The 24 Best Bars in Tbilisi for 2024: Georgian Wine, Craft Beer, Cocktails & Nightlife

Qvevri wine, locally brewed craft beer and cocktails made on Georgian chacha – whatever your poison, Tbilisi has a drinking hole for you.

This edited list of the best Tbilisi bars includes all my favourite places to drink, eat and be merry.

• Also see: The best bars in Kutaisi, Georgia

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Map of bars in Tbilisi

Use my free map of Tbilisi’s best drinking spots to plan your next bar crawl. Click here to open the map via Google Maps.

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The 10 best wine bars in Tbilisi

• For more wine inspiration: See my wine lover’s guide to Tbilisi, my tips for finding a great wine tour in Kakheti, and my shortlist of the best wineries in Kakheti.

This tiny bar at the bottom of the old Tekle Caravanserai overlooking Sioni Cathedral only has room for a dozen people, ensuring every visitor has an intimate experience. I prefer sitting outside, facing the church and watching passers by on the busy pedestrian drag.

Proprietress, Nino – who is a winemaker herself, with ancestral vineyards in Dedoplistskaro – is usually on hand to offer her suggestions. Order by the glass (10 GEL) or try a three or five-wine tasting.

Building on her success, Nino now has a second bar in Vera.

• Location: 13 Sioni St (Old Tbilisi) & 40 M. Kostava St (Vera)
• Hours & info: Facebook

This friendly wine bar with antique furniture and the cutest logo in Tbilisi is run by enologist George Sikharulidze and his team of knowledgeable staff. Tucked around the corner from Fabrika, it’s a much chiller alternative to the party-centric hipster paradise nearby.

The no-nonsense wine card is easy to navigate and spotlights Georgian, French and Italian wines. At 15 GEL a glass, the Tvishi from Racha region is one of the dearest drops, but naturally it’s my top pick. Prices start from 8 GEL for a classic dry white.

For nibbles, there are Georgian and European platters plus substantial salads and mains. The Saperavi-braised beef sandwich on house-baked bread with caramelised onions and adjika is something special.

• Location: 46 I. Javakhishvili St (Chugureti)
• Hours & info: Facebook

Considered by many to be the best wine bar in Tbilisi, 8000 Vintages certainly has the biggest range of bottles on offer plus some of the city’s best sommeliers in residence.

If you’re keen to sample a wide selection of Georgian wines, I highly recommend a sit-down degustation. Starting from 45 GEL a head (2-5 people), the program includes four wines and a delectable mini cheese board along with a personalised narration. I consider it a must-do when visiting Tbilisi.

Tastings are polished and professional yet still accessible, free of jargon and with a focus on wine’s cultural value. At the end of the session you get to choose your favourite bottle to polish off. Order a gourmet charcuterie board to go with it.

Tastings are held on weekdays between 1pm and 7pm (reservations via the website are essential). Wine by the glass and take-home bottles are also available. 8000 Vintages hand-picks all wines through a blind tasting process, trialling 100 new bottles from vineyards large and small each and every month.

• Location: 27 R. Tabukashvili St (off Rustaveli Avenue) & elsewhere
• Hours & info: Facebook

Sulico Wine Bar and Restaurant channels the charm of the Georgian folk ballad for which it is named, with a sunken, mural-adorned courtyard that shimmers with fairy lights strung from a big tree.

This is one of the loveliest places to perch on a summer evening, and in winter, the courtyard is heated.

Wines from Telavi and beyond are on hand, with a focus on indie makers and small-scale wineries. Skip the prolix list: Just tell the waiter your preference and they will rustle up something special.

Meals range from cheese plates and light appetisers (stuffed zucchini flowers, bean pâté, tomato and Buratta galette) to more substantial mains including baked trout in vine leaves, and risotto with Svanetian cheese.

• Location: 27 M. Zandukeli St (Vera)
• Hours & info: Facebook

One of the oldest and most respected fixtures of the Tbilisi wine scene, g.Vino is much more than a bar-bistro: It’s a place where vintners come to swap notes, and where the social nature of Georgian wine shines through.

For years g.Vino was located on Erekle II Street until the owners picked up and relocated to the courtyard of Vake’s high-rise Axis Towers. It feels a bit corporate, but they have adapted well to their sophisticated new steel-and-glass digs.

The wine list (wines by the glass rotate weekly) focuses on natural small-batch labels, all classified by feel: ‘Light and bright’, ‘medium and expressive’, ‘full and intense.’ There is a sommelier on hand to help you choose.

Come hungry, because the food is phenomenal, from bar snacks such as marinated olives, gourmet flatbreads and wild mushroom croquettes, to Meskhetian apokhti khinkali soup, bite-sized empanada-style Svanetian kubdari meat pies, and pork ribs with a sticky maple glaze.

• Location: 37 I. Chavchavadze Ave (inside Axis Towers, Vake)
• Hours & info: Facebook

Co-founded by John Wurdeman of Pheasant’s Tears in Kakheti fame, Vino Underground was the first venue in Tbilisi to serve organic and bio wines exclusively.

The subterranean cellar remains one of the best places in the city to sample traditional low-intervention qvevri and European-style wines sourced from small family vineyards in Kakheti and beyond.

Four-wine tastings are available. Otherwise wine is served by the glass or bottle along with simple cheese plates. The list is edited and not too overwhelming – and staff are on hand to answer questions and provide information about all the wineries represented.

• Location: 15 G. Tabidze St (Sololaki)
• Hours & info: Facebook

This expat-owned bar and bottle shop is conveniently located off Freedom Square. The very lengthy wine list is organised by region, with smaller vineyards in Guria and Kartli represented.

DADI offers a five-wine tasting with a cheese pairing, or wine by the glass. The kitchen serves breakfast plus light a la carte meals, with the pulled pork sandwich a firm favourite. Creative sweets include a chocolate cake infused with Saperavi.

On weekends, they often do a boozy breakfast special – for example pancakes topped with pear and caramel matsoni with a flute of sparkling Pet Nat wine.

• Location: 4 S. Dadiani St (off Freedom Square)
• Hours & info: Facebook

This beautifully decorated wine bar and restaurant is one of my favourite venues in Chugureti. The back room used to house a souvenir haven called Craft Shop, but unfortunately the shop closed in 2023. It is now a cosy dining area with a big communal dining table.

Natural wines are served by the bottle with only a couple of choices by the glass, thus I definitely recommend bringing a friend or two to share with.

Cocktails are also available, accompanied by charcuterie plates and Levantine-style makali.

If you’re off to Kutaisi next, be sure to check out Communal Company’s latest offering, Communal Hotel and Doli Restaurant Kutaisi.

• Location: 54 E. Ninoshvili St (Chugureti)
• Hours & info: Facebook

This cosy salon has a disproportionately long wine card for a bar of its size, with ambers, reds and bubbly by the bottle, plus a shortlist of wines by the glass.

Chacha and dessert wines are also available, so you can spin your evening out for as long as you like (trust me, you won’t want to leave). There’s a 5 GEL discount if you want to buy a bottle to take home at the end of the night.

Drop by again during the day to see the cool mural painted on their roller door!

A second venue off Lado Gudiashvili Square, Wine Not? Bar and Kitchen, opened in 2023 and is big enough to host jazz sessions in the summer.

• Location: 6 V. Petriashvili St (Vera) & Lado Gudiashvili Square
• Hours & info: Facebook

10. Bu&Khari Tbilisi

Best for: Creative wines & pan-Asian snacks.

Beka Minadze is an ambitious vintner, utilising the full suite of grapes from virtually every Georgian microzone to produce no fewer than 65 wines – from sparkling Kartli Pet Nats to moody Imeretian qvevri ambers.

Located inside the storied Melik-Azaryants House at the top of Rustaveli Avenue, Bu&Khari Tbilisi (a younger sister to Beka’s popular Batumi wine bars) showcases the family winery’s goods from behind a gorgeous heritage interior. There are several sitting rooms plus a small summer terrace. Don’t miss the bathroom!

A departure from the standard cheese pairing, brand chef Vitali Wisotschin offers delicate pan-Asian bites to accompany: choose from spring rolls, tempura shrimp, fish tacos or tomato ceviche.

• Location: 37 S. Rustaveli Ave
• Hours & info: Facebook

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The best cocktails in Tbilisi

Your search for the most ‘Tbilisi’ bar in Tbilisi ends here at 111 Aghmashenebeli Avenue. Unfound Door Gastrobar, an addition to the popular boutique hotel of the same name, epitomises Tbilisi elegance and charm.

The flaking frescoes and ceiling paintings over the bar set the scene. This heritage 19th-century apartment house once belonged to a wealthy merchant and has since been transformed into one of the city’s most romantic venues.

The menu features creative high-end cocktails and delicious morsels to share, such as pate with macerated pears. Choose from two breezy sitting rooms on the first floor, or dive down into the basement where the mood is altogether more brooding.

• Location: 111 D. Aghmashenebeli Ave (Chugureti)
• Hours & info: Facebook

Built at the end of the 19th century, Wine Factory N1 is a former wine production facility that relaunched in 2017 as one of Tbilisi’s premier dining precincts. The complex houses multiple bars, cafes and restaurants spread over a series of beautiful dining rooms, courtyards and covered balconies. Perfect for bar hopping!

Shushabandi, one of my favourite restaurants in Tbilisi, has a stylish bar inside, while Candy Gin Bar specialises in Tanqueray cocktails.

Kikodze has one of the best locations within Wine Factory N1, with tables facing the main gate for a prime people-watching vantage. It is often full as a result, especially on Sunday afternoons – so be sure to arrive early to stake out a seat.

A cocktail bar first and foremost, Kikodze has a first-rate team of mixologists behind the wheel who work wonders with peanut oil fat-washed bourbon, laphroaig whiskey, aromatic teas, and other fun ingredients.

If you decide to pull an all-nighter, Kikodze doubles as a brunch bar and serves breakfast from 9am. If you haven’t tried syrniki before, their version of cottage cheese pancakes with berries is a revelation.

• Location: 1 V. Petriashvili St (Vera)
• Hours & info: Facebook

This classy second-floor lounge bar looks out over the fray of Aphkhazi Street in the heart of Old Tbilisi.

Top-shelf liquors and cocktails are their forte: Signature drinks such as Carrot Spices (carrot juice, bourbon and aromats) pair perfectly with a mezze platter or a burrata.

In summer, there are fun Friday night jazz sessions.

• Location: 33 K. Aphkhazi St (Old Tbilisi)
• Hours & info: Facebook

Born out of a crowdfunding campaign, this is not your average cocktail bar. 41 Gradus (the name comes from an old Tbilisi avant-garde group) is tucked down an alleyway and seats a maximum of 25 people for a secret speakeasy feel.

The ephemeral, hand-written menu is heavily curated: Clever inventions such as The Left Bank Martini (gin, dry vermouth and white wine) and the Giorgina (tequila, pimento, peach bitters and mezcal) are among the highlights.

It’s a better idea to shelve the cocktail card and instead, strike up a conversation with the one of the career bartenders who will shake or stir something bespoke to suit your tastes.

If you prefer to booze in the comfort of your own home, they also sell bottled cocktails to go.

• Location: 19 G. Tabidze St (Sololaki)
• Hours & info: Facebook

Footsteps from Freedom Square, this cute curbside aperitivo bar serves coffee in the AM and is perfect for a nightcap after 5.

The space might be small, but the cocktail menu is mighty. The Churchkhela – made on brandy, port, frangelico and pomegranate is my pick – followed closely by the Feijoa and Sorrel Smash. This being Soda Bar, anything with ‘spritz’ in the name is bound to be delicious.

By day, non-boozy drinks, coffee, panini sandwiches and snack plates are also served.

• Location: 20 S. Dadiani St (Sololaki)
• Hours & info: Facebook

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The best craft beer pubs in Tbilisi

This taproom in Sololaki is owned and operated by Megobrebi, one of Georgia’s premier craft breweries.

The dozen beers on tap are produced 15 kilometres from the centre of the city and include Georgian-style IPAs, sour beers, and hybrid beer-wine beverages such as Chinuri, which is fermented in clay qvevri similar to Amphora Beer brewed in Samtskhe-Javakheti.

My picks are Tusheti Soul, a hefeweizen with hints of clove, and Tiflis Night, a sweet stout. Seasonal beers are made with locally grown fruits and Georgian spices. Prices start from 8 GEL.

• Location: 7/20 G. Kikodze St (Sololaki)
• Hours & info: Facebook

After closing for a period, 9 Mta has returned to Tbilisi with a terrific new riverside location inside Dedaena Park (where the restaurant Corner used to be).

This well-established craft beer bar has half a dozen different ales on tap plus a huge collection (70-plus!) of bottled and canned brews. Both international and local breweries are represented, including 9 Mta’s own made-in-Georgia beers, Bayo Brewery, Omnipollo and Brewdog.

Svia’s small-batch brews are infused with local herbs, fruits and florals to create some really interesting flavours – I love the rhododendron and the pomegranate. Their brewer in chief hails from Tusheti region and brings traditional Tush beer-making techniques to the mix.  

Belgian beers and special editions such as Baghaven’s Pántáo wild ale with raspberry or white saturn peach also make an appearance.

9 Mta is located inside a glass box on the territory of Dedaena Park, commanding excellent views of the Mtkvari. There’s a brunch menu and a range of bar snacks. The open-air courtyard on the river is great for warm evenings.

• Location: Inside Dedaena Park
• Hours & info: Facebook

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The best bars in Tbilisi for live music & nightlife

• Also see: Where to listen to live music and see folk dance in Tbilisi

Located in the residential Saburtalo neighbourhood, not far from the Tbilisi Skybridge building, Sheen-Aura (Shin-Aura) is well worth the trek if you want to experience local nightlife.

The family owned restaurant is an eclectic celebration of music, art and wine. In the evenings, they host literary events, poetry readings and acoustic performances. Friday folk nights with Georgian polyphonic singing in a laid-back, authentic environment are a very memorable experience (check the Facebook Page for event listings).

• Location: 189 S. Nutsubidze St (Saburtalo)
• Hours & info: Facebook

Lado Gudiashvili Square is the new home of Valiko Mansion, a cult classic bar that used to be in Sololaki. They recently opened a second venue, Vera by Valiko.

One for the nightowls, the vibe here is cocktails and ‘chill rave’. If the music is too much, there are four other rooms to choose from, plus there’s an outdoor terrace for balmy summer nights.

The eclectic interior combines Tbilisi vintage with a bit of edge. Valiko is all about mingling in homely comfort, and is inspired by the owners’ nostalgia for their house party days.

• Location: Lado Gudiashvili Square (Old Tbilisi) & 14a E. Gabashvili St (Vera)
• Hours & info: Facebook

If you like your gin breeze with a river breeze, Rooster has plenty of outdoor seating inside leafy Dedaena Park.

For drinks, there are a trio of beers on tap, Jager shots, sparkling wines and mixers (the Bellini Prosecco goes down a treat on a spring afternoon). The food here is really excellent, too – I have been a few times for dinner. Elevated bar snacks include a spec hot dog with kimchi and a pulled beef sandwich on ciabatta with cherry tomato marinade and spicy slaw.

Rooster has a fun, social vibe downstairs and a classy upstairs terrace. There is live music throughout summer and into October, special cocktail events and khinkali cook-offs on weekends, plus football matches played on the big screen.

• Location: Inside Dedaena Park
• Hours & info: Facebook

The legendary Fabrika, Tbilisi’s long-standing hipster hub, needs no introduction. This retrofitted factory serves many different functions but if you ask me, the best time to visit is in the evening when the courtyard transforms into one big open-air block party and the mirror ball starts spinning in the lounge.

Since there are several bars and restaurants gathered in the one spot, there is a good variety of options on offer. For bottled beer and cocktails, you can’t go wrong with Fabrika’s own tiny courtyard bar (tucked under the staircase), while for wine I recommend Saamuri Natural Wine Bar.

House of Camora is a barbershop by day and a bar by night. They often invite local musicians (including my husband’s Kutaisi punk band!) to perform free shows on weekends.

• Location: 8 E. Ninoshvili St (Chugureti)
• Hours & info: Facebook

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The best chilled neighbourhood bars for a quiet drink

AKA Graal, this elegant cocktail and shot bar faces onto the little-visited, 18th-century Trinity Church, located on a quiet backstreet off Rustaveli Avenue.

A Holy Grail for disciples of hard liquor, Graali has a praiseworthy selection of vodkas, gins and aged spirits plus apéritifs, bitters and cocktails. For something special, the Lamproba Martini (named for the springtime pre-Christian festival in Svaneti) is made with vine leaf brine.

Substantial bar snacks include Ukrainian-style forshmak and beef tar-tar. There’s even a dedicated pickle carte to accompany the shooters.

• Location: 4 G. Abashidze St (off Rustaveli Avenue)
• Hours & info: Facebook

Tucked under an arch on Mtatsminda neighbourhood‘s Niaghvari (‘Creek’) Street, this is the sort of bar where you can slide onto your habitual stool and order the usual.

The Creek is an easy going, self-described ‘hood bar’ that prides itself on down-to-earth prices, friendly service, and good old-fashioned tunes. The blackboard menu spells out draught beer, high-end craft brews and classic cocktails, plus there is Ararat brandy and Georgian chacha.

The atmosphere here is just lovely. And the complimentary bar snacks are a nice touch.

The Creek is a reincarnation of the legendary DIVE Bar, which closed in 2021 after eight years of valued service. The seats in the small summer yard out back are upcycled from their old digs.

• Location: 5 Niaghvari St (Mtatsminda)
• Hours & info: Instagram

24. Black Dog Tbilisi Bars

Best for: Draught beers with your furry friends.

With two locations in Tbilisi plus an apres ski bar in Gudauri Resort, Black Dog is a popular chain of bars that won hearts for being one of the first pet-friendly venues in Tbilisi. (If you don’t have a pet, bring along your favourite street pup!).

Seven years after first opening, this pub is still a crowd favourite, serving tap and craft beer, cider, and ‘soul food’ bar snacks (chunky fries, pork tostadas).

The Sololaki bar is cosy, while the Vera location on the grounds of Wine Factory N1 is outdoors and breezy. The former has a jukebox that you can use to conjure your favourite beats for the low price of 1 GEL.

• Location: 1 V. Petriashvili St (inside Wine Factory N1, Vera) & 33 L. Asatiani St (Sololaki)
• Hours & info: Facebook

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