Last updated: October 2026

We traveled to Tbilisi, Georgia in July 2026. We originally planned this trip for April 2020 but it was cancelled because of the Covid pandemic. Six years later, we finally rescheduled our trip. This post details what we did during our 5 days in Tbilisi, which was very much a food and wine focused itinerary. After Tbilisi, we continued to Batumi, Georgia before flying to Baku, Azerbaijan for a long weekend.

Our 5 Days in Tbilisi at a Glance

• When we went: July 2026
• Where we stayed: Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace
• Getting around: Bolt (skip the unofficial airport taxis)
• Our top meals: OtsY and Khash Khash

Day One: A Late Arrival in Tbilisi, Georgia

Tbilisi, Georgia is quite far from New York, requiring a direct flight to Istanbul, followed by a 2.5-hour flight to Tbilisi on Turkish Airlines. By the time all was said and done, we arrived in Tbilisi in the evening, around 7:30 p.m. Immigration into Georgia at the Tbilisi airport was a breeze, and we quickly found a taxi to our hotel (which turned out to be a fake taxi and totally overcharged us). Lesson learned: use Bolt (similar to Uber) in Tbilisi.

We checked into our hotel, the Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace, which was an amazing hotel, and promptly went downstairs to the hotel’s sports bar, Craft House, for dinner. While we would have liked to have gone out and explored Tbilisi, it was dark, and we were exhausted. Plus, the sports bar served Guinness and was playing the World Cup (which we had just seen in NJ and Philadelphia).

And, if you are staying at the Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace, or just in the area, the food at Craft House was actually pretty tasty, though nothing near the best we had in Tbilisi. We had our very first Georgian khachapuri (which we learned simply means bread, not the Adjarian Khachapuri that we love at Chama Mama in NYC), an insanely delicious Georgian Salad, and a really tasty club sandwich (the bread and meat on this were so good). 

Day Two: A Food Tour Through Tbilisi

The following morning we woke up refreshed and ready for our first full day in Tbilisi! We booked a full-day food tour through historic Tbilisi with Culinary Backstreets (after doing a wonderful food tour with that company in Izmir, Turkey, and our Kadikoy tasting in Istanbul). Due to the tour, we skipped breakfast and walked 30 minutes from our hotel into the heart of Old Tbilisi. The sights along the way were both fun and gorgeous, and the walk was very safe. 

Our tour met very close to the Chreli Abano (Orbeliani Bath) bathhouse, which is the beautifully decorated blue bath house that many think resembles a mosque. We skipped the bathhouses on this trip due to time constraints, but bathhouses are very popular here thanks to its natural warm sulfur springs. In fact, Tbilisi is derived from an old Georgian word meaning “warm place”. 

The food tour was just us and one other couple. We spent the better part of the day visiting seven different locations, trying everything from Georgian bread (khachapuri) to dumplings (khinkali) to Georgian wine, among many other things. This tour was super interesting and a perfect introduction to Georgian food and wine. A detailed post on the food tour is coming very soon!

In addition to trying lots of delicious Georgian foods and drinks, we also learned tons about Georgia’s fascinating and complicated history, and passed by some of its most famous sites, including its frequently photographed Gabriadze Clock Tower. And, while seeming historic, it dates only to 2010 and is attached to Tbilisi’s famous Rezo Gabriadze Marionette Theatre. I tried to buy tickets for a show, but it was totally sold out during our visit!

Our food tour ended around 5:30 p.m. We were very full and in need of a nap. We Bolted back to our hotel. Dan rested, but I went up to the Executive Lounge to check out the complimentary happy hour for Platinum (and above) status members (I had Titanium at the time). I couldn’t really eat the food because of the food tour, but I did try a local beer and took in the views, which were insane. If you happen to stay at the Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace, please ask to see the view from the Executive Lounge!

Due to our long food tour, I did not make dinner reservations but did reserve space at one of Tbilisi’s highest rated cocktail bars, Apotheka Bar and Lounge. We arrived around 8:30 p.m., expecting a quiet cocktail bar in an old pharmacy. The setting is indeed an old pharmacy, dating back to 1902, and good cocktails were being served, but I did not realize this establishment is like a full-on club, with people not arriving until close to midnight and staying late. We were the only people there until 9:00 p.m., and there was a live DJ. It did seem fun, but we were not prepared for that situation, LOL. We ordered drinks and snacks to meet the minimum, which was clearly disclosed when I made the reservation, and went to bed before this place got crowded.

Day Three: Dry Bridge Market, Bridge of Peace, Mother of Georgia, and A Delicious Dinner in Historic Tbilisi!

Today was less about food and drink, and instead about seeing many of Tbilisi’s highlights. Our first stop was the Dry Bridge Market. Dry Bridge Market is an open-air market in and around Dry Bridge. It is open daily but the weekends are rumored to be more populated with vendors.  We saw lots of vendors selling everything from handmade paintings (I wish I purchased one) to mass-produced things, to vintage finds, including things from the Soviet era. It reminded me a lot of what I call a “flea market” in the US. Prices are not listed but are negotiable. While it was interesting to visit, I left with only a vintage Rome tourist plate!

The next stop on our sightseeing day was the Bridge of Peace. This bridge, which is a pedestrian bridge spanning the Kura River designed by Italian architect Michele De Lucchi, only opened in 2010. It’s currently a popular tourist attraction, but also somewhat controversial due to its modern design. We stopped for a Georgian beer and a snack of fried cheese before crossing the bridge ourselves. 

Having crossed the Kura River, we moved on to the Rike Park to Narikala cable car station, which we planned to take up to visit the Mother of Georgia (Kartlis Deda) statue and Narikala Fortress (but the fortress was closed for renovation during our visit). I hate cable cars, so this was a real test for me. We paid the fee (2.5 GEL) and hopped on a car. The ride was not too bad and only lasted a few minutes. We had a car to ourselves and the ride did provide great views of Tbilisi. 

Once at the top, we walked over to the Mother of Georgia statue, which is a 20-meter-tall monumental sculpture located on Sololaki Hill. It was initially constructed in 1958 to celebrate the 1500th anniversary of Tbilisi. It looks pretty cool from the ground but up close and personal, it’s just a tall statue. As Narikala Fortress was under renovation, we took the cable car back down pretty quickly. 

Safely on the ground, Dan wanted a shisha break, and he had researched a few places in town. This time, we walked straight uphill to one of the highest points in Old Tbilisi to visit Chillimi Lounge. And, the views were absolutely worth the uphill walk. Stunning. Dan confirmed that the shisha is also good. 

After a rest at the hotel, we ended our day with one of the best meals we had on this trip at OtsY. Located right next to the Gabriadze Clock Tower, OtsY serves excellent, modern Georgian food in an absolutely lovely setting. Everything was amazing but the stand outs for me were what translated to the “Cheese Pie” and the Georgian Salad. 10 stars! Separate review coming soon because it was THAT good.

Day Four: A Wine Tour to the Kakheti Wine Region and a Traditional Supra

On our fourth day, we left Tbilisi for a day trip to the Kakheti wine region. The Kakheti region is located East of Tbilisi and makes about 70% of Georgia’s wine. This is the area where the wine is aged in underground clay jars called qvevri. It is also very well-known for its “City of Love”, Sighnaghi. 

On this tour, we drove to Kakheti, visited three wineries, Giuaani, Kerovani, and Burjanadzes Wine Cellar, had a fabulous lunch at Giuaani, visited Sighnaghi and walked on its Great Wall, and finished our day with a traditional “supra” or Georgian feast at the home of one of the winemakers with their family. While Georgian wine is not our favorite (I know, people will say we are crazy!), this day trip was so fun, and the supra was unmatched. I will post separately on this tour, but I highly recommend a trip out to the Kakheti countryside when in Tbilisi.

Given that this was an all-day tour, we didn’t do anything this evening except catch a bit of the Portugal v. Spain World Cup match at our hotel before bed.

Day Five: The Chronicles of Georgia, Fabrika, Shisha, and a Fantastic Dinner

On our last full day in Tbilisi, we began the day by Bolting out to the Chronicles of Georgia. Located 13 kilometers from central Tbilisi, the Chronicles of Georgia is a monument on Keeni Hill near the Tbilisi Sea (i.e. the Tbilisi man-made reservoir), created by controversial Georgian sculptor Zurab Tsereteli in 1985, but never fully finished. The monument is meant to commemorate 3,000 years of Georgian statehood and 2,000 years of Christianity in Georgia. For us, it was just something interesting to visit. It was quite impressive. I will be posting a separate post on how to visit the Chronicles.

We spent about an hour there before Bolting back into Tbilisi and visiting the uber hipster Fabrika for lunch. Fabrika is a “cultural center”, featuring a handful of restaurants and shops, as well as a large and popular hostel, inside a repurposed 1950s Soviet-era sewing factory. While colorful and young, I do not get the excitement associated with Fabrika. Nevertheless, it is cool to visit.

At Fabrika, we lunched at Popolo, an Italian-inspired wood oven pizza restaurant inside Fabrika. It was surprisingly good pizza. Big fan. I had expected to spend some time exploring and shopping at Fabrika, but there really was not too much going on (it was a Tuesday).

After lunch, Dan wanted more shisha, and there just happened to be a highly rated shisha restaurant a five-minute walk away, Hookah Friends. We walked over and had the best time drinking Georgian wine, talking with the owner, who moved to Georgia from Ukraine, and, of course, Dan got to have shisha. Here, at the proprietor’s suggestion, he tried a Russian variety that is difficult to find in the US. Hookah Friends was lovely, highly recommend.

We spent the afternoon back at our hotel, mostly enjoying its fabulous spa facilities. The Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace offers both an indoor and outdoor pool, two saunas with different temperatures, a steam room, and a cold plunge pool, all on premises. We loved these spa facilities and would stay here again just to use these facilities.

Before heading back into Tbilisi for our final Tbilisi dinner this trip, we visited the bar at the Sheraton’s ATI Rooftop Restaurant for a pre-dinner cocktail. While ATI is frequently ranked as one of the best restaurants in Tbilisi, I was disinclined to eat here as it was located in our hotel. I was, however, interested in a rooftop drink. Unfortunately, it was raining when we visited, but the restaurant is beautifully decorated even without the outdoor space. That being said, the views are better from the Sheraton lounge if you have access to that.

This evening, we ventured back into Tbilisi, again very close to Fabrika, to another excellent restaurant, Khash Khash! Khash Khash was recommended by our food tour guide, and it serves a special “hangover cure” soup made with tripe. Dan loves tripe, so we called and made a reservation. While I was not a fan of the soup, I was a big fan of the restaurant. The food was excellent. My favorite dish was the Georgian salad. I think it was the very best that we had on this trip.

Day Six: Taking the Train to Batumi

On our last morning, we did nothing but have breakfast and Bolt to Tbilisi Central Station to catch a Georgian Railway train to Batumi. The train ride took 5 hours and 8 minutes and went fine, but boarding at the train station was a bit chaotic. A full post on taking the Georgia train coming soon. From Batumi, we flew to Baku, Azerbaijan for a long weekend, where we took a Baku food tour.

All in, we had a lovely, lovely week in Tbilisi and will definitely be back! We loved the food and the architecture. Prices were incredibly reasonable. Everyone we met was generally nice and happy to have visitors. If you have the chance, get yourself to Georgia!

STEAL OUR TRIP

Prices and hours below are as of July 2026.
Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace: 20 Telavi St, Tbilisi 0103, Georgia. 

Culinary Backstreets: We took the Tbilisi Old Town and Beyond: A Tbilisi Silk Road Feast. It cost $125 USD per person. 

Apotheka Bar and Lounge: Open Thursday 7:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. and Friday and Saturday 8:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. “in the Summer” according to its official Instagram. Reservations suggested. Message on Instagram for reservations and the most up-to-date hours. Note – we were required to post a deposit on a Saturday evening. It came off our bill, as promised.

Bolt: This is the link to Bolt. It works nearly identically to Uber.

Narikala Restaurant: 7 Erekle II I Dead End, Tbilisi, Georgia. Open daily 10:00 a.m. to midnight. I would note that this place gets terrible reviews, but we only had a beer. 

OtsY: 20 Ioane Shavteli St, Tbilisi 0105, Georgia. Open daily 1:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Reservations recommended by calling +995 500 50 20 20. I made a reservation via the Rezto website.

Eat This!: We used this company for our wine tour and took the Sighnaghi tour at 450 GEL per person.

Chronicles of Georgia: Chronicles of Georgia Temqa, Tbilisi, Georgia. Open daily, 24 hours a day. Free to enter.

Popolo: 8 Egnate Ninoshvili St, Tbilisi, Georgia (inside Fabrika). Open Sunday to Thursday 12:00 p.m. to 12:20 a.m., Friday and Saturday until 1:20 a.m. Reservations accepted by calling +995 599 20 75 56. 

Hookah Friends: 37 Maksim Gorki St, Tbilisi 0102, Georgia. Open daily 1:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.

Khash Khash: Giorgi Mazniashvili 33, Tbilisi, Georgia 0102. Open Monday to Friday 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. Reservations recommended and can be made here. 

Georgia Railways: The official Georgia Railways website. You can book directly through this website.