While it’s true that Kutaisi nightlife is a fair bit tamer than in Tbilisi or Batumi, there are still some excellent bars and bar-restaurants where you can wind down with a glass of local Imeretian wine or a Kutaisi-inspired cocktail – or rev up with a few draught beers and some live music.
From rooftop bars with spectacular city views to underground wine cellars and local dive bars, here are 14 of the very best places to grab a drink in Kutaisi.
- Also see: The best bars in Tbilisi
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14 of the best bars in Kutaisi for 2024
1. Gallery Terrace at the Grand Opera Hotel (best rooftop bar in Kutaisi)
Gallery Terrace is far and away the best Kutaisi bar with a view. It is located on top of the former Palace Hotel (the beautiful green-and-gold heritage corner building), directly across the road from the Opera Theatre.
Standing on the open terrace, you meet face to face with five of the 10 larger-than-life statues that stand atop the theatre building. Looking north, there is a clear view out to Bagrati Cathedral.
Georgian wine is served by the glass or bottle along with beer and spirits. When it comes to food, dishes are mostly European (pizza, pasta, sandwiches), and there are a few starters that would make for nice beer snacks (including pumpkin ‘hummus’ and a Kutaisian version of tacos with blackberry chicken). The food is a little pricey for the portion size – but hey, you’re paying for the view.
The terrace is completely open, with tables and casual seating amongst potted olive trees. There is also an indoor area, and part of the terrace has a retractable roof in case of rain.
The bar is connected to the Grand Opera Hotel, but it has a separate entrance that is a bit hidden away. Look for the single glass door on Tsisperi Kantselebi Street, next to Piatto cafe. Go down the stairs, then take the elevator up to the top level.
- Address: 4 Rustaveli Avenue
- Opening hours: From midday daily
- Info & contact: Facebook
2. Winetage (best wine bar & wine shop in Kutaisi)
Launched by my friends Irakli Paghava in spring 2023, Winetage is both a bar and a wine shop, stocking a hand-picked range of reds, ambers and pet nats from local winemakers in Imereti and beyond. If you’re looking to pick up some quality Georgian wine to take home as a souvenir or a gift, this is definitely the best place to do it.
For drink-in guests, the bar has a menu of wines available by the glass plus several dozen bottles open at any one time. Tastings are also available.
Irakli and his partner Magda both have excellent wine knowledge and are helpful when it comes to making a choice. It certainly helps that they personally know most of the winemakers they stock.
Winetage recently moved to a new space in the old lobby of the Hotel Kutaisi, directly opposite the Opera Theatre (where Tea House Foe-Foe used to be). They now have a full kitchen and more space to host events, including wine degustations, masterclasses, and acoustic music performances.
- Address: 5 Shota Rustaveli Avenue
- Opening hours: 11am-11pm daily
- Info & contact: Facebook
3. Sapere (cosy wine bar in Kutaisi)
Another excellent wine bar in Kutaisi, Sapere serves local qvevri and European-style wines by the glass and bottle. The selection is thoughtful but quite small, and on a couple of occasions I found the wine I wanted to drink was not in stock. Staff are very attentive though and can help by making alternative recommendations.
The kitchen here is exceedingly good. For something bite-sized to share over a bottle, I highly recommend the pkhali on mini rounds of pillowy soft cornbread.
Sapere has a cosy, heritage interior with framed vintage wine labels on the walls, hand-painted crockery from White Studio in Tbilisi, and mis-matched furniture. I adore the atmosphere here, especially on weekends when there is often a live piano recital (bookings are essential!).
There is a lovely garden out back, making Sapere one of the best bars in the city for long summer evenings. Its residential location in historic Sapichkhia and popularity among Kutaisians gives Sapere a local feel.
- Address: 37 Tbilisi Street
- Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday from 2pm
- Info & contact: Facebook
4. The Blue Bar at Hotel Newport (best cocktails in Kutaisi)
The Blue Bar is located on the ground floor of the Newport Hotel, the restored baby blue building that was Kutaisi’s courthouse in a former life. Checkerboard tiles, velvet booths and deco details make this one of the best designed bars in town.
The ‘Precious wines’ list has several local wines, including Otskhanuri Sapere made in qvevri by Dato Khichladze Marani, and Stitska Tsolikauri Krakhuna by Baia’s Wine.
But this bar is best known for its cocktails. Among the creative concoctions are the Newport Club with gin and raspberry liqueur, the Newport Sling (pictured below), and the Cha-Cha-Cha (homemade chacha with raspberries and tonic).
The food here is also very good, and there are several drink-friendly snacks on the menu including spicy chicken wings and guacamole with tortilla chips.
- Address: 1 Newport Street
- Opening hours: From 1pm daily
- Info & contact: Facebook
5. Our Garden Cafe & Bar (bar near Bagrati Cathedral)
Open for summer and autumn only (roughly May through to October), this bar also has a great view, looking squarely onto Bagrati Cathedral. It’s the perfect spot to grab a nightcap and a snack after watching the sunset from the churchyard (one of my favourite things to do in Kutaisi).
The indoor dining room is covered from the rafters to the floor with beautiful paintings. Local Megrelian and Imeretian wines are served as well as classic cocktails and a very nice homemade lemonade.
The kitchen does classic Georgian cuisine with lots of salads and vegetarian options. The ‘flour and magic’ section of the menu has a dozen different varieties of khachapuri, lobiani and Svanetian kubdari.
- Address: 23 Bagrati Street
- Opening hours: From 11am daily (summer/autumn only)
- Info & contact: Facebook
6. At Home
Formerly Satsnakheli natural wine bar, At Home has a long wine list and offers reasonably priced pitchers of house vino, too. The subterranean set up is a cosy brick cellar with wine racks, qvevri and other vintners’ ephemera. In autumn, it’s very pleasant to sit in the front yard under the tangerine trees, or inside the open wooden oda house.
Upstairs, there is a sit-down restaurant. The bar also serves lunch and dinner along with grazing plates – a Georgian cheese platter or Imeretian appetisers board with pkhali, mchadi cornbread and pickles is the perfect choice if you’re here to drink.
- Address: 7 Nikitin Street
- Opening hours: From 10am daily
- Info & contact: Facebook
7. Memoire Wine Room
Located underneath one of Kutaisi’s finest boutique hotels, Memoire, this moody wine bar has an intimate atmosphere and great vintage decor. Imeretian and Kakheti wines are served, and there is live piano music some nights of the week during the high season.
As the name suggests, Memoire’s concept is all about memory and heritage. There are archival photos of old Kutaisi on the walls – spot the one of the Ishkhneli sisters, the popular folk quartet from the Soviet era who are also immortalised in statue form inside Kutaisi’s Central Park.
- Address: 5 Newport Street
- Opening hours: From 11am daily
- Info & contact: Facebook
8. Mary’s Irish Pub & Beer Garden (expat bar in Kutaisi)
Mary’s might be a new addition to Kutaisi’s nightlife scene, but the bar looks and feels as if it has been around for decades. Decorated with sport’s jerseys, posters and all manner of bric-a-brac, it has a typical Irish pub vibe and friendly service.
Expat-run Mary’s originated in Batumi and opened its Kutaisi outpost in 2023. It has since become a firm favourite among foreigners and locals alike. Sports games are played on the big screen inside, and out back there is a small Georgian-style beer garden.
Tap beer is reasonably priced, as are the cocktails. The bar snacks here are delicious, particularly the old-fashioned fish and chips, and the chicken strips with whiskey sauce. I only wish they did a traditional Irish breakfast fry up!
- Address: 15 Galaktion Tabidze Street
- Opening hours: From 4pm daily (2pm on Fri/Sat/Sun)
- Info & contact: Facebook
9. WILD
Also located on Tabidze Street (which is fast becoming Kutaisi’s coolest restaurant and bar precinct), WILD is a small, local bar that opened in 2023 inside a former bakery. It is managed by a couple from the UK and is another magnet for expats and English speakers.
Tap beer, cocktails and wine are all available.
WILD hosts regular events including clothes swaps and language exchange sessions.
- Address: 11 Galaktion Tabidze Street
- Opening hours: From 5pm daily (4pm on Fri/Sat)
- Info & contact: Facebook
10. Rooftop Terrace at the Best Western
Located atop the six-storey Best Western Hotel, Rooftop Terrace is another bar with lovely city views – this time of the Rioni River and White Bridge. I like this place for a sundowner, but the food at the Grill Restaurant is not my favourite. Best to stick to the drinks menu.
- Address: 11 Joseb Grishashvili Street
- Opening hours: From midday daily
- Info & contact: Facebook
11. Ziari Bar (best bar for live music in Kutaisi)
Ziari Bar is one of two venues nestled inside the heritage building on Tamar Mepe Street known colloquially as ‘China House’. Next door, Reflector is one of the most popular nightclubs in Kutaisi.
Don’t let the neon lights fool you: Ziari is laid back, with friendly staff and a selection of board games for guests. Cocktails are the specialty here.
Bands from Kutaisi and Tbilisi are often invited to play on Saturdays and Sundays, making this a great place to catch some live music.
- Address: 57 Tamar Mepe Street
- Opening hours: From 8pm daily
- Info & contact: Facebook
12. Museum Bar (karaoke bar)
Located in the centre of the city behind the State Historical Museum, this bar has a great courtyard area with leafy trees, fairy lights and ample seating. It’s always pumping with live music and some nights, there is a live vocalist and/or karaoke.
The bar does local and imported beers plus spirits. If you’re peckish, there is a full Georgian menu. And if you’re feeling brave, this is the only place I’ve seen that does a special dessert version of Adjarian khachapuri – with Nutella!
- Address: 16 Pushkin Street
- Opening hours: From 10am daily
- Info & contact: Facebook
13. Gardenia (riverside bar)
This riverside bar on the edge of Veriko Park is a lovely place to sit in summer and watch the cable cars glide over the Rioni. I much prefer it to the popular Cafe Argo – I only wish it was open year-round.
Happily, Gardenia serves draught beer (Zedazeni) for a couple of GEL. There is also bottled European brews and Georgian wines, plus a very extensive food menu.
- Address: Inside Veriko Park (near the White Bridge)
- Opening hours: From 10am daily (summer/autumn only)
- Info & contact: Facebook
14. Art Club Martini (local bar)
Art Club Martini (formerly Pub Barca) is a sports bar with draught beer and a big menu of Georgian classics. There are several flat screen TVs for streaming sports matches, including the World Cup.
Impromptu panduri recitals are not unheard of, and at a certain hour, it’s common for the entire bar to break out into a chorus of Georgian folk songs.
We often come here for a cheap draft beer (3 GEL!) and a meal.
- Address: Mari Brosse Street (behind the theatre)
- Opening hours: From midday daily
- Info & contact: Facebook
Where to stay in Kutaisi
If it’s your first time visiting Kutaisi, I highly recommend choosing a hotel that’s located in the city centre. See this neighbourhood guide for detailed recommendations, or check out my top Kutaisi accommodation picks below.
TOP CHOICE: Communal Hotel (⭐ 9.7). Launching in autumn 2023, the latest offering from The Communal Company (also of Communal Telavi and Tbilisi) is Kutaisi’s premier boutique hotel. Rooms are cosy and perfectly decorated, and the property has an outdoor pool and onsite restaurant-bar, Doli.
BUDGET-FRIENDLY: Black Tomato (⭐ 9.2). This popular hostel in historic Sapichkhia offers both dorms and private doubles with ensuites. The terrace garden is lovely, and the onsite Georgian-Jewish restaurant serves a delicious breakfast plus meals throughout the day.
MID-RANGE: Newport Hotel (⭐ 9.1). Located on the cusp of Kutaisi’s historic Jewish Quarter, behind the Colchis Fountain, this hotel is located inside the former Kutaisi Courthouse. Rooms are comfortable, the service is friendly, and the onsite bar-restaurant is excellent.
MID-RANGE: Hotel 1887 (⭐ 9.2). This historic 19th-century house is a 10-minute walk from the Colchis Fountain. Rooms pair original wooden panelling and parquet floors with minimal, Scandi-style furnishings. There is a garden, and some rooms have private balconies.
UP-SCALE: Hotel Grand Opera (⭐ 8.7). Situated in the heart of Kutaisi centre, this hotel has a magnificent rooftop bar overlooking the Opera Theatre. Expect well-appointed rooms and a generous breakfast from this hotel with a location that’s impossible to beat.
More Kutaisi travel resources
- Best Kutaisi itinerary, all the best things to do in Kutaisi in 1-4 days
- Hidden gems in Kutaisi, alternative & unusual things to do
- Kutaisi in winter, cold-weather activities & travel tips
- Best restaurants & cafes in Kutaisi, what & where to eat in Kutaisi
- How to get from Kutaisi Airport to the city, transport tips
- Guide to Tskaltubo, my favourite day trip from Kutaisi
- Staying at Tskaltubo Spa Resort, a renewed Soviet sanatorium
- Guide to Chiatura, riding the famous cable cars near Kutaisi
- Guide to Martvili Canyon, a green oasis near Kutaisi
- Visiting Kutaisi Caves & Canyons, is this popular day trip worth it?
- How to travel from Kutaisi to Tbilisi, detailed transport guide
- How to travel from Kutaisi to Batumi, detailed transport guide