Old Tbilisi has two faces. One is for tourists: wine shop windows, boat-shaped khachapuri on every corner and music from loudspeakers. The other is for locals: quiet courtyards, family taverns and bakeries where the dough is kneaded by hand. Here are five places from the second category.
1. A tone bakery in Betlemi
Climb the steep lanes of the Betlemi quarter and somewhere between the houses you’ll catch the smell of hot bread. Here they bake shoti right in front of you, slapping the dough onto the wall of a round oven. Take it hot, tear it by hand — that’s breakfast.
2. A family tavern by the sulfur baths
No sign, a dozen tables. The owner cooks whatever she bought at the market that morning, so the menu changes daily. Order khinkali and don’t rush — here it’s a ritual, not a snack.
The best Georgian food is where there’s no English menu and the owner sits down at your table to tell you how his grandmother cooked it.
3. A wine cellar in Sololaki
Qvevri — clay vessels buried in the ground — are here for use, not decoration. The host pours his homemade wine and tells you about each variety so warmly you’ll want to stay until evening.
4. A café in a well-courtyard
You can only find it if you know the address. Carved balconies, grapevines overhead and coffee brewed on sand. Perfect to wait out the midday heat.
5. A bakery-confectionery by the bridge
People come for churchkhela and baklava made to family recipes. Take some for the road — the best souvenir from Tbilisi isn’t a magnet, it’s a taste.
