Café culture has been slowly developing in Georgia, especially in Tbilisi and some other cities. If some time ago, all you could get was mostly Turkish coffee and instant coffee, that has completely changed.
Below, I will be listing cafes in Tbilisi which provide good coffee and sweets and/or are beautiful. Most of these cafes I have visited in the past years and some of them I frequent.
Useful Tips
Before I start listing the cafes we love and recommend, I have to give you some tips, that may help you while visiting popular cafes:
- You will find some cafes that do open before 10am, however, that are far more of them which open only at 10 or even later. So, if you need your morning coffee fix or breakfast, make sure to double check the opening times of the cafes near your hotel or in the area you are visiting.
- Some cafes add tax/service charge separately (18%), which should be noted on the menu. Some of the listed cafes however will charge the stated amount and you can leave the tip at your own discretion.
- Some of these cafes only serve coffee and sweets, but the majority of them serve good food as well. Some of them even serve some Georgian food, if you want to try but are not a fan of huge loud restaurants, like me.
- You will find English speaking staff and menus at all of the cafes listed here.
Here is general information about visiting Georgia with detailed tips and itineraries.
Here is the suggested itinerary for Tbilisi for you to find out how to arrange your time in the city.
List of Nice Cafés
The café listings are in no particular order here. Just some nice cafes in those areas:
Old Town Area and Liberty Square
These areas are the most touristy. This is where you will definitely end up while exploring Tbilisi. You may be even staying very close to one of these cafes.
144 Stairs – if you would like a café with a view, check out this one. Keep in mind that as the name suggests you do have to climb 144 stairs, so do this only if you don’t have any mobility issues. The café itself is very cute and I believe has the best views of any café in the city (well, there are some restaurants, which also have similarly great views though). The food and drinks are nothing particularly special, I wouldn’t come here to eat, just order coffee or another drink and enjoy the view.
Café Frida’s – another cute café with a view. The view here is not that amazing, it’s obstructed. But the décor is very colorful. If you want colorful insta photos, this is for you. Coffee is all right, nothing special, so you will be basically coming here for the décor and view. This one is not difficult to climb, from the Asatiani street side you will have to go uphill but it’s not too steep.
Entrée – this is a chain of cafes which have become very popular in Tbilisi during the last decade. They have branches in several places. This branch has a nice yard and is relatively larger than the others. They have great croissants and sweets. Coffee is also good, unless you love very strong one. They also offer nice hot chocolate.
Linville – this café has been around for years. It started its operation during the time when the old style décor in the old apartments became popular in Tbilisi (you will still find several similar cafes). The old style chairs and tables, chandeliers, photos and mirrors all contribute to the quirky atmosphere. The café is very Instagrammable, if you are looking for something different.
Café Littera – this café next to the writers’ house has a lovely décor and most importantly cute yard, in the center of which is a huge tree. The café is on the expensive side, if you want to eat here, but it’s worth a visit. From what I see, they prefer reservations, so do give them a call, or try your luck by just showing up.
Café Leila – one of the most popular cafes in the city. It’s famous for its décor. Food is not widely liked by Georgians, however, it’s pretty decent. You should come here for its lovely interior. Plus, it’s so close to the main attractions you will be seeing in Tbilisi.
Bazari Orbelianze – this isn’t a bazaar, as you may mistakenly think due to its name. It’s sort of a food court and a hanging out space and was called bazaar simply because this area used to be a real bazaar years ago. Currently, it’s nicely decorated with a number of food and coffee spots you can check out. I particularly like Qooqy Bakery stand here – their choix and other cakes are delicious. There is also the Coffee Lab stand here for great coffee. Plus, you can find any type of food whatever your taste. Upstairs there’s a small balcony area, where you can sit to have a view of the surroundings.
Kvarts coffee – this is the second branch of the coffee shop, which first opened on Rustaveli avenue. This branch is bigger than the one on Rustaveli and they have an open air seating in the back as well. Their main attraction is the fact that they paint your face on the takeaway coffee cup. The artists usually change, so the picture of yourself you can get today may be entirely different from the one you got yesterday. I did this a few times and while the photo doesn’t always look like me, I still like seeing what they are gonna do next. We still do keep some versions we particularly liked. In addition to this Instagrammable fun feature, their coffee is good as well, so I do suggest coming here.
Santino – this café opened a few years ago. Its décor is pretty cute. They mainly have seating outside on the pedestrian street, which is nice. They have pretty good coffee as well.
Illy – this is my favourite coffee in Tbilisi. You probably know Illy anyway, it’s a huge chain with various types of great coffee. This one is no different. I like all types of coffee they have (although servings are small). I also like their cakes and food a lot, my favourite food here is their Club sandwich.
Amo Rame – this café is another one from the times when opening cafes in the apartment areas was trendy. It became very popular and was always crowded. Nowadays, it still offers good coffee and sweets, as well as different types of food. It’s not cheap any more (well, nothing is any more in Tbilisi), but it’s worth a visit. The atmosphere is nice. Like Linville, their décor is old style and they have a small open air seating in the back.
Rustaveli, Mtatsminda and Vera Areas
Like the old town, these areas are also where most tourists will end up, while exploring Tbilisi. They are considered the heart of the city.
Café Museum – this café is nice with the open air seating. The only disadvantage is that it’s on the highway, so a bit loud, if you are sitting outside. I especially love their Tiramisu. Food is also very good. Btw I discovered this café during COVID times, when we were ordering their food and sweets to be delivered home.
Tiffany bar and terrace – this lovely cafe/bar has been very popular among Georgians, due to its beautiful interior. For a while, people were doing proposals hear even. It has good coffee and waffles, as well as food.
Duchef – this café is very new, although already popular. They have very tasty, although expensive, cakes. The décor is lovely, more old style. They also have a quiet open air seating.
Erti Kava – this café recently became a chain basically. It has a branch in Mestia, as well as at least one more branch in Tbilisi. We enjoy their coffee a lot. Plus, the cute colorful decorations is certainly a big bonus. It’s very popular and particularly crowded on the weekends.
Funicular – this is the white building you are seeing on Mtatsminda, near the TV tower. The building is the one you get to when taking the train up. The lower floor is a spacious café, while upper floors house an expensive Georgian restaurant. I do suggest going to this café for sure, unless you can afford to pay a fortune in the restaurant upstairs. This café has very tasty light cakes, as well as good coffee. You also have an option to eat various types of food here. The café has inside and outside seating and the view is certainly nice.
Kvarts coffee on Rustaveli – as I mentioned in reviewing their second branch, the main attraction of this cafe is the fact that they paint your face on the takeaway coffee cup. The artists usually change, so the picture of yourself you can get today may be entirely different from the one you got yesterday. We still do keep some versions we particularly liked. This branch is small and has only 2 tables, so it would be difficult to find a place. In addition to this Instagrammable fun feature, their coffee is good as well, so I do suggest coming here.
Prospero’s Books – this café is housed in an English-language bookshop. It has a lovely quiet yard once you enter from the Rustaveli avenue, as well as seating inside among the bookshelves. You can read a book while enjoying your coffee. Their coffee is certainly not the strongest, but it’s decent.
Coffeesta – as this café changed its location very recently, Google maps still shows it at the old location. Here is the approximate location, it’s very near Carpisa shop. I honestly preferred their previous location, because they had cozy seating and overall more space. Now it’s more of a quick coffee stop with less comfy seating area. The coffee is decent though and if you are walking on Rustaveli avenue and sightseeing, it’s worth getting your coffee fix here.
Luca Polare – this café chain started as a small ice cream shop and now has cafes and stand in several locations around the city. Their ice cream is pretty good, so is their coffee, so it’s worth stopping here, if you prefer.
Café Stamba – one of the most popular places in the city. Stamba has a restaurant part and a café side. the restaurant also has great, albeit expensive food. The café offers good coffee and homemade chocolate, as well as pastries (you can order khachapuri here for instance). It has a spacious yard in the back with wooden seats, if you prefer to sit outside in summer.
Rooms Kitchen – this is a hotel area downstairs. Like in Stamba there is a restaurant section and a café/bar section. They have nice wide armchair seats in the café part and good coffee.
Café Sol – this café can’t boast with its food or sweets, but it’s a cute colorful café, you may wish to have a look at.
Hurma – very popular among the people, who like healthy breakfast. It has good food and coffee.
Althaus tea house – Althaus now has 5 branches – 3 teahouses, a coffee house and a Nair Nairi café/restaurant. I do like this branch on Kiacheli, as it’s housed in an old apartment and is cozy (although can get pretty stuffy in summer, so have a look, if you are ok with it. They offer a number of different tea options, as well as great cakes and some food.
Coffee House – I believe this is a café I have most frequented in Tbilisi. It recently changed its location, however, remained similarly great. They have great coffee (they use Illy coffee actually), tasty pancakes and waffles, as well as chocolate made on the spot and cakes. The food is also good, although options are limited. The service staff are very nice and welcoming. The atmosphere is also very nice. Overall, I highly recommend this café.
Shavi Coffee Roasters – a recently opened very popular café with good coffee.
Piatto – this café is located in a book store. It has good coffee, sweets and food.
Marjanishvili
At the heart of this area is the Aghmashenebeli Avenue. Parts of it were renovated a few years ago and you may enjoy walking around here.
Puri Guliani – a very popular café always full, especially during weekends. Their food is on the expensive side, but delicious; so are their cakes and coffee. With coffee they give small tasty locally made cookies btw, which I love. The café decoration is rich and lovely. They also have great seating space outside, where it’s always difficult to find a seat. I highly recommend coming here at least once.
Fabrika – this is not a café, but a hostel with the courtyard of several cafes and bars. It’s very popular among young people during the daytime, as well as evenings. So if you want to find a lively spot to hang out, this is for you.
Entrée – one of the branches of this popular chain. As I mentioned above in my review of its another branch, it has great croissants and cakes, as well as good hot chocolate and coffee. This branch is somewhat smaller, but pretty decent sized to grab coffee or lunch.
August Bakery – this bakery has good coffee and breads/sandwiches.
Vake
While this area is more residential and being a tourist you may not exactly walk in that direction, it’s full of nice coffee places. So if you do decide to walk around, you can check out some of these cafes as well.
Coffee Lab – if you like strong coffee, this café is for you. They have a good selection of nice coffees. The café opened several years ago and this is already their second branch.
Chocolaterie Artisan – if you are a chocolate lover, don’t miss this place. This is one of my favorite cafes for buying chocolate, as well as having their hot chocolate and coffee or even coming for lunch. Oh and don’t forget their delicious cakes. As a bonus their interior is cute.
Canape – a popular café for lunch. They have good food and pancakes.
Viceversa – nice coffee place.
Lui Coffee – one of my favourite places for lunch. This café was opened by a Ukrainian about a decade ago. It became very popular, due to its great food and drinks. I do like all types of food I tried here. They also have a great selection of good coffee. The only thing I am not entirely a fan of is their cakes, as they are too heavy for me. But if you like particularly sweet cakes, you will enjoy them too. The café is quite small, so if you come exactly during lunch hours, you may not find a spot. Btw it actually is the only café I heard of in Tbilisi that is open 24 hours.
Café Mziuri – Mziuri is a park which you can get to by taking stairs down from Chavchavadze avenue. The café is inside the park. It has very cute décor and seating inside and outside. Their coffee and sweets are good. They also offer food, but I haven’t tried it.
Qooqy Bakery – this small bakery already has several branches around the city. They have delicious cakes and great coffee. Although they have a small space and the seating is limited, it’s still worth checking out.
Erti Kava – another branch of this café (the more central one is in the Mtatsminda area) with cute interior and good coffee.
Saburtalo
This is another area you won’t end up at while exploring the city, unless you go specifically. It’s a university and residential area with a number of shops and cafes. Here are some suggestions, if you by any chance do end up there.
Artisan – a second branch of the chocolaterie with great chocolates, cakes, coffee and food.
Coffee Lab – this branch has spacious outside seating in a small square. It has good selection of strong coffee and is very popular. Actually during busy times, it’s totally full and you can’t even find a seat.
Coffee.co – newly opened coffee shop with good coffee.
Le Gateau – this café is known for its cakes. They have various types of cakes worth checking out.
Farther From Central Areas
Gardenia Shevardnadze – this café is located in a residential area far from any transport connections. If you come here, I would suggest taking a taxi. The only way to get there by public transport is by minibus, so it would be too complicated. The café is famous for its lovely garden. You will need to pay 2GEL to enter the garden (I read somewhere that it recently became 5GEL, but I don’t know how reliable this information is). The drinks are fine, I don’t particularly remember either liking or disliking them, but if you come here you wouldn’t be coming for food or drinks really, but for the garden.