come hungry. Plates of steaming, juicy khinkali (traditional dumplings), delicate slivers of eggplant smothered in a garlicky walnut paste (badrijani nigvzit), clay pots filled with bubbling lobio (a hearty bean stew), and warm, buttery cheese bread known as khachapuri, are just a few of the star dishes that make Georgia a gourmand paradise – and Tbilisi is at the helm of it all.
Head to Chugureti restaurant Asi Khinkali (one hundred dumplings) for heaping plates of kalakuri khinkali loaded with beef and coriander, or dambalkhacho khinkali filled with a delectably sharp cheese of the same name. Pop into Gunda, a cosy artisan khachapuri bakery tucked away on a quiet Mtatsminda District street where you’ll find the ever-indulgent adjaruli khachapuri filled with molten cheese and topped with a golden orb of an egg yolk, plus rare regional delights like flaky meskhuri khachapuri topped with hand-pulled tenili cheese.
For a comforting but slightly lighter fare, there’s Salobie Bia, a Rustaveli Avenue gem hailed for its humble lobio generously seasoned with blue fenugreek and served with a crispy disc of mchadi (cornbread) and a medley of pickled veggies like delicate jonjoli flowers and hot pink cabbage.
Try its divine wine
Linger over a glass or three of crisp amber wine on a sun-drenched patio, or taste your way through 8,000 years of winemaking heritage with a degustation; either way, in the capital of the oldest winemaking country in the world, you’ve got options.
Familiarise yourself with some of Georgia’s beloved wines – including the signature UNESCO-recognised qvevri wines that are fermented in enormous, egg-shaped clay vessels buried deep underground – with a tasting at 8,000 Vintages.
Once you’ve determined whether you’re a saperavi or a rkatsiteli type, it’s time to indulge in Tbilisi’s wine bar scene. Sip on some of Georgia’s best natural wines – many of which are from small family wineries – at Vino Underground, or grab a seat outside at lively Sulico whose gourmet cheese boards and wine pairings are sure to leave you drooling.
See its diverse architecture
Vibrant Soviet mosaics and Brutalist wonders juxtaposed with candy-coloured balconies and whimsical art nouveau mansions showcase Tbilisi’s rich history and enduring architecture.
Wander from Abanotubani’s dome-clad bath district toward Sololaki, where you’ll find the Hogwarts-esque “School no. 6,” The Writer’s House, the magical Kalantarov mansion, and the lavishly painted hallways of bourgeois tobacco merchants, the Seilanov brothers. Onward to Rustaveli Avenue, where the storied Blue House hides behind a bygone cable station with spiral stairs and once-stately arches, not far from the Rustaveli Opera House and equally impressive Palace of Mirrors.
Across the river in Chugureti and Avlabari, Fabrika, a Soviet-sewing-factory-turned-hip-hangout-spot, and the Palace of Rituals await – as do pastel heritage buildings with cherub-studded facades, rickety staircases, and lopsided lattice balconies. Finally, venture out to the Chronicles of Georgia, an enormous monument comprised of 16 pillars with spectacular depictions of Christian narratives and prominent historical figures like Shota Rustaveli and King David the Builder.
Take a dip in its thermal baths
Tbilisi takes its name from tbili, meaning ‘warm’ in Georgian. The warmth signifies not the city’s balmy summers, but rather the bubbling sulfur springs on which the city sits.
Situated underneath the Narikala Fortress and adjacent the 120-year-old Jumah Mosque, most of Tbilisi’s bathhouses can be found in the aptly named Abanotubani (Bath District).
Take a long, luxurious soak in the famous Chreli-Abano marked by its kaleidoscope of blue and yellow tiles that once beckoned Alexander Pushkin, Alexandre Dumas, and the likes. For fewer frills but equal relaxation, there’s Gulo’s Thermal Spa, whose colourful mosaics of local lore and gloriously warm water provide the perfect environment to partake in the city’s most quintessential self-care ritual.
Don’t forget to opt for a kisi scrub, a vigorous, full-body exfoliation that’ll leave you good as new. Afterwards, top it all off with a warm glass of mariami tea at Sabir’s, a cosy chaikhana (tea house) tucked away in a nondescript cellar of Abanotubani.
Visit its galleries and museums
With priceless collections of hominid skulls, remarkable treasures of the Colchic Kingdom, the unearthed qvevri that named Georgia the cradle of wine, and the grim records of the Soviet Occupation of Georgia, the National Museum is perfect for an afternoon of curiosity and history.
The newly opened Museum of Repressed Writers located in the famous Writer’s House – an early 20th-century mansion and collaborative space for some of Tbilisi’s most famed literary legends – gives a haunting glimpse into the brutalities of Stalin’s 'Great Purge'. Meanwhile, the Tbilisi Wine Museum houses priceless ancient artefacts of traditional winemaking throughout its many underground corridors.
For a dose of the arts, The National Gallery showcases many of Georgia’s most beloved painters like Pirosmani and Gudiashvili, while the Art Palace – located in a mansion as mesmerising as the exhibitions themselves – is the place for all things folklore, cinema, ballet and theatre.
Experience Tbilisi after dark
From craft-beer hideaways to fancy cocktail bars and dance-’til-dawn clubs, Tbilisi nightlife has plenty to offer. Pay a visit to Bassiani, the pulsating techno club hidden beneath the sprawling Dinamo Stadium, whose dance floor is spread across the floor of a derelict swimming pool, and famed Horoom nights a festive celebration of Georgian queer culture.
Or clink a few glasses at L’ado, a swanky spot housed in a 130-year-old mansion serving up avant-garde cocktails and groovy music. Afterwards pop into any of the neighbourhood’s many other watering holes or get a taste of Georgia’s notorious chacha – a potent spirit crafted from the leftovers of winemaking – at Chacha Time.
Raise a toast with a few pints at Sma and Tsota Tsota – two tiny beer bars, both with big reputations for craft brews. For the best of beer and khinkali – and there are few better duos – spend the evening at 9 Mta. For an active evening, venture up to Mtatsminda and take the twinkling city in from above or hop around the Wine Factory area of Vera.
Spy the city’s urban art
Tbilisi’s colourful murals are splashed across worn apartment blocks, quiet underpasses, and well-trodden side streets, rendering the city an open canvas.
Take a stroll through Chugureti, where you’ll find plenty of funky artworks. Among them, a vibrant portrait of 12thcentury Queen Tamar on Javakhishvili Street created by prominent local activist Tina Chertova, and a frail polar bear swimming in an ever-shrinking habitat on Uznadze Street, by German street artist Kuba. Then on Bukhaidze Street, a supra scene inspired by famed Georgian painter Pirosmani and reimagined by David Samkharadze.
Set out for Saburtalo, where a colourful depiction of the Russia-Ukraine War represented by the Georgian myth of Amirani can be found on Daraselia Street, while Concrete Air by David Kelber on Bakhtrioni Street serves as a vivid reminder of pollution.
Venture out to Varketili, a neighbourhood on the fringes of Tbilisi whose many Soviet apartment blocks have created the perfect space for street artists. Look for Nona Gaprindashvili – a master of chess and inspiration behind Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit – on Mebrdzolta Street, another of Samkhararze’s masterpieces.
Wander its many markets
As a Silk Road city, markets and their merchants have long been a core part of Tbilisi’s culture. Go hunting for vintage treasures, eclectic Soviet mementoes, colourful paintings, and textiles at Dry Bridge Market. Situated on the bridge of the same name, this open air flea market is dominated by shiny samovars, still-turning gramophones, colourful carpets, and swaths of antique china, dainty trinkets, and more than a few sickle and hammers. In the lush grounds of the park below the bridge, you’ll find a wonderful mishmash of felt goods and hand-painted canvases.
Get lost in the 2,000 square metre maze that is Dezerter Bazaar, an atmospheric jumble of spices, village-to-stall produce, butcher counters, cheese huts, and churchkhela stands. Local legend has it that Dezerter Bazaar got its name from the deserting soldiers who pawned their weapons and gear there during the Russo-Georgian War in the 1920s – but take it with a grain of svan salt (a fragrant Georgian spice blend), of which you’ll find plenty here.
Feeling inspired?
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