Tbilisi Food Tour: Eating Our Way Around Old Tbilisi, Georgia

01/11/202601/11/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Close-up of twisted khinkali dumplings and a dish of melted butter at Café Daphna in Tbilisi

On our trip to Georgia and Azerbaijan in July 2026, Dan and I took the Culinary Backstreets Tbilisi food tour on our first full day in Georgia. The tour, Old Town and Beyond: A Tbilisi Silk Road Feast, runs about seven hours and costs $125 per person. We did this because (1) we love to eat and drink and (2) it would give us some historical background and recommendations for Tbilisi. We booked with Culinary Backstreets (not sponsored), the same company we used for our Culinary Backstreets food tour in Izmir in 2023. This post reviews our tour in detail, including what we ate and drank. For how we spent the rest of the week, see our 5-day Tbilisi itinerary.

Tbilisi, Georgia!

Where Our Tbilisi Food Tour Began: Abanotubani

Our tour began at 10:00 a.m. in the Abanotubani district at the southeastern edge of the Old Town of Tbilisi. This district is historically home to many of Tbilisi’s bathhouses, which are fueled by Tbilisi’s hot sulfur springs. We met right in front of the most photogenic bathhouse, Chreli Abano (or the Orbeliani Baths). Yes, this is the blue Persian-style building that many think is a mosque. We also saw the rooftops of other old bathhouses in the area. While the bathhouses had nothing to do with our tour, it was interesting to see.

The Orbeliani Baths.

Brick domes of underground sulfur bathhouses in Abanotubani, Old Tbilisi

The roofs of ancient bathhouses.

Stop One: Tea and Khachapuri at Tbilisi’s Last Teahouse

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5 Days in Tbilisi, Georgia: A Foodie Itinerary

26/10/202601/11/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Panoramic view of Old Tbilisi, the Kura River and Rike Park from the hill below Narikala Fortress

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.

Tbilisi, Georgia!

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

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New Year’s Eve Gala at Abades Triana in Seville (2025/2026)

22/10/202622/10/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Plate of twelve lucky grapes and a glass of Champagne on a New Year's Eve gala table in Seville

*Last updated October 2026*

Dan and I spent New Year’s Eve 2025/2026 in Seville, Spain. We arrived on December 28, and stayed until January 1. Seville is an excellent destination to ring in the New Year. The entire city’s vibes are high, and there is a lot going on during this holiday period, which extends to January 6 in Spain. The city is decorated beautifully and, while it’s a holiday period with many on vacation, most tourist attractions and restaurants remain open (except on January 1 and 6).

Seville was not our first New Year’s Eve abroad. We also celebrated Hogmanay in Scotland; see our guide on how to celebrate Hogmanay in Edinburgh and our review of New Year’s dinner at Cannonball Restaurant.

Glass of tinto de verano on our Seville hotel rooftop on New Year's Eve, with La Giralda bell tower in the background

Seville on New Year’s Eve. This was at 6:00 p.m. on our hotel rooftop.

New Year’s Eve in Seville

The big tradition on New Year’s Eve in Seville (and Spain, generally) is “Las Doce Uvas de la Suerte”, which translates to the 12 grapes of luck. Practically, this tradition consists of attempting to eat one grape for each of the 12 clock chimes at midnight on New Year’s Eve, for a total of 12 grapes in a very short time period. It’s nearly impossible to do, LOL.

Aside from this tradition, many locals celebrate at home or in the city streets, which are full of people on New Year’s Eve. While sounding very fun, as we knew no one in Seville, we wanted to do something a bit more formal that included both dinner and drinks, so that we could guarantee a fun New Year’s Eve. We identified a few options, including a big celebration at Hotel Alfonso XIII, and ultimately opted for a “gala dinner” at restaurant Abades Triana.

Seville street lit with white Christmas light trees and hanging ornaments on New Year's Eve

Seville, Spain on New Year’s Eve.

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The Most Delicious Cheese Fondue in Basel, Switzerland

19/10/202618/10/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Long wooden tables under a beamed timber ceiling in the dining room of Baracca Zermatt Basel

*Updated October 2026*

Where is the most delicious cheese fondue in Basel, Switzerland? Baracca Zermatt Basel. Absolutely outstanding.

Truffle cheese fondue pot, a basket of bread cubes and a bacon salad on a wooden table at Baracca Zermatt in Basel, Switzerland

Fondue at Baracca Zermatt in Basel, Switzerland.

In December 2025, I took a day trip from Strasbourg, France, to Basel, Switzerland, to visit Basel’s three small Christmas markets. When in Switzerland, and because Basel’s markets are on the smaller side, I decided that I simply had to have a cheese fondue meal on the day trip. I made a lunch reservation at Baracca Zermatt, and it was absolutely delicious.

Wooden chalet exterior of Baracca Zermatt in Basel with vintage chairlift seats and stacked firewood out front

Baracca Zermatt Basel. Really does feel like a ski resort in the center of Basel.

Baracca Zermatt Basel

The restaurant describes itself as a “piece of Zermatt at the bend of the Rhine in Basel.” Baracca Zermatt Basel is the second location of the restaurant, with the first, and original, being in Kloten, Switzerland. The Basel location opens as a pop-up restaurant from October 24, 2026 to the end of March 2027. The concept is an old Zermatt postal hut with interiors by Zermatt artist Heinz Julen. It serves traditional Alpine dishes in a pop-up building that really makes you feel like you are in the Alps, including an antique ski gondola. The Basel location sits close to the Basel Zoo, beside Osteria Acqua.

The interior of Baracca Zermatt Basel. It looks very Swiss mountain chic.

Wide view of the timber-beamed dining room and chandeliers inside the Baracca Zermatt pop-up restaurant in Basel

Another view of the pop-up restaurant.

Reservations at Baracca Zermatt Basel

I reserved a table in advance via the restaurant’s website, in German. However, we visited for lunch midweek in December, and we almost certainly did not need a reservation at that time. Better safe than sorry!

If you are planning to visit for lunch, lunch is only served November through January, Monday to Thursday, 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. As a result, a Friday or weekend market day trip cannot do lunch here.

Table setting with a white plate, cutlery on a yellow napkin and wine glasses on a wooden table at Baracca Zermatt Basel

Despite being a pop-up, it felt upscale.

Drinks at Baracca Zermatt Basel

Baracca Zermatt Basel has a full bar, as well as all the standard soft drinks. As we were in Switzerland for the first time in a few years, we split a bottle of Swiss Cabernet Franc. While we probably did not need this entire bottle of wine at noon on a Tuesday, it was quite good and paired well with our fondue.

The Food at Baracca Zermatt Basel

Baracca Zermatt Basel offers a limited menu, specializing in Cheese Fondue, Cheese Raclette, and Fondue Chinoise (meat fondue). There are a couple of other dishes on the menu, but its specialties are the traditional fondue and raclette. Perfect for a Swiss lunch. And, fun fact, the fondue is lactose-free.

Baracca Zermatt Basel lunch menu listing cheese fondue, raclette and fondue chinoise prices in Swiss francs

The lunch menu in 2025. As of October 2026, the prices remain the same.

For our lunch, we selected the truffle cheese fondue for two people. I also ordered the “Lamb’s Lettuce Salad with Bacon”. I was feeling like something somewhat healthy. Shortly after we ordered, our salad arrived. It was a salad large enough to split between two (or even three) and dressed with a light house-made dressing, freshly made bread croutons, hard-boiled egg, and the tastiest bacon. Truly, this salad was RIDICULOUS. It was one of the best things I ate on this entire trip. I still talk about it. I checked the menu in October 2026, and it remains at the top! The salad cost 16 CHF in 2026.

Salad of lamb's lettuce topped with crispy bacon, bread croutons and chopped egg at Baracca Zermatt Basel

My stunning Lamb’s Lettuce Salad at Baracca Zermatt Basel.

Our truffle fondue arrived next. It was served in a large fondue pot set over a small flame with crusty bread, pickles, and potatoes. It was hard to snap an excellent picture of the fondue, but trust me when I say, it was fantastic. We could not finish it all, but the staff kindly offered to bring us extra bread if we wanted. The Truffle Fondue cost 40 CHF per person in 2026 (30 CHF for the regular cheese, plus 10 CHF for the truffle), for a total of 80 CHF for two people.

Aside from truffle, traditional, tomato, herb, chili, and porcini fondues are available.

Creamy truffle cheese fondue flecked with black truffle in a red enamel fondue pot at Baracca Zermatt Basel

Truffle Cheese Fondue at Baracca Zermatt Basel.

Wicker basket of cubed white bread for dipping into cheese fondue at Baracca Zermatt Basel

The bread for the fondue.

We skipped dessert in favor of finding a treat at the Christmas markets. All in, this was an unexpectedly outstanding meal in Basel, Switzerland. Highly recommend if you are in town during the pop-up season.

Further, if you are looking for something really exciting and special, Baracca Zermatt Basel offers the “Liebesgondeli”, or dinner inside a gondola for 2 to 4 people. You have to call the restaurant and book this by phone. We did not do this, but it seems very fun. Similar to an experience offered at the Lavaux Wine Bar in New York!

Vintage blue ski gondola cabin with curtains outside Baracca Zermatt in Basel, next to a stone railway viaduct

How cute is this little ski gondola outside the restaurant?

STEAL OUR TRIP

Baracca Zermatt Basel: Binningerstrasse 14, 4051 Basel (next to Osteria Acqua). Reservations via restaurant website. Open for dinner Monday to Saturday from 6:30 p.m. Open for lunch November through January, Monday to Thursday, 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. Closed Sundays except for a few November and Advent Sundays, and Mondays are also closed from February. Also closed December 24 – 26.

Related reading: our 6-day European Christmas market itinerary (Strasbourg, Colmar, Basel and Paris), our Colmar Christmas market day trip from Strasbourg, and the time we found cheese fondue in the Maldives.

Eating Our Way Through Seville Between Christmas and New Year’s

12/10/202625/10/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Solomillo al whisky, pork tenderloin in brandy sauce with fries, on a wooden table at Mamá Carmen in Seville

*Updated as of October 10, 2026*

Dan and I spent New Year’s Eve 2025 in Seville, Spain. We absolutely LOVED Seville, especially at New Year’s, and I will be writing more about our wonderful trip. While there, of course we had to take a Seville food tour, and we opted for one of our favorite food tour companies, Eating Europe. We took the Eating Seville: Tapas, Drinks & Local Flavors Tour on our first full morning, which took us through Santa Cruz, City Hall, El Salvador, and Alfalfa quarters, stopping in four tapas bars and an ice cream shop. This post details our food tour, which is absolutely worth it if you want a fast, guided crash course in Seville tapas. This post is not sponsored.

Giralda bell tower of Seville Cathedral against a blue sky in late December

Seville on December 29, 2025.

Our tour began at 11:00 AM (although as of October 2026, that time is no longer offered; tours now leave at 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM and last about three hours) in the Santa Cruz neighborhood. We learned a bit about the neighborhood, which is historically the Old Jewish Quarter, before landing at our first stop. For those in Seville, Santa Cruz is a beautiful neighborhood filled with loads of history and adorable streets. Very European.

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